preseason preview of the recruits coming on campus:
http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/college ... rtheastern2015 Hockey East Recruiting Rankings by Class
By Jeff Cox@JeffCoxSports on Sep 15, 2015, 5:00p +
There is no Jack Eichel or Noah Hanifin in this year's crop of Hockey East freshmen, but there are some impact players who could change the landscape at the top of the league standings.
There's little doubt that Boston College has the top class in the league as Jerry York and his staff have stockpiled several blue chippers among the newest members of the Eagles.
Boston University isn't far behind, but the Terriers' were dealt a crushing blow when Maxim Letunov opted for UConn late in the summer.
Speaking of the Huskies, Mike Cavanaugh and his staff have done a great job elevating the talent level in Storrs, but this is by far the best class for that staff as it enters year three. UConn benefited from two players defecting from other Hockey East programs.
1. Boston College
This is a star-studded class headlined by three potentially huge impact players up front in Jeremy Bracco, Colin White and Miles Wood. Goaltender Chris Birdsall likely won't see much time between the pipes, barring an injury to starter Thatcher Demko, but he will be a key piece of the future.
York has typically shied away from older freshmen, but big '95 defenseman Josh Couturier, a former Northeastern commit, was added to the class this past December. The other defensive recruit is a familiar name to BC and hockey fans. Casey Fitzgerald, a USNTDP product and former Malden Catholic Lancer, is the brother of BC junior Ryan and son of New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom.
Also joining the Eagles are three forwards who are more energy, third-fourth line types in JD Dudek, Chris Brown and Chris Shero.
Impact Player: While White and Wood might have more pro upside, look for Jeremy Bracco to make the biggest contribution out of this year's rookies. The second round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs is small, but his stick skills and offensive creativity are off the charts. His speed isn't overwhelming, but he's magical with the puck and can make some slick passes even in traffic.
Sleeper: Dudek, a sixth round selection of the New Jersey Devils in 2014, comes to BC from the USHL. The Kimball Union alum isn't likely to make a big difference on the offensive side of the ice, but he's a good skater with high hockey IQ. He could be a real solid third or fourth liner that could occasionally chip into the offense. His father Joe finished ninth in the 1985 Heisman Trophy voting as a Division III player at Plymouth State, the highest ever for a non-Division I player.
2. BU
3. UConn
4. PC
5. UVM
6. NU
7. UMass
8. UML
9. ND
10. MC
11. UNH
12. Maine
This class will bring much needed depth, especially up front, to a roster that has lacked it over the past couple of years.
Kudos to Cav for what he's doing at UConn. They got a huge bump when a 2nd round NHL pick was having academic eligibility issues at BU but for some reason is ok at UConn.
BU loses a shit ton of offense but will be very deep on the blue line.