New Recruits

[ursusminor]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

 What's your thinking: His jumping from Cornell to the Tute would help the GPA of both schools? He wants to get an early head start on spring break each year? [/q]
:-P    All I was thinking was that he was originally rumored as heading to RPI. Among other things, this from USHR http://www.ushr.com/view/site_search/?article_id=480&search=Greening [q]Upper Canada College star power forward Colin Greening, a 6’1” LW from St. John’s, Newfoundland, has reportedly been offered a full scholarship by RPI. Clarkson and Cornell are also in the picture[/q] He did visit RPI.

[calgARI '07]

[Q]Will Wrote:

 My total guesses at the lines for next year.  Feel free to pick apart:

Mugford - Chris Abbott - Sawada
Moulson - Bitz - Hynes
Connors - Barlow - Carefoot
Cam Abbott - Pegoraro - Scott

Seminoff - O'Byrne
Krantz - Gleed
Pokulok - Glover

And McKee likely starts just about every game once again, barring injury or illness.

The order of those lines can change, to be sure.[/q]

I'm pretty sure Connors is a right winger and I think that Kindret will get into the lineup over Mugford.  Things are pretty flexible because Scott can play any forward position.  I for one am for reuniting the Abbotts as they were outstanding when put together on a makeshift basis the last two weeks.

Moulson-Bitz-Connors
Barlow-Pegoraro-Hynes
Abbott-Abbott-Sawada
Kindret/Scott-Scott/Kennedy-Carefoot

Seminoff-O'Byrne
Krantz-Gleed
Pokuluk-Glover

[Will]

I think a lot of us want the Abbotts back together all the time, but I assume Schafer must have a good reason for keeping them split up on the official lines.

[calgARI '07]

[Q]Will Wrote:

 I think a lot of us want the Abbotts back together all the time, but I assume Schafer must have a good reason for keeping them split up on the official lines.[/q]

I think he likes to keep Chris is more of a checking role and Cam in more of a scoring role.

[mjh89]

Moulson-Bitz-Hynes
Barlow-Pegoraro-Scott
Abbott-Abbott-Sawada
McCutcheon*-Kennedy-Carefoot

I think McCutcheon will get better this summer, and get into the lineup. If not, Connors will get a chance, but from I'm skeptical based on his stat line for Applecore and from what I've heard about him.

Defense
Pokulok-Glover
Seminoff-O'Byrne
Krantz-Gleed
Salmela if no one steps up and plays the offensive role vacated by Cook.

[calgARI '07]

I thought Krantz took huge strides in the second half of the season and showed glimpes of being an outstanding offensive defenseman.  He has more offensive upside than Cook because he has better hands and a harder shot.  There were times this weekend where he looked like a seasoned, offensive stalwart.  I have very high hopes for both him and Pokuluk as big time offensive forces from the backline.

[DisplacedCornellian]

[Q]calgARI '07 Wrote:

 I thought Krantz took huge strides in the second half of the season and showed glimpes of being an outstanding offensive defenseman.  He has more offensive upside than Cook because he has better hands and a harder shot.  There were times this weekend where he looked like a seasoned, offensive stalwart.  I have very high hopes for both him and Pokuluk as big time offensive forces from the backline.[/q]

I agree.  Krantz turned it up near the end of the season.  He still looked uncomfortable and indecisive at times bringing the puck out of his own end, but I suspect he'll settle down and get that worked out.  I really like seeing him out there on offense zone faceoffs:  win it back to him and let him take the quick shot.  That was pretty effective at times.  

[gobigred24]

Agree on the Abbotts, the just play damn well together.  Ari, any reason you think Schafer will break up Moulson and Hynes??  I would rather him keep them together and have Pegoraro center them.  But just my not that informed opinion.

Moulson-Pegoraro-Hynes
Barlow-Bitz-Connors
Abbott-Abbott-Sawada
Kindret/Scott-Scott/Kennedy-Carefoot

Seminoff-O'Byrne
Krantz-Gleed
Pokuluk-Glover

Does anyone know if all the forwards plan on staying with the team.  Particularly McCleod and McKeown seem buried- they will probably be at least behind McCutcheon and whichever of Kennedy/Kindret doesn't make the lineup, and possibly Mugford as well.  Seems like a lot of insurance to have them around.  

[calgARI '07]

[Q]gobigred24 Wrote:

 Agree on the Abbotts, the just play damn well together.  Ari, any reason you think Schafer will break up Moulson and Hynes??  I would rather him keep them together and have Pegoraro center them.  But just my not that informed opinion.

