Hello: Jared Rutledge (Hockey)

Any scouting report on him? Is this is a good pickup, or more of a desperation move since our two previous goalie commits jumped for the OHL?

Either way, nice to have him aboard.

I couldn't find much on him but all of the michigan hockey-ites (yost built, michigan hockey) were pretty excited about the pick-up. I bet he's going to be good.

I suddenly feel 10x better about our team in the next few years. now that we have a goalie again, we're gonna be awesome

Click over to michigan hockey net for as good a scouting report as you will get (see left side bar under Michigan blogs). I recommend that blog for UM hockey lovers if you don't know about it all ready

For the lazy 

http://michiganhockey.net/

Looking forward to 4 more years of spectacular Michigan Hockey!

Jack Campbell was projected to be a slam-dunk NHL starter type goalie.

Gibson was projected to be a good rotation goalie for the NHL, maybe a middling starter.

Rutledge isn't projected (you all know as well as I that what people are projected to be isn't always what they turn into, both for better and for worse) to be at either of their levels, but he's on the NTDP, he's being recruited to be Michigan's goalie (though I guess considering the situation, that doesn't say as much as it normally would) and he's a very, very solid pick-up.  Interestingly he's a "small" goalie (5' 11'', so about half-way between Hunwick and Gibson), which is going to both hold back the NHL and the OHL, which will help Michigan hold on to him. For example, his NTDP counterpart Collin Olsen (OSU commit) is expected to be drafted in a middling round with a 2.94 GAA, .881 sv%, (7 games)  while Rutledge would be a surprise (though not a huge one) to be drafted at all with his 2.34 GAA .918 sv% (6 games), mostly because Olsen is 6' 3''. 

So basically, don't call him Turco, but he's still a very solid goalie that should be able to play more than capably at the NCAA level and expect him to make it to campus.  Though it does worry me that his name starts with a "J".  One or two conincidences (all goalies, all from the NTDP) from the players that bailed and Rutledge I can handle, the third is too much for my heightened sense of paranoia regarding goalie recruits to handle.

Also, I don't have any inside info, but look for them to try and find another goalie to sign, too, though probably not one at Rutledge's level.  I don't know precisely how good Janecyk is, but unless he shows more than he did against NMU last weekend, the coaches are going to want some more depth there and just because goalies are so hard to  project young, just someone else to develop in case Rutledge doesn't end up being as good as we hope.

He's not much of an NHL prospect, mostly because he's too short. But he projects as an excellent college goalie who will probably stay at Michigan for 4 seasons. This is exactly what Michigan needed for their goaltending situation.

It's a great place to play.  Devoted fans and a great education.  Welcome aboard!

Rutledge said he would compare his style to Carey Price.