Portal 2026

[cberkas]

6 minutes ago, AJS said:

Might be going with Top 3 / Bottom 9 strategy.

That's an Omaha strategy. 

[brianvf]

6 minutes ago, AJS said:

Might be going with Top 3 / Bottom 9 strategy.

I'd feel like they would need an absolute CHL stud to fill out that 1st line wing spot alongside Zellers & Reschny.
Simpson is awesome offensively, but not sure you can just throw him right into 1st line minutes until he is up to speed on his 200ft NCAA game.

If you pick up one CHL stud forward for 1st line, you'd have an awesome 2nd line started with Swanson & Simpson.
And then two stacked lower lines that have a weekly practice grind to see who gets to play each weekend.

[siouxforce19]

I don’t have a problem with any of the transfers we have gotten. We needed to add some veterans when we only had one senior up front (Menghini). I would have liked to add a senior defenseman also since we once again have no seniors back there, but it’s slim pickings in the portal. 

[brianvf]

11 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Not to be @gfhockey and asking simple minded questions, but what is Bryn doing last year if the plan is to bring in portal players? Why not just bring in the guys they decommitted instead of getting portal guys. 

Maybe he's really pumping everything into these last two D spots.
I figure Boser is the replacement for Zmolek...defensive shot-blocking specialist.
MacKenzie can take Strathmann's minutes (and then some).
Verhoeff, Emery, and Laurila retain their current roles.
And then to dream...
Carels is a higher skilled all-around dman to take Wiebe's spot.
DuPont is a higher skilled, smooth skating dman to take Liv's spot.

In that situation, you could rotate Boser and Lindberg as the extra D each night.

10 minutes ago, AJS said:

Might be going with Top 3 / Bottom 9 strategy.

It'd be one loaded Bottom 9, which is good.
If they can really load up that top 3, then we'd be sitting well.

[tnt]

6 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

I don’t have a problem with any of the transfers we have gotten. We needed to add some veterans when we only had one senior up front (Menghini). I would have liked to add a senior defenseman also since we once again have no seniors back there, but it’s slim pickings in the portal. 

Yeah, there is no guarantee any guy in the CHL is going to put up 11 goals like this guy did, much less be responsible on both ends, if indeed this is the guy. Just curious why Sioux Daddy upvoted my “At defense” question.

[cberkas]

Just now, tnt said:

Yeah, there is no guarantee any guy I the CHL is going to put up 11 goals like this guy did, much less be responsible on both ends. Just curious why Sioux Daddy upvoted my “At defense” question.

Sydney's list has a couple position listed wrong

[AJS]

11 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

I don’t have a problem with any of the transfers we have gotten. We needed to add some veterans when we only had one senior up front (Menghini). I would have liked to add a senior defenseman also since we once again have no seniors back there, but it’s slim pickings in the portal. 

I don’t either, but like @brianvf said, really need that last F spot to be elite. Someone they hope can play on the top line. Get that and next year’s F group should be excellent. 

[tnt]

So if we had a first line of Reschny, Swanson and Zellers, and a second line with Kernan, Simpson and a CHL guy, the potential could be very good.  After the CBS line, was our second line super elite for our 2016 Championship team?
Like I said before, I would rather have someone who they know will be a team guy than someone who is only coming because they were told it would be better for their career, and might cause team issues if they aren’t pegged a certain place in the lineup.  Not saying you can’t have both, but you better be right, because we see how talent without grit played out with McLaughlin, and how our problem became Boston Universities problem.

[brianvf]

4 minutes ago, tnt said:

So if we had a first line of Reschny, Swanson and Zellers, and a second line with Kernan, Simpson and a CHL guy, the potential could be very good.  After the CBS line, was our second line super elite for our 2016 Championship team?
Like I said before, I would rather have someone who they know will be a team guy than someone who is only coming because they were told it would be better for their career, and might cause team issues if they aren’t pegged a certain place in the lineup.  Not saying you can’t have both, but you better be right, because we see how talent without grit played out with McLaughlin, and how our problem became Boston Universities problem.

