So there are still some pretty obvious holes to fill on this team going into next season. Up front I think it’s still somewhat safe to say Pritchard ends up here but it’s not 100%. I have to imagine Minnesota was the Big 10 team offering him 80-90k (straight out of Kato’s assistant’s mouth).
As far as high end CHLers, Lynden Lakovic is the only one even remotely rumored to be interested in Minnesota, but then again he’s interested in a handful of big time schools (Michigan, Michigan State, BC).
Defensively I felt they were waiting for an experienced RHD to hit the portal, but since that has slowed to a trickle with no suitable option in the portal, I think they’ll be forced to go CHL. Blake Fiddler is the runaway 1A candidate for that position and I hope the coaching staff is all over him.
Seems like years of rarely taking a Canadian player might mean that now the CHL players can play in NCAA, MN isn't even on most of their radars. Whereas teams like Michigan that have always taken Canadians are more familiar to them. Hope this is not the case and will look at MN record for developing NHLers.
Pritchard supposedly made a visit to the U on Thursday. Have to assume he’ll make his decision soon.
I knew we weren't gonna end up getting the misa's but losing to penn state really!? We have one recruit this calender year outside of two transfers where the hell is all our money going. Are kids getting that smart and not wanting to pay mn st income tax on their earnings!?
I knew we weren't gonna end up getting the misa's but losing to penn state really!? We have one recruit this calender year outside of two transfers where the hell is all our money going. Are kids getting that smart and not wanting to pay mn st income tax on their earnings!?
Only Luke is going to Penn State. I doubt Michael ends up stepping foot on any campus. If he does, his NHL team will steer him a certain direction.
I knew we weren't gonna end up getting the misa's but losing to penn state really!? We have one recruit this calender year outside of two transfers where the hell is all our money going. Are kids getting that smart and not wanting to pay mn st income tax on their earnings!?
Only Luke is going to Penn State. I doubt Michael ends up stepping foot on any campus. If he does, his NHL team will steer him a certain direction.
Probably right, point still remains, one recruit this calender year. Where is the nil money going!? If we put all our money in a potential backup goalie and 1 transfer forward we may be in a tough spot.
Does the NIL money matter much at this point, especially to a Canadian that can't partake? Isn't the bigger issue that MN is one of the few teams that will be doing revenue sharing that equates to a full ride for 26 players, plus a potential $80K in revenue sharing?
While I admit my knowledge of NIL and the potential $$$ for hockey is extremely limited, I can't imagine it's anywhere near what we know is going on for an Arch Manning, or any of the big bouncy-ball players.
Hockey, especially college hockey, is a niche sport and while it's important to a handful of schools for recognition, etc., that is not the norm.
Is that $80k per player?
Is that $80k per player?
Rough estimates based on Big 10 revenue sharing plus slice of pie hockey will get places it around $40k/player.
My bad. Apparently my math wasn't mathin' when I wrote the post.Is that $80k per player?
Rough estimates based on Big 10 revenue sharing plus slice of pie hockey will get places it around $40k/player.
I knew we weren't gonna end up getting the misa's but losing to penn state really!? We have one recruit this calender year outside of two transfers where the hell is all our money going. Are kids getting that smart and not wanting to pay mn st income tax on their earnings!?
It’s pocket change for the Pegulas. Penn St will be big players in the NIL world with their backing.
If we wanna go full tilt on forking up dough for one and dones (not sure I wanna go fully off the deep end like Michigan) I guess our best bet is the Nanne’s? Man this new NCAA landscape is weird…
I knew we weren't gonna end up getting the misa's but losing to penn state really!? We have one recruit this calender year outside of two transfers where the hell is all our money going. Are kids getting that smart and not wanting to pay mn st income tax on their earnings!?
It’s pocket change for the Pegulas. Penn St will be big players in the NIL world with their backing.
If we wanna go full tilt on forking up dough for one and dones (not sure I wanna go fully off the deep end like Michigan) I guess our best bet is the Nanne’s? Man this new NCAA landscape is weird…
GROSS is a much more appropriate word!
Formerly known as davey j.
College athletes (all sports) have a much better free agency program than their pro athlete counterparts. Curt Flood and Marvin Miller would be proud.....
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Ah, Curt Flood and the reserve clause. He was called every name in the book...a lot of which I can't repeat here. It's amazing that once you were drafted and signed by an organization, they owned you until THEY traded you...or you retired. Ugh.College athletes (all sports) have a much better free agency program than their pro athlete counterparts. Curt Flood and Marvin Miller would be proud.....
