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