April 30, 2008
10 For '09: The Hobey

We're only a few weeks removed from the 2008 national championship game, but here at Inside College Hockey we can't resist casting our gaze toward the future. A lot can change between now and the drop of the puck in October, but that doesn't stop our 10 For '09 feature.

In the upcoming days, we will take a look at the top 10 teams headed into next season; in addition to our thoughts on 10 big questions headed into the upcoming campaign. For now, we begin the 10 For '09 feature by taking an early look at who will be next year's contenders for the Hobey Baker Award.

Player

Note

Richard Bachman
Colorado College

Hard to believe that Bachman was the WCHA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, yet wasn't a finalist for the Hobey this past season. He seized the No. 1 goaltending job early in the season and backstopped Colorado College to the conference regular-season title. Bachman is the country's top returning goalie – at least statistically – and he's now got the name recognition befitting a Hobey candidate. He doesn’t have to post the gaudy data of his freshman campaign, however; merely coming close to those gaudy numbers should be enough to get him into the top 10.
Erik Condra
Notre Dame		 You remember Condra from Notre Dame's run to the national championship game, don't you? No? That's because Condra, the Fighting Irish's leading scorer with 38 points, was injured in the team's CCHA playoff quarterfinal series and missed the last six games. He's led the Irish in points in each of his three seasons and likely would have cracked the 40-point plateau last season had he stayed healthy. With a bevy of talented forwards returning and the Irish likely to be among the country's top teams, Condra should score in the neighborhood of 50 points.
Nathan Gerbe
Boston College		 Quite simply, if he's back at Boston College for the 2008-09 season, he's the clear front-runner for the Hobey. Gerbe's talent is undisputed and he carries the momentum of a dazzling performance at the Frozen Four into the upcoming season. If voters regretted the fact that they chose Kevin Porter over Nathan Gerbe last season, they may find extra motivation to find a way to recognize the star from BC. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time that a player from a Boston-based school won the award one year later than he should have.
Lee Jubinville
Princeton		 One of the lesser-known talents in college hockey saw his profile raised by a stellar campaign in helping lead Princeton to the ECAC Hockey tournament championship and the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. His overall statistical performance (12 goals and 39 points) probably doesn't match the usual standard for Hobey candidates, but he was the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey Player of the Year. The Tigers will be more closely followed if they can improve upon last season's performance, and will likely start the season as a nationally-ranked team. All of those factors make Jubinville a likely repeat among the Hobey top-10.
Ryan Lasch
St. Cloud State		 There's little doubt that this returning Hobey finalist will be able to match or exceed his lofty point totals in the recently completed campaign when he scored 25 goals and 53 points. We expect that most of his key running mates will also return (with the exception of Philadelphia-bound Andreas Nodl), making St. Cloud State a potent offensive force once again. With the likes of Garrett Roe and Garrett Raboin likely to join Lasch on one of the Huskies' power-play units, it won't take long for Lasch to reach the 100-point and 50-goal career milestones in just his junior season.
Jeff Lerg
Michigan State		 Even though his numbers didn't match those of many other goalies across the country, Michigan State's Jeff Lerg has proven himself to be one of the elite goaltenders in the nation. One of the game's truly good guys has a national championship ring and was the First Team All-CCHA goalie last season, in addition to being a returning Hobey Finalist. A good deal of the Spartans' firepower up front has left due to graduation or professional contracts, giving Lerg an opportunity to shine even more on what will be a very young, team next season. Think David Brown with a résumé.
Mark Mitera
Michigan		 One year after there was nary a defenseman among the Hobey Baker finalists, we project that Michigan's leader on the blue line will receive the national recognition that he rightly deserves. Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik have moved on to the professional ranks, and a very balanced set of supporting forwards will be relied upon for offensive production. That will mean lots of ice time and a fantatstic opportunity to stand out for Mitera. Expect the Wolverines to be represented among the 10 Hobey finalists, and there's no better fit than Mitera.
T.J. Oshie
North Dakota		 Even though he finished the season tied for second in the WCHA in scoring with 45 points, Oshie’s inclusion among this year’s 10 finalists certainly caused a few college hockey fans to raise their eyebrows. And sure, his numbers were off a tick from his sophomore season, but that’s to be expected when a linemate (in this case, Jonathan Toews) leaves the program and steps right into an NHL job. Oshie’s days with the Fighting Sioux may be numbered – it wouldn’t be a shock if he signs with St. Louis prior to the start of the 2008-09 season. If he does come back, however, it’s a near certainty to pencil him in for 20 goals and 50 assists.
Blake Wheeler
Minnesota		 Before you accuse us of ingesting hallucinogens, follow our logic on this one. Considering everything that went down for the Gophers in 2007-08, Wheeler’s got a few factors working in his favor. First, there’s no way Minnesota’s upcoming season can be anywhere near as tumultuous as its last. Second, in spite of all the drama, Wheeler still had a pretty darn good year, notching 15 goals and 35 points. Finally, provided he doesn’t sign with Phoenix before the season, Wheeler can use his senior campaign to show Wayne Gretzky and Co. that he’s capable of joining Peter Mueller, Kyle Turris and the like to form the franchise’s nucleus in the future.
Colin Wilson
Boston University		 The Terriers had a strong finish to the 2007-08 season. So, too, did Wilson, who scored 28 points over BU’s final 28 games. He’ll be the hub of the team’s offense, and the focal point of a young, talented squad next season. Assuming he can build on the momentum he generated during the final two-thirds of his rookie year – and his Terrier teammates follow suit – Wilson should have no problem improving on the 35 points he scored last season. Wilson should also get a significant boost from a publicity standpoint next month – he’s a virtual lock to be selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.