Wolverine318

July 29th, 2010 at 3:03 PM ^

crap...with the proposed recruiting changes the ncaa is proposing across all sports, this is going to make competing with the OHL even more difficult for recruits.

MHNet

July 29th, 2010 at 5:13 PM ^

He and Alex Guptill (another Ontario kid) were the 2011 commits.  That class is scaring me right now... we have nine seniors this coming season (including Hogan and Hunwick) and so far only one recruit to replace them.  Usually we're a bit further along at this point in the recruiting game.

Don

July 29th, 2010 at 5:07 PM ^

tantalizing us with what he could be by the time he's a junior or senior, and then, inevitably, signing with the LA Kings after our season is over? Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather learn now that some 19-yr old has no real interest in an education and degree from Michigan.

david from wyoming

July 29th, 2010 at 5:19 PM ^

Oh give up the 'grouchy old man' routine Don. These kids want to play hockey in the NHL, and if they are good enough to do it, why do you have a problem with them leaving early to get a head start on their career? Yes, Jack Johnson left early to the NHL but guess what? He is working towards finishing his degree.

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/former-michigan-star-defenseman-jack-joh…

david from wyoming

July 29th, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^

As one of Pacioretty's former GSI's and someone that talked to him a handful of times about being a student and an athlete, I can fully promise you that "class was not his thing" is a load of BS. He took class more seriously than most students, it's just that he had 40+ hours a week of being a hockey player on top of course work and the fact that his career path didn't directly depend on his understanding of extreme weather (AOSS 101). He was a good kid that cared about my course, but a degree just simply wasn't his primary goal in life while making the NHL league was.

I have zero ill-will of student athletes that think about their future career and decide to leave college early, after weighing both sides. Max did this and while I never talked to JJ, I would assume he did the same thing.

Don

July 29th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^

I have a problem only insofar as my interest is in UM hockey, not the LA Kings or the Flyers or the Oilers or whoever these guys sign with. And Michigan is far more likely to win conference championships and playoff games and Frozen Fours and NC title games with their most talented players being juniors and seniors. Coaches invest huge amounts of time in working with freshmen and sophomores, and they're going to reap far more in return if those kids stick around to utilize what they've been taught during their final two years. The number of college players who are so incredibly talented that they simply cannot learn any more during their junior and senior years is pretty small.

I know you're aware that Red on more than one occasion has expressed open disappointment with guys leaving early, both from Michigan's perspective and from the standpoint of the best interests of the kid, so it's not as though I'm without company here. (True, Red's even older than I am so I guess he qualifies as "grouchy old man.") Sure, Red will state every time that it's that kid's right to leave, which is what I believe too, but we just don't have to like it or think it's the best thing for either Michigan or the player.

I'm actually fine with Lessio making this decision now. I would assume that means a scholarship will come open and maybe Red can get a talented kid who wants to play at least three years and perhaps, like Brendan Morrison, play as a senior and win a national championship.

JustGoBlue

July 29th, 2010 at 8:30 PM ^

right now we have plenty of scholarships open for that year...

Even assuming nobody leaves early, including the 2010 freshmen and Guptill, we have all of 6 D-men, 11 forwards and 2 goalies for 2011.  Both goalies are (former?) walk-ons and so are 3 of the forwards (Glendening, Rohrkempfer, Sparks).  To be fair, on D we'd have 2 second rounders, a third rounder, a 5th rounder and a 7th rounder, and on forward we'd have 2 second rounders, a third rounder, a 6th rounder and a 7th rounder and all but one would have at least one year of experience. But that's really, really thin, not even 4 lines of forwards, any injury just creates a hole and the goalie situation is not making me smile particularly largely. 

I agree that I rather he make the decision now, than on signing day, but I also think that if there were any Morrison's in that class (as an age group) before, there aren't too many that are still uncommitted...