Finn McLaughlin started following Gophers on instagram and I think deleted his DU commit post…
Finn McLaughlin started following Gophers on instagram and I think deleted his DU commit post…
Not an offensive dynamo, but scouting reports have him as a steady two way defenseman. If tea leaves indicate anything here and he is flipping, would be a solid late add. 6'2" and 203 pounds...defensive unit will be huge.
Finn McLaughlin started following Gophers on instagram and I think deleted his DU commit post…
Not an offensive dynamo, but scouting reports have him as a steady two way defenseman. If tea leaves indicate anything here and he is flipping, would be a solid late add. 6'2" and 203 pounds...defensive unit will be huge.
Would he come in this season, or down the road? Or is TBD?
Finn McLaughlin started following Gophers on instagram and I think deleted his DU commit post…
Not an offensive dynamo, but scouting reports have him as a steady two way defenseman. If tea leaves indicate anything here and he is flipping, would be a solid late add. 6'2" and 203 pounds...defensive unit will be huge.
Would he come in this season, or down the road? Or is TBD?
I would assume this fall. 19 years old; two full years in USHL. Just speculation though.
I thought we needed a RHD?
My bet is this would mean Phillips heading to Green Bay for a year in USHL.
Finn McLaughlin started following Gophers on instagram and I think deleted his DU commit post…
Not an offensive dynamo, but scouting reports have him as a steady two way defenseman. If tea leaves indicate anything here and he is flipping, would be a solid late add. 6'2" and 203 pounds...defensive unit will be huge.
Would he come in this season, or down the road? Or is TBD?
I would assume this fall. 19 years old; two full years in USHL. Just speculation though.
Is Instagram the only data point we have on this? Any other rumors or inside info? Feels as if we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
Finn McLaughlin started following Gophers on instagram and I think deleted his DU commit post…
Not an offensive dynamo, but scouting reports have him as a steady two way defenseman. If tea leaves indicate anything here and he is flipping, would be a solid late add. 6'2" and 203 pounds...defensive unit will be huge.
Would he come in this season, or down the road? Or is TBD?
I would assume this fall. 19 years old; two full years in USHL. Just speculation though.
Is Instagram the only data point we have on this? Any other rumors or inside info? Feels as if we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
We are. No disagreement there. But it is May and we're bored.
I heard a rumor during USHL playoffs that DU might try to get him to play another year of juniors, that’s why I looked at his Instagram and noticed the commitment to DU post no longer there
Not a righty but a good player nonetheless. DU’s d core is stacked and has absolutely no room for him. Hope it happens!
I heard a rumor during USHL playoffs that DU might try to get him to play another year of juniors, that’s why I looked at his Instagram and noticed the commitment to DU post no longer there
His father wore C in ‘98 at Jan Brady. While no overlap with Motzko would have to think he has interacted with coach and knows him.
This is the list of schools around us sitting at only 1 or 0 CHL recruits. Feels about right besides BC. The funniest part is our only CHL recruit has no business making the gophers roster let alone a ushl roster lol
I know I must be out of the loop on this CHL recruit the gophers have landed...but who is it again? I somehow must it.
I know I must be out of the loop on this CHL recruit the gophers have landed...but who is it again? I somehow must it.
Hayden Reid
Is Hayden Reid not up to snuff? I feel like people were overall pretty positive when he committed.
Is Hayden Reid not up to snuff? I feel like people were overall pretty positive when he committed.
he wasn’t great this year and finished like 14th on his team in scoring
He's still got two years left of junior eligibility. I wouldn't give up on him just yet,
Mason West chooses hockey reportedly. Be interesting to see where he goes
He's still got two years left of junior eligibility. I wouldn't give up on him just yet,
He will make it to campus sadly even though he isn't close to a gopher caliber player. After this year's incoming recruits we have essentially zero recruits, so on pure numbers alone he makes it to campus.
Thought we had a chance with the wild holding his rights but haven't heard any chatter since he was linked to us a few months ago...
He's still got two years left of junior eligibility. I wouldn't give up on him just yet,
He will make it to campus sadly even though he isn't close to a gopher caliber player. After this year's incoming recruits we have essentially zero recruits, so on pure numbers alone he makes it to campus.
Any idea as to why this is? He’s one of three recruits. Is there any reason to be concerned or is this just college hockey recruiting in the modern era? Not going to worry about a roster that’s over a year away when we haven’t even started the next season but I’m just curious. Plus it’s May and I’m bored.
He's still got two years left of junior eligibility. I wouldn't give up on him just yet,
He will make it to campus sadly even though he isn't close to a gopher caliber player. After this year's incoming recruits we have essentially zero recruits, so on pure numbers alone he makes it to campus.
