The Herald’s college hockey preseason top 20 for 2024-25 – Grand Forks Herald

The Herald’s college hockey preseason top 20 for 2024-25 – Grand Forks Herald
The Herald’s college hockey preseason top 20 for 2024-25 – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS — After correctly picking the 2022 (Denver) and 2023 (Quinnipiac) NCAA national champions, the Herald missed last year — barely.

Our preseason No. 1, Boston University, reached the NCAA Frozen Four but lost to eventual national champion Denver in overtime. Our picks weren’t too far off, though. Our preseason No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 made up the NCAA Frozen Four.

Here’s our preseason top 20 for 2024-25:

Despite losing Hobey Baker Award finalist Cutter Gauthier and the NCAA’s leading scorer, Will Smith, to the NHL, the Eagles are loaded up for another run. They’ve got two-thirds of their explosive top line back in Hobey Baker Award contenders Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. They’re bringing in this year’s super-freshman in James Hagens, also a Hobey Baker contender. And pushing the Eagles to the top is goaltender Jacob Fowler, one of the best in the nation and a proven winner. He led Youngstown to a Clark Cup in the USHL. Boston College brings back nearly its entire defensive corps, too. The headliners are Eamon Powell, Aram Minnetian, Drew Fortescue, Lukas Gustafsson and Aidan Hrechuk. The Eagles have a terrific shot to win their first NCAA title since 2014.

In 2022-23, Minnesota used a loaded blue line and a few high-end forwards to get to the NCAA national title game. The formula will be similar this year. Attention will rightfully go to first-round NHL picks Jimmy Snuggerud, Oliver Moore and Matthew Wood. But the biggest strength could be the back end, where the Gophers gained experience last season. First-round pick Sam Rinzel is the headliner, but there’s also depth there with Mike Koster, Ryan Chesley, Luke Mittelstadt, Cal Thomas and reigning USHL defenseman of the year Leo Gruba. Minnesota is unproven in net, but the Gophers have been high on Nathan Airey. Penn State transfer Liam Souliere gives the Gophers an experienced option, too. The Gophers got close in 2022-23. This team should be in the mix just like that one.

The Spartans took a major jump last season and have a bulk of the team back. Isaac Howard, Joey Larson, Karsen Dorwart, Daniel Russell and Red Savage are back up front. Michigan State also pulled in NHL first-round pick Charlie Stramel from the transfer portal. However, the biggest difference-maker on the team is goaltender Trey Augustine, who has a history of delivering in big games. On the back end, it’s impossible to replace No. 2 overall NHL pick Artyom Levshunov, but grabbing Colorado College’s No. 1 defender, Nicklas Andrews, out of the portal helps. The last time a Big Ten team won the NCAA title was Michigan State in 2007 in St. Louis. This year, the Frozen Four is back in St. Louis. Can the Spartans do it again?

Denver lost some major pieces to its 2024 NCAA national title team, but also managed to keep a few in place. Among the departed are Massimo Rizzo, Tristan Broz, Miko Matikka, McKade Webster, Shai Buium and Sean Behrens. That seems like a lot to lose. But Denver was able to keep Hobey Baker Award candidates Zeev Buium and Jack Devine. The Pioneers also grabbed Sharks draft pick and former Bemidji State defenseman Eric Pohlkamp out of the NCAA transfer portal to boost the defense. Up front, players like Aidan Thompson and Rieger Lorenz are ready for bigger roles. If goaltender Matt Davis plays like he did at the end of last season, the Pioneers will be a threat to repeat.

UND might be a work in progress on the back end, where the Fighting Hawks have no fifth-year seniors, no fourth-year seniors, one junior and seven underclassmen. But a deep forward group should be able to help overcome some ups and downs early in the season. UND lost Hobey Hat Trick forward Jackson Blake, but is bringing in one of the best rookie classes in college hockey. First-round pick Sacha Boisvert and USHL MVP Mac Swanson should help replace some lost offense, along with potential emerging forwards like Jayden Perron, Dylan James, Owen McLaughlin, Jackson Kunz and Ben Strinden. In net, T.J. Semptimphelter is expected to take over with Hobie Hedquist mixing in games.

