That is the big thing that I think a lot of us fans are having hard time dealing with is how much of this portal movement being driven by NIL money? How much is recruitment being driven by NIL money? It's just that mystery we are having problems understanding if it is having an affect or not.
The majority of the portal stuff in hockey isn't NIL focused at this point. There are only a few players in it and they seem to be spending it on the 1st/2nd rd types from what I can tell. I do think that it's going to be more significant down the line. The majority of the movement right now is kids with a fifth year of eligibility and can't come back to their school or kids who have performed at a high level in atlantic, ccha or independent and want a shot at a B10, NCHC or HE school. Or you have kids who haven't gotten the role they expected at their school or are getting the aid cut and want to find a new spot. It's definitely complicated!
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William Whitelaw in portal. Thought he was very slippery when we played them.
Based on some comments yesterday, he doesn't sound like a good fit as a person.
Hoping that a resurgence of involvement from the alumni will strongly influence more NIL funding for the program. Not even necessarily primarily from alumni but also because so many of them have strong local business ties.
@rau4skiumah he followed yet another UND player on instagram, my bet is we are out. Hopefully not
Thats a lot to bet on one Instagram follow
Best of luck to Pino. Hopefully he finds a better fit.
Who are we thinking is the early favorite for scapegoat next season? Pino and Brodzinski both out. Dang.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
That commercial he did for Tech that aired during the MSHSL Boys Hockey Tournament falls a little flat now.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
This didn’t age well.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1773821342812442853?s=46&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
definitely an interesting option if we can’t get Wood.
Wonder if Pino ends up at Augustana with Raboin.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
If this happens you get a virtual statue on GPL.
I wonder if Pino is leaving because he felt unappreciated here. When he scored the first goal of the game against Ohio State--his only goal of the season, I believe--he wasn't named the heart of the game. The band director was!
I wonder if Close having more points was a factor? A few other forwards were outscored by Close too.
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Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
Am I reading his stats right that he had 18 goals his freshman year but dropped to 1 goal his sophomore year (28 games)?
Wonder what was going on there. That's quite a drop.
Does Pino leaving do anything in terms of opening up spots for recruits/transfers or was everyone assuming a couple of transfers out already, even if we didn't know the names?
Does Pino leaving do anything in terms of opening up spots for recruits/transfers or was everyone assuming a couple of transfers out already, even if we didn't know the names?
Gophers currently have 11 forwards -- This includes Michel and Nevers
Coming in-- 4 -- Pahlsson, Hendrickson, Falloon, Ziemer
The team usually carries with 14 or 15 forwards. That most likely means for every possible portal guy in, 1 guy must now exit.
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Michel was a grad student last year... So he is out of eligibility... Correct?
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Michel was a grad student last year... So he is out of eligibility... Correct?
Bob said on one of his coaches shows that he was a "possible" guy that could come back.
Edit-- Just checked, He played 1 year at Huntsville, 2 at St Johns and 1 at Mn.
But he would be the most likely next off the roster.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
Michel was a grad student last year... So he is out of eligibility... Correct?
Bob said on one of his coaches shows that he was a "possible" guy that could come back.
Edit-- Just checked, He played 1 year at Huntsville, 2 at St Johns and 1 at Mn.
But he would be the most likely next off the roster.
He was a body... I would doubt he is back.
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Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
Am I reading his stats right that he had 18 goals his freshman year but dropped to 1 goal his sophomore year (28 games)?
Wonder what was going on there. That's quite a drop.
Injury
If Michel does leave he would leave as one of my favorite Gopher hockey stories ever. As a fellow Johnnie its fascinating and very cool that he was able to play for my two favorite college teams in his career. I would imagine even though his skill is meh.. his work ethic is off the charts.
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Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
They have room. Don’t offer Nevers a 5th year…unless Bob sees his leadership so valuable. Bring two forwards in and challenge a player like Kurth for minutes. Competition is good. Create the best top 9 you can.
Michel could be back as a body. He's a walk in I'm sure so if he stays in school what's the harm of another practice body. He won't keep anyone from an actual scholarship spot.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
They have room. Don’t offer Nevers a 5th year…unless Bob sees his leadership so valuable. Bring two forwards in and challenge a player like Kurth for minutes. Competition is good. Create the best top 9 you can.
I think Nevers is back if he wants to come back. As you said for his leadership alone, especially after what Bob said about him during the regional when he took over the locker room. Also, need to remember his brother is coming and you don't want to burn that bridge by telling Mason he isn't welcomed back. Mason may not have the same role and on the 4th line, but he is someone who will play wherever the coach wants him.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
They have room. Don’t offer Nevers a 5th year…unless Bob sees his leadership so valuable. Bring two forwards in and challenge a player like Kurth for minutes. Competition is good. Create the best top 9 you can.
I think Nevers is back if he wants to come back. As you said for his leadership alone, especially after what Bob said about him during the regional when he took over the locker room. Also, need to remember his brother is coming and you don't want to burn that bridge by telling Mason he isn't welcomed back. Mason may not have the same role and on the 4th line, but he is someone who will play wherever the coach wants him.
