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dangler20
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Gophers

Post by dangler20 » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:59 pm

I heard that tomorrow Aaron Ness is going to sign a contract with the Islanders and not come back next year. Do you think there is going to be anymore players leaving?

h-m fan
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Re: Gophers

Post by h-m fan » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:18 pm

dangler20 wrote:I heard that tomorrow Aaron Ness is going to sign a contract with the Islanders and not come back next year. Do you think there is going to be anymore players leaving?
You never know these days.... I wouldn't be surprised if 2 or 3 guys don't return next year. However, I would be surprised if Ness does in fact leave. He hasn't impressed me a whole lot and I can't imagine he will do so at the next level either. I think he would be better off staying but what do I know? :lol:

PuckU126
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Re: Gophers

Post by PuckU126 » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:58 pm

h-m fan wrote:
dangler20 wrote:I heard that tomorrow Aaron Ness is going to sign a contract with the Islanders and not come back next year. Do you think there is going to be anymore players leaving?
You never know these days.... I wouldn't be surprised if 2 or 3 guys don't return next year. However, I would be surprised if Ness does in fact leave. He hasn't impressed me a whole lot and I can't imagine he will do so at the next level either. I think he would be better off staying but what do I know? :lol:
IMHO he should get his 4-year then go.

However, that $$$ may look too good for him.

8)
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mulefarm
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Post by mulefarm » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:17 pm

He was very impressive against AA, a minus 5 for the two games. It must be for his offense, 2 goals and 10 assists. Were is their east coast league team located? Good Luck

MNHockey75
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Post by MNHockey75 » Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:02 pm

Ness should've stayed in high school then played two years of USHL. He would be an upcoming freshman.
2001 & 2006 State Participant

BBB
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Post by BBB » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:30 pm

Not sure how he is going to handle the smaller rink and bigger stronger players in pro hockey but time will tell. Ness struggled with WCHA players size and strengthwise even this season. He took a ton of big hits in college so I doubt the pros will be much different.
Speaking taking big hits, rumor is Garth Snow is trying to acquire Kevin Wehrs rights from Bucks Unpainted Furniture Sr Mens team so he can play alongside Ness and help bring the cup back to Long Island. After their impressive showing this past weekend, especially when they both crashed the net in a one goal game with the season on the line, they had to sign these guys.
Did anyone else listen to Woog's comments as he signed off for the season saying Lucia might want to think about going out and getting some bigger, stronger D-men who can move the puck and handle other teams forwards...what an interesting concept!

mulefarm
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Post by mulefarm » Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:02 pm

MNHockey75 wrote:Ness should've stayed in high school then played two years of USHL. He would be an upcoming freshman.
He would basically be the same player with a little more experience unless the U would have de-committed him, which could have happened.

mulefarm
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Post by mulefarm » Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:21 pm

Did he sign?

warriors41
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Post by warriors41 » Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:47 pm

mulefarm wrote:Did he sign?
I just checked out the Islanders web site and it did not mention anything about Aaron Ness signing today.

Tigers33
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Post by Tigers33 » Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:41 am

Mulefarm...

+/- might be the most overrated stat if you are going to look at it at that way. Ness was -2 the second night, but was either of the goals his fault. No! Wehrs was probably completely responsible for both of those goals on saturday night.

Look at the stats for wehrs for the year...he is a +5. Is he better than Ness? Ha! No...Ness is up against the teams best line night in and night out. So...be careful about using +/- as a tool to define who is good.

PuckU126
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Post by PuckU126 » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:23 am

BBB wrote:Not sure how he is going to handle the smaller rink and bigger stronger players in pro hockey but time will tell. Ness struggled with WCHA players size and strengthwise even this season. He took a ton of big hits in college so I doubt the pros will be much different.
Speaking taking big hits, rumor is Garth Snow is trying to acquire Kevin Wehrs rights from Bucks Unpainted Furniture Sr Mens team so he can play alongside Ness and help bring the cup back to Long Island. After their impressive showing this past weekend, especially when they both crashed the net in a one goal game with the season on the line, they had to sign these guys.
Did anyone else listen to Woog's comments as he signed off for the season saying Lucia might want to think about going out and getting some bigger, stronger D-men who can move the puck and handle other teams forwards...what an interesting concept!
:lol:

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BBB
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Post by BBB » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:42 am

Tigers33 -
I would say Ness and Wehrs are about the same. They both chip in about 10-15 points a year and I know Ness gets a ton of PP time. They each had a whoping 14 points this year. Ness gets about 1 out of 10 pucks through on the power play and the other 9 are blocked or deflected. Wehrs shoots the puck better than Ness but that isn't saying much. +/- wise they were the same as well. Size, similar. They both look good going D to D 150ft away from the other teams goal but once they get in contact with guys they struggle. Each is known for taking a hit that gets the other teams bench jacked up.
Screw the Messier Project, what kind of helmets are these guys wearing?

mulefarm
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Post by mulefarm » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:01 am

Tigers33 wrote:Mulefarm...

+/- might be the most overrated stat if you are going to look at it at that way. Ness was -2 the second night, but was either of the goals his fault. No! Wehrs was probably completely responsible for both of those goals on saturday night.

