It’s surrounded by some of the nicest buildings in town, many of which are newly completed. A pair have seen their best days after being recently overhauled, reaching new heights and reputations. One is making the most of its latest name change. Another nearby building seems to be the envy of the neighborhood and town. That one is an old friend who keeps winning awards and enjoying being considered the model building of both the area and town. All of them are moving on yet continue to judge themselves against the one currently under construction.
As the neighborhood continues to undergo changes, it joins a town where new, splashy buildings making an immediate impact on the scene mixed with some forgotten ones finding a renaissance, growing in favor.
Construction has made the skyline unrecognizable from the beginning of the decade. Many of the ones who perennially grab attention have been overshadowed and dropped off lists as new tastes emerge, challenging the old guard. Several of those buildings are making cosmetic and wholesale changes to keep up with the rest of the neighborhood.
That’s been the case for the building which greets me. Scaffolding exists, along with a crane and an observation deck devoid of people in its second year of renovations. Signs of change slowly appear on its young face.
Obviously, 600 words are not enough to preview Minnesota’s 2019-20 season and the job Bob Motzko is doing in Dinkytown. The Gophers enter Motzko’s second year as head coach still a work in progress with 12 newcomers in a group that’s largely of his own choosing. By age the youngest D1 men’s hockey team on average and by size the biggest, they add to a team which finished 7-2 over its final 9 games and third in the Big Ten. At the same time, Minnesota missed its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and third in the past four years after a run of six straight Big Ten and WCHA regular-season championships.
Let’s break it down more in-depth.
The Team
Goaltender:
Gain: Jack LaFontaine, Jared Moe, Justen CloseLose: Mat Robson (Jr.), Eric Schierhorn, Brock Kautz
Minnesota’s goal looks different by default. All three 2018-19 Gopher goalies departed as Eric Schierhorn and Brock Kautz graduated while Mat Robson signed with the Minnesota Wild. In their place are freshmen Jared Moe (Winnipeg Jets draft pick) and Justen Close, along with Michigan transfer Jack LaFontaine.
The Gophers have been fortunate in recent years to be home to a string of solid goaltenders as LaFontaine and Moe need to replace both a two-time Big Ten Goaltender of the Year (Schierhorn) and someone who finished with a .921% save percentage last season (Robson). Neither newcomer comes in with an immediate claim to the starting goaltender job. However, both give Motzko the option of a platoon with one to breakthrough. It’s a move Minnesota’s head coach has found success with elsewhere and one both are quite familiar.
LaFontaine, who played in a rare three-goalie platoon with the Wolverines as a youngster, now steps in as a 21 year-old veteran. Goaltenders don’t often transfer from college back to juniors or get another opportunity. In LaFontaine’s case, he’s taking the same second-chance path as fellow Missaugua, Ontario native Robson down to playing for Penticton (BCHL). The junior finished with a .923% save percentage at Penticton after a sub-.900% during Michigan’s Frozen Four run in 2017-18.
Moe, meanwhile, has been a top-10 goaltender in the USHL each of the past seasons. The “youngster” at 20 years of age, Moe used the extra time in juniors to develop. The New Prague, MN native spent both seasons in goaltender platoons in Waterloo, finishing with a .907% save percentage last year. Like with LaFontaine, the hope with Moe is that the extra time has been beneficial to him making a quick adjustment to the college game.
Defense:
Gain: Ryan Johnson, Jackson LaCombe, Matt StaudacherLose: Jack Sadek, Clayton Phillips (transfer)
After two seasons where Minnesota unsuccessfully was able to produce a puck-moving defenseman in an age where one has added importance, two top-40 2019 NHL Draft picks appear to be the next solution.
Ryan Johnson (Buffalo Sabres first-round draft pick) and Jackson LaCombe (Anaheim Ducks) both are known for their abilities with the puck from the blue line. Despite being rookies (and accelerating in the case of Johnson), both will be counted upon early. Only the departed Jack Sadek had more than 13 points from the blue line. It’s reasonable to expect both to top that mark.