Cornell is loaded for Mike Schafer’s 30th and final season as head coach. It starts in net with senior Ian Shane, who has posted a .916 or better in each of his first three years at Cornell. The Big Red have five upperclassmen on defense, but the best is sophomore Ben Robertson, whose 23 points tied a 39-year-old Cornell record for most points by a freshman defenseman. Up front, look for a breakout season from sophomore Ryan Walsh, who was one of the USHL’s best two years ago. Forward Charlie Major should be an instant-impact rookie.

The Terriers lost their two NHL-bound superstars from last season’s team — Hobey Baker winner Macklin Celebrini and defenseman Lane Hutson. But Boston University is in a good spot to stay near the top of college hockey. The Terriers are bringing in one of the country’s best rookie classes. The headliners are NHL first-round pick Cole Eiserman (a pure goal-scorer), second-rounder Cole Hutson (Lane’s brother), second-rounder Kamil Bednarik, third-rounder Brandon Svoboda and draft-eligible defenseman Sascha Boumedienne, a potential 2025 first-rounder. Last year, NHL first-round pick Tom Willander quietly had a sensational rookie season on the back end for the Terriers and will anchor that unit.

The Badgers will be one of the country’s most fascinating teams. Some high-profile NHL draft picks from last season left in the transfer portal — first-rounder Charlie Stramel (Michigan State), second-rounder Brady Cleveland (Colorado College), third-rounder Will Whitelaw (Michigan) and fourth-rounder Cruz Lucius (Arizona State), who led the Badgers in scoring the last two seasons. Entering the mix are older transfers in Ryland Mosley (Michigan Tech), Kyle Kukkonen (Michigan Tech) and Cody Laskosky (RIT). These are the types of players coach Mike Hastings used at Minnesota State, where he dominated Big Ten teams. Will a similar formula work in Madison?

The Huskies might be one of the sneakiest solid teams in the country. They’ve got all the pieces to have a successful season. On the back end, they added Northern Michigan’s Josh Zinger from the transfer portal to boost the offense among a crew that’s already solid defensively. Up front, they’re as deep as they’ve been in a couple of years, adding instant-impact rookies Austin Burnevik and Gavin Thoreson. The biggest question mark is in net, where Isak Posch had a strong second half of last season, but has not been the No. 1 for a full year yet.

The Black Bears had a resurgence last season and they don’t appear to be going anywhere — not even with the departures of first-round NHL pick Bradly Nadeau and goaltender Victor Ostman. They brought in one of the top transfers in Colgate’s Ross Mitton to help the offense. Josh Nadeau and Lynden Breen are back, while Albin Boija emerged in net to push Ostman a year ago. Maine’s back end is experienced, too, led by Grand Forks native Brandon Holt.

The Tigers are stacked up front and in net. All-NCHC first-teamer Noah Laba, coveted NHL free agent Glev Veremyev and Bret Link should be one of the top lines in the NCHC. Zaccharya Wisdom, Ryan Beck, Klavs Veinbergs and rookie Owen Beckner make them among the deepest forward units, too. The Tigers have Mike Richter Award contender Kaidan Mbereko in net and NHL draft pick Carsen Musser backing him up. The question is the back end. The Tigers lost four of their top defenders from last season. They brought in transfers like Brady Cleveland from Wisconsin and Ty Gallagher from Boston University to address that need, though.

It’s fitting that in Jeff Jackson’s final year at the helm, Notre Dame has three terrific goaltenders — Mercyhurst transfer Owen Say, former USHL star Jack Williams and Washington Capitals pick Nick Kempf. It’s any guess how that position will play out. Up front, Notre Dame’s strength is at center, where it can use Danny Nelson, Cole Knuble and Hunter Strand to anchor the forwards. The Fighting Irish should contend for an NCAA spot, especially if they can find an offensive producer from the back end to replace Drew Bavaro.