I’m not even thinking about Mason’s brother if I’m Bob. It’s a future recruit down the road. Unless he is the second coming of Jesus who cares. Bob’s sole responsibility is to put a championship caliber team on the ice for 2024-25.
Would be hard to pass on two quality forwards. Doesn’t necessarily have to be Wood or Kukkonen. There are players of similar ilk in the portal. Definitely tough decisions for Bob, but that’s why he gets paid the big bucks!
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
Am I reading his stats right that he had 18 goals his freshman year but dropped to 1 goal his sophomore year (28 games)?
Wonder what was going on there. That's quite a drop.
Injury
From what I could tell the injury was in January and he still played 28 games...still seems like a dropoff.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
Am I reading his stats right that he had 18 goals his freshman year but dropped to 1 goal his sophomore year (28 games)?
Wonder what was going on there. That's quite a drop.
Injury
From what I could tell the injury was in January and he still played 28 games...still seems like a dropoff.
Playing through injuries exists. You don’t just go from 18 goals to 1 goal with nothing hampering you. He didn’t just forget how to play hockey.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
They have room. Don’t offer Nevers a 5th year…unless Bob sees his leadership so valuable. Bring two forwards in and challenge a player like Kurth for minutes. Competition is good. Create the best top 9 you can.
I think Nevers is back if he wants to come back. As you said for his leadership alone, especially after what Bob said about him during the regional when he took over the locker room. Also, need to remember his brother is coming and you don't want to burn that bridge by telling Mason he isn't welcomed back. Mason may not have the same role and on the 4th line, but he is someone who will play wherever the coach wants him.
I’m not even thinking about Mason’s brother if I’m Bob. It’s a future recruit down the road. Unless he is the second coming of Jesus who cares. Bob’s sole responsibility is to put a championship caliber team on the ice for 2024-25.
Would be hard to pass on two quality forwards. Doesn’t necessarily have to be Wood or Kukkonen. There are players of similar ilk in the portal. Definitely tough decisions for Bob, but that’s why he gets paid the big bucks!
Hate to go all Herb Brooks on you but sometimes it’s the right players not the best players. I believe I had this exact discussion when people wanted Swankler out of the portal last fall. I don’t think grabbing the shiniest toy is always the right move in this case. With that being said I am fully on board with Wood and/or Kukkonen, I just think Nevers is more valuable to this team than people realize. Culture carrier.
Kukkonen in the portal. Want it known that I predicted him to Minnesota back in September. Half way there.
Not sure if we have room. Might be the fallback if Wood doesn’t work out.
They have room. Don’t offer Nevers a 5th year…unless Bob sees his leadership so valuable. Bring two forwards in and challenge a player like Kurth for minutes. Competition is good. Create the best top 9 you can.
I think Nevers is back if he wants to come back. As you said for his leadership alone, especially after what Bob said about him during the regional when he took over the locker room. Also, need to remember his brother is coming and you don't want to burn that bridge by telling Mason he isn't welcomed back. Mason may not have the same role and on the 4th line, but he is someone who will play wherever the coach wants him.
I’m not even thinking about Mason’s brother if I’m Bob. It’s a future recruit down the road. Unless he is the second coming of Jesus who cares. Bob’s sole responsibility is to put a championship caliber team on the ice for 2024-25.
Would be hard to pass on two quality forwards. Doesn’t necessarily have to be Wood or Kukkonen. There are players of similar ilk in the portal. Definitely tough decisions for Bob, but that’s why he gets paid the big bucks!
Hate to go all Herb Brooks on you but sometimes it’s the right players not the best players. I believe I had this exact discussion when people wanted Swankler out of the portal last fall. I don’t think grabbing the shiniest toy is always the right move in this case. With that being said I am fully on board with Wood and/or Kukkonen, I just think Nevers is more valuable to this team than people realize. Culture carrier.
It’s a balancing act for sure. If BC wins the national championship did they do it with the right players or the best players? Are they culture building?
I’m not about grabbing the shiny toy. I’m about getting to the frozen four and winning it. Hope Nevers isn’t the only one that can lead this team into the 2024-25 season.
@maroon_and_gold 100% agree with you and well said. Coaches also need to be careful on how they handle telling a player he needs to move on or doesn't have a spot. Word travels fast in the hockey world, and you don't want to get the reputation that your word isn't worth anything. Nevers is a legacy kid who's Dad played briefly (1 game) and has 1 brother coming in and another brother in the Edina system and has pull in the Edina community. You don't want to ruin that pipeline. If Mason goes to Bob and says, "if you can get a better player, I will step aside", then ok, otherwise, like I said, he has a spot on this roster.
I'm sure the conversation with Pino was difficult. But I'm sure both knew he needed a fresh start. Bob has to have a few more of those soon, and even maybe one with Barto.
