2023-24 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[AJS]

I really do think the Forward group is heading in the right direction. My feelings aren't Albrecht specific. The question that I ask is how many "depth" forwards do you need? This team will have 3 (5, 11, 13) next year. There are different pockets the other 11 would fit into, but let's just say they all have more talent / higher ceiling.  One more portal add, which let's assume will make that group 12. 

12 Talent / 3 Depth. My hope is that we don't see multiple depth guys in the lineup every night while multiple talent guys are watching from the stands. 

I am splitting hairs with this. Albrecht coming back will have a very minor impact on how the team does next year. 

Before weeks end let's hope for.

• A Top Forward talent add from the Portal to round out the forwards group.
• ONE of Zmolek, Warren or Palocsik

 

It really is amazing that right now, based on four portal adds, you could either be looking at a team that's most likely average or one that is a Championship contender. 

[cberkas]

Shouldn't bring back 4th liner/3rd liner/sits in the stands players for a 5th year.

Costantini is expendable but Albrecht isn't. 

Thats #culture for you 

[brianvf]

20 minutes ago, AJS said:

Before weeks end let's hope for.

• ONE of Zmolek, Warren or Palocsik

I’m being greedy, but I’m hoping for two of those three. Especially if Strathmann plays another year of jr like has been hinted. 

[siouxforce19]

Just now, brianvf said:

I’m being greedy, but I’m hoping for two of those three. Especially if Strathmann plays another year of jr like has been hinted. 

Only one of them is likely. The other two are pipe dreams. 

[AJS]

10 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

Only one of them is likely. The other two are pipe dreams. 

I'll take it!

[I Ranger]

1 hour ago, AJS said:

I really do think the Forward group is heading in the right direction. My feelings aren't Albrecht specific. The question that I ask is how many "depth" forwards do you need? This team will have 3 (5, 11, 13) next year. There are different pockets the other 11 would fit into, but let's just say they all have more talent / higher ceiling.  One more portal add, which let's assume will make that group 12. 

12 Talent / 3 Depth. My hope is that we don't see multiple depth guys in the lineup every night while multiple talent guys are watching from the stands. 

I am splitting hairs with this. Albrecht coming back will have a very minor impact on how the team does next year. 

Before weeks end let's hope for.

• A Top Forward talent add from the Portal to round out the forwards group.
• ONE of Zmolek, Warren or Palocsik

 

It really is amazing that right now, based on four portal adds, you could either be looking at a team that's most likely average or one that is a Championship contender. 

I know AJS will disagree but I think Albrecht coming back all but guarantees we have 16 forwards on our roster next year. I've said it before if you go into the season with Montgomery as 1 of the 15 there is way too much risk with injuries as you can't rely on him based on his health. 

[DAR]

Doubt UND will ever get another good player from the twin cities after all this unless legacy like Blake.  All the good players want to go to the Big10 now...I guess we could see this coming.  UND cant even fill a D corps.  Times are a changing

[brianvf]

18 minutes ago, DAR said:

Doubt UND will ever get another good player from the twin cities after all this unless legacy like Blake.  All the good players want to go to the Big10 now...I guess we could see this coming.  UND cant even fill a D corps.  Times are a changing

Man, one good season from the B10 and everything changes.   

[fightingsioux4life]

4 hours ago, siouxfaninseattle said:

I guess Albrecht coming back for a fifth year is not as bad as it could be, but it says a lot about the state of recruiting at UND. No one to get displaced with only two freshmen forwards coming in. There are players on the team that sat in the stands this season that could have used more ice time but with two 5th year players on the team they didn't get it. Maybe he will turn into Sanderson 2.0.

You need guys like him to win games. They do the little things that don't get much attention, but are important nonetheless.

