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| Tim Stützle Former 2020 UNH Commit |
German hockey player Tim Stützle, a projected first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, will not be pursuing a college education or playing hockey at the University of New Hampshire. On June 26th, just four days after the 2019 NHL Draft was completed, Adler Mannheim (the Mannheim Eagles) of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) announced that Stützle had signed a three-year contract. I had an opportunity to interview Tim Stützle, via email, about his decision to turn professional and not follow through on his verbal commitment to UNH:
Interview
Mike Lowry: On June 21st, Moritz Seider, your former teammate on the 2017-18 Jungadler Mannheim U19 and Germany U18 teams and the 2018-19 Germany U20 team, became the first Germany-born defenseman ever selected in the first round of an NHL Draft. He initially expressed "shock" when the Detroit Red Wings made him the 6th overall choice. Seider, who is a year older than you, chose to remain in Germany last season and play professionally for Adler Mannheim. Was he a factor in your decision to follow the same route toward a career in the NHL?
Tim Stützle: Myself and Moritz are very good friends. I am very proud of him and wish him all the best for the future. Seeing him go so high in the draft did show that it is possible to stay in your own country and still be seen by NHL scouts.
Lowry: What other factors went into your decision to sign with Adler Mannheim for the 2019-20 season?
Stützle: My family and friends are close for support.
Lowry: It's still a year away, but do you see yourself as a potential first round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft?
Stützle: I hope to have a solid season in the DEL. If it is enough to get drafted in the first round will be a decision made by other people, I can only focus on my game.
Lowry: In early January, 2018, you verbally committed to accept an athletic scholarship offer to the University of New Hampshire. How did you first hear about UNH and what were the main reasons you chose to verbally commit to UNH?
Stützle: I was at a summer hockey camp in which Mike Souza was helping. We talked a lot during the camp and I decided to fly over to see the University in which I liked very much.
Lowry: At what point did you decide you were not going to play NCAA hockey at UNH? Was it a difficult decision for you?
Stützle: It was a very difficult decision. I made my final decision in June after spending many hours and days thinking about it.
An NHL First-Round Prospect
No doubt, it must have been difficult for members of the UNH hockey program to hear of Stützle's decision, particularly for head coach Mike Souza. In the Summer of 2017, when he was a UNH associate head coach, Souza traveled to Germany, recognized the potential of the 15-year-old Stützle, and successfully secured a verbal commitment. Fast forward to this summer and Stützle has become a consensus first-round prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft. Here's where Stützle ranks on Top 31 NHL Draft Prospects Lists published this summer by several scouts and hockey writers:Future Considerations - Ranked 6th
Hockey Prospect - 15th
Prospect Pipeline - 11th
Chris Peters, ESPN - 15th
Larry Fisher, The Hockey Writers - 17th
Ben Kerr, Last Word on Hockey - 10th
Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst - 17th
Future Considerations scouting service's profile of Tim Stützle, which came out on June 24th, includes these descriptions of his skills:
"A fantastic skater who’s highly skilled and can contribute as a goal scorer or playmaker, Stützle is an all-around offensive forward with high upside heading into the 2020 NHL Draft...an excellent skater...can quickly react to game situations not only with learned movements but natural footwork...incredibly quick hands...lightning quick release and accuracy on his shots with some power behind them...biggest positives offensively are his goal scoring instincts and offensive awareness...is still young and continually improving."In late March, Stützle and Jungadler Mannheim won the DNL U20 Playoffs. Tim averaged 2.20 points per game throughout the playoffs which tied him for second in scoring. He scored the game-winning goal in the Championship Game. These video highlights illustrate some of his elite offensive skills:
Stützle's Achievements
Tim Stützle developed rapidly during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. He went from a 15-year-old player with NHL potential to a consensus 2020 first-round prospect in preliminary rankings. Here are some of his accomplishments along the way:2017-18 DNL U19: ~ 1.88 Points per Regular Season Game - 4th in DNL ~ 1.60 Points per Playoff Game - 3rd in DNL ~ Scored OT Game-Winner in Championship Game 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship - Division I Group A: ~ 0.80 PPG - Tied 4th, Team Germany won Silver
2018-19 DNL U20 - Regular Season: ~ 1.08 Goals per Game - 1st in DNL ~ 1.52 Assists per Game - 1st ~ 2.50 Points per Game - 1st DNL U20 - Playoffs: ~ 2.20 Points per Game - Tied 2nd ~ Scored Game-Winner in Championship Game 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship - Division I Group A: ~ 1.80 PPG - Tied 1st ~ 1.40 Assists per Game - 1st ~ Best Forward Award ~ Team Germany won Gold, Promoted to Top Group
What Might Have Been
Tim Stützle remained verbally committed to the University of New Hampshire for a year and a half. Given his exceptional talent and likely status as a first-round NHL pick, one wonders how he might have impacted the UNH hockey program had he followed through on his commitment. Since he is a senior in high school this season, he would have entered UNH in the Fall of 2020. He had also planned to play for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL this season.There's little doubt Stützle would have been one of the most dynamic offensive players ever to wear a UNH jersey. He would have been a big draw for the Whittemore Center and other Hockey East arenas. But would he have spearheaded a UNH return to the Hockey East Championship or the NCAA Frozen Four, or put UNH over the top for their first National Championship? Although it's tempting to think so, in reality, it's unusual for a first-round NHL pick to lead their team to the Hockey East and/or National Championship.
