Cool Faber interview.
https://twitter.com/WildOn7th/status/1724487466403455262
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Bad luck for Novak.
https://twitter.com/PredsNHL/status/1724466315115507954
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Man that sucks. He’s been flying under the radar as the best Gopher in the NHL. Hope he picks up right where he left off when he gets back.
Faber starting the game in Sweden today at the global series.
https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1726238238786916788
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Mike Reilly with another organization. Drafted by the Blue Jackets, signed with the Wild. Then the Canadians, Sens, Bruins, Panthers and now Isles.
https://twitter.com/stefen_rosner/status/1728492842308215250
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Good article on rookie class. Mentions Cooley, Faber, and Lacombe.
Knies also with a goal yesterday and Ryan Johnson firmly in the Sabres rotation.
Keep it up Coach Motzko. This type of success sells recruits and their parents on the U as a strong program for prospect development.
Good article on rookie class. Mentions Cooley, Faber, and Lacombe.
Knies also with a goal yesterday and Ryan Johnson firmly in the Sabres rotation.
Keep it up Coach Motzko. This type of success sells recruits and their parents on the U as a strong program for prospect development.
3. Logan Cooley, C, Arizona Coyotes
Stats: 18 GP | 2 G | 10 A | 12 P
Why he's here: Among the teams that are challenging for a Western Conference wild-card spot around Thanksgiving? It's the Coyotes, and Cooley is one of the players who has been at the heart of their early success. He's arguably been the strongest facilitator of this year's rookie class. He leads the rookie class in assists, power-play points and is three points adrift of Bedard for the rookie lead. In terms of the Coyotes, Cooley is tied for the team lead in assists and is also within five points of Clayton Keller for the team lead.
Going forward: One of the early traits we're seeing with this year's rookie class has been the roles within their teams. Cooley has largely played as a third-line option which raises questions about if he could possibly move into a top-six role -- something that others such as Bedard and Fantilli have done. His average ice time ranks fourth among rookie forwards and is similar to Coyotes second-line center Nick Bjugstad. Another item to watch is if he can get more points in even-strength play. Cooley currently has three even-strength points compared to the nine he's scored on the extra-skater advantage.
5. Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild
Stats: 17 GP | 1 G | 7 A | 8 P
Why he's here: If it wasn't for Jonas Brodin, Faber would be leading the Wild in ice time. The Wild needed to put a lot of trust in Faber as they began the season without Jared Spurgeon and then lost Alex Goligoski after two games. Faber stepped up to partner with Brodin on the Wild's top defensive pairing while averaging more than 23 minutes per game. He also leads the Wild in 5-on-5 ice time and is second in short-handed ice time. He leads the rookie class in ice time by more than three minutes.
Going forward: While Faber has been a constant for the Wild, winning has proven to be a bit of a challenge. The Wild have dropped five straight games, they allow the second most goals per game and have the league's worst penalty kill with a 65.5 percent success rate. As of Nov. 21, the Wild were five points out of the final wild-card spot as they chase a fifth straight playoff berth.
6. Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks
Stats: 18 GP | 0 G | 3 A | 3 P
Why he's here: LaCombe is another example of a rookie who has been trusted in a top-pairing role. He's formed a partnership with Cam Fowler to give the Ducks a top pairing that consumes minutes. LaCombe is second on the team in 5-on-5 minutes, second in average ice time among those who qualify and third in short-handed ice-time for a penalty kill that went from being No. 31 last season to No. 13 on Nov. 21. LaCombe is also second among rookies in ice time at 20:01 per contest.
Going forward: Perhaps the most surprising aspect of LaCombe's season might be that he only has three points. He averaged 0.71 points over his four seasons at the University of Minnesota which shows there is an offensive side to his game. If he can find a way to parlay what he did in college to the NHL, it could present another dimension for a player who has already shown quite a bit. Plus, it could also help him remain in the All-Rookie Team race against defensemen such as Faber, Hughes and Mintyukov, who've shown they can generate offense at the NHL level.
10. Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stats: 17 GP | 5 G | 4 A | 9 P
Why he's here: Receiving offensive contributions from a player on a team-friendly deal is something every Stanley Cup contender seeks. Knies has given the Leafs just that. His five goals are tied for fourth on the team, and he's tied for sixth in points. In terms of how he ranks among the rookie class? Knies is third in even-strength goals, is tied for third in even-strength points, is fourth in goals and is tied for sixth in points. Maybe his most jarring statistic is that he leads the rookie class and the Leafs with a 27.8 shooting percentage on just 18 shots on goal.
