Prospective Recruits

[nascar99]

44 minutes ago, SJHovey said:

I think what we're seeing a bit of is a "wait and see" response by many of the CHLers.  They want to see how things work out for kids like Reschny, etc...  I don't think we can underestimate the pressure that is being put on these Canadian kids to stay home and play major junior hockey.  Plus, the known is always more comfortable than the unknown.

I know the message that is being pushed up north is "don't make this mistake.  Don't jump at the early money (NIL) which is only going to cost you a lot more money because of your slowed development.  Playing massive numbers of games in major junior is the tried and true method of landing in the NHL."

That will no doubt gain some traction with some kids, especially before we have a chance to see how things work out.  And I think North Dakota is going to play a big role in this during the coming year.

Verhoef is coming in, anticipated to be maybe the second or third overall pick next year.  If we bring him along slowly, as I expect we will, and if he maybe spends a big chunk of the year playing bottom pair or middle pair minutes (with this group, something that is entirely plausible), will his draft stock slip?  If he drops down to the 5-10 range in the draft, how many people up north are going to point to him and say, "see, if he had stayed in major junior, he'd have been the second overall pick."

It'll be interesting.

I suspect that Bryn and the group are out prowling around looking for perhaps a couple of older kids to round out the roster this year.

Verhoeff is a bit of a different case because he accelerated his schooling to graduate HS early and play his 17 year old season, his DY in the NCAA. That's a huge, risky jump. Similar to went Hanifin and Werenski left the NTDP after their 16 year old season to play in the NCAA for their DY.

The other kids who've dominated junior, have the credits done to play in the NCAA/graduated from HS, should be more than wanting to make the jump to the NCAA. Vast majority of those kids are D+1 & D+2 kids who've been drafted & haven't signed their ELC yet. But pressure to stay home, settle into routine, and just have a guarantee to get points every night, definitely makes it a bit tougher sell for NCAA programs.

[atxsioux]

I think the flow of college committed players into the CHL in the next couple of years will help influence more uncommitted CHL players to leave. If some of your best teammates are going to leave after 1-3 years then it almost forces players' hands. 

[nascar99]

28 minutes ago, atxsioux said:

I think the flow of college committed players into the CHL in the next couple of years will help influence more uncommitted CHL players to leave. If some of your best teammates are going to leave after 1-3 years then it almost forces players' hands. 

The first thing to watch this summer is how many Canadian 2009s commit to the NCAA on August 1 & shortly after when they become commitment eligible.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

12 minutes ago, SJHovey said:

I think what we're seeing a bit of is a "wait and see" response by many of the CHLers.  They want to see how things work out for kids like Reschny, etc...  I don't think we can underestimate the pressure that is being put on these Canadian kids to stay home and play major junior hockey.  Plus, the known is always more comfortable than the unknown.

I know the message that is being pushed up north is "don't make this mistake.  Don't jump at the early money (NIL) which is only going to cost you a lot more money because of your slowed development.  Playing massive numbers of games in major juniors is the tried and true method of landing in the NHL."

That will no doubt gain some traction with some kids, especially before we have a chance to see how things work out.  And I think North Dakota is going to play a big role in this during the coming year.

Verhoef is coming in, anticipated to be maybe the second or third overall pick next year.  If we bring him along slowly, as I expect we will, and if he maybe spends a big chunk of the year playing bottom pair or middle pair minutes (with this group, something that is entirely plausible), will his draft stock slip?  If he drops down to the 5-10 range in the draft, how many people up north are going to point to him and say, "see, if he had stayed in major juniors, he'd have been the second overall pick."

It'll be interesting.

I suspect that Bryn and the group are out prowling around looking for perhaps a couple of older kids to round out the roster this year.

It makes sense for McQueen and Bear after coming off injury years to play another year of MJ, or Cootes or anyone else averaging close to a point a game. But if you're putting up 100 points, you've outgrown it and would be better served in NCAA or Europe like AM34 did.

[beastandco]

11 minutes ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

It makes sense for McQueen and Bear after coming off injury years to play another year of MJ, or Cootes or anyone else averaging close to a point a game. But if you're putting up 100 points, you've outgrown it and would be better served in NCAA or Europe like AM34 did.

I could see Anaheim steering McQueen to the NCAA to avoid a Sennecke situation. Sennecke has signed his ELC but has to play in the CHL if he doesn’t make the roster. This is likely going to change in the new CBA. 
 

A name to maybe watch is Ryan Roobroeck. He is a projected top 3/5 pick in the draft that is only a couple of weeks younger than Schaefer. I think I saw on here a couple of weeks ago that he was at one point rumored to Michigan, but everybody has been. I would be surprised if he did not make the jump with all of the open spots at blue bloods and his peers in the 2026 draft have left for college or already are in a pro league.

[scpa0305]

44 minutes ago, SJHovey said:

I think what we're seeing a bit of is a "wait and see" response by many of the CHLers.  They want to see how things work out for kids like Reschny, etc...  I don't think we can underestimate the pressure that is being put on these Canadian kids to stay home and play major junior hockey.  Plus, the known is always more comfortable than the unknown.