Impact of Former UNH Players Who Were NHL First-Rounders
Historically, two NHL first-rounders have played for the UNH men's hockey program - Normande Lacombe ('82 & '83) and James van Riemsdyk ('08 & '09). Both attended UNH for 2 seasons and were members of UNH teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament each year they played.Lacombe, a 6'0", 205 lbs. right-winger was drafted 10th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1983 NHL Draft. As a freshman in the 1981-82 season, Lacomb was UNH's 5th leading scorer with 18 goals, 16 assists in 35 games. That team, lead by All-American Andy Brickley (26G, 27A), lost in the semifinals of both the 1982 ECAC Tournament and NCAA Frozen Four.
In his sophomore season, Lacomb was the 4th leading scorer on the team with 18 goals, 25 assists in 35 games. The leading scorer on the '82-'83 team was Steve Lyons (20G, 35A), a 6th-Round pick of the Boston Bruins. That UNH team lost in the semifinals of the 1982 ECAC Tournament and lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Overall, Norm Lacombe was a top player for UNH in his two seasons. He was named ECAC Rookie of the Year and made the ECAC All-Star Team as a sophomore. However, the UNH Most Valuable Player Award in 1982 and '83 went to goalie Todd Pearson. Lacombe was not an NCAA All-American.
James van Riemsdyk was drafted 2nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft. There have been only five #2 NHL picks to play NCAA hockey, the last being Jack Eichel. Similarly, only three #1 NHL Picks - Joe Murphy (1986, Red Wings/Michigan State), Rick DiPietro (2000, Islanders/Boston University), and Erik Johnson (2006, Blues/Minnesota) - played college hockey.
During his two seasons at UNH, JvR was a 6'3", 190 lbs., left winger (and occasional centerman). As a freshman in the 2007-08 season, JvR was UNH's 3rd leading scorer with 11 goals, 23 assists in 31 games. Midseason, he missed 5 UNH games while leading Team USA in the 2008 World Junior Championship. Senior Matt Fornataro (38 Games, 18G, 28A) was UNH's leading scorer. The Wildcats won the Hockey East Regular Season Title but lost to Boston College in triple overtime in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals. As the #4 Seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, UNH was defeated by Notre Dame in the opening round of 16.
As a sophomore, JvR lead UNH in scoring with 17 goals, 23 assists in 36 games. He tied for 14th in scoring among all NCAA players. The 2008-09 Wildcats did not claim the Hockey East Regular Season Title and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East Tournament. They did advance to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament but lost to Boston University, the eventual National Champion.
JvR's individual accolades were similar to those achieved by Norm Lacombe. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and made Hockey East's Second All-Star Team as a sophomore. In JvR's two seasons, the UNH Most Valuable Player Trophy was awarded to All-American goalies - Kevin Regan in 2008 and Brian Foster in 2009. Like Lacombe, van Riemsdyk was not an NCAA All-American.
