Apr. 1—GRAND FORKS — UND entered the offseason knowing it was likely to lose Jayden Perron and Owen McLaughlin to the NCAA transfer portal.
It had hoped to keep Sacha Boisvert.
That didn't happen, though. Boisvert, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Rookie of the Year,
also hit the portal
after a week of heavy behind-the-scenes recruitment from teams around the country.
That means UND's most pressing need this offseason is center.
Boisvert, Cameron Berg and Jake Schmaltz anchored the top three center positions for much of the season. They're all gone.
Cade Littler figures to continue at center.
If needed, UND could slide Mac Swanson and/or Ben Strinden to the middle. Swanson played center for Clark Cup-champion Fargo in junior hockey. Strinden has played center both in juniors and at UND.
But if the coaching staff prefers to keep them at wing, UND will have to target centers in the NCAA transfer portal.
It should be an attractive position. Potential wingers include Detroit Red Wings second-round pick
Dylan James,
the 2024 USHL Player of the Year (Swanson), the likely 2025 USHL Player of the Year (Will Zellers) and Strinden, a Nashville Predators pick.
Through the first two days of
the portal
open to underclassmen, 141 players entered.
Among the options currently in the portal are Minnesota State first-line center Adam Eisele, Brown first-line center Max Scott, RPI first-line center Sutter Muzzatti (Nashville Predators pick), Michigan Tech second-line center Logan Morrell and Niagara first-line center Tyler Wallace.
Recruiting out of the transfer portal might be extremely competitive — especially in this region of the country — because several teams nearby have pressing needs.
Minnesota has lost six players early to NHL signings already this offseason — forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues), forward Matthew Wood (Nashville Predators), forward Oliver Moore (Chicago Blackhawks), forward Connor Kurth (Tampa Bay Lightning), defenseman Ryan Chesley (Washington Capitals) and defenseman Sam Rinzel (Chicago Blackhawks). Add in the graduation of forward Aaron Huglen, forward Mason Nevers, defenseman Mike Koster and goaltender Liam Souliere, and the Gophers have holes to fill.
Omaha has lost 12 of its 18 skaters. Minnesota State has lost 10 of its 12 forwards. And St. Cloud State has lost four defensemen.
Omaha has heavily recruited Canadian major juniors, but will likely look to add older players into its group.
New UND head coach Dane Jackson
let go of assistant coach Karl Goehring
on Monday afternoon.
UND
posted that job
Tuesday morning.
The search will be a short one. The job closes at 11:55 p.m. Wednesday.
Considering the quick turnaround, Jackson might have an idea who he plans to hire.
* Former UND forward Jake Schmaltz made his pro debut for the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins on Saturday night. Providence is the top minor-league affiliate of the Boston Bruins.
* Former UND forward Carter Wilkie made his pro debut for the AHL's Calgary Wranglers on Saturday night. The Wranglers are the top affiliate of the Calgary Flames.
* Former UND defenseman Ben Blood, who came out of retirement midseason to join Helsinki-based Jokerit in the Finnish league, won a championship Monday night. Jokerit beat IPK in five games in the final. Blood played first-pair defense.