Gopher Hockey Recruiting

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upnorthkid said:
Stop with this messaging. We absolutely need to improve the whole d core. He’s a solid add and if you skated 6 guys like him and Whipple, you’d be fine provided you find 1 who can add on the PP somewhere (Whipple joining the rush more was a very pleasant surprise throughout the year). Based on his scouting profile and those who watched him play way more than I, he’s a solid add preferably on the middle pair as he’s only going to be 20
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I want him 1000%. On the second pair.

I want the team to compete next year and as I've said all along they need two top pairing D still to be able to do that including with his addition.

I just don't understand where calling him a top pairing D on half the tournament teams comes from. Maybe in his junior year.
 

bonin21 said:
I want him 1000%. On the second pair.

I want the team to compete next year and as I've said all along they need two top pairing D still to be able to do that including with his addition.

I just don't understand where calling him a top pairing D on half the tournament teams comes from. Maybe in his junior year.
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Having 4 guys who are bonafide top 4 players is really the name of the game to me, especially if they are all adaptable, can move the puck, and are responsible defensively.

Exactly what Michigan has done. Exactly what DU has done this year. Obviously you don’t turn down 1st round talent which is why you take any of the big chl hitters if you can, but this is why I’ve been saying they need to raise the floor of the defense first and id take 4 guys like Hendricks (or Burkholder, etc) in a heartbeat and feel fine about our d core, especially given the F group should all be better with a year of experience and the expected incoming guys.
 

upnorthkid said:
Having 4 guys who are bonafide top 4 players is really the name of the game to me, especially if they are all adaptable, can move the puck, and are responsible defensively.

Exactly what Michigan has done. Exactly what DU has done this year. Obviously you don’t turn down 1st round talent which is why you take any of the big chl hitters if you can, but this is why I’ve been saying they need to raise the floor of the defense first and id take 4 guys like Hendricks (or Burkholder, etc) in a heartbeat and feel fine about our d core, especially given the F group should all be better with a year of experience and the expected incoming guys.
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Burkholder is better ya... That's a top pairing D man

If it ends up two Henricks and two Whipples rounding out your top four, I can promise you the team won't be great.

Michigan has a superstar goalie which the Gophers won't have. DU has a hobey finalist D
 

bonin21 said:
Burkholder is better ya... That's a top pairing D man

If it ends up two Henricks and two Whipples rounding out your top four, I can promise you the team won't be great.

Michigan has a superstar goalie which the Gophers won't have. DU has a hobey finalist D
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Michigan also went 6-0 with Peck, an undrafted kid who wasn't even the starter on his USHL team in the playoffs.

You bringing up Pohlkamp is exactly my point. A relatively unheralded 5th rounder who ended up at Bemidji, looked solid (but didn't blow it out of the water), and then DU unlocked him and made him substantially better. They have no 1st-3rd rounders in the entire D core.

Kind of fascinating you're good with Burkholder as your top pairing (5'9" guy who is coming off a major injury, averaged .7 pts/game at his best as a soph) but not the guy who's drafted, produced the same as a Fr while younger (while missing a chunk of the year with an injury), and has much more prototypical defenseman size.

My ideal is that they add multiple guys like Henricks, Burkholder, etc. (guessing more likely it's a guy like Loftus which would be more meh) to add 2 transfers, Harper, and Grimes. If they go with 2 and a high plus CHL guy or 3 transfers and a high plus CHL guy because Harper wants to play another year in the O, that's fine too.
 

upnorthkid said:
Kind of fascinating you're good with Burkholder as your top pairing (5'9" guy who is coming off a major injury, averaged .7 pts/game at his best as a soph) but not the guy who's drafted, produced the same as a Fr while younger (while missing a chunk of the year with an injury), and has much more prototypical defenseman size.

My ideal is that they add multiple guys like Henricks, Burkholder, etc. (guessing more likely it's a guy like Loftus which would be more meh) to add 2 transfers, Harper, and Grimes. If they go with 2 and a high plus CHL guy or 3 transfers and a high plus CHL guy because Harper wants to play another year in the O, that's fine too.
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Henricks might spend more time in the NHL but next year I'll take the NCHC captain (basically) senior every time to keep up with all the top 15 talent in the conference over the still young 6'4" guy. We've seen so many huge guys that are just too raw in college. Rinzel was a freak.

I'd take a team of all 6'1 and 6'2" d men over too many big guys that'll get burned a lot.

Henricks was kinda similar to Rombach at the summer showcase. Those huge guys on D make you clench your teeth constantly.
 


bonin21 said:
I see the delusion is already out on GPL about how good Hendricks is
"2nd pair on a 1-2 seed. 1st pair on a 3-4 seed"

He is a number four D on a contender and middle pair on any tournament team. Good lord. He and Whipple can be the middle pair.
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Literally one person said that. You’re just bitter they banned you so now we’re stuck with listening to your negative ass.
 


Hawke Huff flipping would hopefully be in a bottom pair role with any of McLaughlin/Gruba/Begley/Rud leaving

We also shouldn't be surprised if they cut ties with Phillips since he's not great at hockey
 
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bonin21 said:
Hawke Huff flipping would hopefully be in a bottom pair role with any of McLaughlin/Gruba/Begley/Rud leaving

We also shouldn't be surprised if they cut ties with Phillips since he's not great at hockey
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Way too early to give up on Phillips, but they need to get him moved given they basically just have him fighting.

