I Ranger

So baffling to me. Is he that much ahead of O'Neil at this point? Obviously the staff must think so or otherwise why not just bring in O'Neil?

I sure hope we are in on him. I've read quite a few scouts believe he has the most upside of any of these D men including Reid. I have this weird feeling he might be the other DU silent commit which would just be gross!

I agree and have said it all year McKenna and Verhoeff are going to be the case-study for all draft-eligibles moving forward. With potentially Verhoeff falling to the 2-5th D off the board and getting passed by players that ripped it up in the CHL, do you see most/if not all play their draft-eligible year in junior specifically defensemen? I think this could be why you may see DuPont wait until after the draft to make his decision. Does he dominate another year in the W being the best d man in the league and have 80-100 points and solidify his draft stock as the #1 overall or potentially get your deficiencies exposed against bigger/stronger/older competition?

I get that but the fact that we may only have one forward roster spot available for such player is what I'm questioning? Again, was this our plan all along to only potentially bring in one at forward? Obviously hoping for a couple D as well!

Wow holy heater he is on! It will be interesting to see when he gets his first start next season.

I'm 100% with you here. I just can't believe that all the rumors of UND having guys lined up for months and nothing comes to fruition! Would be very bizarre if true.

I agree I don't dislike any of the adds either it's just really curious to me. Like was the plan all along to only bring in one more freshman forward (after the 3 we all figured were coming) and backfill any portal entries with portal additions? I just thought with pushing back O'Neil and Pilgram it certainly meant we had some guys already lined up not shopping in the portal!

Yeah I'm with you. Makes it far less intriguing moving forward with only one forward spot open if true. Does this mean most of Chyz's work this winter has been for future year's rosters? Obviously need two d yet but was hoping for some high-end forwards!

David Carle was on Chiclets this week as well and was very insightful on all things college hockey along with NIL. It's a good listen.

I think you can throw Rudolph in with those names as well. As far as forwards go though, I have to think there are multiple options if we don't have at least one already in the cupboard.

That's around the same numbers I had heard a few years ago when we were supposedly his other finalist and he chose Michigan St.

I've thought the same. It sure seems to me like Menghini may start the year as the 15th forward which sounds crazy along with maybe the Schultz's? Although I've always thought since the day he commited that Brock Schultz is penciled in as the 4th line center and basically a direct replacement now for Klee? I think Ashton has some real nice upside as well. Guess it's just the new age college hockey where we aren't going to see the Dalton Andrew's on a UND roster moving forward.

100% agree and love when this is the case. I don't want Reschny and other top line/scorers eating pucks all year although I'm sure Reschny still kills next year.

So would this mean we are out on Wiebusch? I would think so based on numbers.

So all the talk for months has been about the "big 4" WHL D men (Carels, DuPont, Lin and Rudolph) but does anyone know anything about another stud in Xaivier Villeneuve? I'm assuming based on his location that if he goes the college route it's somewhere out East presumable BC, BU, Penn St? Just odd I haven't read anything really on him. And full disclosure I don't think he's someone we are in on but with Chyz I'd imagine he atleast has kicked the tires throughout the year on most everyone.