Moulson-Pegoraro-Hynes
Barlow-Bitz-Connors
Abbott-Abbott-Sawada
Kindret/Scott-Scott/Kennedy-Carefoot

Seminoff-O'Byrne
Krantz-Gleed
Pokuluk-Glover

Does anyone know if all the forwards plan on staying with the team.  Particularly McCleod and McKeown seem buried- they will probably be at least behind McCutcheon and whichever of Kennedy/Kindret doesn't make the lineup, and possibly Mugford as well.  Seems like a lot of insurance to have them around.  [/q]

I think that Hynes would benefit from being the primary offensive presence on his line.  He needs more responsibility and accountability to produce.  This isn't a knock on him at all, but I think he can be better utilized with added offensive responsibility.

[billhoward]

[Q]calgARI '07 Wrote: I think that Hynes would benefit from being the primary offensive presence on his line.  He needs more responsibility and accountability to produce.  This isn't a knock on him at all, but I think he can be better utilized with added offensive responsibility.[/q]Was it so busy out in Minneapolis we forget to asign primary offensive responsibility for Sunday's game?

[mjh89]

Interesting that you like his hands that much. I tend to think he handles the puck poorly, and often makes poor decisions on the breakout, while Cook seems to have great vision and stickhandling. Krantz's shot is outstanding, and I think he could take over for Knoepfli as a shooter on a power play unit.

[calgARI '07]

[Q]mjh89 Wrote:

 Interesting that you like his hands that much. I tend to think he handles the puck poorly, and often makes poor decisions on the breakout, while Cook seems to have great vision and stickhandling. Krantz's shot is outstanding, and I think he could take over for Knoepfli as a shooter on a power play unit.[/q]

I wouldn't say I like hands a lot, but I think he handles the puck as well if not better than Cook who handles it adequately, but not anything amazing.  I always thought Cook had good hockey sense and saw the ice well and as soon as he stopped being so tentative about shooting the puck (mid-way through this season and the Maine game in particular), it all came together for him.  Krantz needs to work on his decision making, but he sees the ice well and when he makes the right decision to skate the puck, he is very effective.  

[Scersk '97]

[Q]Trotsky Wrote:
No idea whether DiLeo will compete for time or whether he's Pizza Hut insurance.
[/q]

I really think that Chabot is "Pizza Hut insurance," i.e., good enough for one game but not for a significant injury (god help us) fill-in.  DiLeo is probably a pretty good prospect--someone who might be a top goaltender in the CHA or AHA (or CCHA--hah!).  My hypothesis is that he is a Skazyk/Burt/Marr.  Has a real chance at starting during his junior year but will probably platoon with a freshman phenom working through the kinks and jitters.  I'd be happy if he's as good as any of those three.

On the defense, I'll go with this, though I'm not so sure how much right/left affects such things.  Paying no attention to that, my pairings:

Pokulok--Gleed  
Glover--O'Byrne
Seminoff--Krantz

It seems to me that Schafer likes to balance his pairings with one offensive and one defensive defenseman.  Early in the season it's upperclassman with inexperience.  (It was Downs--O'Byrne, Pokulok--Cook, and Gleed--Krantz to start the season.)  I wonder sometimes if Pokulok was thought to be less offensively talented when they brought him in.  I don't think he'll be a tree-like defensive defenseman like O'Byrne.  (By the way, that's why we need O'Byrne to continue improving.  The bare hints of an offensive game that we've been starting to see will just be icing if he can fulfill his defensive potential.  O'Byrne must, eventually, become equal to Murray (defensively)/McMeekin/Adler.)  In fact, I think he and Krantz (who was supposed to be much better coming in and seemed to be getting comfortable late in the season) are types of defensemen that we haven't had before, with the possible exception of Murray.  These guys are legitimate defensemen, trees, and offensive threats.  That's cool.  Pin these recruits on Schafer's reputation.  I expect that Seminoff and Davenport will be just as good.

That's why I paired up Seminoff with Krantz.  If he's a top defensive defenseman out of Nanaimo, he'll be a great Downs replacement; that is, if Glover isn't really the Downs replacement.  With the others' offensive skills developing, we won't really need a Cook replacement.  That's probably Krantz.  I'm guessing that the four power play guys (Pokulok, Krantz, O'Byrne, Gleed, (Salmela?)) will be having a talk with Schafer like Charlie Cook did this last summer.  Someone will develop a boomer.

Man, our defense will lose two fantastic defensemen and still, probably, improve.  Go Schafer.  Only worry is a Downs replacement and some puck carrying skill.  On the latter, Gleed is fine, Pokulok can be amazing (if slow), and Krantz will get better.