Michigan lost major firepower to NHL contracts in the offseason — Gavin Brindley (Columbus), Rutger McGroarty (Pittsburgh), Dylan Duke (Tampa Bay), Seamus Casey (New Jersey) and Frank Nazar III (Chicago). That’s probably too much to replace to be a contender for the Big Ten title, but the Wolverines should have enough to contend for an NCAA tournament spot. Up front, T.J. Hughes is back to lead the team. NHL first-rounder Michael Hage should make an instant impact as a freshman. Nick Moldenhauer is due for a jump. Jackson Hallum is back from last year’s season-ending injury. The Wolverines grabbed Tim Lovell from Arizona State out of the transfer portal to try to replace some of Casey’s offense from the back end. Goaltending is a question mark with Ferris State transfer Logan Stein and rookie Cameron Korpi both learning the Big Ten.

The Friars have their top five scorers back from last season and are adding one of the country’s top rookie classes featuring NHL first-round pick Trevor Connelly and third-round picks John Mustard and Logan Sawyer. They’ve got two capable goaltenders in Boston Bruins pick Philip Svedeback and Merrimack transfer Zachary Borgiel. On the back end, Providence can roll out a lineup with five upperclassmen. After missing the NCAA tournament by two spots in the Pairwise Rankings last season, the Friars should have enough to get in this year.

The Sun Devils enter the NCHC this season. While there are questions how they will handle the grind of a league that’s won six of the last eight NCAA national championships, talent is not a question. Arizona State is deep up front. While the Sun Devils will miss Cruz Lucius (injury) to start the season, they have plenty of firepower from Penn State transfer Ryan Kirwan, Providence transfer Bennett Schmiek, Bemidji State transfer Lukas Sillinger, Northeastern transfers Ty and Dylan Jackson, and freshman star Cullen Potter. On the back end, there’s depth, too, and a good mix between big and small defender.

The Bulldogs will have a transformed look this season. It starts with the return of first-line center Dominic James, who suffered a season-ending injury last October, leaving a massive hole in the lineup. James is back and captaining the team. The Bulldogs also have a highly touted recruiting class full of players who will skate in the top part of the lineup. Up front, it’s brothers Zam and Max Plante, along with Warroad’s Jayson Shaugabay. On the back end, it’s NHL-style rangy defenseman Adam Kleber and small, dynamic offensive defender Ty Hanson. In net, Chicago Blackhawks second-rounder Adam Gajan is expected to take over as a freshman. If the Bulldogs can keep their top players healthy, they can make a return to the NCAA tournament. If not, they’re probably a bubble team.

The Huskies were one of the biggest winners in the transfer portal this offseason. Up front, they added Ryan McGuire from Colgate and former Quinnipiac national champion Christophe Tellier. On defense, they picked up two NHL draft picks in Jake Boltmann (Calgary Flames) from Notre Dame and Joquim Lemay (Washington Capitals) from Omaha. Jack Williams, Cam Lund and Dylan Hryckowian should anchor the offense. Goaltender Cameron Whitehead is coming off of a terrific freshman season (.917).

This seems far too low to have Quinnipiac, but the number of early NHL signings may finally catch up with the Bobcats. In the offseason, they lost Colin Graf, Jacob Quillan, Sam Lipkin and Charles Alexis-Legault early. They lost Yaniv Perets the summer prior. Quinnipiac has continued to stock older defensemen out of the transfer portal, though. This year, they brought in Nathaniel Benoit from UND, Aaron Bohlinger from UMass and Charlie Leddy from Boston College. That formula has worked the past few years.

St. Thomas was in position to challenge for the CCHA title last season, but the Tommies unraveled after a string of injuries. St. Thomas is back with a similar team, a 1-2 punch in net with Jake Sibell and Aaron Trotter, and a couple of Colorado College transfers (forward Ray Christy and defenseman Chase Foley) that will give the Tommies added depth. St. Thomas is the favorite to win the CCHA before heading off to the NCHC in two years.

Dartmouth has made major strides under coach Reid Cashman and the Big Green are poised to stay near the top of the ECAC. Junior forward Luke Haymes is back after an 18-goal, 36-point season. He’s not the only one. Dartmouth returns 15 of its top 16 scorers from last year’s fourth-place squad. Yes, the Big Green need to find a way to replace goaltender Cooper Black, who signed with the Florida Panthers, but there’s a lot of promise in Hanover, N.H.

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