Going forward: November began with Knies in a top-nine role before he was promoted to the top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Knies has played six games on the Leafs' top line. He's had three goals and five points in that time with three of those points coming in his first game on the top unit. Plus, Knies is also logging minutes on the Leafs' second-team power-play.
https://twitter.com/TheBuffaloNews/status/1729127419892863323
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In his trade article, this is what Frank Seravalli thinks of Nick Seeler..
15. Nick Seeler
Left Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 30
Stats: 22 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $800,000 AAV
Scoop: I’m officially lobbying for a new nickname for Seeler: “Nicky Nails.” He is one of my favorite players to watch, a Human Nail Gun in action on a nightly basis. He is tough, he competes and he wrings every drop of out of his skillset through sheer effort. Did you know that Seeler is actually playing this season on a two-way contract that includes an AHL pay rate? He’s found a full-time NHL role under John Tortorella in Philadelphia, playing nearly 17 minutes a night. Seeler is the ideal third pair defensive pick-up.
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In his trade article, this is what Frank Seravalli thinks of Nick Seeler..
15. Nick Seeler
Left Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 30
Stats: 22 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $800,000 AAV
Scoop: I’m officially lobbying for a new nickname for Seeler: “Nicky Nails.” He is one of my favorite players to watch, a Human Nail Gun in action on a nightly basis. He is tough, he competes and he wrings every drop of out of his skillset through sheer effort. Did you know that Seeler is actually playing this season on a two-way contract that includes an AHL pay rate? He’s found a full-time NHL role under John Tortorella in Philadelphia, playing nearly 17 minutes a night. Seeler is the ideal third pair defensive pick-up.
glad he’s doing well! Another one of my infamous…hey let’s buy his Wild jersey. And then he’s traded. ?
Seeler was one of my favorites. Dude played 110% every game.
In his trade article, this is what Frank Seravalli thinks of Nick Seeler..
15. Nick Seeler
Left Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 30
Stats: 22 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $800,000 AAV
Scoop: I’m officially lobbying for a new nickname for Seeler: “Nicky Nails.” He is one of my favorite players to watch, a Human Nail Gun in action on a nightly basis. He is tough, he competes and he wrings every drop of out of his skillset through sheer effort. Did you know that Seeler is actually playing this season on a two-way contract that includes an AHL pay rate? He’s found a full-time NHL role under John Tortorella in Philadelphia, playing nearly 17 minutes a night. Seeler is the ideal third pair defensive pick-up.
glad he’s doing well! Another one of my infamous…hey let’s buy his Wild jersey. And then he’s traded. ?
I think most of mine are that way, although I try to get mostly obscure ones and I know I will be ok if they are traded. I have not bought any in a few years though. Here are mine... Rau-- Florida, Bickel--Rangers, Leopold-- Flames, Vanek--Wild, Haula-- Wild, Wheeler--Jets, Schmidt--Caps, Martin--Pens.
I may break down and get another one soon. My candidates are R Johnson, Bjugstad, LaCombe, Novak or Knies. Faber would be nice, but too popular. A Holl Leafs one is also in the mix. If only I could write these off as a farm expense...
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https://twitter.com/jessi_pierce/status/1730640256205017326
https://twitter.com/jessi_pierce/status/1730642417492058447
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If only I could write these off as a farm expense...
"Personal protection gear...for mixing fertilizers and other toxic materials"? ?
https://twitter.com/CraigSMorgan/status/1731010542515654782
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For those of you who subscribe to the Athletic
https://twitter.com/JoeSmithNHL/status/1731682301346533622
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Tough quotes in there for Gopher fans...
“We put on the full-court press,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong says.
Cooley called Armstrong and the Coyotes staff on July 23 to tell them he was signing. Armstrong said they got on a plane just a couple of days later to Pittsburgh. It had been a summer-long courtship, tons of texts and check-ins. They wanted to get there before Cooley changed his mind.
“We needed to get it done,” Armstrong says, smiling.
“He went back and forth on a daily basis,” Cathy Cooley says. “It was a real struggle for him. We struggled along with him, trying to weigh the pros and cons. We kind of all said, ‘You’ve pretty much accomplished everything in college.’ He just decided to take the leap.”
“[Motzko] understood it and took it well,” Cooley says. “I wish I would have done it a lot quicker of (a) time frame.”
What was the deciding factor?
“I think I wasn’t super excited to go back for another season,” Cooley says. “I wanted to play against the best players in the world. I felt like I was ready for it.”