I know the message that is being pushed up north is "don't make this mistake.  Don't jump at the early money (NIL) which is only going to cost you a lot more money because of your slowed development.  Playing massive numbers of games in major juniors is the tried and true method of landing in the NHL."

That will no doubt gain some traction with some kids, especially before we have a chance to see how things work out.  And I think North Dakota is going to play a big role in this during the coming year.

Verhoef is coming in, anticipated to be maybe the second or third overall pick next year.  If we bring him along slowly, as I expect we will, and if he maybe spends a big chunk of the year playing bottom pair or middle pair minutes (with this group, something that is entirely plausible), will his draft stock slip?  If he drops down to the 5-10 range in the draft, how many people up north are going to point to him and say, "see, if he had stayed in major juniors, he'd have been the second overall pick."

It'll be interesting.

I suspect that Bryn and the group are out prowling around looking for perhaps a couple of older kids to round out the roster this year.

In all honesty…Verhoeff is going to be a top 4 dman. He also will probably need to be on the PP. Not sure how this will all work with Liv and Wiebe, but this kid the bluest of blue chips. They don’t play secondary roles. 

[atxsioux]

2 minutes ago, beastandco said:

I could see Anaheim steering McQueen to the NCAA to avoid a Sennecke situation. Sennecke has signed his ELC but has to play in the CHL if he doesn’t make the roster. This is likely going to change in the new CBA. 
 

A name to maybe watch is Ryan Roobroeck. He is a projected top 3/5 pick in the draft that is only a couple of weeks younger than Schaefer. I think I saw on here a couple of weeks ago that he was at one point rumored to Michigan, but everybody has been. I would be surprised if he did not make the jump with all of the open spots at blue bloods and his peers in the 2026 draft have left for college or already are in a pro league.

Agreed on Roobroeck ^ I don't mind it being quiet on his front. Not much was mentioned regarding Veorhoeff and then all of a sudden we landed him. 

Bryn was at the U-18s so he definitely is aware of him and saw him play to determine if they think he can handle college next year.

[atxsioux]

3 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

In all honesty…Verhoeff is going to be a top 4 dman. He also will probably need to be on the PP. Not sure how this will all work with Liv and Wiebe, but this kid the bluest of blue chips. They don’t play secondary roles. 

I think he'll make it pretty easy on the coaching staff and just earn his way to the top PP unit pretty quickly. Have massive respect for Weibe and Liv but they don't have that high end offense in their game. Think its the main reason why Liv was passed over in the draft, just hasn't shown that top end gear offensively. 

[beastandco]

7 minutes ago, atxsioux said:

I think he'll make it pretty easy on the coaching staff and just earn his way to the top PP unit pretty quickly. Have massive respect for Weibe and Liv but they don't have that high end offense in their game. Think its the main reason why Liv was passed over in the draft, just hasn't shown that top end gear offensively. 

Livanavage was leading our team in points for most of the season last year. We should have more scoring up front so I could see him getting 35-40+ points this year, especially if he is on the first PP. I think we see Verhoeff on the first PP, one way or another. He is too good to not be. We could role 2 defenseman on the first unit but I would rather not.

Regarding Roobroeck, it would be bad for his draft stock if he stayed in juniors. Getting on a level playing field with other top prospects in next years draft is important. I don’t know if the fit is the greatest at UND but we could get creative. He will probably end up in the big ten if he goes to school.

[nascar99]

Just now, beastandco said:

Livanavage was leading our team in points for most of the season last year. We should have more scoring up front so I could see him getting 35-40+ points this year, especially if he is on the first PP. I think we see Verhoeff on the first PP, one way or another. He is too good to not be. We could role 2 defenseman on the first unit but I would rather not.

Regarding Roobroeck, it would be bad for his draft stock if he stayed in junior. Getting on a level playing field with other top prospects in next years draft is important. I don’t know if the fit is the greatest at UND but we could get creative. He will probably end up in the big ten if he goes to school.

I don't think it'll hurt his draft stock if he stays in junior (he could have a dominant draft year in the O), but he certainly should play a season or two in the NCAA at some point before turning pro

[scpa0305]

42 minutes ago, atxsioux said:

I think he'll make it pretty easy on the coaching staff and just earn his way to the top PP unit pretty quickly. Have massive respect for Weibe and Liv but they don't have that high end offense in their game. Think it’s the main reason why Liv was passed over in the draft, just hasn't shown that top end gear offensively. 

Liv has actually done great on the PP from my end. His O numbers are solid. That’s why (to me) this could be a really tough call.

[ChadR]

When can Carson Carels commit?

[siouxforce19]

3 minutes ago, ChadR said:

When can Carson Carels commit?

I thought he was eligible to commit now since he’s an 08 birthdate but I don’t know what year in school he just completed. So if not, August 1. 

