2024-25 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[scpa0305]

20 minutes ago, Oxbow6 said:

So Wilkie and Kunz top 6? Who with better skill and talent with a higher ceiling do you bury down the depth chart?

This top 9 is not happening cause there is zero chance Schmaltz and V get 4th line minutes.

 

They’re two diff positions. I think Wilkie will start out 2C.
 

I think Schmaltz may be that 4th line C…in looking at the C’s. Boisvert is a sold two way player. He’ll get a top 9 C look the entire year plus he’ll play PP. I think he’ll start out 3C but he’ll have skilled linemates and probably play PP1 at worst PP2.

[siouxforce19]

UND basically has 8 guys you could argue could play top 6, so I think most of them you could move around in a variety of spots in the top 9 and justify it. 
 

IMO, These guys are the top 9: Berg, OMac, Perron, Boisvert, Swanson, Wilkie, James, Kunz, and Jamernik. Jamernik is for sure third line, but the other 8 you could make a case any of them would fit in a top 6 role. 

[Oxbow6]

4 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

They’re two diff positions. I think Wilkie will start out 2C.
 

I think Schmaltz may be that 4th line C…in looking at the C’s. Boisvert is a sold two way player. He’ll get a top 9 C look the entire year plus he’ll play PP. I think he’ll start out 3C but he’ll have skilled linemates and probably play PP1 at worst PP2.

If Boisvert gets less quality minutes as a first round draft pick than a 5th year portal guy than the "chippas" (trademark @gfhockey) might be looking elsewhere in the future. 

[Oxbow6]

3 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

IMO, These guys are the top 9: Berg, OMac, Perron, Boisvert, Swanson, Wilkie, James, Kunz, and Jamernik. Jamernik is for sure third line, but the other 8 you could make a case any of them would fit in a top 6 role. 

The bolded 6 are your high skill high ceiling guys. The other 3 are a solid 3rd line but then Strinden gets buried another year.

[scpa0305]

1 hour ago, Oxbow6 said:

If Boisvert gets less quality minutes as a first round draft pick than a 5th year portal guy than the "chippas" (trademark @gfhockey) might be looking elsewhere in the future. 

Good point, that’s why I was noting 3C with skilled linemates (maybe a young skilled line) plus pp1 time. At worst pp2.

Out of the gate, Berg will be 1C (even though he skates like a W). Wilkie will get a crack at 2C…or else why did he choose us over Wisco? Boisvert will be fine (initially) at 3C assuming he get very solid PP time. I’ve heard he’s taking the slow approach which is great. Put Swanson and Perron (or Jammer, etc) and that’ll be a nice line. Bubs rolls his lines for the most part at evens 

[The Sicatoka]

1 hour ago, Oxbow6 said:

If Boisvert gets less quality minutes as a first round draft pick than a 5th year portal guy than the "chippas" (trademark @gfhockey) might be looking elsewhere in the future. 

In fairness, that fifth year portal guy has pretty solid resume. 
https://fightinghawks.com/news/2024/4/17/mens-hockey-carter-wilkie-transfers-to-north-dakota-for-2024-25-season.aspx 

We'll need Wilkie to be solid at the start while Boisvert adapts to college. Both will be top nine; they'll likely change roles in late January if Boisvert makes the college transition. 

[tnt]

When does the schedule come out for next year?  It has to be pretty soon. 

[scpa0305]

44 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

In fairness, that fifth year portal guy has pretty solid resume. 
https://fightinghawks.com/news/2024/4/17/mens-hockey-carter-wilkie-transfers-to-north-dakota-for-2024-25-season.aspx 

We'll need Wilkie to be solid at the start while Boisvert adapts to college. Both will be top nine; they'll likely change roles in late January if Boisvert makes the college transition. 

I honestly don’t think Boisvert needs too much “adapting”. He’ll be good day 1. He needs to keep beefing up. But he has an unreal shot and he backtracks really well for a younger kid. He’s going to be really good right away, hopefully we get him for two years.

[cberkas]

43 minutes ago, tnt said:

When does the schedule come out for next year?  It has to be pretty soon. 

This week for NCHC games

[I Ranger]

2 hours ago, scpa0305 said:

Good point, that’s why I was noting 3C with skilled linemates (maybe a young skilled line) plus pp1 time. At worst pp2.

Out of the gate, Berg will be 1C (even though he skates like a W). Wilkie will get a crack at 2C…or else why did he choose us over Wisco? Boisvert will be fine (initially) at 3C assuming he get very solid PP time. I’ve heard he’s taking the slow approach which is great. Put Swanson and Perron (or Jammer, etc) and that’ll be a nice line. Bubs rolls his lines for the most part at evens 

So Omac goes from 1C to playing wing next year? I know he struggled on draws and a bit in the D zone but are we certain he's not a center next year? It seems we have a ton of guys that are natural centers on the roster; Omac, Berg, Wilkie, Strinden, Jammer, Schmaltz, Boivert. I get someone is going to have to play wing just not sold it's Omac. And like others have mentioned, Strinden needs to play with more skill next year. I mentioned this for this years squad but I'd love to see a James-Strinden-Perron line. Don't think we will though. 

