Departures

[Sioux Traveler]

http://senators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=...rticleid=335881

Had to see it, to believe it!!!!

[THETRIOUXPER]

Losing O'Brien unexpectedly or hanging on to TJ Oshie for another season (to me unexpectedly, because he could've gone).

Losing O'Brien unexpectedly or losing TJ Oshie after 3 years.

I'm thinking Lucia's position is far worse right now.

At least we kind of expect to lose that group (Oshie, Duncan, Chorney, Finley) and the 2008 recruiting class seems to be adjusting and preparing for it.

I still think of all of the bad listed here (and losing UND's four next summer isn't good), Lucia still got the worst of it because he got told one thing and received another, with school starting in a couple weeks, and now only 7 defensemen (and 3 of them freshmen).

Aw shucks for him.

If there's a lesser of two evils in this, I think UND (by having the option of a prepared recruiting class) got the lesser evil.

Having immediate impact freshman players like Osh, Duncs, Chorney, Toews, is really the exception and not the rule. Not every recruiting class will have freshman make that kind of impact, that's just reality. If some of them should have an outstanding first year, that's great, but certainly not expected.

[Goon]

oh of course it does, i hear ya for sure, im also damn excited for the new crop to follow in 08 and 09, reload reload reload

OSHIE 4 HOBEY 08'

Heck yeah I am really excited about the years coming up. This year is going to be a bonus to me.

[Sioux]

http://senators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=...rticleid=335881

Had to see it, to believe it!!!!

im quite surprised by this. if only okposo would have signed too... oh well, next season.

[Goon]

im quite surprised by this. if only okposo would have signed too... oh well, next season.

Summer aint over yet. I think we can assume they are done losing players now. Now like I said earlier this sound familar.

Funny how it ended the way a few did last year. Player said I am not leaving and then ended up leaving.

[AZSIOUX]

Summer aint over yet. I think we can assume they are done losing players now. Now like I said earlier this sound familar.

Funny how it ended the way a few did last year. Player said I am not leaving and then ended up leaving.

and it can go both ways so lets have it stop for all teams!! i want okposo to stay, he is a heck of a player and i like his game.

[Goon]

and it can go both ways so lets have it stop for all teams!! i want okposo to stay, he is a heck of a player and i like his game.

I think we are in agreement, I am sick and tired of needing a program for WCHA games because of the player turn over is so great each year. I remember when you would get players to stay at least three season now they have teams trying to sign them during the season...

[AZSIOUX]

I think we are in agreement, I am sick and tired of needing a program for WCHA games because of the player turn over is so great each year. I remember when you would get players to stay at least three season now they have teams trying to sign them during the season...

yeah i hear ya, its a different market now, money better and so on, just the changing of times like anything, the top wcha teams get hit hard but can recover much easier than a duluth or mankato losing their only draft pick players early. thats why i so excited for these guys to stick around and see what happens!!

[OETKB]

After this season, we may be shedding some tears of our own. I see Osh, Chorney, Finley, possibly Duncs, plus our seniors (Lammy, Kaip, Radke, am I forgetting anyone?) going. The offseason next year may be unkind if you are a Sioux fan. Oh yeah, I forgot Bina, that may be 8 players gone, if no one else leaves unexpectadly. That's going to suck.

Most everyone expects Duncan, Oshie, Chorney, and Finley to leave for the pro's after this season. It's a gift that they are here this season!

Hak has a bunch of freshmen this year that he can play for 10-20 games to get some experience. And, next year's team has some incredible looking blue-chip recruits.

On my "patented" experience-o-meter, next year's team should rate a 2.5 versus this year's 2.7. That is really pretty good, considering we expect to lose 4 players to the pros early. In fact, a 2.5 will be the third highest experience rating this century, with this year and '04-05 being the only ones higher.

N

[stickboy1956]

Most everyone expects Duncan, Oshie, Chorney, and Finley to leave for the pro's after this season. It's a gift that they are here this season!

Hak has a bunch of freshmen this year that he can play for 10-20 games to get some experience. And, next year's team has some incredible looking blue-chip recruits.

On my "patented" experience-o-meter, next year's team should rate a 2.5 versus this year's 2.7. That is really pretty good, considering we expect to lose 4 players to the pros early. In fact, a 2.5 will be the third highest experience rating this century, with this year and '04-05 being the only ones higher.

N

As I've stated before, we really need the "other" Jr's to step up this year and be ready for leadership positions next year, Kozek/Watkins/Miller especially.

Re: Gophers D - they lost over 100 points on the blueline even before the OBrien departure. That hurts.

If they don't have a threat from the point on the PP, teams will take away the one threat they do have, KO.

I think Chorney/Lee were much more talented than the frosh D the Gophers are bringing in.

There are two ways this could play out for Gopher fans.

1. Frazee - get ready for lots of rubber

2. Here comes the trap!!!

[redwing77]

I know what will happen.....Brian Lee will get blamed.

I've never understood the "we're not the favorities" philosophy. This is exactly where I'd like to be.....the favorites. I'd like it to be that way every year. I say, put the target on UND's back and let someone else try to take it away. If someone doesn't want to be the favorite they should start cheering for some other team that has a chance of sneaking up in the standing about once ever 10 years.

