Notes

Alright, we are back with a few quick notes as the offseason gets underway. There have been a few changes since our last post, so I am going to briefly touch on various topics here. 

First, BC has seen four non-seniors enter the transfer portal- Henry Wilder, Cade Alami, Jack Dempsey and Paul Davey. This comes off the heels of the BC coaching staff making a few roster adjustments after the conclusion of the season. I would not be surprised if one more forward entered the portal within the next few days- one who will not play much next season if he opts to stay at BC. 

The one surprise entry into the portal was Marshall Warren. By surprise, I do not mean that there was any expectation that Warren would be back at BC next season. Both he and the coaching staff had the understanding that he would play hockey somewhere other than BC next season. I just figured he would sign an ATO deal with an NHL team over the summer, but going to another school will definitely give him a fresh start. I would be very surprised if Warren doesn't end up at a Big Ten school- he has been a great Eagle and I wish him nothing but the best in whatever comes next in his hockey career. 

Let's touch on BC's blue line for a second. It looks to me like they are set- Nolan Joyce will round out their recruiting class in the fall. Here is how I see things shaking out- (don't put much stock in the pairings, it is March) 

Bengtsson-Powell

Gustafsson-Hreschuk

Fortescue-Minnetian/Leddy

Joyce/S.Powell

As of now, no more BC defensemen have entered the transfer portal, but I would not be stunned if another guy put his name in at some point. As you can see, there is clearly a logjam. 

The biggest news of the week was Cutter Gauthier opting to return to school for one more season. We wrote last week that this was a strong possibility, but to see Gauthier himself confirm it was awesome. He was one of the best freshmen I've seen in my time watching BC hockey, so to get another year out of him, purely from a fan's prespective, is pretty cool. 

On top of that, Colby Ambrosio announced that he was also returning for his senior season. I wasn't stunned at this move- I thought it was 50/50 as to whether he would come back, but he certainly will give them some speed on the wing. 

The last domino to fall is Trevor Kuntar. Every source that I have talked to says Kuntar will sign with the Bruins at some point soon. There is one catch- the Bruins currently have 49 contracts on the books and no NHL team is allowed more than 50. Obviously, you would have to think that Boston will be looking to sign Ohio State defenseman Mason Lohrei in the very near future, which will put them at 50 contracts. That said, I expect the Bruins to work something out to sign Kuntar. 

With Gauthier and Ambrosio coming back, let's take a look at where BC stands up front. Again, this is March (i.e. almost golf season) so this is an extremely rough estimate. 

Gasseau-Gauthier-Ambrosio

Perreault-Smith-Leonard

Jellvik-???-Vote

Posma-Joyce-Traeger/Shamburger/Argentina/???

So, here is what we know. BC is loaded with high-end talent- they will have four first round picks. I don't want to spend all night getting everyone excited about their lineup, but let me just say that they're going to be really, really good. That said, they have some holes to fill. 

Right now, I have Colby Ambrosio playing on the top line with Gasseau and Gauthier, but I am not convinced that will be the case come October. If they can land another high-end forward in the portal to put with their two star sophomores, I think they will do so. There will be more options in the portal- just because it is relatively thin right now does not mean that will be the case in the next month.

They will likely need another depth forward to slide into that third line center role. Obviously, they went to the portal to address their third line this past season, with mixed results. This year, they'll have a bit more skill on the wings with Jellvik and Vote, but in an ideal world they can bring in an experienced center who will give them some goal scoring capabilities. 

Joyce and Posma will obviously be in the opening night lineup, but after that it is anyone's guess. I would not be shocked if one of those three- Traeger, Shamburger or Argentina hits the portal within the next few days. 

As for the goalies, they got another commit today as Alex Musielak, a 6'4 netminder from the Kemptville 73's (CCHL) announced his intentions to play at BC next season. Musielak will come in as the third player on their goalie depth chart, behind Fowler and Korec. Musielak, a 2003 birthdate, currently has a .905 save percentage and a 3.68 GAA this season. This does not change their goalie situation much- either Fowler or Korec will be the opening night starter in October. 

