Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

D Steph and McD are in the finals! I feel bad for Renee, but I really don't like Montreal at all.

I was curious on how they were selling, so I went through the order process for the BGHC and I got seats in the 3rd row right behind one of the benches. I interpret that as sales aren't so brisk. I do need to order one of these days....

[herbst20]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Had my 1st viewing of Alec Semendal today. He is someone the Badgers should be recruiting hard. Hard nosed shutdown defenseman.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Is it wrong of me to be suspicious of your statements?

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Had my 1st viewing of Alec Semendal today. He is someone the Badgers should be recruiting hard. Hard nosed shutdown defenseman.

I like Semandel a lot, but Wisconsin has the luxury of being extremely picky on defensemen right now. Berkovitz/Tischke come in 2015, Stillwell/Parsells come in 2016. In that time period they are only losing Drake, Wittchow and Schulze. Possibly Dougherty if he goes after two. Plus they are in on Fabbro for 2016.

So the earliest a guy like Semandel could come is 2017 and they probably take 1-2 guys in that class. Would he hold out for that? Possibly. But there's also 98's like Bunz, Hults, Watson, Sorenson, Green, Dix, Hurley and Staum that could be options for 2017 and that's not even considering the elite 99's that could be available.

So, we'll see. I've always felt Semandel would be a good fit at UW. He's very good player and obviously has ties to the University. But when you're talking about 1-2 spots you never know what way the staff is leaning.

[GBBadger14]

Recruiting update for #Badgers: Mike Eaves adds Alex Shuchuk -- son of UW assistant Gary Shuchuk -- as a walk-on for 2014-15.

— Andy Baggot (@AndyBaggotWSJ) May 31, 2014

[DPlaya]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

What good would adding a single-digit NAHL scorer do?

He provides exactly what they need. A guy who will walk on because he loves UW and will work his butt off in practice knowing that he's going to get little if any playing time and that they're bringing him in to help balance the classes and basically recruit over him in the next few years. My thought when I suggested he may join the team was that there's not a lot of kids out there that fit that description, but he sure does. In return, he gets rewards other kids wouldn't...being a part of the team where his dad played, being on a team his dad helps coach, being able to be a hometown kid on the team, etc..

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

He provides exactly what they need. A guy who will walk on because he loves UW and will work his butt off in practice knowing that he's going to get little if any playing time and that they're bringing him in to help balance the classes and basically recruit over him in the next few years.

I totally get that you need a walk on for insurance purposes some seasons if the roster depth gets thinned out due to injury, etc. But it really isn't balancing the classes much when it has no scholarship involved and it is a guy that will barely see the ice. When I think of balancing classes, I think of wanting to make sure you don't have too many guys (i.e. scholarship guys... aka true contributors) in any one class. A walk on really doesn't qualify much in that sense other than just being another body.

[DPlaya]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

I totally get that you need a walk on for insurance purposes some seasons if the roster depth gets thinned out due to injury, etc. But it really isn't balancing the classes much when it has no scholarship involved and it is a guy that will barely see the ice. When I think of balancing classes, I think of wanting to make sure you don't have too many guys (i.e. scholarship guys... aka true contributors) in any one class. A walk on really doesn't qualify much in that sense other than just being another body.

It keeps them from bringing in a player using scholarship money, thus saving that scholarship money for a player in a different class. Seems like helping balance the classes to me. Define it however you want, and I'll stick with my definition.

[DPlaya]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Any more thoughts on whether UW will go into next season with 7 defensemen on the roster? I know Andy indicated they weren't likely to bring Tischke in next year, so time is running short to add another D if they are going to do it. I have thought maybe they'll use Hurley as their emergency 8th defensemen, but not sure they're deep enough at forward to do that. Looking at the complete roster, I think they're really going to need to stay healthy to have a competitive season.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Any more thoughts on whether UW will go into next season with 7 defensemen on the roster? I know Andy indicated they weren't likely to bring Tischke in next year, so time is running short to add another D if they are going to do it. I have thought maybe they'll use Hurley as their emergency 8th defensemen, but not sure they're deep enough at forward to do that. Looking at the complete roster, I think they're really going to need to stay healthy to have a competitive season.

Wisconsin was in on Nate Widman who recently committed to St. Cloud. He would have entered as a sophomore because he played one season at Brown before going back to the USHL last season. I'm not sure how serious they were, but he said they were interested along with UMass Lowell.

7 is a risk but it's been done before. Minnesota only had 7 on the roster last season after Vannelli bolted for the WHL. Wisconsin only used its 7th defenseman for one game, although that's very rare. But they aren't going to add a d-man just to add one. It's not like forwards where you can hide a guy on the 4th line and play him 6 minutes to chip the puck deep. If a defenseman has to play he has to play, so they need to be sure he's going to be able to.

I guess it depends on how they see things shaking down over the next few years. If no one leaves early the next two years and you add an 8th this year and land Fabbro you're saddled with 10 defensemen in 2016. You can pull off 9, you can't pull off 10. Then you're looking at sending Stillwell or Parsells back to the USHL for another season, which will likely be their third each since it's assumed both are going to leave high school to play in the league this year.

Personally I don't think Wittchow will be back for a fourth year given his contract situation with Florida. They'll try to bring him out and If he has the season I think he's going to this year, I think that's a pretty good chance. So let's say you keep 7 defensemen this year, you lose Drake and Wittchow (down to 5). Bring in Tischke, Berkovitz and one of either Stillwell/Parsells (now at 8). The following year you only lose Kevin Schulze and you bring in either Parsells/Stillwell and Fabbro if you get him.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Sounds like the Badgers have a 98 from the East Coast coming in for an unnoficial visit at some point this weekend. Not really in their recruiting footprint so I'm curious to hear the story behind this one.

[DPlaya]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

There was a nice article today on Madison.com breaking down the potential NHL draftees for the Badgers both in the incoming recruiting class as well as 2015-2016's class. You can read it here.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Wisconsin recruit Tony Stillwell has been traded from Sioux City to Madison in the USHL. Not a surprise with Luke Strand taking over the new GM/HC job there. Same source says Madison has acquired three additional players from Wisconsin.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Max Zimmer from Wayzata has committed to Wisconsin. Sophomore last season. Kid can really play, I like his game.

[Bonin21]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting Vol. XXX: 1 All American at a Time

Has to be a 2017, right? Already 17 lined up for 2016 (going back to the whole does anyone get pushed out thing). If we have room and interest in 2016 we could get in his ear with the GA gone.