...talks about how UConn hasn't been in contact and how they're out. (HT: UMHoops)
Bennett, Di Giuseppe Plan To Return
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Bennett, Di Giuseppe
Thanks to Yost Built retweeting various Daily guys covering Michigan hockey, we can now breathe a little easier about this impending Michigan hockey summer. Mac Bennett ("for sure") and Phil Di Giuseppe have announced they will return next year.
I'm still a little leery about PDG since he hasn't been drafted yet. Sometimes NHL teams (cough cough the Kings) like to sign their kids right away. If he gets drafted by the wrong organization there's a chance that changes his calculus. A remote one, but we've been burned too many times not to consider the possibility.
Meanwhile, Jon Merrill has not decided:
Jon Merrill said he'll decide soon whether or not he will return for his junior year at Michigan. Merrill, a New Jersey Devils prospect, said there's a lot of people he needs to talk with before deciding, namely Berenson.
My initial instinct that his decision to stick through the suspension and uneven play towards the end of last year makes staying the slight favorite. It seems best for everyone for Merrill to have a final, stable season with great success before heading to the AHL or NHL. FWIW, a couple of the Daily guys have the opposite hunch.
Michigan has a couple other guys who could sign with NHL teams (Trouba, Guptill, and Brown); at least they've avoided the worst-case scenario. We've gotten past the immediate window where players leave to catch the tail end of the AHL season (see: Krug, Torey). I'd put the over/under on early entries at one. That's tolerable.
BONUS: Also AJ Treais is changing his number to 23 next year, seemingly because he likes Michael Jordan.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:01 PM | 
Daily writers
Daily writers
March 26th, 2012 at 5:10 PM |
Well, that's good news.
Well, that's good news.
Well, that's good news. Hopefully more is on the way.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that.
Our toils obscure an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:13 PM |
Treais
Treais
Also wore #23 at the USA Program.
"Maybe you can't count, but there's four of us and one of you."
"So get some more guys and it'll be a fair fight."
March 26th, 2012 at 5:21 PM |
Caught my first game in
Caught my first game in
Caught my first game in person this season in Green Bay, and I couldn't get over the feeling that I was watching Jeff Jillson wearing Jon Merrill's jersey.
I want him to stay, but the way he has played the last month suggests to me that he is not necessarily completely plugged into the college experience. If he doesn't buy in to another year of school he'll have a hard time cracking his books, and then signing will be more of a "need" than a "choice." I hope not, because our team looks pretty good if he's back.
Getting Bennett and PDG back, if they indeed remain, is good news.
Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:33 PM |
My two cents (a/k/a rank speculation)
My two cents (a/k/a rank speculation)
I agree with you -- the dropoff in Merrill's play this year indicates that he might be counting the days until he goes pro. Yes, another year would provide an opportunity to reestablish his dominance, but if anyone needs a reminder, just watch last year's NCAA tourney -- a completely different guy out there.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:24 PM |
That's good
That's good
Now time to relax and laugh at the Spartans, who return four players to next years blueline.
Two guys who are kind of ok, two guys who never played. Anyone else who skates the back end for MSU next year will either be a low ranked freshman or a converted forward.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:56 PM |
I think there is little to no
I think there is little to no
I think there is little to no chance Trouba signs an NHL contract before he plays his first season at Michigan. There would be no point to that for either party involved.
Also, my gut feeling is that Merrill will not be back next year. I also believe he'll end up with an NHL team besides the Devils. But that's just speculation, what the hell do I know.
I've decided to lay off the food for a while, and go on the booze.
March 26th, 2012 at 6:55 PM |
Trouba and Merrill
Trouba and Merrill
Together for at least one year? How awesome would that be? And after that, maybe anchoring the Leafs blue line for the next decade
Keep your stick on the ice.
March 26th, 2012 at 8:00 PM |
More likely that the Leafs
More likely that the Leafs
More likely that the Leafs get their rights and trade them for players who are injured and highly paid.
Don't worry, I'm a Montreal fan and it doesn't get much worse than that right now.
BORK BORK BORK
March 26th, 2012 at 8:00 PM |
At this point, if JUST the FR
At this point, if JUST the FR
At this point, if JUST the FR goalies show up in school in Sept, I'll take it.
Harvard: The MICHIGAN of the East
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
March 26th, 2012 at 10:55 PM |
The only thing I like about New Jersey
The only thing I like about New Jersey
Lou Lamoriello does not push college prospects. With his college hockey background he understands that transition from the NCAA to the NHL better than most. If there is any indication Merrill is not ready to make the jump he will tell him, he is the last GM to pull prospects early.
March 27th, 2012 at 1:34 AM |
Interesting article
Interesting article
in the Daily http://www.michigandaily.com/sports/wohlberg-leaves-michigan-ahl-merrill...
Money line, I think: Sophomore defenseman Jon Merrill is the only Wolverine who hasn't appeared to make a decision regarding his status for next season
Which means as of now, everybody except potentially Merrill is back. Moffie is quoted in the article, strongly implying he's staying, we've already heard from PDG and Bennett and there's been a ton of sources about Brown's bid for the captaincy, which would not be being kicked around if there was any thought he would leave, much less if he had already decided to leave. Obviously, something could change and there's always Trouba. I expect him to show up for at least a year, he talked a lot about how he waited to commit, because he wanted it to actually be a committment, but draft status can change a lot, especially in terms of him, PDG and Nieves who are all expected to be taken relatively highly in the NHL draft. But it's good news that nobody's for sure out yet and only Merrill is currently strongly considering it.
March 27th, 2012 at 10:34 AM |
Somewhat related
Somewhat related
Dan DeKeyser is staying at Western, there's a surprise from someone who could have signed wherever he wanted.
BORK BORK BORK
and Red are in disagreement here. From Spath on Merrill: Red says he think he will be back-http://michigan.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=41&mid=154202566&sid=883&tid=154201449&style=1