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Nevers is also one of the best penalty killers on the team
Pino was the first player that came to my mind moving on when the season ended. He just never cemented himself to a spot on the ice every game. I wish him well at his next spot, he very well could break out with a new view.
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I've seen a good handful of posts in this thread mentioning Kurth as a guy that Bob should consider moving on from / bringing in other guys to challenge him for ice time... are you guys watching the games at all? Kurth is one of the only players on the team that is effective on the forecheck / winning puck battles on the boards. He does so many little things without the puck well. I have to believe the analytics suggest he is a winning player.
I'd honestly rather move on from Pitlick, and I really like Pitlick. I think Kurth is a HUGE factor in Minnesota's success and is a key player to connect shifts / gain momentum.
I wouldn't be overly eager to let Nevers move on after just seeing Nelson and Brodzinski carry the team at the end of the year. He's not the same player but those guys with experience are valuable.
I think Kurth and Nevers would both be great choices to keep around, for many of the reasons above. Both are hard workers on both ends of the ice. Superstar players? Probably not. Important (maybe critical) pieces on a team to fill needed roles? Absolutely.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
Discarding known commodities like Kurth and Nevers for players that might gel as well as Cruikshank sounds crazy to me. And before it is said again, my opinion has nothing to do with protecting people’s feelings.
I’m not against using the portal. But there must be a middle between the above and never using it at all.
I've seen a good handful of posts in this thread mentioning Kurth as a guy that Bob should consider moving on from / bringing in other guys to challenge him for ice time... are you guys watching the games at all? Kurth is one of the only players on the team that is effective on the forecheck / winning puck battles on the boards. He does so many little things without the puck well. I have to believe the analytics suggest he is a winning player.
I'd honestly rather move on from Pitlick, and I really like Pitlick. I think Kurth is a HUGE factor in Minnesota's success and is a key player to connect shifts / gain momentum.
There are two Pitlicks: One that produces heart-stopping speed and flashy plays and one that is out of position at key moments when the puck ends up in their net. He went sideways for long stretches this season and played his most mediocre hockey when it mattered most -- but, he is such a dynamic player that losing him would feel like a huge loss.
Kurth may feel less impactful, but I agree with you. He is hard on pucks and battles in all three zones. Like Nevers, he doesn't cheat. He brought his best game during the NCAAs while Pitlick virtually disappeared.
@maroon_and_gold 100% agree with you and well said. Coaches also need to be careful on how they handle telling a player he needs to move on or doesn't have a spot. Word travels fast in the hockey world, and you don't want to get the reputation that your word isn't worth anything. Nevers is a legacy kid who's Dad played briefly (1 game) and has 1 brother coming in and another brother in the Edina system and has pull in the Edina community. You don't want to ruin that pipeline. If Mason goes to Bob and says, "if you can get a better player, I will step aside", then ok, otherwise, like I said, he has a spot on this roster.
I'm sure the conversation with Pino was difficult. But I'm sure both knew he needed a fresh start. Bob has to have a few more of those soon, and even maybe one with Barto.
You’re certainly within your right to put the Nevers family tree and the Edina community (a stretch by the way) above everything else.
I don’t know how you connect the dots of Bob’s “word isn’t worth anything” if a player isn’t back. Nevers played 4 years. He’s not obligated to offer a 5th year. Guess we just have different opinions on this matter.
There is no roster size limit, but you can't have 40 players on one sheet of ice for practice. Do we still have a scholarship limit?
In either case, tell the players the expected pecking order and chance for playing time and let the players decide if they want to stick around. I trust Bob understands the importance of his current players and can explain to them why they may lose ice time next year.
18 full scholarship equivalents. As usual, some of those will likely be split amongst multiple players.Do we still have a scholarship limit?
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
There is no roster size limit, but you can't have 40 players on one sheet of ice for practice. Do we still have a scholarship limit?
In either case, tell the players the expected pecking order and chance for playing time and let the players decide if they want to stick around. I trust Bob understands the importance of his current players and can explain to them why they may lose ice time next year.
Yes, I believe it is 18.
Was excited over the idea of seeing Snuggerud take the leap as an NHL fan. As a Gophers fan, this is great news! I don't believe he pulls a Cooley, I think he got some heavy NIL money and if Wood comes, I suspect he gets the same. What a lethal pair that could be!
It’s hard to project next year’s forward roster when you don’t have a definitive answer on Huglen or Pitlick returning. I am cautiously optimistic they are both back.
I would welcome Nevers back, but in a 4th line and penalty killer role.
With how much Bob plays his 4th line, it would be nice to see some real depth and talent down the lineup this upcoming season.
Was excited over the idea of seeing Snuggerud take the leap as an NHL fan. As a Gophers fan, this is great news! I don't believe he pulls a Cooley, I think he got some heavy NIL money and if Wood comes, I suspect he gets the same. What a lethal pair that could be!
I agree, really hoping they get Wood. Regarding NIL, since he is a Canadian the NIL stuff gets murky I believe. Hopefully they find a way to entice him.