Lastly, BC got a commitment from forward Jake Sondreal of Dubuque (USHL) last night. I incorrectly tweeted that Sondreal was expected to come in next year- look for him to arrive in 2024. Sondreal is a good player, posting 11 goals and 23 assists (50 GP) in his first USHL season. Neutral Zone rates Sondreal as a 3.75 star prospect and describes him as someone who "plays with pace and creates chances. Keeps his feet moving and cuts to open ice." The BC coaching staff was in Dubuque this past weekend watching Sondreal compete against the USNTDP U17 team. Scouts I have talked to really like Sondreal's game and think that he could be a solid second or third line player for BC down the road- he will come to campus with Teddy Stiga, Tobias Pitka, Matthew Frost and Justin Solovey. 

That is all I have for now. Between the transfer portal and the upcoming recruiting period for 2007's, the coaches must be pretty exhausted having to keep up with all this. Things have certainly changed in college hockey with the advent of the portal. 

Until next time- Go Eagles (and Gophers). 

Quick Thoughts on Impending Roster Changes

For the second straight year, BC did not have its name called on Selection Sunday as the sixteen-team field was announced earlier this afternoon. Even though the Eagles will not be playing actual hockey this weekend, this will be a pivotal week for the program as the coaching staff embarks on its plan to remake a large chunk of the roster. 

As we reported yesterday, BC has cut around half a dozen players from this year's team. At this time, I am not going to report which players were cut out of fairness for them and their families. With the transfer portal opening up tomorrow for non-seniors, you will see a few of those names in there. 

Here is how I understand the situation- Coach Brown wants to retool the roster with his own fingerprints, which he has every right to do. He did not recruit any of the players on this year's team, besides the three graduate transfers. BC has a handful of players on scholarship that they want to move on from. A new coach has the ability to revoke a scholarship for a player, but the player can still get his education paid for by the school if the institution signs off on it. Each of the released players has the option of staying at BC, but most of them will enter the transfer portal and look to continue their hockey careers elsewhere. BC has already had two seniors- Liam Izyk and Mitch Andres- enter the portal, but that number will grow this week. 

As of now, there aren't any surprises as to who will enter the portal. If you follow the team closely, I am sure you could probably guess many of the names- they were not players who featured very prominently on the scoresheet for the Eagles this year. That said, there is one name I am keeping an eye on- Colby Ambrosio. As of now, it looks like Colorado does not want to sign him, but it isn't a sure thing that he plays hockey in Chestnut Hill next year. I don't want to speculate, but I think there is a higher than 50% chance Ambrosio plays elsewhere next year. 

There are two other names I am watching- Cutter Gauthier and Trevor Kuntar. I feel confident in writing that Kuntar will sign with the Boston Bruins soon, perhaps this week. BC will need to add a center in the transfer portal to replace him- there will be some big names from other Hockey East schools to watch. 

Gauthier is still a bit of an unknown, but the odds favor him returning. Like I said last week, there is a lot of turmoil in Philadelphia right now, so it may take some time for that all to be worked out. If I were a betting man, I would bet on Gauthier playing one more season at BC, but it is not set in stone. 

I have a few thoughts on all of this. Let me first say that these situations absolutely stink- no one wants to be cut and no one wants to be the one to deliver the news. These players have worked very hard over their careers to be able to play their favorite sport at a place like BC and for that to end in this fashion is regrettable for everyone involved. This goes without saying, but I wish each player the best of luck in whatever comes next.

That said, this is high-level collegiate athletics. Coach Brown came to BC with a goal of righting a ship that had lost its way over the past few years. He has to have the ability to shape the roster in a way that he sees fit- a third straight year of missing the NCAA's next year would be nothing short of a disaster. The coaches would not be doing their jobs if they weren't using all the tools available to them when it comes to ensuring that BC is putting out a team that can compete for a spot in the NCAA's each and every year. Those scholarships that they just opened up can now be used to assemble a team that is deeper and not just a one-line show. Obviously, if Gauthier stays, BC is going to have a pretty unbelievable top of the lineup- Gauthier, Gasseau, Smith, Perreault, and Leonard is almost as good as it gets. That said, when Kuntar signs, they will need to bring in another player who can produce for them on a pretty consistent basis. 