Look at the stats for wehrs for the year...he is a +5. Is he better than Ness? Ha! No...Ness is up against the teams best line night in and night out. So...be careful about using +/- as a tool to define who is good.
Obviously you didn't watch the games. In front of the net Ness is a diasater, not strong and cannot get body position on bigger players. On the 2nd goal on Sat he was down below the circles and gave up a breakaway. Actually, +- is a great tool for how a player is preforming at both ends of the rink. Ness was not out against the other teams best line on a consistent basis. Are you saying he was their shut down D?

Northfan99
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Post by Northfan99 » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:49 pm

I agree with woog. Gophers d are brutal and have been for the last couple years.

warriors41
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Post by warriors41 » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:55 pm


Mailman
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Post by Mailman » Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:29 pm

WOW ! He doesn't have a chance of playing in the NHL imo; had a lot of trouble even handling D1 level of hockey.

On a side note, I like Rau a lot, but another small, skilled player is not what the Gophers need.........as the last few years have shown.

Can't see him handling the WCHA very well either.

wingmaster
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Post by wingmaster » Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:42 pm

Sheehey should get AGENT OF THE CENTURY AWARD to pull this off.

Tigers33
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Post by Tigers33 » Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:53 pm

Mulefarm...

1. I am a diehard gopher even through their pathetic play. Ness and Alt were the pairing that would be out game in and game out against the other teams top line. Yes...that is a fact! Does it happen all the time, no...but those were the two that would be out there most the time against the best line.

2. Ness was below the circle, but as a hockey mind I know he was the strong side defenseman. Who was the weak side defenseman on that play...Wehrs! Where was he on the play? Below the circle too...Not a good spot when the strong side d snuck down low.

First goal...who got beat on the weak side of the ice? Wehrs!!

I am not trying to say Ness is great, but he was a lot more improved this year than in the past. If you cant admit that than you dont know hockey. the sad thing is he should only be a sophmore, and should ve played one year of juniors that would make him a freshy. Instead he is a junior and leaving.

3. Defenseman ranked in the order in my opinion...
1 - Ness
2 - Alt
3 - Holl (Showed the most confidence of any Fr. defenseman at the U in a long time)
4 - Fairchild
5 - Helgy
6 - Schmitt

Wehrs and Parenteau would be the odd guys out in my opinion...

mulefarm
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Post by mulefarm » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:39 pm

Tiger,
I'm not a great hockey mind. My observations of Ness, he hasn't really improved in his 3 yrs at the U. He is basically the same player he was in HS. I don't believe juniors would have really helped his development, except for weight gain. He didn't have a frame that needed to fill out. He really didn't come to the U early, he is 2 mos older than Jake Gardiner. People were saying that he was the next Mike Crowley, which isn't even close. I do think if the U had a good D coach, he would have been more productive. He should have never been out against the top forwards, that's not his fault. I believe at the end of the season Alt was their best D.

BBB
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Post by BBB » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:47 pm

Alt is a way better defensemen than ness. More physical, shoots better, plays with an edge, better outlet passes and you could go on and on.
Tigers33. Ness would have had to play a senior year after the nhl draft to be a sophomore right now. He is older than Gardiner who went in as a true Freshmen and would have been going into his true senior year next year.
Why should he have played a yr of jrs? Come to think of it, he would have had a rough time in the USHL when he was a fr at the U...after the 08 draft.

BodyShots
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Post by BodyShots » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:01 am

The good news is that we are losing our three undersized defensemen (Wehrs, Ness, Fairchild) that couldn't move a leaf out of the way in the defensive zone. The bad news is that we are still stuck with Hill coaching the next wave of defesemen. I'm a little concerned Marshall will look a lot like these guys in the d-zone.

I'm also not going to miss the senior forwards (awful, horrible, and white) except Cepis. I think Rau could fill his role nicely.

The worst news, is that the U of M is going to extend The Don's contract. I don't get it. You just completed the worst four year run of any Gopher coach in history, and yet we are going to reward him with an extension. :roll:

auld_skool
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Post by auld_skool » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:07 am

My guess is that the Islanders wanted to get Ness away from the U just like they did with Okposo.

Mailman
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Post by Mailman » Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:47 pm

auld_skool wrote:My guess is that the Islanders wanted to get Ness away from the U just like they did with Okposo.
With the results the Islanders have had the last few years, I'd say they need to worry about their own program before whining about someone elses.

Sats81
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Post by Sats81 » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:15 pm

Mailman wrote:
auld_skool wrote:My guess is that the Islanders wanted to get Ness away from the U just like they did with Okposo.
With the results the Islanders have had the last few years, I'd say they need to worry about their own program before whining about someone elses.
No joke! Ness is gonna get rolled. He will never play in the show. Too small, too weak, not physical enough. Definitely a huge letdown at the U after the incredible career he had at Roseau.

Mailman
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Post by Mailman » Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:47 am

Sats81 wrote:
Mailman wrote:
auld_skool wrote:My guess is that the Islanders wanted to get Ness away from the U just like they did with Okposo.
With the results the Islanders have had the last few years, I'd say they need to worry about their own program before whining about someone elses.
No joke! Ness is gonna get rolled. He will never play in the show. Too small, too weak, not physical enough. Definitely a huge letdown at the U after the incredible career he had at Roseau.
That, and with only one more year left (in theory anyway) until he'd have a degree..............strange move.

As far as the U, have to say I actually never thought he'd do much there. As said before, he wasn't any good at defense in high school either, and playing at D1 would only show that even more.

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