[fightingsioux4life]

26 minutes ago, DAR said:

Doubt UND will ever get another good player from the twin cities after all this unless legacy like Blake.  All the good players want to go to the Big10 now...I guess we could see this coming.  UND cant even fill a D corps.  Times are a changing

Cripes, the throw in the towel attitude on this forum is very disturbing. Minnesota produces so much talent and the B1G teams have the same scholarship limits everyone else does. There is also more U.S. talent available now than there has ever been. A program like ours has no excuse not being able to recruit high-end talent. None. This coming season is a big one for both the coaching staff and the program as a whole.

[fightingsioux4life]

14 minutes ago, brianvf said:

Man, one good season from the B10 and everything changes.   

Exactly. We face serious challenges as a program and athletic department, but the whole "there's nothing we can do about it" attitude is infuriating as a lifelong fan of this school.

[BusinessSoot]

Watching QU/MU……..UND has a long ways to go to get to the level of: 1) QU with an older age , disciplined, d zone efficient, excellent goaltending roster or 2) MU younger talented up and down, fast, skilled roster, with excellent goaltending that  plays with pace and purpose.

 

 

[Goon]

50 minutes ago, brianvf said:

Man, one good season from the B10 and everything changes.   

One out of ten seasons. 

[AJS]

3 hours ago, I Ranger said:

I know AJS will disagree but I think Albrecht coming back all but guarantees we have 16 forwards on our roster next year. I've said it before if you go into the season with Montgomery as 1 of the 15 there is way too much risk with injuries as you can't rely on him based on his health. 

Based on Schlossman’s article looks like you’re right. The 16th would be another “depth” forward per Schlossman. Berry does love himself some depth forwards. 
 

Edit: So was my assumption of a “mutual” portal entry from Portz incorrect? Why would you send Portz if you were just going to add a depth guy from the portal?

[tnt]

18 minutes ago, BusinessSoot said:

Watching QU/MU……..UND has a long ways to go to get to the level of: 1) QU with an older age , disciplined, d zone efficient, excellent goaltending roster or 2) MU younger talented up and down, fast, skilled roster, with excellent goaltending that  plays with pace and purpose.

 

 

So are you advocating going full out into the portal like Q did this year.  We outplayed them badly one game this year early with guys like Blake, McLaughlin, and James having hardly any college experience.  This is the same argument made a few years back after we lost to Denver in the 1st round of the NCHC, then the next year Kawaguchi, Adams, and Weatherby took steps forward and Pinto made a big difference.  Of course we don’t have that option on the back end, but things change fast, as in the progression of Dylan James from early to late, kind of the same progression we saw with Sanderson.

[burd]

1 hour ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Cripes, the throw in the towel attitude on this forum is very disturbing. Minnesota produces so much talent and the B1G teams have the same scholarship limits everyone else does. There is also more U.S. talent available now than there has ever been. A program like ours has no excuse not being able to recruit high-end talent. None. This coming season is a big one for both the coaching staff and the program as a whole.

Herds of Eeyores always show up when things get tough. Has always been thus.  

[tnt]

52 minutes ago, AJS said:

Based on Schlossman’s article looks like you’re right. The 16th would be another “depth” forward per Schlossman. Berry does love himself some depth forwards. 

Kind of makes you wonder if he offered Mismash and Adams a chance to come back for an extra year.
 I heard on NHL radio today that many NHL coaches and GM’s hurt their team’s future because they can’t recognize what others see on when it is time to move on from a core group of players, and double down thinking they have another run in them.  

They said sometimes when you fall in love with your players you set your future back.  Berry strikes me as someone who will be loyal to those players sometimes to a fault and to the detriment of the future.  

Since he always expresses that UND is run like the professional ranks, he needs to take a deep look in the mirror, and ask himself if he doesn’t make decisions out of loyalty.  That is the definition of culture, no advantages in responsibility for taking dumb penalties or not producing or fulfilling your role.  
 