2016 team had CBS and then a ton of hard to play against forwards.  Gersich was probably the highest skill guy outside the big 3.  Guys like Poganski, Janatuinen, Gardner, Johnson, Chyzyk...none of them were stars but they all played their role well and chipped in goals when needed.

I'd like to see Swanson and Reschny split up on the top 2 lines...seems like they are both more "pass first" setup guys.  I'd love to see a more gritty scorer to fit on that 1st line with Cole and Will.  A guy like Belchetz could excel in that spot and also be awesome net front on the PP since he's so big.

[Sioux90]

13 minutes ago, tnt said:

So if we had a first line of Reschny, Swanson and Zellers, and a second line with Kernan, Simpson and a CHL guy, the potential could be very good.  After the CBS line, was our second line super elite for our 2016 Championship team?
Like I said before, I would rather have someone who they know will be a team guy than someone who is only coming because they were told it would be better for their career, and might cause team issues if they aren’t pegged a certain place in the lineup.  Not saying you can’t have both, but you better be right, because we see how talent without grit played out with McLaughlin, and how our problem became Boston Universities problem.

The teams and style of hockey are very different.

[burd]

9 hours ago, brianvf said:

2016 team had CBS and then a ton of hard to play against forwards.  Gersich was probably the highest skill guy outside the big 3.  Guys like Poganski, Janatuinen, Gardner, Johnson, Chyzyk...none of them were stars but they all played their role well and chipped in goals when needed.

I'd like to see Swanson and Reschny split up on the top 2 lines...seems like they are both more "pass first" setup guys.  I'd love to see a more gritty scorer to fit on that 1st line with Cole and Will.  A guy like Belchetz could excel in that spot and also be awesome net front on the PP since he's so big.

James leaves a unique hole, including leadership, forecheck, PK, speed, and scoring ability.  D and leadership may be the most significant. 

[tnt]

1 minute ago, Sioux90 said:

The teams and style of hockey are very different.

Bottom line is you need guys to buy in, and Chyzyk knows the guys that will bring the right attitude, and also has a plan for future rosters.  Maybe he knows CHL guys that are ready for the 2027 season and by adding a senior this year, along with Reschny probably leaving, they will have room.  

[tnt]

13 minutes ago, brianvf said:

2016 team had CBS and then a ton of hard to play against forwards.  Gersich was probably the highest skill guy outside the big 3.  Guys like Poganski, Janatuinen, Gardner, Johnson, Chyzyk...none of them were stars but they all played their role well and chipped in goals when needed.

I'd like to see Swanson and Reschny split up on the top 2 lines...seems like they are both more "pass first" setup guys.  I'd love to see a more gritty scorer to fit on that 1st line with Cole and Will.  A guy like Belchetz could excel in that spot and also be awesome net front on the PP since he's so big.

Reschny did say he plans on working on shooting more, and towards the end, Swanson was even putting the puck in the net more, just like Schmaltz did from his freshmen to sophomore year.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

My biggest concern is replacing the 45 goals and 104 points put up by Strinden, James and Rickwood last season. Would need some guys to make some jumps next year if we aren’t getting a 15+ goal scorer in the portal 

[ND_Texan]

10 hours ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

My biggest concern is replacing the 45 goals and 104 points put up by Strinden, James and Rickwood last season. Would need some guys to make some jumps next year if we aren’t getting a 15+ goal scorer in the portal 

My concern as well. Freshmen or even sophomores from the CHL can't bring the type of experience and tenacity over 200 feet that these guys brought. We need 2 or 3 upper classmen from the portal at the forward position who can crash the boards and the net, unafraid of getting banged up, and can snipe. Who are those guys?

[ND_Texan]

3 minutes ago, ND_Texan said:

My concern as well. Freshmen or even sophomores from the CHL can't bring the type of experience and tenacity over 200 feet that these guys brought. We need 2 or 3 upper classmen from the portal at the forward position who can crash the boards and the net, unafraid of getting banged up, and can snipe. Who are those guys?