Outside of the NTDP forwards, they really don't have much on the way in when it comes to the forward group. Will Vote will slot in on the third or fourth line, but they will need to replace Burke, O'Neill, Izyk and at least one other third/fourth liner who will enter the portal tomorrow. They would not be making these cuts if they didn't believe that they could make some major upgrades to their third line, which was a bit of a disappointment when it came to the goal scoring category this year.

On defense, they are bringing in Jacob Bengtsson- a transfer from Lake Superior State. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal first reported this news. Bengtsson is a 6'3 blue liner who recorded 23 points for the Lakers last season. He was also one of their Hobey Baker nominees. So, as of now, here is how BC will look on the back end next year-

Powell-Bengtsson

Gustafsson-Minnetian

Fortescue-Hreschuk

Leddy

I think you will see at least one, likely two, defensemen (not counting Andres) enter the transfer portal or head back to the USHL. 

In net, they are bringing in two freshmen who will compete for the starting spot next season. Obviously, Benson is graduating, but I wouldn't be shocked if another goaltender departs via the portal this week. 

So, that is where we are. There is a lot to look out for over these next couple of weeks- they will have to bring in a couple of players to fill out their bottom six and once Kuntar leaves, an open top six center spot. It seems that they are confident that Gauthier will come back and when you add in the freshmen they're bringing in, that is a great place to start, but they need more scoring depth. Right now, you have Jellvik and Vote as players who can play on that third line, but ideally you add one or two more guys who can bring you some offensive juice in the fall. 

That is all I have for now. Until next time. 

Go Eagles

Merrimack and Brief Offseason Thoughts

Well, that was one of the most heartbreaking losses I can remember. A Mick Messner goal gave Merrimack a 1-0 win in double overtime, ending the first season of the Greg Brown era. First of all, that Merrimack team is good. They do not give you a ton of space on the ice and have a few players who can create offensively, not to mention a great goaltender. I wouldn't be surprised if they won a game or two in the NCAA's. 

As for BC, they should be proud of the way they competed all night. As the game went on, I thought they kept generating more and more chances, but a bit of a weak goal at the end burned them. Now, Mitch Benson played perhaps his strongest game of the season- he made three or four unbelievable saves to keep the Warriors off the board for such an extended period of time, but yes, that last goal was a backbreaker. 

I thought the first period was probably BC's worst of the night- it seemed like Merrimack either whiffed or missed the net on a few golden opportunities and when they connected, Benson was there to make the stops. Each team had a power-play in the opening stanza, but neither one could put a number on the board. BC's penalty-kill was exceptional tonight- they limited Merrimack's grade A chances and got some high-end goaltending from Benson when they did give up those opportunities. Unfortunately, BC's power-play did not garner much on the other end of the ice- they had three power-plays in this game, none of which they were able to capitalize on. BC did have one or two golden opportunities- the best being an Oskar Jellvik one-timer in the second period, but Merrimack goalie Hugo Ollas made that save and 35 others to keep the Eagles at bay. While BC had a successful night at the dot, winning 41 face-offs to Merrimack's 35, they lost a couple in the offensive zone during their power-plays that forced them to regroup in the neutral zone, which they had a bit of a hard time with. 

To me, the best part of BC's game tonight was how well they played in their own end. From midway through the third period on, they rolled with 5 defenseman- Gustafsson, Leddy, Hreschuk, Powell, and Warren. Even on the Merrimack winning goal, BC covered it relatively well, they just couldn't get a stop when they needed it. Merrimack was tough on the walls and in the corners, but I thought BC's young defensive core held its own and won more than its share of puck battles to initiate smooth breakouts up the ice. Furthermore, there were not many turnovers in the neutral zone, something that has been an issue for them throughout the year.

