Gopher Hockey Recruiting

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I have been closely following Wood's instagram account for a few days. I'm not an instagram wiz, but if the new people he follows are at the top of the list, it really hasn't changed much that I can see. His last 4, which I believe has been from the last couple of days are-- 2 from UND, 1 DU and 1 Northern player. His followers has greatly increased as to be expected.
 

Vanek26 said:
I have been closely following Wood's instagram account for a few days. I'm not an instagram wiz, but if the new people he follows are at the top of the list, it really hasn't changed much that I can see. His last 4, which I believe has been from the last couple of days are-- 2 from UND, 1 DU and 1 Northern player. His followers has greatly increased as to be expected.
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Agreed. Maybe we should calm down. I cannot count the number of times that a Gopher football recruit followed a current gopher player or coach on instagram, only to go elsewhere.

Look, I truly hope we get Wood. I get excited thinking about it. I'll cheer my lungs out for him. If we land Stramel, I will cheer my lungs out for him too. If they go someplace else, I will cheer my lungs out against them. I personally want players who really want to be Gophers. I hope these two fit in that category. Come to Gold Country, boys.
 

Crosby said:
Agreed. Maybe we should calm down. I cannot count the number of times that a Gopher football recruit followed a current gopher player or coach on instagram, only to go elsewhere.

Look, I truly hope we get Wood. I get excited thinking about it. I'll cheer my lungs out for him. If we land Stramel, I will cheer my lungs out for him too. If they go someplace else, I will cheer my lungs out against them. I personally want players who really want to be Gophers. I hope these two fit in that category. Come to Gold Country, boys.
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Yep. But if the Gophers don't get every top available portal player then Bob sucks, according to the experts...
 

Vanek26 said:
Yep. But if the Gophers don't get every top available portal player then Bob sucks, according to the experts...
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If they get those two and a goalie, they are a top 5 team. If they get neither, and maybe get some scraps, they are about where they ended up this year, a low 2 or high 3 seed at best. It matters.
 

bonin21 said:
If they get those two and a goalie, they are a top 5 team. If they get neither, and maybe get some scraps, they are about where they ended up this year, a low 2 or high 3 seed at best. It matters.
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Of course it matters. Nobody here has said differently. It does not mean that I think Bob is a failure if it doesn't pan out that way.
 


Crosby said:
Of course it matters. Nobody here has said differently. It does not mean that I think Bob is a failure if it doesn't pan out that way.
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Not a failure overall based on a handful of events, but if he doesn't get Wood that's clearly a fail based on early indications of his heavy Gopher lean.
 


Gophers1992 said:
Or a failure on the part of those who were reporting that news....
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At some point Bob needs to show something in the transfer portal.

Cruikshank in
Broz, Lucius, Staudacher (could have played over Fish, 100%) out
 

How does Stramel fit on this team? I'm guessing his advisor (with suggestions from the Wild brass) is telling teams he has to be a top 2 center. If Huglen leaves, then I could see a role as the 3rd line guy, but I think people want to see what Clark does playing with the top 9 all the time. Lamb can play center as well. Pahlsson is your 4th line center. Not a ton of room for Stramel's game to grow here.
 



Vanek26 said:
How does Stramel fit on this team? I'm guessing his advisor (with suggestions from the Wild brass) is telling teams he has to be a top 2 center.
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I would think the Wild are just trying to salvage the pick at this point and he doesn't need to play center.
 

bonin21 said:
At some point Bob needs to show something in the transfer portal.

Cruikshank in
Broz, Lucius, Staudacher (could have played over Fish, 100%) out
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We all know why Lucius left.. and Broz would not wait his turn and was unhappy he was on the 4th line his freshman year. Addition by subtraction on those 2. The only player I wish that would have stayed was Sorenson for a 4th line role. But, he found a great fit in Alaska.
 

Vanek26 said:
We all know why Lucius left.. and Broz would not wait his turn and was unhappy he was on the 4th line his freshman year. Addition by subtraction on those 2.
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Probably for the greater good but related players like the younger Lucius and Joey Miller could have helped the team, too. In general just calling out that the BRUTAL 6/7/8 d-men this year show he failed by not hitting the portal for a D-man last spring after losing Staudacher.