Keep in mind, Wisconsin didn't beat us with skill.

[I Ranger]

13 hours ago, AJS said:

I don’t either, but like @brianvf said, really need that last F spot to be elite. Someone they hope can play on the top line. Get that and next year’s F group should be excellent. 

I agree I don't dislike any of the adds either it's just really curious to me. Like was the plan all along to only bring in one more freshman forward (after the 3 we all figured were coming) and backfill any portal entries with portal additions? I just thought with pushing back O'Neil and Pilgram it certainly meant we had some guys already lined up not shopping in the portal! 

[burd]

A lot of people ignored or underestimated Wisconsin’s ability to play extremely well at times, even though inconsistently.  I also think Jax got outcoached a bit by Hastings’ early forecheck strategy, which threw our rhythm completely off early on.   Hopefully, the team will return to the FF next year and benefit from that playoff experience. 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

All this talk about building classes and not using the portal went out the window when seven players jumped to the portal , seems a little strange to push recruits back if they thought we were going to lose players. 

[SKondrashkin]

 

Obviously we're dipping into the portal to replace portal departures; everything else stays the same.

Forwards:
Littler, Klee, Andrew ---> Magnussen, Lindberg, Malinoski
Rickwood, Strinden, James, Young --->  Simpson, Schultz, Schultz, (High-tier CHLer?)

Bringing in O’Neill and/or Pilgrim to sit on the bench doesn’t make much sense.  It would also skew class distribution.

If we can score a “big 4” CHL Dman and/or an elite forward, it will be a damn good and well-rounded recruiting class.  

Heil
MacKenzie
Lindberg
(Carels?)
Simpson
(CHLer)
Schlutz
Schultz

 

 

[AJS]

I believe in all of the components to building a team that will have success. There is a level of balancing classes, leadership, upperclassman. Goes without saying certain aspects are more fun when they commit. Preaching to myself patience. 

[nascar99]

24 minutes ago, SKondrashkin said:

 

Obviously we're dipping into the portal to replace portal departures; everything else stays the same.

Forwards:
Littler, Klee, Andrew ---> Magnussen, Lindberg, Malinoski
Rickwood, Strinden, James, Young --->  Simpson, Schultz, Schultz, (High-tier CHLer?)

Bringing in O’Neill and/or Pilgrim to sit on the bench doesn’t make much sense.  It would also skew class distribution.

If we can score a “big 4” CHL Dman and/or an elite forward, it will be a damn good and well-rounded recruiting class.  

Heil
MacKenzie
Lindberg
(Carels?)
Simpson
(CHLer)
Schlutz
Schultz

 

 

To clarify, Hudson Malinoski is on campus this weekend, but also has B1G interest per Schloss' latest article

[The Sicatoka]

1 hour ago, AJS said:

Preaching to myself patience. 

This is wise. 
Allow the CHL season to close out. 

[brucespook]

2 hours ago, burd said:

A lot of people ignored or underestimated Wisconsin’s ability to play extremely well at times, even though inconsistently.  I also think Jax got outcoached a bit by Hastings’ early forecheck strategy, which threw our rhythm completely off early on.   Hopefully, the team will return to the FF next year and benefit from that playoff experience. 

We started well against the Fadgers.   If we bury two of our initial chances it’s a blowout. 

[Brett0909]

I’m trusting in Chyzyk to make a splash with the remaining roster spots. Will definitely be disappointed if they don’t fill the need for some elite/game changers this team needs to be a true contender, and replace some high-end senior & pro departures. 

This is Chyzyk’s only job all year, and takes away an on-ice coaching and skill development spot (dedicated goalie coach, etc). So far, the roster management feels solid but achievable without him being on-the-road all year - how he finishes here feels like it’s where he earns his keep. Can he beat out other schools with bigger budgets for the best of the best CHLers?