[tnt]

23 minutes ago, I Ranger said:

So Omac goes from 1C to playing wing next year? I know he struggled on draws and a bit in the D zone but are we certain he's not a center next year? It seems we have a ton of guys that are natural centers on the roster; Omac, Berg, Wilkie, Strinden, Jammer, Schmaltz, Boivert. I get someone is going to have to play wing just not sold it's Omac. And like others have mentioned, Strinden needs to play with more skill next year. I mentioned this for this years squad but I'd love to see a James-Strinden-Perron line. Don't think we will though. 

Unless Omac works extra hard on draws, then I would think he gets moved to wing.  When they are hesitant to put you on the ice down the stretch because of the inability to win key draws, and they bring in another guy that took a ton of draws, it seems they might go that direction.  Would think Wilkie and Berg are locked in, and either Jamernik or Schmaltz on a line together, and I would think they give Boisvert a shot early as well to see how he does.   Adding Strinden to the mix only makes it more congested at Center. 

[scpa0305]

1 hour ago, I Ranger said:

So Omac goes from 1C to playing wing next year? I know he struggled on draws and a bit in the D zone but are we certain he's not a center next year? It seems we have a ton of guys that are natural centers on the roster; Omac, Berg, Wilkie, Strinden, Jammer, Schmaltz, Boivert. I get someone is going to have to play wing just not sold it's Omac. And like others have mentioned, Strinden needs to play with more skill next year. I mentioned this for this years squad but I'd love to see a James-Strinden-Perron line. Don't think we will though. 

Good point, completely forgot that OMac was playing C. I strongly feel like Berg should move to wing. He looks and plays like a wing.

[jk]

42 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Good point, completely forgot that OMac was playing C. I strongly feel like Berg should move to wing. He looks and plays like a wing.

Then they could play on the same line, with Omac at center but Berg taking selected draws, especially in the defensive zone.

[siouxforce19]

14 minutes ago, jk said:

Then they could play on the same line, with Omac at center but Berg taking selected draws, especially in the defensive zone.

Why are we suggesting moving our top faceoff guy (Berg) to wing? 

[jk]

1 minute ago, siouxforce19 said:

Why are we suggesting moving our top faceoff guy (Berg) to wing? 

Not so much suggesting it as trying to find a way for him to continue to take faceoffs if he was moved.  It seems unlikely that he would be.

[siouxforce19]

1 minute ago, jk said:

Not so much suggesting it as trying to find a way for him to continue to take faceoffs if he was moved.  It seems unlikely that he would be.

OMac was 33 percent on draws to end the season. He will definitely be the first option to move to wing over Berg. This is why everyone has OMac pencilled in at wing on their potential line charts. It’s easily the most likely center to wing move to make. 

[90siouxfan]

at risk of exposing my lack of hockey principles, I assume it is undesirable to have a winger (Berg) take the draws for a line, while the center (Omac) takes all the other roles of the position?

[Sodbuster]

36 minutes ago, 90siouxfan said:

at risk of exposing my lack of hockey principles, I assume it is undesirable to have a winger (Berg) take the draws for a line, while the center (Omac) takes all the other roles of the position?

I was wondering the same thing........

[I Ranger]

5 hours ago, tnt said:

Unless Omac works extra hard on draws, then I would think he gets moved to wing.  When they are hesitant to put you on the ice down the stretch because of the inability to win key draws, and they bring in another guy that took a ton of draws, it seems they might go that direction.  Would think Wilkie and Berg are locked in, and either Jamernik or Schmaltz on a line together, and I would think they give Boisvert a shot early as well to see how he does.   Adding Strinden to the mix only makes it more congested at Center. 

But he is a center and a talented one that has gotten buried playing with less talent than he should his first two years (at least last year for sure). As others have mentioned, he needs to get more ice with more talented skill players. 

[brianvf]

League game schedule gets released tomorrow:

 

[scpa0305]

17 hours ago, siouxforce19 said:

OMac was 33 percent on draws to end the season. He will definitely be the first option to move to wing over Berg. This is why everyone has OMac pencilled in at wing on their potential line charts. It’s easily the most likely center to wing move to make. 

The only reason i actually liked the idea…was because Berg is 100% a wing (even though he wins draws). Omac’s skating is significantly better and he’s rangy. As you probably know, there’s a ton of responsibility that goes into playing C besides draws. There are a ton of W’s in the NHL that take plenty of draws, because they’re good at it.

Now will it happen…probably not. I’m just saying W is easy; at C you have to be able to skate/pass. Berg is somewhat one dimensional with his shot. Let him focus on that and put a good passer down the middle. There’s a reason almost all trigger men play W.

[WiSioux]

[tnt]

Just now, WiSioux said:

Yeah, so even with the new pods we have to play Omaha again the last weekend.   Stupid.

[WiSioux]

Isn't it because they are considered our "rival" pair? We always have to play them the last week, forever.

 

Edit: nevermind I was just informed of this new pod system. Idk then.

[tnt]

6 minutes ago, WiSioux said:

DU only plays Western, Duluth, St. Cloud and Omaha one series each.   Now, more than ever, don't worry about the NCHC title, just set yourself up for postseason success, as schedule may very well dictate the champion.