This article is part of our The Kids' Table series.
The time is finally here! It's March Madness, when people around the world ditch whatever important things they have to do (writing a hockey prospects column, for instance) and vigorously fill out brackets in an attempt to one-up their co-workers, friends, family, etc. For some, the NCAA tournament is when their alma mater takes to the court in search of eternal glory. For others, the tourney is all business and mostly heartbreak. But men's basketball is only one side of the madness. In just four days, the field for this year's NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament will be revealed, and just about a week after that, the fun begins!
Wolverines set to pounce
Unlike last year, when the spotlight was on Jack Eichel and Boston University, this time around it's the return of a Big Ten powerhouse to prominence. The Michigan Wolverines appear poised to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011-12 after their streak of 22 straight appearances from broken. The Wolves went to the Frozen Four four times and won two championships during that majestic run, and now head coach Red Berenson has a chance to do it again.
The spotlight's also pointed at the Wolverines due to their star-studded roster, led by freshman standout Kyle Connor. The Winnipeg Jets had the good fortune of selecting Connor with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and have got to be excited about his potential. Like Dylan Larkin before him, Connor
The time is finally here! It's March Madness, when people around the world ditch whatever important things they have to do (writing a hockey prospects column, for instance) and vigorously fill out brackets in an attempt to one-up their co-workers, friends, family, etc. For some, the NCAA tournament is when their alma mater takes to the court in search of eternal glory. For others, the tourney is all business and mostly heartbreak. But men's basketball is only one side of the madness. In just four days, the field for this year's NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament will be revealed, and just about a week after that, the fun begins!
Wolverines set to pounce
Unlike last year, when the spotlight was on Jack Eichel and Boston University, this time around it's the return of a Big Ten powerhouse to prominence. The Michigan Wolverines appear poised to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011-12 after their streak of 22 straight appearances from broken. The Wolves went to the Frozen Four four times and won two championships during that majestic run, and now head coach Red Berenson has a chance to do it again.
The spotlight's also pointed at the Wolverines due to their star-studded roster, led by freshman standout Kyle Connor. The Winnipeg Jets had the good fortune of selecting Connor with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and have got to be excited about his potential. Like Dylan Larkin before him, Connor joined Michigan's program and has immediately made an impact. It was just over this past weekend that Connor took home Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year honors, leading the conference with 22 goals and 43 points over 20 games. Overall, the freshman phenom has 30 goals and 61 points in 34 games this season, which groups him together with some elite names:
With 2 goals by Kyle Connor, that's back to back NCAA 60 point seasons by a teenager (Eichel). 12 years since last ones (Vanek/Parise).
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) March 13, 2016
Eichel and Connor being compared to players like Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek sure does bode well for their future prospects in the NHL. We've already seen what Eichel can do this season, and I mentioned above the similarities between Connor and Larkin. There's no doubt Connor will get consideration as a Hobey Baker Award finalist, and if you haven't stashed him away in your keeper/dynasty league, it might be best to do so now.
Not to go unnoticed, other Michigan skaters also received some recognition from the rest of the hockey world a few days ago. Defenseman Zach Werenski, the Columbus Blue Jackets' first-round pick from this past draft, was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Werenski became more of a household name during the World Junior Championship for the United States, captaining that squad while finishing with nine points in seven games. Junior forwards JT Compher (Avalanche) and Tyler Motte (Blackhawks) joined Werenski and Connor on the all-Big Ten first team.
I've gone over Motte and Compher before. Motte has a decent situation if he can land on Chicago's roster, but the way the Blackhawks operate suggests he may be dealt at some point. Compher was dealt as part of the Ryan O'Reilly trade to Colorado and could make an immediate impact if he decides to forgo his senior season.
Altogether, the Wolverines boast 12 drafted players on their roster, making them a prime team to scout if you're looking for potential dynasty/keeper gems.
North Dakota's hockey powerhouse
A few weekends ago, my Twitter feed picked up a pretty incredible goal by University of North Dakota forward Nick Schmaltz. Another potential nightmare on the Blackhawks, Schmaltz showed flashes of his future teammates Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, dangling the puck through his legs before deking a defender and tucking the puck behind the goaltender. It was the type of play that made you go, "Damn, this kid is going to be dangerous in the NHL."
Like Connor at Michigan, UND also has a freshman standout in forward Brock Boeser, himself a late first-round selection of last year's draft by the Canucks. Boeser was named to the NCHC All-Rookie team after collecting 25 goals and 43 points in 36 games this season. With 20 goals as a rookie, Boeser joined the likes of Parise, Toews, Travis Zajac and T.J. Oshie, all of whom have had pretty successful NHL careers thus far. He's another guy with a big decision looming as to whether he should jump ship and sign his entry-level deal with the Canucks or stick it out at UND for a few more seasons. If both Connor and Boeser decide to come out, it should make for a very interesting Calder Trophy race in 2016-17.
The Fighting Hawks have made 13 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and are also a team to keep an eye on when it comes to scouting – they've got 12 drafted players of their own on this year's squad.
Familiar faces in the tournament
The rest of this year's 2016 tournament field will likely be highlighted by Hockey East regulars. Providence, Boston University, Boston College and UMass-Lowell all figure to be contenders for the Frozen Four.
BU captain and top defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will finish up his illustrious career with the Terriers and likely remain in Beantown to help out the Bruins' aging blue line. Jordan Greenway (Wild) and Danny O'Regan (Sharks) are the most promising forward prospects for BU, while freshman blueliner Charlie McAvoy is a likely first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
The Terriers rival, Boston College, won the Hockey East regular season title in relatively quiet fashion. Before Connor's magical run with Michigan, Colin White was the rookie talk of the town. White appeared to hit the freshman wall, though, posting just 18 goals and 40 points in 33 games with one remaining this season. The Eagles have one of the most experienced rosters in the country with leadership riddled throughout. At the top are captain/alternates Teddy Doherty, Steve Santini (Devils) and Ian McCoshen (Panthers), along with arguably the top goalie prospect in Thatcher Demko (Canucks).
All of these teams could be on a collision course for the Frozen Four, which will take place April 7 and 9 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, the home of the Lightning.