LaPoint by extension? Perhaps Buning (based upon the posts on the Hakstol contract thread).

I dunno.

In any case, Mapletoft gets signed by Ottawa. We all know that if I was right, Mapletoft never would have spent any time in Europe

[Fetch]

maybe the goophs will have to move down to div II

whats the worst they have ever finished ?

[Sioux]

maybe the goophs will have to move down to div II

whats the worst they have ever finished ?

the gophers will be young at d, but that doesnt mean they will suck. they still have TONS of talent coming back. i am giving the gophs the respect they deserve here. they will be very tough next year. this is not like what du or umd lost. i would honestly put the gophs at anywhere from a 1st to 3rd place finish in wcha. with und and uw right there with them. i predict something like 1. und 2. um 3. uw

[Big A HG]

the gophers will be young at d, but that doesnt mean they will suck. they still have TONS of talent coming back. i am giving the gophs the respect they deserve here. they will be very tough next year. this is not like what du or umd lost. i would honestly put the gophs at anywhere from a 1st to 3rd place finish in wcha. with und and uw right there with them. i predict something like 1. und 2. um 3. uw

It wouldn't surprise me if MTU put up a top 3 finish. It will be hard, but they are talented.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

Wayne Scanlan, the Ottawa Citizen writer who broke the O'Brien story told me this afternoon that everyone fully expects the kid to be assigned to his Major Junior team following the Senators training camp. This is a simple matter of a kid who wants maximum playing time to accelerate his progression to the Pros and he wasn't convinced that Lucia was going to give him enough playing time.

[kvinbe]

Wayne Scanlan, the Ottawa Citizen writer who broke the O'Brien story told me this afternoon that everyone fully expects the kid to be assigned to his Major Junior team following the Senators training camp. This is a simple matter of a kid who wants maximum playing time to accelerate his progression to the Pros and he wasn't convinced that Lucia was going to give him enough playing time.

Yeah, the part about wanting maximum playing time seems pretty obvious, but I havn't read anything yet about O'Brien's preferred position. I wonder if the anticipated switch to D with the goofs was a factor as well. Was the switch because he is really better suited to D, or because it was the best way to get him more ice time? If it was just a way to get him more ice time, I'm sure most players wouldn't feel they were being handled well either. I have no clue on this one. Any insiders out there?

In O'Brien's defense, he has produced at the highest levels -- including national develpment team and world juniors -- and didn't seem to be getting the same level of opportunity with the goofs. Had to be tough to sit more for the goofs when this hadn't been the case on other loaded teams that he had played for. I certainly don't see the goofs as any more loaded than the other teams he played for, so maybe he was getting a raw deal to some degree with the goofs. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that a talented player stated that he wasn't being utilized properly by Lucia. Phil Kessel's father made some comments to that effect after Phil the Thrill made the decision to depart, and EJ made similar comments during an internet interview this spring. So, perhaps there is something dour about Lucia's management of his players. It's hard to say, but there have been some forboding leaks. I don't know...you make the call.

[Cardinal]

Yeah, the part about wanting maximum playing time seems pretty obvious, but I havn't read anything yet about O'Brien's preferred position. I wonder if the anticipated switch to D with the goofs was a factor as well. Was the switch because he is really better suited to D, or because it was the best way to get him more ice time? If it was just a way to get him more ice time, I'm sure most players wouldn't feel they were being handled well either. I have no clue on this one. Any insiders out there?

In O'Brien's defense, he has produced at the highest levels -- including national develpment team and world juniors -- and didn't seem to be getting the same level of opportunity with the goofs. Had to be tough to sit more for the goofs when this hadn't been the case on other loaded teams that he had played for. I certainly don't see the goofs as any more loaded than the other teams he played for, so maybe he was getting a raw deal to some degree with the goofs. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that a talented player stated that he wasn't being utilized properly by Lucia. Phil Kessel's father made some comments to that effect after Phil the Thrill made the decision to depart, and EJ made similar comments during an internet interview this spring. So, perhaps there is something dour about Lucia's management of his players. It's hard to say, but there have been some forboding leaks. I don't know...you make the call.

I'm not sure how much you watched Minnesota play last year, but of their other three centers (Okposo, Wheeler, and Carman), who did you think O'Brien should have jumped over on the depth chart?

[siouxpuckster]

I'm not defending lucia or o'brian in anyway but this could happen to any team. somebody correct me if I'm wrong but didn't bochenski leave like in september of 2004, if not it was really late anyway. I just wish there were a deadline set by the NCAA or NHL in which players had to decide. I also do think the goophs will be fine and be a top 2 team in the league, behind our favorite squad.

[AZSIOUX]

I'm not defending lucia or o'brian in anyway but this could happen to any team. somebody correct me if I'm wrong but didn't bochenski leave like in september of 2004, if not it was really late anyway. I just wish there were a deadline set by the NCAA or NHL in which players had to decide. I also do think the goophs will be fine and be a top 2 team in the league, behind our favorite squad.

you really cant have a deadline, you cant do that to the kids, ya never know what some reasons are for going pro really. plus kids that have already been drafted are in different boats than the kids drafted that june in o'briens case as he came in very young like toews did. its part of the game and risk when recruiting players that get drafted this high, im not defending obrien or lucia or ottawa but it is what it is, a isolated situation in my eyes, you dont see this that often.

