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Thoughts on every member of UConn's 2021-22 roster
Some predictions, questions and nuggets about all 26 players on the Huskies' squad.
Thoughts on every member of UConn’s 2021-22 roster
26 thoughts about each player on UConn men’s hockey’s 2021-22 roster:
Forwards
Jonny Evans — Senior
Evans set the bar high for himself by becoming UConn’s first Division I All-American as a junior. Now the question will be if he can maintain that level of play as a senior.
Carter Turnbull — Senior
Turnbull recorded just one assist and no goals over the final eight games of the season, though he apparently dealt with something — exactly what, I’m not sure — which is why his numbers fell off. Though his availability is rarely an issue, Turnbull is clearly a different player when he’s not at 100 percent. If he’s healthy, he’ll be a game-changing player for the Huskies. If not, he’ll be just another name on the line sheet.
Jachym Kondelik — Senior
Few players are more steady than Kondelik, so expect him to once again be an assist machine as a senior with a handful of goals here and there. Two things to watch with him: He’s just six assists away from breaking Max Letunov’s Hockey East era record for career assists (60) and should also make a run at Letunov’s single-season record for assists in the Hockey East Era (24).
Marc Gatcomb — Senior
Gatcomb was quietly one of UConn’s most consistent players as a junior with six goals and six assists in 23 games. As the saying goes, availability is the best type of ability, something Gatcomb embodies considering he’s only missed three games in his entire career — all of which were during his freshman season.
John Wojciechowski — Senior
Wojciechowski got on the ice for the first time in a UConn uniform last season against UNH. As always, he’s a “break glass in case of emergency” type player who has the versatility to fill in at forward or defense.
Kevin O’Neil — Graduate senior
A transfer from Yale, O’Neil projects to be a high floor, low ceiling type contributor for UConn. He’s also an experienced veteran with some big-game experience, something the Huskies can never have too much of. The biggest question with him will be how much not playing last season (due to the Ivy League shutting down due to COVID-19) will affect him early in 2021.
Vladislav Firstov — Junior
As a 2019 second round pick of the Minnesota Wild, this will probably be Firstov’s final season in Storrs. He only played 13 of 23 games last year due to a combination of World Juniors and injuries but had a massive impact on UConn’s production overall and on the power play. With how much talent the Huskies have up top around him, Firstov is primed to have big season as a junior.
Hudson Schandor — Sophomore
Schandor was the biggest surprise of the 2020-21 season after he finished third on the team with 14 points (six goals, eight assists). Now that he’s had a full year in the program, we shouldn’t put a cap on expectations for him as a sophomore.
Artem Shlaine — Sophomore
Shlaine played great as a freshman but just couldn’t seem to put the puck in the back of the net and finished the year with one goal and eight assists. He’s easily the top breakout candidate the 2021-22 season.
Nick Capone — Sophomore
Though Capone’s production didn’t stand out as a freshman (one goal, four assists), the East Haven native was the biggest hitter on a UConn team that certainly didn’t shy away from contact. Though Capone will continue to bring the hammer, hopefully he’ll be less raw as a sophomore so he can contribute more offensively.
Cassidy Bowes — Sophomore
Bowes only played 11 games but looked good whenever he was out there. But once Ryan Tverberg locked up a spot on the line sheet, Bowes became a victim of the numbers game and dressed for just four games after the calendar flipped to 2021. With so much talent up top, Bowes will have to battle with fellow sophomore Gavin Puskar and freshmen Chase Bradley and Sasha Teleguine for playing time this season.
Gavin Puskar — Sophomore
When Puskar committed to UConn straight out of prep school, a source told me he’d probably need a year to add some strength to play at the college level. Depending on how much he’s progressed this summer, his size (6-foot-2) could give him an inside track to playing time, especially with Kale Howarth off to the pros. But much like with Bowes, there aren’t many spots up for grabs, especially at forward. Puskar will have to force his way into the lineup.
Ryan Tverberg — Freshman
An early enrollee last year, Tverberg joined the team after the first semester ended and saw his first action on Jan. 15 against UNH. He immediately stood out with his breakaway speed and scored four goals and three assists in 14 games — an even more impressive feat considering he didn’t have much time to get adjusted to the team or the speed of the college game. Even if Tverberg is just as good this year as he was last season, he should be one of UConn’s most dangerous players.
Chase Bradley — Freshman
Bradley previously committed to Northeastern and was a seventh round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft. He projects to be an immediately impact freshman for the Huskies. For what it’s worth: Since I’ve started covering UConn’s recruiting (c. April 2019), few incoming players have generated as much internal buzz as Bradley.
