UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

Am I the only one who thinks that if UNH had an assistant and was just waiting for the new quarter that the name would have leaked even if the official hire date was still pending? Has the search just completely stalled or after 18 weeks has the local and college hockey media just lost complete interest in the story? I cannot believe we are hearing absolutely nothing - even from our earnest insiders. I guess they really put EVERY SINGLE egg in the Mark White basket...

Saturday will be 18 weeks from the end of the season and 3 years and 18 weeks since they new they'd have to make this hire...

No, you are not the only person thinking those thoughts.

You want to rethink your relatively optimistic predictions about next season yet?

[Snively65]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

Does relatively optimistic mean over the 14.5 wins in the over/under contest?

[JB]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

Well Denver just filled an assistant coach position with an experienced head coach to help there rookie head coach... Hmmm that seems like a smart move.

[JB]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

"Stupid is as stupid does" Forest Gump

[Dan]

Well Denver just filled an assistant coach position with an experienced head coach to help there rookie head coach... Hmmm that seems like a smart move.

Carle has TWO former head coaches to lean on at DU. It's a mature (and timely!) hire - no doubt assisted by the strong, smart and proven support system in place with a very successful DU athletic department...

[Snively65]

Carle has TWO former head coaches to lean on at DU. It's a mature (and timely!) hire - no doubt assisted by the strong, smart and proven support system in place with a very successful DU athletic department...

Carle almost seven years younger than Souza, so needs more experienced assistant coaches. Also, Carle does not have as much experience as Souza playing hockey in Europe, rather just 13 years playing in NHL, along with a Hobey and two NC's.

[JB]

Carle almost seven years younger than Souza, so needs more experienced assistant coaches. Also, Carle does not have as much experience as Souza playing hockey in Europe, rather just 13 years playing in NHL, along with a Hobey and two NC's.

Just 13 years at the top level... Way less experience than wondering around lower levels of hockey.

[Dan]

Carle almost seven years younger than Souza, so needs more experienced assistant coaches. Also, Carle does not have as much experience as Souza playing hockey in Europe, rather just 13 years playing in NHL, along with a Hobey and two NC's.

Wrong Carle. Matt Carle is a 13 year NHL veteran. David Carle lost his NHL dreams to serious medical concerns (I believe his heart), and despite being much younger than Souza has two more years of coaching experience. Almost all at an elite program and under two great HCs. Eight years at DU and one at Green Bay. He also has an ELITE track record on the recruiting trail, as opposed to a spotty record (at best) with the dregs of college hockey...

[Dan]

No, you are not the only person thinking those thoughts.

You want to rethink your relatively optimistic predictions about next season yet?

No. The team is still better this year. Better at F with Crookshank and Engaras replacing a tough year for the departing senior class. Better on D with another year of experience and adding MacKinnon. Better in net with two goalies more talented than the incumbent (IMO). It remains the long term prognosis that concerns me - this year they'll compete for a playoff spot. Will they ever be more than that again? That's the question and they've got a lot of work to do to answer that one...

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Also of note - on Hockey's Future the question was raised as to whether Engaras would face any discipline for his appearing in 6 SHL games. Other NCAA bound players, including Leon Bristedt have faced punishment for this. Though I argue it's possible Engaras could have played for no more than "actual and necessary" compensation with an eye towards protecting his status - there remains a possibility he does not dress from day one. It should not be a big deal if he does have to miss a few games as a result of playing in the Swedish Pro League (and he may not have to miss any) but something to keep an eye on...

[Snively65]

Wrong Carle. Matt Carle is a 13 year NHL veteran. David Carle lost his NHL dreams to serious medical concerns (I believe his heart), and despite being much younger than Souza has two more years of coaching experience. Almost all at an elite program and under two great HCs. Eight years at DU and one at Green Bay. He also has an ELITE track record on the recruiting trail, as opposed to a spotty record (at best) with the dregs of college hockey...

Oops, I should have realized that Matt Carle only stopped playing in the NHL after the 2016/17 season. So, his younger bro is almost 12 years younger than Souza, but as you note, already with eight years assistant coaching at DU, an elite NCAA program, with an obviously very different approach compared to UNH.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

No. The team is still better this year. Better at F with Crookshank and Engaras replacing a tough year for the departing senior class. Better on D with another year of experience and adding MacKinnon. Better in net with two goalies more talented than the incumbent (IMO). It remains the long term prognosis that concerns me - this year they'll compete for a playoff spot. Will they ever be more than that again? That's the question and they've got a lot of work to do to answer that one...

The only area of the team that I'm completely sold on being better next season is the defense. Year older, year wiser, year better (plus MacKinnon). Up front … it's a classic overreach 80% of the time to think your frosh forwards are going to step in and make an immediate impact. This was probably the least impressive UNH team in a generation offensively last season, so yeah, the bar is set pretty low. Usually your frosh attackers start to show signs of blossoming in the latter part of their first seasons (although at UNH that's hardly a given), so I'm expecting another low-scoring UNH team this season (hope I'm wrong) with a chance that things begin to look up during Coach Souza's sophomore season.

In goal, I think all of your eggs are going to have to be in the Taylor basket. Robinson (IMO) looked very mediocre, and if we had any wonders as to why he was struggling for game time in juniors, I think he showed it last season at UNH. I know you were never a fan of the past coach's former goalie binky, and although I valued him more than you did, I never pretended he was in the top echelon of HE. At times he could pass as an average-to-slightly-above-average HE goalie, but that he was the clear-cut starter for 3.5 seasons always said more about the lack of quality goalie depth at UNH than anything else. I know we had a lot of fun at coach's expense these last few years about his "attachment" to Tirone, but he did move off of him several times during the "Final Countdown" years. The problem was always that, whoever took over, usually quickly reminded coach why he was relying on DT so much to begin with.