It wouldn’t hurt for them to have an outside person take a look at how we got to the point of having to use the portal extensively.  Since Hakstol seemed to have guys waiting in the wings every year, and being able to get another year of juniors out of someone because they weren’t desperate, maybe he wouldn’t mind looking at the situation.  The question is, are they too proud to have someone look at it objectively and critically?

[fightingsioux4life]

5 minutes ago, tnt said:

Kind of makes you wonder if he offered Mismash and Adams a chance to come back for an extra year.
 I heard on NHL radio today that many NHL coaches and GM’s hurt their team’s future because they can’t recognize what others see on when it is time to move on from a core group of players, and double down thinking they have another run in them.  

They said sometimes when you fall in love with your players you set your future back.  Berry strikes me as someone who will be loyal to those players sometimes to the detriment of the future.  

Since he always expresses that UND is run like the professional ranks, he needs to take a deep look in the mirror, and ask himself if he doesn’t make decisions out of loyalty.  That is the definition of culture, no advantages in responsibility for taking dumb penalties or not producing or fulfilling your role.  
 

It wouldn’t hurt for them to have an outside person take a look at how we got to the point of having to use the portal extensively.  Since Hakstol seemed to have guys waiting in the wings every year, and being able to get another year of juniors out of someone because they weren’t desperate.  The question is, are they too proud to have someone look at it objectively and critically?

The most succinct and accurate assessment of the current state of the program I have read so far. Agree 100% with all of it.

[tnt]

10 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

The most succinct and accurate assessment of the current state of the program I have read so far. Agree 100% with all of it.

Berry has so many great qualities as a coach, I just hope he can put his loyalties aside and look at things objectively.  Let’s face it, we all have blind spots when it comes to people we know and like, that’s why you need someone bending your ear that can look at things from a more objective perspective.

[BusinessSoot]

43 minutes ago, tnt said:

So are you advocating going full out into the portal like Q did this year.  We outplayed them badly one game this year early with guys like Blake, McLaughlin, and James having hardly any college experience.  This is the same argument made a few years back after we lost to Denver in the 1st round of the NCHC, then the next year Kawaguchi, Adams, and Weatherby took steps forward and Pinto made a big difference.  Of course we don’t have that option on the back end, but things change fast, as in the progression of Dylan James from early to late, kind of the same progression we saw with Sanderson.

The ’23-24 UND  roster, a roster still not complete, has some wood to cut to get to the level of either of those teams tonight. That was my point. Don’t care how either team playing tonight assembled their roster, those were two good teams.

 

[burd]

5 minutes ago, BusinessSoot said:

The ’23-24 UND  roster, a roster still not complete, has some wood to cut to get to the level of either of those teams tonight. That was my point. Don’t care how either team playing tonight assembled their roster, those were two good teams.

 

Yes they certainly were.  

[Frozen4sioux]

3 hours ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Cripes, the throw in the towel attitude on this forum is very disturbing. Minnesota produces so much talent and the B1G teams have the same scholarship limits everyone else does. There is also more U.S. talent available now than there has ever been. A program like ours has no excuse not being able to recruit high-end talent. None. This coming season is a big one for both the coaching staff and the program as a whole.

Speculate this possibility

Player goes to a school where he can get NIL money to the effect that tuition and scholarship isn't needed.

Scholly dollars go to other talent recruits or portals to fill out team?

Could scholarship "limits" basically go the way of the vcr?

[Oxbow6]

Does 13 now equal 19 or does it equal 10? I thought BB said ther would be no math......

[George M. Bluth]

5 hours ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Speculate this possibility

Player goes to a school where he can get NIL money to the effect that tuition and scholarship isn't needed.

Scholly dollars go to other talent recruits or portals to fill out team?

Could scholarship "limits" basically go the way of the vcr?

That’s one thing that worries me a little. How will UND compete when NIL becomes more prominent in college hockey?

[Goon]

10 hours ago, AJS said:

Why would you send Portz if you were just going to add a depth guy from the portal?

Or... maybe he went on his own.