Gopher Hockey Recruiting

Keep the excuses coming for Motzko on why the Gophers aren't even in the running for West.
If he’s not even an option here, yes it’s a bummer. Reading I have no idea if that was where west said he’d go or if speculation. His recruitment has been really quiet which I guess makes sense given he hasn’t even decided he’s playing hockey
 

Top 10 Minnesotan 2007s and 2008s, with West being a rapidly rising 2007 just below the fold
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And yet you follow the team like a lap dog. You might want to change your fandom, it’s causing you some serious heartburn.
Gopher hockey is bigger than Motzko. Bigger than Lucia and bigger than any one coach. Excited and hopeful they find the right staff for the future.
 



Look, I get just as sick of some of Bonin's negativity as the rest of you. But when it comes to his critiques of the recruiting from the last couple seasons, it's hard to say he's wrong. Things aren't looking that great, and unless Motzko pulls a couple of big CHL fish this is turning out to be a pretty poor year for recruits.
 

Look, I get just as sick of some of Bonin's negativity as the rest of you. But when it comes to his critiques of the recruiting from the last couple seasons, it's hard to say he's wrong. Things aren't looking that great, and unless Motzko pulls a couple of big CHL fish this is turning out to be a pretty poor year for recruits.
It's not that he's wrong about everything he says, it's his messaging and constant spinning of everything towards the negative. I don't see anyone in this thread jumping for joy over the recruiting pipeline.

The guy is also inconsistent in his analysis and always frames things in the worst way - think of how people like Paul Allen can't be taken seriously because they are ultra-homers and cheerleaders, bonin is hard to take seriously because he's so overly critical that he can't give an objective opinion 95% of the time. And to top it off he's arrogant enough to think that the only reason people don't like him is they aren't smart enough to see everything he does.

So yeah it kind of makes it hard to have good objective back and forth discussion on this forum when that's all he does. I don't even open this site after losses because it's just unbearable - maybe that's a me problem but whatever.

The one thing I will give him credit for is he has a healthy hatred of the green pukes to the West.
 

I'd say that's all fairly accurate, but I can still agree with his recruiting stance at the same time.
 

First potential Gopher goalie for next year in the portal.
 



First potential Gopher goalie for next year in the portal.
All I see when I look at that name is Homer Simpson.
 

Cayden Lindstrom, 4th overall pick, headed to MSU next year.

Rumor is then that 2026 1st overall Gavin McKenna will go to Michigan.

Get Motzko the fuck out of this failing program.
 
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With revenue sharing plan for 15F, 8 D, 3G. If Wood and Chesley go

Mittelstadt (SR)
Kurth (SR)
Lamb (SR)
Clark (JR)
Pahlsson (SO)
Falloon (SO)
Hendrickson (SO)
Ziemer (SO)
8 back

7 needed
- Townsend (undrafted, T46th in USHL points)
- J. Moore (drafted, T53rd in USHL points)
- Mooney (stock plummeting, won't dominate right away as expected but decent in years 2-4)
- Kvasnicka (will be drafted but is not ready for D1)

- Moe (will be drafted, may be forced to accelerate and arrive before ready for D1)
- Nevers (not Gopher material)
- Katz (not Gopher material)
- Reid (not Gopher material, cut ties)


Defense
Mittelstadt (SR)
Thomas (SR)
Rud (JR)(not Gopher material)
Begley (JR)(not Gopher material)
Gruba (SO)
Whipple (SO) (may transfer)
6 back

2 needed
- Phillips (big but not great at hockey and low hockey IQ, not ready for D1)
- Rombach (seems to be a decent prospect that could go many ways)
- Grimes (not Gopher material)

Wiese (SR)
Airey (JR)
Don't get me started on the goaltending situation...
 

With revenue sharing plan for 15F, 8 D, 3G. If Wood and Chesley go

Mittelstadt (SR)
Kurth (SR)
Lamb (SR)
Clark (JR)
Pahlsson (SO)
Falloon (SO)
Hendrickson (SO)
Ziemer (SO)
8 back

7 needed
- Townsend (undrafted, T46th in USHL points)
- J. Moore (drafted, T53rd in USHL points)
- Mooney (stock plummeting, won't dominate right away as expected but decent in years 2-4)
- Kvasnicka (will be drafted but is not ready for D1)

- Moe (will be drafted, may be forced to accelerate and arrive before ready for D1)
- Nevers (not Gopher material)
- Katz (not Gopher material)
- Reid (not Gopher material, cut ties)


Defense
Mittelstadt (SR)
Thomas (SR)
Rud (JR)(not Gopher material)
Begley (JR)(not Gopher material)
Gruba (SO)
Whipple (SO) (may transfer)
6 back

2 needed
- Phillips (big but not great at hockey and low hockey IQ, not ready for D1)
- Rombach (seems to be a decent prospect that could go many ways)
- Grimes (not Gopher material)

Wiese (SR)
Airey (JR)
Don't get me started on the goaltending situation...
If we’re unloading what you say we are on D, in what world would whipple transfer given he’s a second pair d next year as it stands? Dont spread rumors about kids transferring/being unhappy.

Dont get me wrong, the pipeline looks rough right now. But that’s not fair to whipple
 



It's not about fair to him or any reflection on his attitude. There are just often surprise portal entries in college hockey and he would be my prediction for this spring.
 

It's not about fair to him or any reflection on his attitude. There are just often surprise portal entries in college hockey and he would be my prediction for this spring.
i just don't really see it unless Bob has told him he's not good enough (would be very doubtful). He dressed in 29 games and averaged about 10min TOI earlier in the year. Don't think he's going anywhere with the holes we'll have next year on D regardless of if Chesley is back or not given between Rinzel and Koster that's already 40min a game and we’re bringing in some very raw defenders.

I'd put it as more likely it would be Begley or Rud if we're bringing in as many D as have been listed
 
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Motzko will probably bring in Eisele and all the blind people that don't see reality will think next year's team will somehow be a contender with three pickups like that.
 

Motzko will probably bring in Eisele and all the blind people that don't see reality will think next year's team will somehow be a contender with three pickups like that.
I don’t think anyone will get excited about eisele other than the mn diehards who want the whole roster to but from the state. He’s a second or third liner here
 

I don’t think anyone will get excited about eisele other than the mn diehards who want the whole roster to but from the state. He’s a second or third liner here
I mean he's a good 3C but next year's roster will have three 3Cs and a 4C at this rate.
 


Yeah you’re not wrong at all pending an actual top end guy getting into the portal
If Bob's recruiting hadnt fallen off a cliff, we would be absolutely pumped for a guy like Eisele to plug in and play a role. Like Cruikshank was supposed to.

Now you're in a situation where even Michael Misa and his brother might not be enough (though it would certainly make them a tourney team). I'll admit this though: Misa, Misa, Eisele, and a legitimate goalie and Bob can have another year.
 
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Portal Day

Colin Ralph the first decent player I've seen enter so far after Eisele but again no one to replace four first rounders and a junior second rounder leaving
 




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