Forwards?  Well, we've already got 12 forwards.  There are clear first liners, the middle, and the clear checkers.  What we need is organization.  Freshman projections are parentheses and multi-positionals are brackets:

Left Wings:   1st--Moulson, [(Barlow)]
              Mid--Abbott, (Kindret)
              Chk--McLeod, (Mugford)

Centers:      1st--Pegoraro, [(Barlow)], Scott
              Mid--[Bitz], Abbott
              Chk--(Kennedy)

Right Wings:  1st--Hynes, [Bitz], (Connors)
              Mid--Sawada, McCutcheon
              Chk--Carefoot

:               McKeown

So, this could be:

LW            C            RW
Moulson       Pegoraro     Hynes
Bitz          Scott        Carefoot
Abbott        Abbott       Sawada
McLeod        McKeown?     McCutcheon  (the McDaddies, or Big Mc's)

Or, say, more like this year:

LW            C            RW
Moulson       Bitz         Hynes
Abbott        Abbott       Sawada
Barlow        Pegoraro     McCutcheon
Mugford       Scott        Carefoot

There are obvious weirdnesses in here:  Topher Scott is not a checking center, Pegoraro may not be the right center for Moulson and Hynes, and some "mid-level" player will step up, like Iggulden, and surprise us all.  What to say?

I think we need to stop thinking about first line, second line, "inexperience line," and checking line.  Schafer is moving towards something different:  1) No line next year will be "inexperienced."  2)  No line will be the clearly checking or offensive, i.e., Moulson/Bitz/Hynes and Abbott/Abbott/Sawada (and Mugford/Scott/Carefoot) will be equal defensively.  3)  All lines have someone capable of an offensive explosion.

So, about the forwards, I think there are a couple of keys for next year:

1)  Barlow, or maybe Kindret, will have to step in as a left wing and be an immediate contributor.
2)  We are thin--or maybe small--at center, but Schafer seems intent on "making" centers.  Perhaps Kennedy is the checking center that Schafer has been looking for.  Perhaps the Bitz experiment will stop.  Perhaps Barlow will actually play center.  In any case, we are *still* looking for a Vesce-like (Chartrand, Casey Jones, Nieuwendyk) clear first-line center.  Although he seems to have the skills, I'm afraid that Scott is actually too small to play first line 5x5 with Hynes and Moulson.  He will continue to be absolutely integral to the power play.  One amongst Pegoraro, Bitz, Barlow, or Abbott needs to prove that he is a honest-to-goodness first-line center.
3)  Someone will step up, which brings me to:

[Q]mjh89
I think McCutcheon will get better this summer, and get into the lineup.
[/Q]
I also nominate McCutcheon as the best potential "difference maker" for next season.

Take a look at our players' ages:

                               Age at MSU game 10/2005
Dan Glover       JR    5/4/83  22
Evan Salmela     JR   6/13/83  22
Doug Krantz      SO   8/22/83  22
Cam Abbott       SR  10/24/83  22
Chris Abbott     SR  10/24/83  22
Matt Moulson     SR   11/1/83  21
Shane Hynes      SR   11/7/83  21
Jon Gleed        SR    1/3/84  21
Daniel Pegoraro  SR   1/13/84  21
Mark McCutcheon  JR   5/21/84  21
Ryan O'Byrne     JR   7/19/84  21
Byron Bitz       JR   7/21/84  21
Kevin McLeod     JR  10/25/84  21
Mitch Carefoot   JR    1/2/85  20
Tyler Mugford    FR   1/14/85  20
Matt McKeown     SO   1/16/85  20
Raymond Sawada   SO   2/19/85  20
Ryan Kindret     FR   4/11/85  20
Taylor Davenport FR   4/15/85  20
Topher Scott     SO   7/23/85  20
Evan Barlow      FR   11/8/85  19
Jared Seminoff   FR   2/27/86  19
Sasha Pokulok    SO   5/25/86  19
Mike Kennedy     FR   8/21/86  19
Matt Connors     FR  11/15/86  18

Iggulden turned 22 during this season.  He and Cook were our youngest seniors.  Something seems to happen during those years.  Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but there's an obvious reason that Krantz looked better than Pokulok by the end of the year:  he's not still in the throes of growing/catching up with himself.  I mean, by gum, Pokulok is 18...  18!  He, Scott, and Sawada are way ahead of schedule.  (Bitz is also ahead of schedule, scarily.)  Look who solidified this season and who didn't:  Gleed and Pegoraro became rocks; O'Byrne and McCutcheon, well, weren't.  I think we can expect big things out of both of them next season.  I have had this vision of McCutcheon scoring a very important goal...

So, my final analysis:  I look forward to 2005-2006.  I think we're set to get just as far as we did this year.  If three things happen--Barlow (or Kindret) stepping in and having an immediate impact, a center elevates his game, and McCutcheon and O'Byrne improve as I think they will--we're going to be a scary team next season.  And I mean on offense.

[Larry72]

I love this thread!!!  After about 40 years of watching Cornell play and especially after this past weekend, it's really nice to read about next year!  Cornell has a great core group of players coming back and a super crop of freshman.  Thanks to the Seniors.  LGR!!!

Larry '72

[billhoward]

Older players probably fit in better at Cornell because they're not bothered so much by the 21-year drinking age.