The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/678402
HOCKEY RECRUITING This spring, Michigan has seen its entire first line — junior center J.T. Compher, junior right wing Tyler Motte and freshman left wing Kyle Connor — leave to sign NHL contracts. Additionally, second-line center Boo Nieves and second-line left wing Justin Selman both graduated. Thus, U-M must replace five of its top six forwards. Defensively, the Wolverines also experienced the losses of two underclass- men: sophomore Zach Werenski and junior Michael Downing. Werenski was U-M's best defender, Downing was in the Maize and Blue's top four. Finally, Michigan bid adieu to its starting goalie, senior Steve Racine, leaving yet another hole that must be plugged. Here is a look at what U-M's lines could look like to start the 2016-17 season (class designations are for next year). First Line Left Wing Center Right Wing Sr. Alex Kile Sr. Max Shuart Jr. Dexter Dancs Lacking a true No. 1 center, U-M could turn to Shuart, a strong defensive forward that has more offensive upside than nine career goals suggests. Kile is Michigan's top returning goal scorer, with 16 in 2015-16 and 33 in his career. Dancs is a 6-2, 205-pound power forward that continues to develop his two-way game and could find greater consistency with more responsibility. Second Line Left Wing Center Right Wing Jr. Cutler Martin So. Cooper Marody Fr. Will Lockwood Michigan's third-line center in 2015-16, Marody makes more sense on the second Possible Line Combinations For The 2016-17 Season Zach Hyman, Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin, and we scored more goals without those guys. "Now, I don't see our team being close to what this year 's team was offensively, but you don't have to be. You don't have to score four or five goals a night to win. You have to keep the goals against down and a strength of our team should be our defense, and our goaltending could end up being a strength. "We'll have to score by commit- tee, and maybe we have one or two 20-goal scorers but nothing like this year with Kyle Connor (35 goals) and Tyler Motte (32). But if we do a bet- ter job keeping pucks out of our own net, we'll have a chance to be a very good team next year." ❏