I Ranger

I'm getting this feeling also but there are just so many of them out there it seems a bit odd. I know everyone is only talking about this year's potential 1st rounders but there also a solid amount of guys drafted last year that haven't signed NHL contracts that could have been options.

Yeah again everything related to forwards is just confusing to me. This was brought up quite a bit last offseason that it might be a common theme for the bluebloods to leave at least one roster spot open for a CHL guy or even a later portal entry. This is why it's so surprising to me that we have filled out our forward roster for next year already. Now we sit on the sidelines and watch!

I'm not sure what plan this was but I can't imagine it was Plan A considering this kid wasn't even "officially" available until a month ago when he de-commited from Northeastern and that certainly wasn't any big story when it happened as I've never heard of him until today.

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.

I think it's safe to say he wears a letter next year and wouldn't surprise me one bit if it's the "C". The leadership group next year is going to be the youngest ever. I would think it would be Emery, Swanson, Croal and Reschny.

We only had 15/9/3 because Young was a designated player that didn't count against the 26 so we took in Engel late based on Zmolek's health. This won't be the case moving forward unless another transfer comes in that is the same designation and doesn't count against the 26 player roster cap.

That is my feeling as well. I think he's a Badger.

Exactly and I would have to imagine both Klee and Littler when recruited were told where they would be in the lineup. I always saw Klee as the 4th line center from day 1 he was committed. I think Brock Schultz is the simple replacement there and already knows what his roll will be (4th line center and maybe PK).

I'd think we would be in on Rudolph as well. If DuPont is chasing $$$ we are out of the picture.

100% with you and Jax has even said as much that we aren't going to chase players looking for the highest bidder. If the rumored number is true, this screams Michigan and Penn St as really the only two options to me.

I've basically said the same thing. If they are both most likely one year players and relatively similar talents (DuPont for sure) then give me the 18 year old over the 17 year old all day. I made the same argument in discussing potentially between Lin, Rudolph and DuPont as well. I wonder if we push harder for one of Lin or Rudolph if we feel we are out of the DuPont sweepstakes?