Class of 26 Graduates Thread

[BearLover]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

EVERY year is a rebuilding year. Get used to it - or drive yourself insane.

This is not remotely true in recent Cornell history. For example, going into 2024-25 we lost one player who was in the lineup (to graduation). No one left early, no one transferred.

That team had exactly 1 drafted player that wasn't a Freshman ... Hank Kempf, a 7th rounder. This year's team has 7 drafted players that aren't freshman, and 2 that are.

OK, but my point is that not every year need be a rebuilding year. In recent Cornell history, most years have not been. 22-23 another good example. Stienburg (third round pick, over a point per game) returned, and so did everyone else. We've had very few early departures over the years. Until now, I guess.

[underskill]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

EVERY year is a rebuilding year. Get used to it - or drive yourself insane.

This is not remotely true in recent Cornell history. For example, going into 2024-25 we lost one player who was in the lineup (to graduation). No one left early, no one transferred.

That team had exactly 1 drafted player that wasn't a Freshman ... Hank Kempf, a 7th rounder. This year's team has 7 drafted players that aren't freshman, and 2 that are.

OK, but my point is that not every year need be a rebuilding year. In recent Cornell history, most years have not been. 22-23 another good example. Stienburg (third round pick, over a point per game) returned, and so did everyone else. We've had very few early departures over the years. Until now, I guess.

That's not true at all. Dating back to Hynes Pokulok O'Byrne etc.

[Cornell troll]

Probably not too healthy to be too emotionally invested in the success of the team

[BearLover]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

EVERY year is a rebuilding year. Get used to it - or drive yourself insane.

This is not remotely true in recent Cornell history. For example, going into 2024-25 we lost one player who was in the lineup (to graduation). No one left early, no one transferred.

That team had exactly 1 drafted player that wasn't a Freshman ... Hank Kempf, a 7th rounder. This year's team has 7 drafted players that aren't freshman, and 2 that are.

OK, but my point is that not every year need be a rebuilding year. In recent Cornell history, most years have not been. 22-23 another good example. Stienburg (third round pick, over a point per game) returned, and so did everyone else. We've had very few early departures over the years. Until now, I guess.

That's not true at all. Dating back to Hynes Pokulok O'Byrne etc.

I said very few, I didn't say none. Look back the last 30 years, you'll see just how few guys left early and how many great players we retained four years. Baby, Murray, Greening, Ryan, Stienburg, many other draft picks could have left after phenomenal junior seasons.

[Dafatone]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

[Beeeej]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

EVERY year is a rebuilding year. Get used to it - or drive yourself insane.

This is not remotely true in recent Cornell history. For example, going into 2024-25 we lost one player who was in the lineup (to graduation). No one left early, no one transferred.

That team had exactly 1 drafted player that wasn't a Freshman ... Hank Kempf, a 7th rounder. This year's team has 7 drafted players that aren't freshman, and 2 that are.

OK, but my point is that not every year need be a rebuilding year. In recent Cornell history, most years have not been. 22-23 another good example. Stienburg (third round pick, over a point per game) returned, and so did everyone else. We've had very few early departures over the years. Until now, I guess.

That's not true at all. Dating back to Hynes Pokulok O'Byrne etc.

R. Nash Barron Manderville Nieuwendyk Dadswell Pelletier Ratushny Angello

[BearLover]

Probably not too healthy to be too emotionally invested in the success of the team

Correct

[Dafatone]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

EVERY year is a rebuilding year. Get used to it - or drive yourself insane.

This is not remotely true in recent Cornell history. For example, going into 2024-25 we lost one player who was in the lineup (to graduation). No one left early, no one transferred.

That team had exactly 1 drafted player that wasn't a Freshman ... Hank Kempf, a 7th rounder. This year's team has 7 drafted players that aren't freshman, and 2 that are.

OK, but my point is that not every year need be a rebuilding year. In recent Cornell history, most years have not been. 22-23 another good example. Stienburg (third round pick, over a point per game) returned, and so did everyone else. We've had very few early departures over the years. Until now, I guess.

That's not true at all. Dating back to Hynes Pokulok O'Byrne etc.

I will forever cite Pokulok to argue that draft position isn't everything.

[BearLover]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

[stereax]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

It do be like that. Aren't the blueblood programs the same way?

[Chris '03]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

If you want a team of draft picks, you have a team with a lot of early departures. The CBA sets that up. Now more than ever.

So either we lament not enough picks but have a lot of four year guys or we celebrate better perceived talent and know that the best guys are three year deals. Frustrating but reality.

Good luck to the guys leaving. I hope they represent Cornell well and are good examples of the program developing pros so more high level talent continues choosing Cornell.

[BearLover]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

If you want a team of draft picks, you have a team with a lot of early departures. The CBA sets that up. Now more than ever.

So either we lament not enough picks but have a lot of four year guys or we celebrate better perceived talent and know that the best guys are three year deals. Frustrating but reality.

Good luck to the guys leaving. I hope they represent Cornell well and are good examples of the program developing pros so more high level talent continues choosing Cornell.

Asking earnestly: what changed under the CBA recently such that more players would leave early? It has been true for many years that a team has four years to sign a player after they matriculate, no?

[Dafatone]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

Maybe we're working with different definitions of rebuilding? I think replacing all those players from last year to this year was tougher than replacing a few top players from this year to the next. Especially given how good our freshman class looked this season.

Now, if you're looking for pessimism, I don't think there's been enough talk about the possibility that some players leave unexpectedly via transfer portal.

[stereax]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

If you want a team of draft picks, you have a team with a lot of early departures. The CBA sets that up. Now more than ever.

So either we lament not enough picks but have a lot of four year guys or we celebrate better perceived talent and know that the best guys are three year deals. Frustrating but reality.

Good luck to the guys leaving. I hope they represent Cornell well and are good examples of the program developing pros so more high level talent continues choosing Cornell.

Asking earnestly: what changed under the CBA recently such that more players would leave early? It has been true for many years that a team has four years to sign a player after they matriculate, no?

Yep. The new CBA rules say you have 30 days of exclusive negotiation after the completion of either the degree or 4 years of study, whichever comes first. Before, it was a flat 4 years iirc, which really sucked when you drafted an 18 year old, he played in the USHL for a bit, and then you either had to sign him after his sophomore year or lose him.

That being said, if guys WANT to do 4 years and then sign with their draft team, they're still very much able to. Teams don't want that though because of the worry of draft dodging once you finish year 4. Unless they're pretty ambivalent about the guy as a whole and think he caps out as an AHLer you can call up occasionally, they're gonna push to sign after 3, which sucks, but it is what it is.

[BearLover]

Y'all thought this year was the rebuilding year?

We lost more than half our active roster last offseason.

Yes, meaning that next year an overwhelming majority of our team is going to be underclassmen.

Maybe we're working with different definitions of rebuilding? I think replacing all those players from last year to this year was tougher than replacing a few top players from this year to the next. Especially given how good our freshman class looked this season.

Now, if you're looking for pessimism, I don't think there's been enough talk about the possibility that some players leave unexpectedly via transfer portal.

Fair enough - I guess I'm using "rebuilding year" as a euphemism for "down year," which I expect next year to be even more so than I did this past season.

As for possible transfers, well, yeah, that's always been a possibility. Given no one has transferred other than Robertson I'd think it's unlikely we lose any impact players that way, but obviously no one can say.