Any idea as to why this is? He’s one of three recruits. Is there any reason to be concerned or is this just college hockey recruiting in the modern era? Not going to worry about a roster that’s over a year away when we haven’t even started the next season but I’m just curious. Plus it’s May and I’m bored.
After next year, only Lamb and Mittelstadt exhaust their eligibility. Even leaving the door open for departures, it is likely to be a small class. It is also a long ways off in the portal era. I doubt Reid joins the class.
He's still got two years left of junior eligibility. I wouldn't give up on him just yet,
He will make it to campus sadly even though he isn't close to a gopher caliber player. After this year's incoming recruits we have essentially zero recruits, so on pure numbers alone he makes it to campus.
Any idea as to why this is? He’s one of three recruits. Is there any reason to be concerned or is this just college hockey recruiting in the modern era? Not going to worry about a roster that’s over a year away when we haven’t even started the next season but I’m just curious. Plus it’s May and I’m bored.
In terms of "top" programs we're the only one with such little recruits. For me, as I've stated multiple times the concern is massive. We are approaching a qtr century without a championship, and were a few minutes away with players, cooley, knies, Faber etc. It would be different if we were still getting top mn players. Sounds like we're not even in the conversation for West. We obviously know how Berchild went
West is the best state tournament player I've seen in a long time. He tilted the ice every time out.
It would be different if we were still getting top mn players.
What evidence do we have for this other than "Berchild went elsewhere"? The entire 2025 class - save Mooney - is good players from Minnesota. No coach is going to have a 100% hit rate on top local talent.
It would be different if we were still getting top mn players.
What evidence do we have for this other than "Berchild went elsewhere"? The entire 2025 class - save Mooney - is good players from Minnesota. No coach is going to have a 100% hit rate on top local talent.
Obviously. West, berchild, cullens, fondrk, potter, nelson to name a few. There is no debating we haven't taken the last two cycles off. You couldn't have less recruits if you tried. Bobs plan must be a team full of transfers and over age jr players at this point for 2027. Unless we start committing a bunch of players soon but then again almost all the big names are off the board for those birth years🤷♂️ bold recruiting strategy if you ask me
It was just two cycles ago they landed Rombach, Kvasnicka, Phillips, Mooney, etc. so it is not a multi-cycle thing. If you want to lament the 2008's - sure - but Berchild is doing some heavy lifting for that group. Pretty pedestrian crop from Minnesota.
It would be different if we were still getting top mn players.
What evidence do we have for this other than "Berchild went elsewhere"? The entire 2025 class - save Mooney - is good players from Minnesota. No coach is going to have a 100% hit rate on top local talent.
agreed particularly if you just scroll through CHN and see where MN kids who are "top prospects" are going. Brooks Cullen is a good player but is a 4-6th rounder and rated below Kvas. for the U17s on NTDP, Trottier and Francisco (ND) have looked very meh this year at the NTDP, Lutner looks to be doing ok and Nelson is a ND legacy. On the U18s there's not many MN kids who made it and we pulled most of them. There are 9 kids listed on the draft prospects for this year under NA skaters who played in MN HS this year (listed in order, rating before school)
West (27, uncommitted), Simpson (74, UND), Solomon (114, WI), Vanek (146, uncommitted), Cullen (164, MSU), Geerdes (169, WMU), Brown (177, Yale), Donovan (197, DU)
Gopher commits: Rombach 42, Moe 53, Phillips 61, Kvasnicka 152, Mooney 206
It just hasn't panned out as being that great a MN class as Bob has been alluding to. I still think it would be silly to not be full court pressing West. Vanek it probably depends on his and his family's goals on how soon he wants to play college, but if he's cool with playing a couple years of juniors, wouldn't surprise me to see us take him later.
I agree that we’ve missed out on some big southwest metro names in recent years which should be our wheelhouse, but as for the lack of number of recruits, to me that’s just a symptom of the fact we don’t lose a ton in the coming years.
A couple loose projections:
2026/27 (Lutdke signing TBD)
Hendrickson-Clark-Mooney
Townsend-Pahlsson-Ziemer
Moore-Moe-Kvasnicka
Falloon-Nevers-Pritchard
Whipple-Gruba
Rombach-McLaughlin?
Phillips-Grimes
2027-28
Hendrickson-Pahlsson-Mooney
Townsend-Moe-Ziemer???
Moore-Schneider hopefully-Kvasnicka
Falloon-Nevers-Pritchard
Whipple-Gruba
Rombach-McLaughlin?
Phillips-Grimes
Edit: forgot Gavin Katz existed. Good player.