Still, for all the talk about rookies, if there’s one group that has stability, it’s Minnesota's defense. The Gophers return the majority of the lineup from a team that finished third in the Big Ten in team defense while being outshot by 5.58 shots per game. Ben Brinkman, the youngest player in college hockey last season, came into his own towards the end of the year. He’s another year older while Ryan Zuhlsdorf and co-captain Tyler Nanne bring senior leadership. Besides Sadek, Clayton Phillips, one of several players thought to be the next puck-moving defender, transferred to Penn State.
Forwards:
Gain: Bryce Brodiznski, Ben Meyers, Jaxon Nelson, Jack Perbix, Jonny Sorenson, Noah WeberLose: Rem Pitlick (Jr), Tyler Sheehy, Brent Gates Jr., Jack Ramsey, Darian Romanko, Tommy Novak, Ryan Norman
In recent years, the Gophers have mixed large and small recruiting classes on an every other year basis. This is one of the larger ones.
Six of Minnesota’s forwards graduated along with leading scorer and All-American Rem Pitlick signing a pro contract with the Nashville Predators. Pitlick, along with Tyler Sheehy, was among the nation’s best point-getters in the second half. Gates and Novak found their groove as upperclassmen while Ramsey and Romanko were four-year penalty killers.
To replace them, six rookies arrive on campus, including 2019 Minnesota Mr. Hockey Bryce Brodzinski, NAHL Rookie of the Year Jonny Sorenson, Anaheim Ducks draft pick Jack Perbix, and Ben Meyers, whose 33 goals for Fargo were the third-most among USHL players last season. The Gophers lose 47.5% of its goal scoring from a team that averaged 3.11 goals per game last season (2nd in the Big Ten way behind Penn State). Among those returning are junior Brannon McManus and 2019 Big Ten Rookie of the Year Sammy Walker, who is the first Minnesota sophomore to wear a “C” in recent memory.
Three Questions Besides Goaltending:
#1: Can last year’s talented underclassmen step up?
12 new players are enough of a reminder that 2019-20 features a fairly young and new team. While the newcomers will be expected to be counted upon, the bulk of the non-goaltending replacement should be coming from returning players in new roles.
Can those players step up? On defense, it would go a long way to see a player like Brinkman, drafted by the Dallas Stars this summer, continue in his development. Besides McManus and Walker - each of whom had double-digit goals and 26 points - the Gophers could use a forward or two like sophomore Sampo Ranta or junior Scott Reedy taking the next step. Each has shown the ability to do so at times, but unable to put together a consistent effort.
Minnesota got one from McManus, who went from four goals from mid-October onward to 14 last season. For a team who was feast or famine with scoring - seven games with 5+ goals mixed with a 12 game stretch in October through December that saw the Gophers score 2 or fewer eight times - goals will need to come by committee. There are no expectations for a 20 goal scorer without Pitlick, however, this is a team missing its top 3 scorers (each above the 30 point mark) from 2018-19.
#2: Do Minnesota’s special teams stay successful?
At times last season, the Gophers relied on special teams as a crutch. Minnesota’s special teams averaged over a goal per game and especially helped out during times when the Gophers struggled to create shot opportunities at even strength.
One of Motzko’s strengths is finding combinations that work, buoyed by Minnesota using a five forward power-play unit to great success during the second half of the season. Four of the five forwards departed, however, meaning it’s once again starting over. (In Minnesota’s exhibition game, the Gophers utilized both a 4F-1D and 3F-2D PP unit setup.)
It’s not just the power play, though. Several departing seniors also played longtime roles on the penalty kill.
#3: Do the Gophers resemble the team it was in February and March (or) Can Minnesota get out to a faster start?
When Minnesota fires on all cylinders, the Gophers were a fantastic team. Unfortunately, it took most of the season for the group to break out of inconsistency and play its best hockey. With another large group and new roles, will Minnesota find its footing easier the second time around?
