As the college hockey season comes to an end, we bid adieu to a number of key players on the Michigan team. Some players are moving on to occupations that they got a degree in college for, while many others will be giving professional hockey a shot. Some of these are players exhausting eligibility and were forgone conclusions to depart, including goaltender Jacob Barczewski, defenseman Marshall Warren, forward Chase Pletzke, and practice goalie Andrew Albano, all of whom completed their 5th year of eligibility. 

But there's also the bucket of star players who are signing prematurely with the NHL teams who hold their draft rights. Michigan is no stranger to these sorts of losses and this year we've got three of them to cover. Like Alex did in past years, lumping them together in one combined the post is the best way to break it down and that's what we will be doing today. Three impact forwards recently signed NHL Entry level contracts and have moved on to the organizations who drafted them, with a rundown of each below: 

Exit: Frank Nazar III

Sophomore Frank Nazar III was a 1st round draft pick (13th overall) in 2022 by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Mount Clemens native came to the Wolverines via the US NTDP Program in Plymouth as part of the 2022 recruiting class. Nazar's profile was built around the promise of his speed, skill, and offensive aptitude, but it took a while for us to see it unleashed due to injury. His freshman season last year was hampered by offseason surgery, as Nazar was unable to play his first game of the season until February 10th. He finished that season with only 13 games played and didn't feel like we ever got a true glimpse of what Nazar could be. 

This season, as a sophomore, Nazar was finally healthy and able to play in all 41 games for the Wolverines. He centered the 2nd line, where it was not uncommon for him to be lined up against the opposition’s top line on a nightly basis. Nazar was one of the best in the nation in the faceoff circle, winning 54.7% of faceoffs he took, leading to heavy deployment. Night in and night out he was the most consistent 200 foot forward for Michigan as he notched 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points in 41 games. Of those 41 points, one towered above the rest, his sensational between-the-legs pass to Gavin Brindley for his goal 12 seconds after the Wolverines took the lead in the Regional Final against MSU: 

His Pro Hockey Potential: Frank Nazar III has already begun his NHL career, signing with the Blackhawks on April 14th and scoring his first NHL goal 10:05 into the first period on a breakaway. As sensational as this was for him, don’t expect him to start putting up superstar offensive numbers. What the Blackhawks are getting more of a two-way player than an offensive dynamo, one who has a high hockey IQ, quick feet, and a strong stick which will allow him to be in good defensive position and the ability to use those assets to transition the puck up ice into scoring opportunities. As he develops, look for Nazar III to be the Blackhawks shutdown center who will face the opposition’s top line every night, a contrast to Connor Bedard's offensive prowess. He should also be slotted on the top PK unit and also get time on the 2nd PP unit.

[AFTER THE JUMP: Brindley, Duke, and bigger picture thoughts]

1 hour and 22 minutes

With David Nasternak and Alex Drain

This Podcast Has a Sponsor: Michigan Law Grad Jonathan Paul is the guy with the C you want skating next to the ref and pleading your case. He's also a good guy to sit next to at the hockey games.

• Opener
• Forwards: Hopefully a lot more depth
• Defense: Many returners. Couple Freshman. One Eye-popping transfer.
• Goalies: One Transfer. One Freshman. Still Question Marks.

• Lines/Pairings?
• NHL Series Updates
• Stick/Ball Good?
• Have a Good Summer!

[Player after THE JUMP]

Dusty May continued his portal invasion last Monday, when Alabama transfer Sam Walters committed to Michigan.

SCOUTING (Offense)

Sam Walters' primary role on offense is quite simple, make perimeter shots. And that he does. The raw numbers are impressive, as the 6'10 PF knocked down 39.4% of his triples as a freshman. The catch + shoot numbers are terrific given the competition level, as 1.18pps places him in the 82nd percentile nationally per Synergy.  

The raw numbers are great, but a deeper-dive under the hood makes it relatively easy to project Sam as a great (perhaps elite) shooter for Dusty May. At 6'10 with some lift on his shot, Walters is nearly immune to contests at the college level as seen in the film below. And the numbers back it up. Dropping 1.29pps on 57 guarded catch + shoot jumpers doesn't seem possible. For context, that is 94th percentile in the country.

In addition to being contest-immune in college, Sam also has NBA range that comfortably extends to 27 feet.Walters can increase defender closeout distance by setting up a few feet behind the line and has shown that his size makes it functionally impossible to bother him? Sign me up for that. This can be a real defense-bender at the college level. 

And while he's primarily a stationary shooter, Sam flashed some ability to be a movement shooter during his freshman campaign. The first possession in the clip below is a standard Delay set where the big sets a pindown for a curling shooter at the top of the key (Michigan used this often under Juwan Howard). In other words this is a designed action, which means Nate Oats saw some things in practice that warrant this shot type. The remainder of the clip sees Walters relocating before hitting triples. This has a a lot of functional utility. As being able to hit relocation threes translates to maximizing passing windows and not being reliant on perfect passes from teammates. It is an undervalued facet for shooters in your author's opinion. 

[After THE JUMP: just a shooter now, but probably more down the road]