I'm hoping that Taylor proves to be the real deal, and even Robinson rediscovers whatever form he had that got him drafted so relatively high, and if so, then UNH has a legit competition in goal, and might be set in that position for the first time post-CDS. Problem is, Taylor will be a rookie, and Robinson might as well still be one. And the #3 guy is (apparently still) the kid from Philips Exeter (Lazarro?). On top of that, you have a rookie HC who is inheriting a team that won one (1) game in about its last 20 games last season. Maybe there will be more talent on this year's roster, but I'm not convinced that talent is going to translate into more W's than last season's team. If it does, then great. If not - I'm more hopeful (and also will be more demanding) about how season after next goes. I'm still a strong UNDER for Snively65's over/under contest on '18/'19 wins.

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

Clarkson/Denver have just named new AC's...maybe we're next! Scott you might be right we could be meeting him next Thursday at the STH cookout...#FingersCrossed

[NCAA watcher]

Clarkson/Denver have just named new AC's...maybe we're next! Scott you might be right we could be meeting him next Thursday at the STH cookout...#FingersCrossed

Well, since there are only two teams without assistants (UNH and Harvard) I’d say it’s 50/50. Of course, they lost theirs 3 weeks ago so probably are ready to hire.

[Dan]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

Chuck, when I say that the team will be better this season – and in all three phases – I am certainly not arguing that they will be notably better. However, there is nowhere to go but up and the improvement in talent in the short term is tangible. At the forward position that starts with a couple of key freshmen, but is primarily based on the same reason the defense will improve – the development of some existing forwards.

The most critical part of the discussion may be who they’re losing and what needs to be replaced. McNicholas and Salvaggio were, in all honesty, much more than disappointing (as I described them earlier). While playing their entire season on UNH’s top line and PP unit, the duo combined for 13 goals TOTAL. Six of those goals came in two games, the second night versus Colgate and the game at RPI. So the two of them combined for seven goals over the remaining 34 games played…

Eiserman added five goals on the season, which means all told, UNH needs to replace just 18 goals to match last season’s total production from their senior forwards. It certainly would not surprise me if Crookshank and Engaras alone– especially if they are playing top-six, first-PP roles – surpass 18 goals this season.

More importantly, you bring back a healthy Patrick Grasso for an entire season. Grasso, Blackburn, BVR and Nazarian will all add a year of experience, development and strength to their resumes. Charlie Kelleher is a candidate for a real sophomore jump. Perhaps UNH gets one of their patented senior surges from Marcus Vela, who is certainly capable despite an underproductive first three seasons.

I think the evidence is pretty convincing that the forwards will be better. Even if you subscribe to the idea that the primary reason for that is because of how bad they were last year and how little production they actually lost…

As for the goaltenders, Taylor is as good a goaltender recruit as they’ve picked up since DeSmith. Robinson made only six appearances, but actually played pretty darn well in my opinion. Remove one awful outing against Northeastern when he gave up 5 goals on 14 shots (in a game entire team seemed to sleepwalk thru) and he posted a .929 SPCT and a 2.06 GAA in five appearances and 204 minutes played. Hopefully they’ll rotate the goalies to start – in a legitimate competition – and that will make both better. ..

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I do think UNH will be better next year – whether that shows notably in the win count remains to be seen, but they should compete for a road playoff spot. I bet they’ll be better enough, that a number of people will be excited about the Souza era and certain fans may even return to tell me off regarding my past and present concerns. Unfortunately, if there isn’t more of a sense of urgency for improving the program, attracting talented recruits ahead of their year of enrollment and landing an actual assistant coach, it may be nothing more than a mirage.

In the very near future they’ll have to replace (and improve upon) the junior class, Gildon and Maass and a lot of work remains to do just that. They have not yet even landed enough real talent in next year's recruiting class to represent a real upgrade on this season's seniors! When and if that happens I’ll get on board for a long-term improvement. Until then, I remain extremely skeptical…

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2018-19 – 14-19-3 (8-14-2)

Wins – @Colgate, @CC, UVM, Miami, PC, Dartmouth, Bentley, MC, Yale, @MC, UConn, Maine, NU, UML
Losses – @CC, UMass, @UML, BU, @BC, @UMass, Miami , @PC, @Dartmouth, @BU, BC, @ME, @UConn, Maine, @UVM, NU, @UML.
Ties - @Colgate, @UVM, @NU

1. BU
2. BC
3. PC
4. UMass
5. Maine
6. UML
7. NU
8. UNH (swept by BU, 0-2)
9. UConn
10. Vermont
11. Merrimack

No NCAA Tournament...

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH 2018 Offseason- Out with the old , in with the semi new?

I admire your optimism, Dan. Honestly, I hope you prove to be right about next season. The program can't handle several more seasons like the ones we've just experienced, without sustaining potential generational-level damage to the program's long-term health.

I guess where you sense there may be a "new car smell" factor that helps things out next season, I fear the "used car stank" factor more. We've finally hit the point with the program that any players (and now coaches) who have had any positive post-season experience - and I'm talking about the last trip to the Garden - are no longer with the program. Sure, Souza can probably spin some great stories about him and Kroggie and Haydar and the '99 team, but even that now is way past the shelf life of the kids considering joining the program. Ditto even the '03 team. "Lanny Gare isn't walking through that door", etc. Even the semblance of a connection to the days of even modest success ("Kevin Goumas isn't walking through that door" I guess??) now stands broken.

I think Coach Souza has ended up with his dream job in a nightmare scenario. I suspect he hasn't quite realized just what a deep hole his program is in at this moment. If he does realize it, he sure has a funny way of showing it. JMHO.