Games to Watch:
30 of Minnesota’s 34 games are on TV, by far the best college hockey coverage of any team. All five series, with the exception of the November 9th game, will be shown on television.
Minnesota Duluth (October 25 in Minneapolis, October 26 in Duluth): This home-and-home series with the two-time defending champion Bulldogs marks the biggest test for Minnesota in the early part of the season, coming a year after the Gophers tied and routed UMD on opening weekend.
Michigan (November 8-9): UMD kicks off a month-long stretch where the Gophers face teams expected to contend for conference and national titles. Of the group, I’m extremely curious to see how this Minnesota team fares on the road at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines are the lowest of the bunch on paper, however, the team matches up well with the Gophers. It’s also a tough environment and one Minnesota has yet to sweep in the Big Ten.
North Dakota (November 29-30): I don’t need to explain why the Fighting Hawks coming to town for The Rivalry makes the list.
Mariucci Classic (December 28-29 with Bemidji State, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State): The Mariucci Classic makes its triumphant return after a two-year absence in a big way. Each of the other three teams hails from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and in-state bragging rights are on the line. There’s also the possibility of the first Minnesota-SCSU matchup since Bob Motzko left the Huskies and went down I-94 to Minneapolis.
Penn State (February 21-22): There are several Big Ten series during the second half to choose. The closing stretch from being on the road against Wisconsin to a return to the scene of Tyler Sheehy’s phantom penalty to hosting Michigan are all great options. The one that sticks out is Minnesota’s trip to State College on the second-to-last week of the regular season, as Pegula Arena has been a locale the Gophers struggled in recent years.
Final Words
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. How confident you are in this year’s Minnesota team, whether the Gophers can break through and get back to being among the best buildings in a neighborhood (or two) full of them, depends on how you view the answers to Minnesota’s question marks.
Yes, there are question marks. In goal, on defense, special teams and with a young Gophers team featuring 19 underclassmen. One or multiple being unanswered leaves the team unable to take another step forward and closer to the group picked to finish fifth in a tight Big Ten.
There are also reasons to think success is in the future given the talent and Minnesota’s path to playing like a contender down the stretch. The Gophers went from inconsistent scoring and winning games in which the team was heavily outshot to being in control against top-20 clubs. It’s entirely possible to see a more consistent performance from the offense in losses. No team in the bottom 20 of Corsi finished above .500 besides Minnesota.
Bringing in both LaFontaine and Moe should help stem losing Robson and Schierhorn. One or both should be capable of providing high-end goaltending, however, the Gophers do lose the security blanket that was Robson during 2018-19’s first half. If one emerges, along with getting puck movement from the blue line, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Gophers talent to overachieve and return to the NCAA Tournament. A few of the under-the-radar forwards seem capable of making an immediate impact.
At the end of the day, Minnesota finds itself in a position of change. The Gophers are moving towards college hockey’s changes rather than the other way around. It’s odd to think Hockey Day Minnesota would exist in Minneapolis without a Gopher men’s hockey game yet also not surprising. The sport has never been better in the state.
Minnesota will get there. The program brought in Motzko for his recruiting and his ability to build back up the idea of Gopher hockey. That doesn’t get done in a day. (See: Wisconsin’s rebuild.) Still, progress can already be seen. This year features a younger team than anyone would like, but make no mistake, it’s Motzko’s group. (Half of it was already Motzko's group at St. Cloud State before he took the Minnesota job.) Young teams can find success if they gel. Even if they do, the crane will continue to be up for another year or two despite the progress. Short-term fixes don’t exist even if getting the most out of a group.
Even under construction, Minnesota stands out. The Gophers are not a flashy program across the river hoping to finally reach the big time after 5 years of continued false starts. Still, people look at it every day wondering when it’ll be completed. They’re waiting to go back to the observation deck and see the scaffolding go down, marking an end to a project that leaves the biggest building of the group once again being the envy of the neighborhood.
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