I think Bob will offer the top cream of the crop 16 year old MN kids on August 1st but if they unfortunately don’t fall through (Berchild, Lutner, Trottier, West last year) then he’s more keen to wait and be more patient than to rush and commit a middle of the road 16 year old.
I know I’m in the minority on this board that thinks Kraft wasn’t a “miss” simply because I think we didn’t offer. If he proves himself in the WHL next season then he’ll likely get an offer and if he accepts it will be “woe is me” from the Kato crowd all over again like with Pritchard this year.
I think Bob will offer the top cream of the crop 16 year old MN kids on August 1st but if they unfortunately don’t fall through (Berchild, Lutner, Trottier, West last year) then he’s more keen to wait and be more patient than to rush and commit a middle of the road 16 year old.
I know I’m in the minority on this board that thinks Kraft wasn’t a “miss” simply because I think we didn’t offer. If he proves himself in the WHL next season then he’ll likely get an offer and if he accepts it will be “woe is me” from the Kato crowd all over again like with Pritchard this year.
For example, I remember some on here (and on Twitter) banging the table for Deschene, Kor, Vanek types a few years ago. Those would’ve been panic commits in my opinion. Better to have a late bloomer like Pritchard fall in your lap than force it with a kid who’s likely not Gopher caliber but was the “next best option”.
That being said, if we miss on Schneider, Fitzhenry, Conboy, Geiger and Scott this year (Nelson already committed and Cullen doesn’t look like it’s happening) then alarm sirens will be sounding for me personally.
Even last year when they missed on Berchild and Lutner they still landed Kvasnicka and Moe.
I think Bob will offer the top cream of the crop 16 year old MN kids on August 1st but if they unfortunately don’t fall through (Berchild, Lutner, Trottier, West last year) then he’s more keen to wait and be more patient than to rush and commit a middle of the road 16 year old.
I know I’m in the minority on this board that thinks Kraft wasn’t a “miss” simply because I think we didn’t offer. If he proves himself in the WHL next season then he’ll likely get an offer and if he accepts it will be “woe is me” from the Kato crowd all over again like with Pritchard this year.
For example, I remember some on here (and on Twitter) banging the table for Deschene, Kor, Vanek types a few years ago. Those would’ve been panic commits in my opinion. Better to have a late bloomer like Pritchard fall in your lap than force it with a kid who’s likely not Gopher caliber but was the “next best option”.
That being said, if we miss on Schneider, Fitzhenry, Conboy, Geiger and Scott this year (Nelson already committed and Cullen doesn’t look like it’s happening) then alarm sirens will be sounding for me personally.
Even last year when they missed on Berchild and Lutner they still landed Kvasnicka and Moe.
Again it's not just mn talent, we just had Pandoras box open and we weren't in on any big names in chl, I refuse to believe we can't compete for those types of players. Also, again there is also almost zero downside to recruiting players, if they don't pan out you tell them to move along. To limit yourself to just the ones we have i just don't think is smart.
I think Bob will offer the top cream of the crop 16 year old MN kids on August 1st but if they unfortunately don’t fall through (Berchild, Lutner, Trottier, West last year) then he’s more keen to wait and be more patient than to rush and commit a middle of the road 16 year old.
I know I’m in the minority on this board that thinks Kraft wasn’t a “miss” simply because I think we didn’t offer. If he proves himself in the WHL next season then he’ll likely get an offer and if he accepts it will be “woe is me” from the Kato crowd all over again like with Pritchard this year.
For example, I remember some on here (and on Twitter) banging the table for Deschene, Kor, Vanek types a few years ago. Those would’ve been panic commits in my opinion. Better to have a late bloomer like Pritchard fall in your lap than force it with a kid who’s likely not Gopher caliber but was the “next best option”.
That being said, if we miss on Schneider, Fitzhenry, Conboy, Geiger and Scott this year (Nelson already committed and Cullen doesn’t look like it’s happening) then alarm sirens will be sounding for me personally.
Even last year when they missed on Berchild and Lutner they still landed Kvasnicka and Moe.
Again it's not just mn talent, we just had Pandoras box open and we weren't in on any big names in chl, I refuse to believe we can't compete for those types of players. Also, again there is also almost zero downside to recruiting players, if they don't pan out you tell them to move along. To limit yourself to just the ones we have i just don't think is smart.
Are you saying that the Gophers should offer players and then drop them when a better players come available? Not sure if you want to be known for that.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
What, you don't want to be WisconSIN 2.0?Are you saying that the Gophers should offer players and then drop them when a better players come available? Not sure if you want to be known for that.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?