Luke Hughes & the Michigan Wolverines get rolling this weekend in the NCAA Tournament. They will be in Allentown Friday & Sunday for those who want to check him out.
https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/print/icehockey-men/d1/2023?utm_campaign=inline-article
In their first 200 games, they should both be over 100 points minimum based on draft status, and realistically you want them closer to 133 pts (.66 ppg). Adding Kane & Senko certainly does not help this. If they think their window is now and don't trust those kids with meaningful minutes (PP or even strength), frustration will only continue.
I think its a good thing when we have to complain about minor things while we are winning.
Bahl/Holtz should not be 7th & 13th consistently. You are not doing them any good right now with them out of the lineup. I would argue that Bahl should be playing over Smith. Smith may even have had a negative drag on Severson's offensive production... The whole Boqvist playing Center bit is probably due to playing Haula on Jack's wing because Haula is taking the majority of the faceoffs. Zetterlund has come in and taken Holtz's spot. Seems like thats where Holtz is being left out and right now, and Mercer/Sharan getting "demoted" there is less room for Holtz. I would argue that Johnsson should be our 13th and Holtz should be down. But I guess from a cap savings perspective this seems like what they want to do. It may be time for Holtz to go down and Tyce to come up maybe?
At some point they are going to need to sh!t or get off the pot with some of these "near" prospects that can't crack our lineup.
If guys like Bahl, Walsh, Foote ETC can't crack the lineup, maybe we can trade them for some picks or something that can help us now.
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If Slafkovsky is 6'4" 229 lbs at the combine, where is he going to be when he physically matures? you can't think this is it for him. What if he gets to 6'5" 245 lbs? He would be a unicorn....
Well - this next year for him is a make or break IMO on whether he will be with the team long term or be shown the door. Let's hope he can repeat his play from the last year he played, unlike Zacha
When I say realistic, it's not what I want, but what I am expecting lol! Years of failure and getting my expectations up leave me a little jaded
Needs to stay healthy, play within his role, and not take stupid penalties.
In regards to Bernier - he is 4.125 contracted through next year. At a minimum he won't be ready for camp and will be LTIR'ed. If indeed Fitzy is going to address goaltending, he is the one that is not back... I just don't seem thrilled with any of the options
I know there is an off-season thread, but I was trying to figure out how our off-season "End Game" would look as Fitz puts together his Opening Day Lineup
There is probably my realistic view & my dream view.... I'll share both
Realistic
Bratt - Hughes - Sharangovich
Wood - Hischier - Mercer
Tatar - Boqvist - Zetterlund
Johnsson - McLeod - Bastian
Ex - Kuokkenen
Hamilton - Graves
Severson - Sigenthaler
Okhotyuk - Smith
Ex - Bahl/Walsh
Blackwood
Daws
-----------------------------
Dream
Tkachuk - Hughes - Sharangovich
Bratt - Hischier - Mercer
Mikheyev - Boqvist - Zetterlund
Wood - McLeod - Bastian
Ex: Foote/Kuokkenen
Hamilton - Zadarov
Severson - Sigenthaler
Okhotyuk - Graves
Ex: Smith/Bahl
Vanecek
Blackwood
In both scenarios, I do not see Holtz making the team out of camp, and if we keep the # 2 - I do not see that pick starting in the NHL.