Up front, obviously, their top line was great, but the other three lines did not generate enough offense to really pose a threat. In the overtime, BC's third line of O'Neill-Burke-Argentina had a makeshift 3 on 1, but O'Neill fired the puck over the net. The other big time chance for BC came when Cutter Gauthier hit the pipe in the first overtime after skating in from the blue line basically uncovered. It was one of three post BC hit last night. Once the ten minute mark of the third period hit, BC went to just three lines for the rest of the game, outside of two overtime shifts for the fourth line. In their one (short) shift in the second OT period, the fourth line actually had a bit of zone time, but they did not see the ice for the rest of the game. 

As I said earlier, I thought Benson played an outstanding game, sans the goal. Sure, that was one we will all probably be thinking about for some time, but he made some key stops for BC throughout the game. To be honest, it may have been his best game since the Providence series in December. 

Anyways, we are on to what will be a pivotal offseason for this program. My underlying thought on year one of the Greg Brown era was they ended up at basically where I thought they would before the season. They'll finish the year somewhere between 25-30 in the pairwise rankings, which is right in line with what we had them slated for in October. Now, I thought they were a much more consistent team this year than they were a season ago, but in too many big games they faltered late and were unable to come out with wins. To me, the Vermont series was the turning point of the season- you need to get a clean sweep there, especially with how they had been playing coming into that series. After that second Vermont game, it was a bit of an uphill battle for them. 

As for the future, I'll have a more comprehensive post at some point (hopefully) but I think it is worth making a few points here. First of all, as you probably know by reading this blog, I am extremely excited about what is coming for this program. They have one of the best recruiting classes in program history coming in next year and another very good class on top of that in 2024. Their key going forward is ensuring that they stack classes on top of each other so that when players inevitably leave for the NHL, they have the requisite replacements ready to fill the empty coffers. 

Obviously, it is too early for us to fully assess where this team will stand next season because trust me, the roster will look different than it stands today. As of now, they're slated to lose just one regular defenseman (Marshall Warren), but they're going to be adding at least two and probably three guys that will be part of their starting defensive core next fall. I do not think Eamon Powell will sign with Tampa this offseason. I would be shocked if they did not add a defenseman through the transfer portal- they're already in on Brown defenseman Luke Krys, but I don't think he will end up at BC. 

Up front, things are a bit murky at this moment. The good news is that they have maybe the best line in the history of the National Development Program coming to BC next year, along with a third liner on that team in Will Vote who has also had a strong season in his own right. It is not a stretch to say that the forward group BC has coming in next year is one of the best in modern day college hockey history. 

In goal, they will be more than fine. They have two kids coming in- Jacob Fowler (a highly touted prospect) and Jan Korec, who will compete for the starting spot next October. They won't be going to the portal again. 

I know what you're all wondering. Who is leaving early? Is Cutter staying? Let me preface these comments by saying this is purely from what I've heard- NOTHING has been finalized for any of BC's NHL draftees- the season ended 12 hours ago. To be frank, things can change so quickly in this process that it is almost unfair for me to speculate as to what I think will happen, but here is how I picture things going down. One, I think BC will have at least one of their junior forwards sign. Nikita Nesterenko was traded to Anaheim last week and I would be surprised if he does not sign there in the coming days. The Bruins obviously do not need help on their NHL roster right now, but their prospect system is one of the thinnest in the league- I think Kuntar could sign with them soon. As I already said, I think Eamon Powell will come back and I honestly have no idea what the deal is with Colby Ambrosio.  

Lastly, I think it is a true toss up as to whether or not Cutter Gauthier stays. From what I have heard, the odds very, very slightly favor him returning, but with everything going on in Philadelphia, it could take some time to sort that out. Whether he leaves or not, we should be appreciate that this kid came to BC, even if for a year, because he is a special talent who has gotten exponentially better since his first game in October. 

Alright, that is all I got. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for following along this year. While I will likely have to cut down on the posts next fall given real world considerations, I will continue running the Twitter handle throughout the offseason and into next year. Yes, the past two years haven't been what anyone desires, but I am confident that the sun will rise for this program awfully soon.

Happy golf season. Go Eagles.