2021-22 Gopher Men's Hockey Preview (or) Finding Consistency In An Unpredictable Year

One of the more surprising things about Chaz Lucius finally coming to campus? How little surprise exists.

Sure, a few strange oddities have happened since September 2017's post "What is a verbal commit from a 13/14-year-old worth?" Anyone who had "Don Lucia, the head coach who recruited Lucius, now serving as commissioner of the CCHA all while the world is 20 months into a global pandemic" should play the lottery or use those powers for good. 

Four years later, the college hockey landscape is anything but predictable. The rise of new powers, realignment, schools returning after a year away, and transfer portal madness with an additional season of eligibility have all made 2021-22 a world where it is tougher to grasp a handle than any other season.

And yet, Minnesota - on the ice and with its roster - sticks out for its consistency entering Bob Motzko's fourth season as Gophers head coach.

Take Lucius, for example. Not all 14-year-old verbal commits live up to the hype at 18. Even fewer of those who do keep their original commitment. (NCAA hockey recruiting rules thankfully changed so that the days of 13 and 14-year-old verbal commitments are a thing of the past.) However, Lucius did and continued developing into one of his age group's top goal-scorers, being the top Minnesotan and selected 18th overall by the Winnipeg Jets.

That he did is a boon to Motzko, who didn't recruit Lucius to Minnesota but adds him to a team full of players he did. The young underclassmen two seasons ago thrown into the fire by Motzko out of necessity remain as experienced leaders. 2021-22's talented underclassmen will not have to develop in quite the same way. 

Coming off a 2020-21 season where the Gophers won the Big Ten conference tournament, returned to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed after a three-year absence, and made the regional final, high expectations return for the Pride on Ice. While many teams reload or begin the season with a number of transfers and newcomers, Minnesota sticks out by returning most of its core.  

Motzko will miss the 19 goals from Sampo Ranta (early departure), along with leadership from Scott Reedy (pro contract) and Brannon McManus (grad transferred to Omaha). Former Colorado College captain Grant Cruikshank, who led the Tigers in goals despite missing half of last season with appendicitis, comes to Dinkytown as Minnesota's one major incoming transfer. His elite skating joins three returning Gopher forwards who had 25+ points in Sammy Walker (in his unprecedented third season as captain), Blake McLaughlin, and Ben Meyers.

Of course, the largest return might be in net where 2021 Mike Richter Award winner Jack LaFontaine took advantage of the extra year. Minnesota knows it has an experienced number one goaltender, one who had a .934% save percentage and 5 shutouts against Big Ten opponents. That's an early advantage over several schools competing in the same space.

LaFontaine also gets his blue line help back. The entire Gophers top-six returns after a season that saw several players take positive steps in their development. Another year older from a team that gave up 2.06 goals on average, expectations are for Ryan Johnson, Brock Faber, Mike Koster, Jackson LaCombe, Ben Brinkman, and the rest to take another as Minnesota features one of the top defensive depth in the country.

Throughout the lineup, Minnesota is consistent in a year that is anything but. Other teams have more experience or higher-profile players. The Gophers keep building on its own, trending upward; a feature that can be seen in all facets whether it's a top potential free agent in Meyers or an improved defender in LaCombe. 

That includes the incoming players beyond Lucius. In a season where Michigan takes the spotlight for having four of the top-five 2021 NHL Draft picks, it's easy to overlook Minnesota's rookie class. The Gophers went under the radar with three players picked in the first 2 rounds. 

Historically, the bread and butter of Motzko's recruiting involve getting talented players on the upswing, which is the case with forwards Tristan Broz and Mathew Knies where neither was considered a second-rounder at the start of last season. 

In contrast to a number of players in recent years who went the opposite way - NHL Draft hype at 16 and undrafted by 18 - it speaks to where the Gophers program is at entering 2021. (On top of the young rookies, several incoming drafted forwards, such as Rhett Pitlick, had the opportunity to take an extra year of juniors to develop.) It may not be the flashiest or most hyped team, but Minnesota has potential throughout a lineup filled with older experience to continue making noise nationally in a national landscape full of surprises.

Now the question is whether Minnesota, like Lucius over the past four years, lives up to October hype and expectations come March and April.

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