‘You’ve pretty much accomplished everything in college.’ He just decided to take the leap.”
That is a strong "pretty much"
"Pretty much" leaves room for an "except for" ?
He earned it and it’s fun to watch him in the NHL. Would’ve been fun to watch him dominate the NCAA again too but hard to argue that he made the wrong decision.
He earned it and it’s fun to watch him in the NHL. Would’ve been fun to watch him dominate the NCAA again too but hard to argue that he made the wrong decision.
I'm just saying... this isn't always the best enviroment to develop under. There were a lot of guys at Wisconsin with talent that aren't winning in the pros. There are a lot of guys for the Oilers that aren't winning right now.
“We’re in a particular year where we’re not gun to our head to make the playoffs,” Armstrong told them. “That’s a different mindset where you have more patience for some of the younger players coming in to have an impact on our team. This is the right time for you to come in.”
It's the cliche, but players can always leave too early and players rarely can leave too late. He's a young kid with a lot of pressure and you would not want him playing college if he wasn't all in... maybe the lesson learned is to almost push them out the door if you get the sense they want to turn pro.
Yeah it’s clear that he thought about it a lot and was conflicted, eventually he decided he was ready. I wish he would’ve done it sooner like he said but I can’t begrudge him for taking the time to make the right decision. In theory yeah, it can go either way and you don’t want a guy to go pro before they’re ready and see their confidence destroyed. You also don’t want them to get complacent at a lower level. Ultimately you have to make a decision and no matter what you choose there’s always the creeping thought that the grass could be greener on the other side.
I look forward to seeing him develop in the NHL, his career here was short but easily one of the most memorable and fun to watch.
He was on the Rink Live podcast and said he misses college every single day. Who knows what he actually thinks. I’m sure he wants to please everyone and not ruffle any feathers either way.
It's not unusual to miss the "bubble life" that is living on campus and spending nearly every single day with your buddies, compared with now living in a house with a stranger, where half the team is much older and with lives of their own.
After I graduated I never wanted to go back to college, but there were days I thought about the memories and how much fun it was at the time. That's probably what he's experiencing as well - and from my couch it sure looked like it was one hell of a fun ride to be a part of as a player.
Yet the allure of the NHL was strong not only with the improved competition but obviously the massive upgrade in compensation. No fault in him making the decision he made, and no reason why his feelings can't be a mixture of both excitement and reflection.
I know the first couple years out of college there were definitely moments when I missed “the bubble life” and I was just some average student. So to your point I can’t imagine the mix of emotions the young man I has been feeling over the past few months.
https://twitter.com/hockey_samurai/status/1732499904595972427
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He earned it and it’s fun to watch him in the NHL. Would’ve been fun to watch him dominate the NCAA again too but hard to argue that he made the wrong decision.
I'm just saying... this isn't always the best enviroment to develop under. There were a lot of guys at Wisconsin with talent that aren't winning in the pros. There are a lot of guys for the Oilers that aren't winning right now.
“We’re in a particular year where we’re not gun to our head to make the playoffs,” Armstrong told them. “That’s a different mindset where you have more patience for some of the younger players coming in to have an impact on our team. This is the right time for you to come in.”
It's the cliche, but players can always leave too early and players rarely can leave too late. He's a young kid with a lot of pressure and you would not want him playing college if he wasn't all in... maybe the lesson learned is to almost push them out the door if you get the sense they want to turn pro.
I dont think any of the quotes from the earlier post were tough to read as a Gopher fan...pretty much lines up with what I assumed was going on.
And yeah I think if it is a situation where the players is this 50/50 on it it is probably better they go. It is much easier to deal with slumps or things going sideways when you are making professional money than it is when you are living in the college bubble.
And while I dont doubt he misses aspects of college I think he is definitely playing to an audience when he says stuff like that.
I am glad I got to watch him for a year and glad he is having success in the pros.
https://twitter.com/hockey_samurai/status/1732499904595972427
Didn't win a high school championship, though, did he? ?
I saw an interview with him once, and after being asked about all of his success, that was the first thing he mentioned. It still stings him that the Rams did not prevail that fateful weekend. It's a bit ironic that the high school title is arguably the easiest on the list.
No he did not win a state title I remember when he won the NCAA title he was being interviewed and he said he never won a state title but winning the NCAA verse the Whioux felt so good!
Aloha!
Easiest one? Same # of teams each year won a title at all levels when he was in H.S., and there were more teams competing in H.S. ?