Sasha Teleguine — Freshman
The final forward added to UConn’s roster, Teleguine is a local kid from North Attleboro, Massachusetts and was described as a dangerous player with size, speed, and skills by a source. If we were making predictions, I’d guess he’d be on the line sheet when the Huskies open their season, though he’ll have to fend off the likes of Bowes and Puskar for the spot.
Jake Veilleux — Freshman
Technically, Veilleux is a hybrid defenseman/forward that will just play wherever UConn needs him on a given day. A native of South Windsor, Connecticut, Veilleux is a walk-on who won’t see any game time unless the Huskies get crushed by injuries.
Defensemen
Ryan Wheeler — Senior
Though he explored the transfer portal, Wheeler ultimately decided to return for his final season in Storrs — which the coaching staff was happy about. Wheeler made a noticeable leap as a junior and though he couldn’t earn a consistent spot in the lineup, he took advantage of his opportunities. Although Adam Karashik and Yan Kuznetsov both departed, Wheeler will likely compete with Arizona State transfer Jarrod Gourley to be the team’s sixth defenseman.
Jarrod Gourley — Senior
After UConn struck out on a big prospect who visited campus a few weeks back, the team settled for a safe option in Arizona State transfer Jarrod Gourley. He’s an experienced player, having been in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, who should be a solid if unspectacular option on the blue line. Until he proves otherwise, Gourley projects as the sixth or seventh d-man on the squad.
Carter Berger — Junior
Berger is perhaps UConn’s most offensive defenseman and one of the most athletic players on the team. Although he’s already a good blue liner for the Huskies, Berger probably has the highest potential of anyone in that group. He’s also an NHL pick (fourth round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2019) so this could be his last season in Storrs if he has a good year.
Jake Flynn — Junior
Another offensive-minded d-man, Flynn is UConn’s only returning defenseman who played every game last season. Unlike the other junior defenseman, Flynn is young (20 years old) after coming straight from the prep level. He’s another player who could be in position to make a big leap this offseason.
Roman Kinal — Redshirt junior
Kinal returned last year after missing the entire 2019-20 campaign with blood clots. Few players have made more strides in the classroom than Kinal since arriving and he’s perhaps best-equipped to fill the leadership void left by Karashik’s departure.
Harrison Rees — Junior
When I sat in on the coaches’ meetings for my behind-the-scenes story back in early 2020, head coach Mike Cavanaugh was watching film when he offered this comment to the room.
“Man, Harrison Rees is just steady. He’s not really flashy but he’s always at the same level.”
John Spetz — Sophomore
A few weeks ago, I was texting a program source after the defenseman who visited didn’t commit. While we were talking, I mentioned how I’d rather take Spetz over pretty much any NHL prospect out there for this season.
“100% agree” was the response.
Spetz led all defensemen with three goals, eight assists and 11 points and blocked 53 shots — the best mark in Hockey East and 20 more than the next closest teammate. He also quarterbacked the power play and showed off his ability to contribute both offensively and defensively with a mix of skill, strength and toughness.
Goaltenders
Darion Hanson — Graduate senior
With Tomas Vomacka long expected to sign a pro deal after his junior season, UConn added Union transfer Darion Hanson as its new starting goaltender. Though there’s always some uncertainty when it comes to turnover in net, Hanson is as close to a sure-thing as there is. However, don’t expect him to get every single start like Vomacka. If I had to guess (and it’s just a guess), Hanson will probably get roughly 2/3 of games.
Ryan Keane — Junior
Like Wheeler, Keane explored the transfer portal before ultimately deciding to return. He’s one of a few returning players on campus for the second summer session and should once again take the unheralded (but important) role of reserve goaltender.
Matt Pasquale — Sophomore
Pasquale missed all of 2020-21 after undergoing hip surgery in November. Though it would be a surprise to see anyone push Hanson for the starting spot in net, Pasquale should be in the mix with Logan Terness for the backup job. Not for nothing, every time I’ve ever spoken with someone in the program about Pasquale, they always have something good to say about him as a player. He could be a dark horse to start in 2022-23.
Logan Terness — Freshman
Terness is expected to be UConn’s goaltender of the future and should gain some valuable experience behind Hanson this year. When he committed, a source said the program believes he’s potentially the best goaltending prospect in all of Canada, not just British Columbia. Hopefully Terness will get a few starts to help spell Hanson throughout the season.