Prospective Recruits

[brianvf]

Q&A with Derrick LaPoint

I wonder why WI never offered him anything until later? Especially being that he is a WI kid.

Turris is at UW for 2 seasons, max. He's a threat to leave after one year.

[redwing77]

I wonder why WI never offered him anything until later? Especially being that he is a WI kid.

Turris is at UW for 2 seasons, max. He's a threat to leave after one year.

I think Turris will have problems at UW because of their defensive posture. I see an adjustment period and a huge drop off in scoring for him.

Will it affect him professionally? Nope. Joe Pavelski was an ok scorer with UW but not great. He's doing much better now that he's in a better system.

[Goon]

Will it affect him professionally? Nope. Joe Pavelski was an ok scorer with UW but not great. He's doing much better now that he's in a better system.

I think Joe is scoring more in the NHL than he did with the BADgers.

[siouxnami]

Eaves is going to have a hard time making such a talented player look bad and play a boring game. But I'm sure Mike is up to the task...

[Goon]

Eaves is going to have a hard time making such a talented player look bad and play a boring game. But I'm sure Mike is up to the task...

Careful our some of our BADger fans will get mad at us.

[brianvf]

I think Turris will have problems at UW because of their defensive posture. I see an adjustment period and a huge drop off in scoring for him.

UW plays a defensive game? Don't tell their fans that!

Big dropoff in points. There's no way that he scores 100+ points in the NCAA next season.

[siouxnami]

UW plays a defensive game? Don't tell their fans that!

Big dropoff in points. There's no way that he scores 100+ points in the NCAA next season.

No matter how talented (Skille) it is very rare for any Wisco player to get as many points as 3 of our defensemen got last season...

You hearing that Derek Lee...

[Sioux_Hab-it]

[Chris]

Will it affect him professionally? Nope. Joe Pavelski was an ok scorer with UW but not great. He's doing much better now that he's in a better system.

Pavelski scored more points in the WCHA as a sophomore than anybody on UND's team. I guess Stafford, Zajac, and Oshie weren't even ok.

[dagies]

Big dropoff in points. There's no way that he scores 100+ points in the NCAA next season.

[nodak hockey fanatic]

I hate to agree with a BADgers fan, but Pavelski had a good soph. season, even in a bad system. That being said, Eaves system is still the worst hockey to watch, and thwarts offensive creativity. The damn BADgers have the best incoming class, so lets see how they fare next season. Nowhere to go but up for them

[siouxnami]

I hate to agree with a BADgers fan, but Pavelski had a good soph. season, even in a bad system. That being said, Eaves system is still the worst hockey to watch, and thwarts offensive creativity. The damn BADgers have the best incoming class, so lets see how they fare next season. Nowhere to go but up for them

He and Earl were effective together... Quick name the last Wisconsin player to hit 40 points not including these two. I'll give you a clue go back more than 5 years...

[siouxstudent]

Quick name the last Wisconsin player to hit 40 points not including these two. I'll give you a clue go back more than 5 years...

[siouxnami]

Was it Heatley??

Yup, you win a Wisco series supply of No-Doze...

[siouxstudent]

Yup, you win a Wisco series supply of No-Doze...

I still dont think that'll be enough.

[Chris]

He and Earl were effective together... Quick name the last Wisconsin player to hit 40 points not including these two. I'll give you a clue go back more than 5 years...

How often do players hit 40 points on a sub-.500 team? It's not that they were bad offensively, they were just bad in general. You're basically talking about four seasons between now and when they had Heatley that nobody reached 40 points. One was Sauer's last season when they were awful, one was Eaves first season, when they were awful, one was Eaves second season, when Rene Bourque came close to 40 points, and then last season, when they need a late season to just sneak over .500.

[stickboy1956]

[siouxnami]

How often do players hit 40 points on a sub-.500 team? It's not that they were bad offensively, they were just bad in general. You're basically talking about four seasons between now and when they had Heatley that nobody reached 40 points. One was Sauer's last season when they were awful, one was Eaves first season, when they were awful, one was Eaves second season, when Rene Bourque came close to 40 points, and then last season, when they need a late season to just sneak over .500.

This is a chicken and egg thing. It's not like Wisconsin wasn't getting good talent, they were, just as this years talent was very good. Were they not scoring because they were below .500 or were the below .500 because that talent wasn't utilized? You have to give Wisco some credit because they did win the big one (at home granted), but high end talent ought not be used back checking in the trap all season.

[brianvf]

That being said, Eaves system is still the worst hockey to watch, and thwarts offensive creativity. The damn BADgers have the best incoming class, so lets see how they fare next season. Nowhere to go but up for them

That UW/Cornell regional game was insane. I fell asleep a couple of times!