You have to be good enough to make a D1 college team, a USA team, and then an NHL team. So yes, I would say that the high school team is more likely than the others.Easiest one? Same # of teams each year won a title at all levels when he was in H.S., and there were more teams competing in H.S. ?
Edit: After reading your text more carefully, I would agree that there is only one winning team each year, so the odds are about the same. I just mean that being good enough to advance to those other levels to win the trophies makes it harder for anyone to achieve that combination of success. There are plenty of high school kids out there who win a championship and never overcome the long odds to keep playing.
I was being completely facetious. ?
Noticed tonight that Lacombe and Cooley both have the worst plus/minus on their respective teams. We praise them both, but they are also having some growing pains.
Noticed tonight that Lacombe and Cooley both have the worst plus/minus on their respective teams. We praise them both, but they are also having some growing pains.
LaCombe I can see, but Cooley is a bit surprising. Though I've always been sceptic about +/-'s. There's so many variables.
Noticed tonight that Lacombe and Cooley both have the worst plus/minus on their respective teams. We praise them both, but they are also having some growing pains.
LaCombe I can see, but Cooley is a bit surprising. Though I've always been sceptic about +/-'s. There's so many variables.
Definitely an imperfect stat, but usually somewhat telling.
Vanek lead the NHL in plus minus one year, and we all know how defensively responsible he was... ?
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@frozen4champs hardly surprising to to early season struggles from a 19 year old. Casey Middelstad had similar struggles. Cooley has got some size but he also has a lighter frame and need to add some muscle mass. Knies is a bigger guy who played an extra year in college so I expected to see him do well. Faber is another player who benefitted nicely from that additional year in college.
@frozen4champs hardly surprising to to early season struggles from a 19 year old. Casey Middelstad had similar struggles. Cooley has got some size but he also has a lighter frame and need to add some muscle mass. Knies is a bigger guy who played an extra year in college so I expected to see him do well. Faber is another player who benefitted nicely from that additional year in college.
I agree, but I don't think I posted about Cooley's struggles anywhere.
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I haven't watched enough of Cooley in Arizona to really have an opinion. But I did just spend enough time on this twitter feed, to come to the conclusion that whatever formula these guys think that they have come up with, is absolute trash. It's so bad that I can't even figure out which way they are trying to go with their "formula"Woof.
https://twitter.com/arhockeystats/status/1735343903019286737?s=46&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
Nobody has to worry about Cooley. He can only mature so fast, but his skill isn't going anywhere. He might have to fight through this season and maybe next until he figures it out.
It's common for fans to assume super skilled players are ready for the NHL. Sure, they have the skill, but they don't have the experience playing against fully grown men grinding out 82 games. Also, opposing coaches and players aren't stupid. They watch film and determine pretty fast how to knock a kid off his game.
The Cooley bashing is amusing. I would bet anyone to almost everyone would do the same thing if opportunity arose. You leave work on Friday and tell the boss and coworkers “see you Monday”. Over the weekend another job, your dream job is offered and it would benefit you, your family and your future. The only catch, you start Monday.
Cooley leaving was unfortunate, but life moves on. At least someone can voice their opinion (within basically 2 rules) on GPL without being silenced like other social media groups… lol!!!
Knies having himself a night just five minutes into their game with Pittsburgh.
The Cooley bashing is amusing. I would bet anyone to almost everyone would do the same thing if opportunity arose. You leave work on Friday and tell the boss and coworkers “see you Monday”. Over the weekend another job, your dream job is offered and it would benefit you, your family and your future. The only catch, you start Monday.
Cooley leaving was unfortunate, but life moves on. At least someone can voice their opinion (within basically 2 rules) on GPL without being silenced like other social media groups… lol!!!
Gotta love that group of fools over on that Facebook page.
@bert Was it unfortunate that he left so late? Yes, but it is not like he up and left in the middle of the year like Okposo or Laffer. That site is weird. The guy who "runs" it always posts stories and photos like he is the one who wrote the story or took the picture. He very seldom gives the proper credit to the person who did. He HATES Jess, yet he continues to post his stories.
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@bert Was it unfortunate that he left so late? Yes, but it is not like he up and left in the middle of the year like Okposo or Laffer. That site is weird. The guy who "runs" it always posts stories and photos like he is the one who wrote the story or took the picture. He very seldom gives the proper credit to the person who did. He HATES Jess, yet he continues to post his stories.
He has also bashed Jup, vegoe, and GPL many times. He has taken many photo's from Jup with never giving credit