He’s still just 19
 






upnorthkid said:
Would assume mutual as I’m guessing Larson has guys in the same year he recruited he wants
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Thanks, UNK...I'm not familiar with Grimes and if this was considered a big recruiting loss.
 





cheeseburgerphil26 said:
After this season it looked like he’d be a rock solid 4 year guy. Lots of junior hockey experience under the belt. Stinks, but maybe Larson is planning a better replacement.
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Wouldnt surprise me if it’s Hawke Huff instead
 


Meh, surprised ties weren't cut earlier. They can still cut ties with Phillips too.
 


Gophers are going to go from a team with too many LHD to a crazy amount of RHD

Top pairing D from transfer portal or CHL
Whipple (L)
Rombach (L)
Huff (R)
Henricks (R)
Laylin or Harper (R)
Gruba (R) as 7th D maybe if not bringing both Laylin and Harper
Find new 8th D

Cut ties:
McLaughlin
Begley
Rud
Phillips
 

Clark
Hendrickson
Ziemer
Pritchard
Moore
Moe
Mooney
(7)

Humphreys
Burnevik
Hall
Roed
Kvasnicka
Cullen
Cullen
(14)

Ideally a 1C...
(15)

Transfer
Ludtke
Pahlsson
Falloon
Harris
Townsend
 

bonin21 said:
Gophers are going to go from a team with too many LHD to a crazy amount of RHD

Top pairing D from transfer portal or CHL
Whipple (L)
Rombach (L)
Huff (R)
Henricks (R)
Laylin or Harper (R)
Gruba (R) as 7th D maybe if not bringing both Laylin and Harper
Find new 8th D

Cut ties:
McLaughlin
Begley
Rud
Phillips
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bonin21 said:
Clark
Hendrickson
Ziemer
Pritchard
Moore
Moe
Mooney
(7)

Humphreys
Burnevik
Hall
Roed
Kvasnicka
Cullen
Cullen
(14)

Ideally a 1C...
(15)

Transfer
Ludtke
Pahlsson
Falloon
Harris
Townsend
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know you enjoy updating these a hell of a lot, but given Larson's commentary about making moves, I'm expecting some very heavy roster churn and them taking some swings at F and on D for some of the high tier CHL guys
 

upnorthkid said:
know you enjoy updating these a hell of a lot, but given Larson's commentary about making moves, I'm expecting some very heavy roster churn and them taking some swings at F and on D for some of the high tier CHL guys
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My simple predictions include very heavy roster churn and probably two spots each at F and D for CHLers (including if he wants to bring any of his SCSU CHL guys). I gave Gruba the benefit of the doubt but fine with him out. Harper and Laylin could both use another year. That opens up 3 D spots.
 

Vegoe mentioned that he’s already heard of 7 players that will transfer, so I think we will actually get a good roster overhaul. Really hope he actually goes after one or two high end CHL guys.
 

cheeseburgerphil26 said:
Vegoe mentioned that he’s already heard of 7 players that will transfer, so I think we will actually get a good roster overhaul. Really hope he actually goes after one or two high end CHL guys.
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Let's make it 10. Fresh start after the most pathetic season in 50 years.
 

bonin21 said:
Let's make it 10. Fresh start after the most pathetic season in 50 years.
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I definitely think it’d be more than 7 if he already heard about that many. As long as he can get rid of that big of a chunk while keeping Ziemer, Mooney, and a couple other promising pieces, it’d be a home run offseason assuming we replace with proper talent through SCSU and CHL/transfers. Next week is gonna be crazy and I’m here for it.
 

cheeseburgerphil26 said:
I definitely think it’d be more than 7 if he already heard about that many. As long as he can get rid of that big of a chunk while keeping Ziemer, Mooney, and a couple other promising pieces, it’d be a home run offseason assuming we replace with proper talent through SCSU and CHL/transfers. Next week is gonna be crazy and I’m here for it.
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its pretty rapid to get to 7

Would imagine very likely given are guys Bob had at bottom of lineup or had direct ties to him specifically
Airey
Rud
Begley
Mclaughlin
Harris
Falloon

Take your pick of Clark, Ludtke, Pahlsson, Pritchard, and Townsend at F or Gruba on D. Not necessarily speculating on any of them specifically (and Vegoe said he expected that number, and that may be speculation too, he was a ways into his 10% beverage :D )

Does a little bit surprise me some of the guys haven't added to the portal yet, but Airey's was pretty straightforward as a grad transfer. Perhaps some of the others are caught up in the compliance office given how speedy we are
 

Go ahead and leave some space for 2025 and 2026 Mr Hockeys from Moorhead to come in 2026-27
 

Bode Laylin removes his St. Thomas commitment post the day his dad is announced as assistant for the Gophers. Hmm I wonder what that might mean…

Has anyone been able to watch him play at all this year? Have only seen 1 or 2 of his games over the past couple years. Seems like the potential is there.
 


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