[beastandco]

1 minute ago, siouxforce19 said:

I thought he was eligible to commit now since he’s an 08 birthdate but I don’t know what year in school he just completed. So if not, August 1. 

He just turned 17 two weeks ago. If he was in the States, I would say he probably wouldn’t be eligible until August 1st. I do not know if it makes a difference in Canada. I know their schooling is different than ours.

UND seems like a heavy favorite to land him.

[nascar99]

1 hour ago, ChadR said:

When can Carson Carels commit?

He can commit at any time. All Canadian 2008s were NCAA commitment eligible August 1 2024, but because the old rules were still in effect, Carels and the rest of the CHLers couldn't go the NCAA route and commit at that time.

All Canadian 2008s graduate HS in 2026 since the school grade is the birthyear in Canada, January 1-December 31 is the school year grouping for each grade. Federal system, going by birthyear makes it much simpler IMHO.

[I Ranger]

Does anyone think Cameron Schmidt could be an option? He fell to the 3rd round but some had him listed as a 1st round talent but his size dropped him down to the 3rd. He  was drafted behind Simpson so I don't know if that would mean they wouldn't want to take him in over Simpson for this year. 

[nascar99]

3 minutes ago, I Ranger said:

Does anyone think Cameron Schmidt could be an option? He fell to the 3rd round but some had him listed as a 1st round talent but his size dropped him down to the 3rd. He  was drafted behind Simpson so I don't know if that would mean they wouldn't want to take him in over Simpson for this year. 

He would be a great option, but there's no indication that he'd be willing to go NCAA

[Scratch]

5 hours ago, scpa0305 said:

In all honesty…Verhoeff is going to be a top 4 dman. He also will probably need to be on the PP. Not sure how this will all work with Liv and Wiebe, but this kid the bluest of blue chips. They don’t play secondary roles. 

Agreed. I think Verhoeff is currently either the best D or second best D on the team behind Livanavage. The idea that our D core is stacked doesn't resonate with me. Last year I saw a bunch of middle pairing guys, even Livanavage would have been middle pair in the mid-2010s

[beastandco]

9 minutes ago, Scratch said:

Agreed. I think Verhoeff is currently either the best D or second best D on the team behind Livanavage. The idea that our D core is stacked doesn't resonate with me. Last year I saw a bunch of middle pairing guys, even Livanavage would have been middle pair in the mid-2010s

I respectfully disagree on Livanavage. He was a 2nd team all American last year and at times, the only bright spot in our lineup last year. There’s a reason why he was playing over half of the game some nights during the second half of the season. Other than him and Wiebe, we were shaky on the back end. 
 

Having Verhoeff, Livanavage, Emery, and Wiebe as a top 4 truly is elite on paper. Hopefully it translates to wins.

 

[brianvf]

13 minutes ago, beastandco said:

Having Verhoeff, Livanavage, Emery, and Wiebe as a top 4 truly is elite on paper. Hopefully it translates to wins.

Yes.  Any one of those four could be the top Dman on many other teams.
Bring back Zmolek, one of the best defensive dmen, PKers, and shot blockers in the NCAA.
Another year of experience for Strathmann and Jubenvill, who both showed good signs last year.
Add in Laurila, one of the best dmen in the USHL last year.

There you have what I would consider the best D-corps in the league, and one of the best in the nation.

[Scratch]

I agree that Liv is a very good player but for whatever reason I don’t think of him in that elite category like Stecher and Poolman. If freshman year Emery is your #1 d I have to believe there’s no chance you’re making the tournament. But Verhoeff is going to come in as the most skilled d, by far, and with the rare attributes of also being the biggest and perhaps strongest defenseman on the team right from the gate. That assuages my usual apprehensions about freshmen d big time

[scpa0305]

12 minutes ago, Scratch said:

I agree that Liv is a very good player but for whatever reason I don’t think of him in that elite category like Stecher and Poolman. If freshman year Emery is your #1 d I have to believe there’s no chance you’re making the tournament. But Verhoeff is going to come in as the most skilled d, by far, and with the rare attributes of also being the biggest and perhaps strongest defenseman on the team right from the gate. That assuages my usual apprehensions about freshmen d big time

He needs to play with Emery and he’ll flourish 

[Godsmack]

Pardon me if this has been addressed but does anyone have any insight as to when we can expect to hear who’ll fill the last remaining two roster spots? 

[brianvf]

Just now, Godsmack said:

Pardon me if this has been addressed but does anyone have any insight as to when we can expect to hear who’ll fill the last remaining two roster spots? 

I'm guessing Bryn knows, but he's been shy about sharing the info with the rest of us.  Boo!

[tnt]

6 minutes ago, brianvf said:

I'm guessing Bryn knows, but he's been shy about sharing the info with the rest of us.  Boo!

If it isn’t one of the big names left, if I were Chyzyk I would wait until all those guys announce before sending out the bat signal, lest everyone seems disappointed in an incoming recruit that isn’t quite at that elite level.   Would be nice to get one of those guys though.