Chris Brown Signs With Phoenix Comment Count

Brian

Michigan junior Chris Brown jumps up on the glass to cheering fans after scoring the first goal of the game, on the day of his birthday. Fans waved signs and Texas flags to celebrate his birthday. Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com<br />

wait… Phoenix still has a team? image via AA.com

Michigan will have to replace two-thirds of its top line. Via Tom's twitter:

RT @Darrendreger Phoenix agrees to terms with '09 2nd rd pick Chris Brown from U of Mich. Brown will forgo senior year and turn pro

Brown was one of a number of Wolverines hovering around the points leaderboard. Though he was fifth in team scoring he was only four points off of Guptill and Wohlberg's team-leading 33. Unless Selman or Milne plays better than his profile would suggest he would right away, this probably forces Boo Nieves on to a scoring line at wing. Random guess ho:

  1. Guptill-Treais-Moffatt
  2. Nieves-K. Lynch-PDG
  3. DeBlois-T. Lynch-Hyman
  4. Sparks/Rohrkemper/Milne/Selman/Sinelli

Mike Spath was making some noises about a potential departure from Sparks as he searches for a team that will ice him consistently, as well. Insert usual complaints about his ice time here.

Comments

AnthonyC

March 29th, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^

I think Hyman will be a center next year.

 

Sparks leaving is totally understandable, if the staff wants to play Rohrkemper instead of him, its probably not the best place for him to be playing.

 

If Nieves is talked about as being "AHL ready" as one of the quotes that was put up here a couple weeks ago said, he's probably going to slide right onto the first line, expecially with the size he has.

WolvinLA2

March 29th, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^

Good for him.  This is why hockey is better about this stuff than bball or football.  When these guys forgo college, they do so knowing they have a contract.  Godspeed Chris Brown.

justingoblue

March 29th, 2012 at 8:39 PM ^

I'd like to see what the effect of an "early prospects" draft in the NFL or NBA would be. It probably wouldn't work well in the NFL (no lower leagues to send prospects to and harder to project) but why not let an NBA team obtain signing rights on guys still in college?

Morris and M would probably have benefitted, and Burke would have a much easier choice to make.

BrownJuggernaut

March 29th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^

I'm pretty upset about this. Brown has been my favorite player on the team since he was a freshman (those big hits got to me). It's going to be tough to see him go when he would've had an integral role for this team next year. I hope he has a great career in the NHL.

BlueAggie

March 29th, 2012 at 3:04 PM ^

If all 8 defensemen are still around next year, I wonder if one will skate as a forward, like Scooter Vaughn did. I could definitely see Bennett as a top-6 forward.

I also think Hyman did a lot of things well this year, but never put it all together. He could end up centering the 2nd line as a sophomore.

MastaDon

March 29th, 2012 at 8:35 PM ^

I don't think Bennett would want to switch given that he was drafted as a defenseman, unlike Scooter who was undrafted and was just looking to stand out. Not to mention that if you move someone up you are playing both Chiasson and Serville who did not exactly play well this year.

JustGoBlue

March 29th, 2012 at 3:11 PM ^

When's the next time Michigan will have a prolific offense that isn't predicated on scoring 10 against St. Lawrence and then being pretty average?  An offense that feels like it's going to score and score a lot? You know, like the offenses Michigan had pre-2008?   Because it hasn't even really been that long and I'm REALLY starting to miss, you know, having a power play and getting to 2 goals and feeling like there's a solid chance Michigan scores another before double OT...

 

Sac Fly

March 29th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^

We haven't recruited forwards like we used to in the last few years, and some guys came in with huge hype and didn't pan out. Next years class could signal a return to normalcy. JT Compher is supposed to be a ridiculous player.

lhglrkwg

March 30th, 2012 at 7:11 AM ^

but it I thought Nieves, JT Compher, Alex Kile, Tyler Motte, and Bryson Cianfrone were all supposed to be awesome. Didn't we raid some Illinois team for Compher and a few other guys who were all supposed to be great?

It's considerably harder to follow hockey recruiting than football. I don't even know if Kile and Motte are forwards

Sac Fly

March 30th, 2012 at 8:43 AM ^

I posted from my phone so I kept it shorter for convenience, but those players that you listed are all forwards and are coming in with a lot of hype. Compher played for T.I. for three years, which is one of the top teams in the state with Mission, before he joined NTDP.

We have a huge class right now for 2013 with 9 players, eight forwards and one defensemen.

mcblue

March 29th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^

To see Chris Brown go, but I love the photo.  That is my daughter he is jumping in front of - just to the left of the striped overalls.   

Go Blue!

stephenrjking

March 29th, 2012 at 4:15 PM ^

This is a tremendously disappointing departure for the team next season. Brown, a grit-and-score type guy with what appeared to be lots of character, is the kind of guy you want making contributions. There's no sugar-coating his importance. At least the choice was made quickly, though--better now than in July or even August, when we've been hit like this before.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was another "surprise" or two down the pike.