[kvinbe]

I'm not sure how much you watched Minnesota play last year, but of their other three centers (Okposo, Wheeler, and Carman), who did you think O'Brien should have jumped over on the depth chart?

First of all, you make a good point...in retrospect. But, I'll bet that O'Brien didn't beleive he'd be behind Carman at the beginning of the year, and it's also a pretty good bet that (given his credentials coming in) he believed he'd be pushing Okposo for playing time at the beginning of the year. Also, if he's as competitive (and perhaps as lacking in perspective) as many of the top-tier players, it probably didn't sit well with him (or his parents) that he didn't get similar minutes as the other centers. He's probably sitting at home right now thinking that he didn't get a fair shot to prove himself -- whether accurate or not.

Of course, that's a risk you take when choosing to be a part of a program like Minnesota. With so much talent, there's almost always going to be an odd-man-out or two. In Lucia's defense, it's his job to play the best team of players available to him, and obviously he has to make some unpopular decisions from time to time in his effort to give Minnesota the best opportunity to win. Lucia doesn't have the luxury of dealing with a second tier of players (with an exception or two) even on his own team. On most teams it's pretty clearly understood that particular players are head and shoulders above the rest in terms of talent, but not at Minnesota. Top to bottom, there is no more talented program in the country year in and year out, and it obviously creates intra-squad unhappiness at times.

So, was it the chicken or the egg that came first? Was O'Brien poorly handled by Lucia, or is O'Brien (and his parents) reacting inappropriately to an obvious glut of talent and a bit of cruel writing on the wall? Or, was it little bit of both? In the end, one thing is for sure, O'Brien didn't like the way things were headed this year for his development and he opted out. He obviosuly decided that playing a lot in games, even if at times with and against lesser talent, is better for his development than practicing with supreme talent, switching to D, and then still not getting as much ice time as he would like. Seems to me that both player and coach alike are realizing that the best accumulation of talent doesn't always make for the best team and college hockey experience. Apparently the Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey program isn't paradise afterall.

Oh those poor goofs, I feel so sorry for them.

[redwing77]

I wonder how he'll feel once he gets to the NHL? Players who make the NHL make it because they are the best of the rest. O'Brien may very well start out on the 4th line and then what? Sit out pouting because the 3 centers in front of him are flat out better than he is?

Why should Lucia give O'Brien preferential treatment? O'Brien could have jumped Carmen, Okposo, and Wheeler. He just needed to EARN it by outplaying them. That didn't happen and JImmy got upset enough to make Ottawa notice.

Moving back to D, O'Brien would have gotten tons of ice time. I'd rather have him on the blue line than an untried freshman like Bickel or Wehrs.

Whatever. Have a nice time with the Thunderturds, Jimmy.

[Diggler]

Good gravy, redwing is aiming to take over for PCM as the designated old curmudgeon here. What a grouch.

[PCM]

Good gravy, redwing is aiming to take over for PCM as the designated old curmudgeon here. What a grouch.

I will happily surrender the title.

[happy]

this is the new ego driven way of top college prospects. Jimmy wanted to get to the NHL, and sign a big contract. He needs to be the star of his team, get all of the minutes, and he wasn't going to be at Minnesota. Denver had 2 second round picks do it in the last year, and we are going to see it again and again in college. These type of players demand ice time, and will go wherever they can get it. In their own minds, they can't afford a year or two of college seasoning before they get to be the leaders on a team. so, should a coach give them ice time, when they don't deserve it? college coaches don't owe it to players, unlike mj coaches do.

As to how it effects a team like Minnesota, I expect that only the true insiders really know. Lucia surely knew he wanted to leave the minute he was recruited, and Jimmy may not have been getting that much scholarship money. after all, no one really though he would stay around very long, anyway.

unfortunately, the NHL is going to need a ton of young guys to fill cheap roster spots, because once 4 or 5 players take the lion's share of the salary cap, all that's left is enough money for a few role players, and kids on rookie contact's. some teams are going to always have to have 5 or 6 (or more) players on rookie salaries to counter the big boys salaries, and it is obvious that to do that, they are going to have to ramp up the signings of college kids.

I assume the odds of seeing a first round draft pick staying 4 years on any WCHA team is basically zero. I now hope that no one from my team gets drafted that high, it just seems to cause a lot of problems, more so than the year or two they are willing to put in is worth.

[nodak hockey fanatic]

True this is now the way of college hockey and the top prospects, but that is how it is. I would rather have the top end talent for a couple of year than to never see the talent in college hockey. Do you think any team would have been pissed if they could have had Sid the Kid for even a year? I know the vast majority of us Sioux fans are more than happy with the years we got out of Toews, Parise, Stafford, Bochenski, Greene, Smaby, and many more. Sure it stings when they leave, but it is fun to watch while they are here.