4 of the top 10 goalies this year by save % are one time transfers. A fifth, Scarfone, is in there now.
 

It is easy and fun for us to speculate on who Bob should have on the team and recruit. We don't know the personalities of the players without sitting down and talking to them. Bob and his staff does and knows if they will be a good fit with the other players on the team. Some players in the portal may demand that they be top end guys and or have a different vision on what they expect from playing at MN. Bob may have offered players a spot from the portal, and they may think they have a better shot at playing more at a different school and have declined. It is possible that the goalies in the portal so far have been guaranteed to be the starter and Bob wouldn't do that. Look at UND, they have brought in 4 goalies in the past 4 years from the portal as starters and they have not gotten them anywhere in the post season. The Gophers need a goalie, but the right one.
 



Vanek26 said:
It is easy and fun for us to speculate on who Bob should have on the team and recruit. We don't know the personalities of the players without sitting down and talking to them. Bob and his staff does and knows if they will be a good fit with the other players on the team. Some players in the portal may demand that they be top end guys and or have a different vision on what they expect from playing at MN. Bob may have offered players a spot from the portal, and they may think they have a better shot at playing more at a different school and have declined. It is possible that the goalies in the portal so far have been guaranteed to be the starter and Bob wouldn't do that. Look at UND, they have brought in 4 goalies in the past 4 years from the portal as starters and they have not gotten them anywhere in the post season. The Gophers need a goalie, but the right one.
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Agree 1000%. Not to mention... there is something to be said for team chemistry and culture. If you run your team by just cycling guys in and out through the portal, that builds a certain culture. Or... if you tell your guys something like "Hey I will go to the portal on a very limited basis each year. We are a program and a family. If you commit here I will stick with you." That's a culture. You can't tell me that the latter one isn't more fun to be a part of. If I am a young recruit, there is zero chance I am going to North Dakota right now. Any program which cycles through players like that sounds like a miserable experience.
 



If no Wood nor Stramel, maybe go Gunnarwolfe Fontaine.
 

Kukkonen to uw.
Stramel supposedly to MSU.
 



Stramel's Team USA coach is at MSU, when Stramel was doing well.
 

I just checked out the whole portal list again. One thing that strikes me is the number of kids who are leaving schools that are basically sure-fire tickets to a darn good life. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Notre Dame, West Point, Air Force Academy, etc. I would have a hard time turning down a degree from one of those places to go to Mankato, Lake Superior State or Ferris State (or a Div III school). Nothing against those schools but wow... hard to walk away from an Ivy League degree.
 

Crosby said:
I just checked out the whole portal list again. One thing that strikes me is the number of kids who are leaving schools that are basically sure-fire tickets to a darn good life. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Notre Dame, West Point, Air Force Academy, etc. I would have a hard time turning down a degree from one of those places to go to Mankato, Lake Superior State or Ferris State (or a Div III school). Nothing against those schools but wow... hard to walk away from an Ivy League degree.
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You're assuming that they all were a good fit academically. Maybe they got in with marginal academics (for those schools) and their excellent athletic skills and have come to the realization that they are struggling on the academic end.
 

Cruz Lucius entering the portal supposedly for ASU

Hastings losing all his raw talent
 

bonin21 said:
Cruz Lucius entering the portal supposedly for ASU

Hastings losing all his raw talent
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Shocking the guy who plays a boring system and doesn’t seem interested in developing high end talent or letting it shine is losing his guys. I was very surprised so many of them stuck around for the season once he was hired honestly
 

upnorthkid said:
Shocking the guy who plays a boring system and doesn’t seem interested in developing high end talent or letting it shine is losing his guys. I was very surprised so many of them stuck around for the season once he was hired honestly
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And some say Wisconsin is a top 3 for Matthew Wood in the transfer portal. Over Minnesota and North Dakota??? I doubt that.
 

He won't go to uw. More likely than that is UM coming in at the last second and getting him.
 



From the Parkinglot said:

Gophers got Wood.
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upnorthkid said:
huge to add some proven scoring. He and Snuggy should be awesome on the first PP together. I'll be curious as to how they roll with the lines, but that's an exciting problem to have
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Huge! Gophers were one game away from the Frozen Four this season, losing a good game against #2. Now they have Wood coming in. Now just need strong goaltending.
 

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