UW looks to have a couple of very good incoming classes in the next few seasons, this season and then when all those SSM players come in the year(s) after that. But Turris might be gone by then.

I think that UW could struggle again this season. Losing their best forward in Skille, an All-American caliber goalie in Elliott, and a good group of seniors will be hard for even a very talented group of frosh to replace. UW is in the same boat as SCSU...Connelly and Weslosky both have big skates to fill.

[stickboy1956]

That UW/Cornell regional game was insane. I fell asleep a couple of times!

UW looks to have a couple of very good incoming classes in the next few seasons, this season and then when all those SSM players come in the year(s) after that. But Turris might be gone by then.

I think that UW could struggle again this season. Losing their best forward in Skille, an All-American caliber goalie in Elliott, and a good group of seniors will be hard for even a very talented group of frosh to replace. UW is in the same boat as SCSU...Connelly and Weslosky both have big skates to fill.

At least they replaced their best forward with a top 5 draft pick ... plus adding a top 15 D - I think they will be better in 07-08.

[Goon]

This is a chicken and egg thing. It's not like Wisconsin wasn't getting good talent, they were, just as this years talent was very good. Were they not scoring because they were below .500 or were the below .500 because that talent wasn't utilized? You have to give Wisco some credit because they did win the big one (at home granted), but high end talent ought not be used back checking in the trap all season.

I think I agree with you on that one.

[Chuck Schwartz]

[redwing77]

Chris-

He did have a good soph year. And he did do better than UND guys, but seriously, UW plays such a boring style of hockey that it is hard to believe that any one player on UW can surpass 40 points in one season. I guess that's why Pavelski is doing so well in the NHL.

Heatly isn't exactly terrible either.

I think Turris will be a good one. I'm not saying UW doesn't have a good incoming class (however, I've heard negative things about Gudmanson). I'm just saying that he will be playing in a system completely different than anything he's ever played in before. He won't be running and gunning anymore. Even if Turris came to UND he wouldn't get 100+ points in a season, sure, but I believe he won't approach 40 points. I could be wrong, but I just don't think Turris and the UW system mesh well...at least on paper.

[siouxnami]

Latest Update of players the Sioux may be interested in. I don't see us getting another goalie until 2009 at the earliest. We have very few spots if any for 2008 so some 2008s may be asked to defer to 2009. I bolded the players that I feel would be a huge pickup for the Sioux.

2007:

I think this is done give the number of returning players.

2008:

Almost certainly some 2008s will defer to 2009

Forwards:

David Toews - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Obviously

Derek Lee - Salmon Arm BCHL - One of the Top Forwards available

Troy Power - Tri-City (USHL) - From West Coast, smaller, faster forward.

Adam Comrie - Omaha (USHL) - Plays on Bruneteau's team

Stephan Novotny - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Seems to have come on more, plays on Toews' line I believe.

Joe Colborne - Camrose AJHL - The Sioux have been looking incresingly to the AJHL, he is a top player there

Cam Lamoreux - Drumheller AJHL - Family Ties

Kelly Zajac - Salmon Arm BCHL - Family Ties, not as highly regarded as Darcy.

Justin Johnson - Eau Claire N. HS - I know nothing

Travis Hamonic - Winnipeg (MJHL) - I know nothing, but great player in Sioux country.

Colin Phaneuf - Winnipeg (MJHL) - I know nothing, but great player in Sioux country (any relation to the NHL all-star)?.

Steele Boomer - Ft.Saskatchewan (AJHL) - Matt Frattin's teammate.

August Aiken - Westside (BCHL) - 87 birthdate so I doubt the Sioux will be able to find room before he is 22.

Defense:

Brett Kostolansky - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Top defender, but I'm not sure we will have room.

Damon Kipp - Salmon Arm (BCHL) - Bigger BCHL defender.

2009: (Likely a HUGE class with many forwards)

Forwards:

Zack Budish - Edina - lets hope Finley and Gleason are doing some talking

Ben Hanowski - Little Falls - Gopher fan with a Sioux coach, if he gives us a chance I think he will see that UND fits his style and development needs better.

Sam Alfieri - Shattuck St.Mary's - yet another great Shattuck Forward

Tyler Landman - Roseau - Smaller dynamic forward.

Defense:

Ben Hughes - Shattuck-St. Mary's - I know nothing

Ben Montgomery - Shattuck-St. Mary's - I know nothing

[Sioux_Hab-it]

Really...were you there?

No but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express this week.

A couple of the games were broadcast on TSN and based on the hype I guess I was expecting to see a lot more from him. If that is the best he could do against the best players his own age, he is not going to be at the same level as a Toews or Kessel.

It is always possible that he just had a bad week, maybe an injury or illness was involved. However, the ranking that placed him number one was made before this tournament so it was a bad time to look very average with all the scouts watching.