brianvf

BIG THREE WATCH: Carson Carels 58gp 20-53-73 / Playoffs 10gp 1-9-10 Season ended April 19 Landon DuPont 63gp 18-55-73 / Playoffs 9gp 3-13-13 Next game April 23 (Game 1 vs Penticton) Daxon Rudolph 68gp 28-50-78 / Playoffs 9gp 5-7-12 Next game April 24 (Game 1 vs Medicine Hat) DuPont and Rudolph could end up facing each other in the finals if both their teams advance.

Still a good chance at 3 for this incoming class depending on last 2 D selections. I think that is what the poster was saying...asking if Davis is further along in development than O'Neill to warrant dropping O'Neill for him.

Yeah I can't imagine that any of the current additions for next season were necessarily Plan A...since the portal adds and Davis wouldn't have been even available to commit a month ago like you mentioned. Potentially the staff had some CHL forwards that they were considering that either fell thru or don't plan on even playing NCAA...hard to say if studs like Preston, the Ruck twins, Belchetz, Roobroeck, etc will even play college or if they'll stick in the CHL (or sign right after the draft). That said, I do like all the additions so far. Not a ton of "flash", but look to be players that will buy into the team and play a strong 2-way game. It's gonna be a really deep forward group...perhaps even deeper than last year which is crazy. Without the flash from the incoming forward group, that would make it even better to add a Carels/DuPont/Rudolph to the mix and help provide offense from the backend.

Yes, I'm wondering that as well. I guess we'll know for sure once the final two D pieces are announced. Maybe they're throwing the bag at some D studs knowing that they have to replace Liv's and Wiebe's minutes and skill? The coaching staff was able to land a couple big fish last year with limited time on the job...I have faith that they are working to do that again.

I'd be ok with Duluth winning the league and then flaming out in the 1st/2nd round of the NCAA's. And then two of the Plante's signing immediately.

Added Davis to complete the forward group for next year. Very deep group. You have to pick three of those guys to sit every game. Certainly has the makings of a strong team. An elite addition to the D group could help push this team even higher. Forwards (15 of 15): SR - Magnussen, Malinoski, Menghini JR - Croal, Lindberg, Swanson SO - Josephson, Kernan, Reschny, Zakreski, Zellers FR - Davis, A.Schultz, B.Schultz, Simpson Defense (6 of 8): SR - JR - Boser, Emery SO - Laurila, Verhoeff FR - Lindberg, MacKenzie Goalies (2 of 3): SR - JR - SO - Spunar FR - Heil

DU already has Macbeath & Lin...if they get Rudolph (or DuPont) as well...that's just insanity.

Keaton named captain of the U18 Canadian team:

Our forward group will be very deep and balanced. Not a ton of “star” power outside of Zellers, Reschny, Swanson, Simpson, etc but a group that will most certainly get production from any line on the ice. This forward group is better than DUs this year that won the title…just need a D that can help with the scoring as well like they had. A pickup of a Carels/DuPont/Rudolph would do wonders for this team.

This is crazy. Only the 2nd from Quebec?

Seems like a solid pickup. Forward group is complete now. Hopefully Bryn is spending all his time trying to land a chippah D man or two now.

It's gonna be a long couple months if most of these guys wait until after the draft to make their NCAA decisions. For us as fans, I mean.

It's not like the board is advocating for 100% WHL or anything close to that. We're just pulling for the team to snag a couple of the remaining high-end pieces from the WHL to boost the team for next year. None of our four portal transfers played in the WHL (and only Malinoski is Canadian). Only one of our current six incoming freshmen is Canadian and played in the WHL (MacKenzie)...the other five are all US and played in the USHL. We're still gonna be a team that pulls from all over...just trying to finalize the roster with a couple WHL studs.

Either way, we're talking about mostly Badger or Gopher fans in those two arenas, so patronage would be subpar in both.