tnt

What Strathmann rumors? I think Schlossman was talking juniors as in USHL, not OHL.

According to Bale, Sowder and Malinowski should be a couple more X's. The biggest problem they have is that they don't have a coach in place to start filling the replacements from the portal.

Yeah, it seems like I would worry a bit more about Livanavage in that regard as he is really slight. You did make me face palm with the thought of an OHL defection, as in what else in the past few weeks and a blizzard on the way.

Didn't he finally run out of eligibility?

Unfortunately we are headed that direction in so many ways. NIL will only create that bigger divide between the haves and the have nots. I think most of us are drawn to college hockey because it wasn't the cesspool that pro and other college sports were, and there was at least some semblance of dignity. That seems to be a thing of the past.

But we lost to them the next day, if my memory is correct.

Joey Larson has three years left, and is one of the highest scorers on the portal board.

Just wondering if an elite setup guy like McLaughlin can use his skills better at center. Regardless, it seems we will have a lot of guys that can take draws. Too bad it isn’t the old days where if you kick one out of the circle you can just throw another in. Now you jump the gun you’re behind the eight ball.

Yes, which one of the Ottawa picks with ties to North Dakota isn’t in this picture.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0000371992.html Don’t think they all played the same time, but Berry, Ludwig, Sandelin and Casey played for the North Stars.

I get that he isn’t make or break, but Caulfield did put up 11 goals his Junior year and 10 this past year, despite not doing anything for the first third, so 15 goals is not out of the question. On top of that he kills penalties and is very responsible defensively. Give me anybody that puts up decent offensive numbers and plays well defensively and I would take them in a heartbeat.

Let’s hope he doesn’t change the culture until after the Icebreaker this fall, and that his old team is lost for a while as well.

But he’s not Canadian!

Of course the year we need the most portals we still have 10 foot drifts on the ground and temperatures less than freezing well into spring. Welcome to campus on your visit.

Maybe not.

Do you think some of them left because Hastings made them aware of his plans, or is this something he couldn’t afford to let out ahead of the announcement?

Don’t we still need two more?

Maybe I am incorrect in this assessment, but I am trying to think of a lot of episodes other than Frisch, where our guys are limping coming off the ice from blocking shots. Watching guys like Nevers from Minnesota blocking multiple shots against St. Cloud got me thinking did we have that sellout mentality that goes with great defense? I know all forwards aren’t adept at blocking shots, nor would I want Blake blocking shots all the time unless it was do or die situation, but maybe we are missing a few more guys paying the price when a game is on the line. Who knows, maybe the numbers don’t hold true to my recollection, and the perceived lack of limping off, doesn’t mean they aren’t getting in front of shots, but hopefully the guys coming in are going to do all the little things needed to win, even if that means not making the fancy play, but the smart play.

It really depends on who we get in the portal, and how they are able to be dependable playing big minutes. Yes, it isn’t good we lost our only returner, but I don’t look at Moore as a make or break our season guy. If we can get a freshman or two that surprises in their freshmen year like Frisch did when he supplanted Tychonick, then the progression of the guys up front could make us formidable. Part of the guarded optimism is looking at some of the guys other teams that finished above us lost as well. Western may lose 3 or 4 to the pros besides their Seniors; St. Cloud lost 3 experienced defense and one to portal as well as senior forwards; Duluth lost Kaiser and Howard along with Seniors and a few portals; Omaha, well they are Omaha. Denver is clearly going to be the favorite again even without Chrona. Again, it all depends on who they get in the portal and whether they can be difference makers like Anhorn was for St. Cloud. So part of the optimism comes from others pain as well, and the hope that as many of our portal guys work out as possible.

Both Minnesota and Mankato will both be breaking in new talent on the back end as well, so hopefully if UND focuses on bonding early in the summer like they did a couple seasons ago when they had a lot of turnover, they can get some chemistry started. I just don’t think they had the same focus last off season as they did the previous, and I think they took success for granted, as evidenced by how many players regressed from the previous season. The off season work ethic will tell the tale of whether we can mitigate all of the losses on the back end.

I know there will be some growing pains next season, even so I don’t want to hear Hennessy keep saying how young they are on the back end, because the last time I checked the coaches are the ones that are supposed to make sure the pipeline and roster are balanced. With the talent we have up front, we can’t decide we need to stay back and play a trap so we can try make up for the inexperience on the back end. Keep it in the offensive end and play to our strength and draw penalties and hope our power play is as good as last year, and five on five gets better.

Not saying this is the case, but if there were some bad attitudes and they sat down with players and discussed issues in the year end meetings, and these decisions were what came of it, then I’m o.k. if the chemistry this year was a result of a cancerous attitude. Would be nice if Schlossman can ask if these were expected, or mutual partings. Maybe the realization the culture isn’t right and they needed a reboot. Need to start hearing some positive news, either with the weather, the team, or hopefully both!

Plus he hasn't got to work with Ulmer yet.

Portz probably worked out best because he still had a few years left, as would Berg. Since they need to get their class sizes back in a little better order, don't know how Larson could fit in without pushing someone in the pipeline down the road further.

But to me, that is like us not wanting a big minute eater like Frisch back. Just seemed curious, especially when you do have a young group coming in.