In his third season behind the bench for Michigan hockey, coach Brandon Naurato has put together a talented roster that is different from previous high-profile squads that were top-heavy with high NHL draft picks. Those squads were fast, flashy, and scored in bunches. Unfortunately, most of these players played too loosely and would often be gone after their freshman seasons. Naurato has built a solid core of responsible skaters who value the puck and stay out of the box. However, Naurato still has players who can bring people out of their seats.
Will Horcoff: First round (24th overall) Pittsburgh Penguins
Two things jump out at you right away. The first are his stats: 19 goals in 20 games, six game-winning goals, eight power-play goals; all of which lead the NCAA. The second is his size (6’ 5” 201 lbs.), skating, and tenacity, which gets him to the prime scoring areas like the middle of the ice or to the side of the net, where he's poured in goals. Although he lets up defensively and has taken bad penalties, he’s dangerous in the offensive zone.
Michael Hage: First round (21st overall) Montreal Canadiens
Hage is a dynamic rush attacker, combining inside drives, flashy dekes, and give-and-go playmaking. A crossover burst gets defenders’ feet moving, then he looks for vulnerabilities. He fakes wide, cuts in, and accelerates to the net. He led all skaters at the recently concluded IIHF World Junior Championship in points, and his performance encouraged the Canadiens, who’ve said that he could potentially join them at the end of the Michigan hockey season.
Jack Ivankovic: Second round (58th overall) Nashville Predators
Coming into the season, the expectations were high. Even though he played in the Ontario Hockey League, the top tier of major junior hockey in North America and a primary development path for future NHL stars, his numbers were gaudy. In two seasons, he posted a 39-17 record with a .907 save percentage and 2.93 goals against average. This year, he has been laser-focused, able to handle the puck (a skill Michigan hockey has lacked in the past years), controls rebounds, and has been calm in the net. Ivankovic's .927 save percentage is 14th in the NCAA, and 1.904 goals against average is fifth. In the World Junior Championship, he backstopped the bronze-medal winning Canadian team and led all tournament goalkeepers with .917 and 2.33. He’ll be coming back to Yost on a roll.
Josh Eernisse: Undrafted
It may seem odd that an undrafted player is considered a star, but Josh Eernisse has exploded in his third season with nine goals and fifteen points. He had 11 points all of last year and has improved his shooting percentage to 22% after shooting 2% last year. He is a big (6’ 2” 217 lbs.), strong, powerful player with excellent straight-line speed. The combination is a weapon on the penalty kill, where he has three shorthanded goals. Since he has aged out of being draftable, he’ll get an NHL free agent contract this year.