Early Departurs

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golden

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What are everyone's thoughts on which underclassman leave the Gophers?

I am going to guess Brady Skjei and Skjei only.

Although I'm nervous about Wilcox, M Reilly & Rau.

I could see someone that isn't getting ice time or not getting high end line time like Isaakson or Michaelson also bolting.

Thoughts?
 

golden said:
What are everyone's thoughts on which underclassman leave the Gophers?

I am going to guess Brady Skjei and Skjei only.

Although I'm nervous about Wilcox, M Reilly & Rau.

I could see someone that isn't getting ice time or not getting high end line time like Isaakson or Michaelson also bolting.

Thoughts?
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Good list.

I'm not sure on Skjei. He is one of the team's best skaters, but at this point, I don't think his stickhandling and passing will cut it at the pro level. However, his skating might be good enough that you are right.

Wilcox: I think it is a lot tougher with only 4 goalie spots (starter/backup in AHL/NHL) on a team to work in a new goalie, I'd be surprised to see the Cox-blocker go.

M. Reilly: Depending on who his GM is, they might want him developing as a PP QB on the AHL club at the start of next season and I could see him doing well there and moving up to the big club by next spring. He is probably the one I'm most worried about. He really improved his game, I thought he was a liability last year and could not stand him on the blue line, but this year he is doing a great job.

Rau: I think he is ready for the pro game, but NHL GMs and coaches seem to have this bias that small guys aren't right for the NHL, so I don't think they take him yet. It amuses me how they continue to harbor that kind of thinking, I can still remember watching Tyler Johnson and Jared Spurgeon playing their juniors in Spokane and being told they were too small for the WHL, and now they are doing great in the pros.

As for the depth guys you mentioned, that's always a possibility. But they seem to be not even making the fourth line right now (Guertler, C. Reilly, and Litteiri have been doing great), and we only stand to lose Condon, Serratore, and maybe Rau at forward. Those 2-3 spots will likely be taken by freshman.
 

How often do college goalies leave school early for the NHL?

I've never known of one that has, at least not a Gopher Goalie that has, although I don't pay as close attention as others do especially concerning other schools. But I've always gotten the impression that unless the Gopher's goalie was a senior, it was safe to assume he'd be back the following year. But I'm not expert.
 

It's pretty rare but Frazee did it and Wilcox is putting up the best goalie numbers in program history.
 

Frazee left early?! Well, I am getting old, so alzheimers is probably kicking in already, lol.

Who owns the rights to Wilcox? Might depend more on whether they need any help right now than on whether Adam is ready or not? Let's hope for our sake that whoever it is, is stacked at the goalie position for now.
 


Tampa Bay. If he leaves after next year he can become a free agent and sign wherever he wants. Tampa Bay has a good starter and a first round prospect.
 

Well, that doesn't bode well for us. Tampa Bay may not want to lose him. A good starter and a first round prospect helps, but they could feel having him playing for their AHL team is better than losing their rights to him? Thanks for the info, btw.
 

On the subject of Frazee, he left because he was never going to start in front of Kangas again after some of his head scratching, no-focus moments. It wasn't because the Devils wanted to lock him down and get him in the pros. He has faced a grand total of 3 NHL shots in his career (and, in fairness to Jeff, he has stopped all 3 of them).
 

Skjei and Reilly are really the only ones that I could see leaving. Both big bodied defensemen that can move. The rest I would imagine will be back unless someone is thinking of transferring out.
 



In what world is Reilly a big bodied defenseman?
 

PartoPitinosPosse said:
How often do college goalies leave school early for the NHL?

I've never known of one that has, at least not a Gopher Goalie that has, although I don't pay as close attention as others do especially concerning other schools. But I've always gotten the impression that unless the Gopher's goalie was a senior, it was safe to assume he'd be back the following year. But I'm not expert.
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Robb Stauber left after his Junior year.
 

upnorthkid said:
Skjei and Reilly are really the only ones that I could see leaving. Both big bodied defensemen that can move. The rest I would imagine will be back unless someone is thinking of transferring out.
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Tend to agree. I think the amount of departures we'll see off of this team will be pretty small. It's pretty well known that Lucia and the coaching staff have shifted their recruiting philosophy in recent years towards prospects that are more likely to stay in school than not. Rau could go I suppose, but the lack of size to his frame is probably working against him. Brady seems most likely to me although Reilly could go as well. The most interesting one to me is Wilcox. If he goes, we'll be looking at bringing in either Lehr or Halladay right away and they'll get to start from day one.

Fasching could go too I suppose, but something tells me he'll be here at least another year if not a couple more years.

In any case, they should be pretty well stocked with returners for next year.
 

MRJ said:
Tend to agree. I think the amount of departures we'll see off of this team will be pretty small. It's pretty well known that Lucia and the coaching staff have shifted their recruiting philosophy in recent years towards prospects that are more likely to stay in school than not. Rau could go I suppose, but the lack of size to his frame is probably working against him. Brady seems most likely to me although Reilly could go as well. The most interesting one to me is Wilcox. If he goes, we'll be looking at bringing in either Lehr or Halladay right away and they'll get to start from day one.

Fasching could go too I suppose, but something tells me he'll be here at least another year if not a couple more years.

In any case, they should be pretty well stocked with returners for next year.
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Fasching is pretty raw to go pro in my opinion. He has pretty good hands for someone his size, and his tenacity carries him a long way in the college game. I still think he needs some more skill development before making it at the next level.
 



I bet Issakson bolts, which is too bad because he's a good kid. He's gone from first line last year to a healthy scratch, which baffles me because I don't think the Reilly twins or Litterri are any better, but it looks like Issakson isn't going to play much next year, so I could see him sighning a Minor league deal since I don't think he was drafted or transferring
 

bonin21 said:
In what world is Reilly a big bodied defenseman?
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At 6'1" I'd put him as big bodied (perhaps I'm biased considering I stand all of 5'7"). and obviously he'll put on weight. I meant big bodied in the sense of he's not like a Ness that's deemed as too small to play.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Fasching is pretty raw to go pro in my opinion. He has pretty good hands for someone his size, and his tenacity carries him a long way in the college game. I still think he needs some more skill development before making it at the next level.
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agree that Fasching is too raw at this time. I'd bet we'll see him back for at least one more year.
 

upnorthkid said:
At 6'1" I'd put him as big bodied (perhaps I'm biased considering I stand all of 5'7"). and obviously he'll put on weight. I meant big bodied in the sense of he's not like a Ness that's deemed as too small to play.
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Ness' problem isn't that he is small, its that he plays small. I still always remember my 7th grade coach (when I was tiny for the age group and playing defense) telling me that "there's nothing wrong with being a small player on defense as long as you don't play like a small player back there."
 

upnorthkid said:
agree that Fasching is too raw at this time. I'd bet we'll see him back for at least one more year.
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Agree with you and Bleeds, simply thought he might be a possibility. He's immensely talented, which is the main reason I thought he might jump at the chance to earn some money. Having said that, he still has a ways to go before he's NHL ready imo.
 

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