Impact of NHL First-Rounders in College Hockey
The College Hockey Inc. database shows that over the last 10 seasons, 65 NHL First-Rounders played NCAA hockey and 21 of them played in Hockey East. These teams had 3 or more first-rounders play for them, each for at least one season, since the 2009-10 season: Boston University - 10 Boston College - 7 Michigan - 7 Minnesota - 7 North Dakota - 7 Wisconsin - 6 Denver - 3 Michigan State - 3Here's a list of the National Champions since the 2009-10 season and the NHL First-Rounders on the team:
2009-10: Boston College - Chris Kreider (19th overall pick, NY Rangers, 2009 NHL Draft) - 9th Scorer on BC (15G, 8A). 2010-11: Minnesota Duluth - Dylan Olsen (28th overall pick, Chicago Blackhawks 2009) - Left team midseason to turn pro. 2011-12: Boston College - Chris Kreider (19th overall pick, 2009) - BC's leading scorer (23G, 22A), T-11th in NCAA. Kevin Hayes (24th overall pick, Philadelphia Flyers, 2010) - T-7th scoring on BC (7G, 21A). 2012-13: Yale - No NHL First-Rounders on team. 2013-14: Union - No NHL First-Rounders on team. 2014-15: Providence - Mark Jankowski (21st overall pick, Calgary Flames, 2012) - T-4th scoring on PC (8G, 19A), NCAA All-Tournament Team. 2015-16: North Dakota - Brock Boeser (23rd overall pick, Vancouver Canucks, 2015) - ND's leading scorer (27G, 33A), 3rd in NCAA, NCAA All-Tournament Team, All-American. Nick Schmaltz (20th overall pick, Chicago Blackhawks, 2014) - 3rd Scorer on ND (11G, 35A). 2016-17: Denver - Henrik Borgstrom (23rd overall pick, Florida Panthers, 2016) - Denver's 2nd leading scorer (22G, 21A), T-14th in NCAA, All-American. 2017-18: Minnesota-Duluth - Riley Tufte (25th overall pick, Dallas Stars, 2016 NHL Draft) - 3rd leading scorer on Duluth (16G, 13A). 2018-19: Minnesota-Duluth - Riley Tufte (25th overall pick, 2016) - T-8th scoring on Duluth (9G, 10A).
Here are my observations on the impact NHL First-Rounder have had on winning the NCAA National Championship over the last 10 seasons:
(1) Of the 65 First Round NHL draft picks to play college hockey in the last 10 years, only 8 played on a National Championship team. (2) Only one First-Rounder was a dominant player for his team throughout the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament. Brock Boeser (North Dakota, 2016) was the third leading scorer in the nation. He scored 2G, 6A in the NCAA Tournament, was named to the All-Tournament Team, and was a First Team All-American. (3) Two First-Rounders had an outstanding regular seasons and performed well in the National Tournament. Henrik Borgstrom (Denver, 2017) was the Pioneers' second leading scorer in the regular season (T-14th in NCAA). He scored 1G, 4A in the NCAA Tournament but was not named to the All-Tournament Team. He did earn First Team All-American honors. Chris Kreider (Boston College, 2012) was the Eagles' regular season leading scorer (T-11th in NCAA) and scored 3G, 1A in the National Tourney. He was not on the All-Tournament team and did not earn All-American honors. (4) Mark Jankowski (Providence, 2015) had an average regular season but came on strong in the National Tournament. He scored 2G, 2A in the NCAA tourney and made the All-Tournament team. (5) Three Champions had a single first-rounder who was not among the top scorers on the team and did not stand out in the NCAA Tournament (Boston College/Krieder-2010, Minnesota-Duluth/Tufte-2018 & 2019). (6) Two National Champions had no first-rounders on the team (Yale-2013, Union-2014). (7) One Champion only had a first-rounder for the first-half of the season (Minnesota-Duluth, 2011).
Since the 2009-10 season, two other notable NHL First-Rounders, who did not win the NCAA Championship, were dominant college players.
Jack Eichel (Forward, Boston University, 2015) - #2 overall pick, Buffalo Sabres, 2015 NHL Draft. ~ NCAA Leading Scorer (26G, 45A) ~ Lead BU to Hockey East Championship. Tournament MVP ~ Scored 2G, 2A in NCAA Tournament. BU lost to Providence in Championship Game 3-4 ~ Named to All-Tournament Team ~ First Team All-American ~ Won Hockey Baker Award
Cale Makar (Defenseman, UMass Amherst, 2019) - #4 overall pick, Colorado Avalanche, 2017 NHL Draft. ~ NCAA 2nd Leading Scorer (16G, 33A) ~ Lead UMass Amherst to 1st Frozen Four ~ Scored 1G, 2A in NCAA Tournament. UMass lost to Minnesota-Duluth in Championship Game 0-3 ~ First Team All-American ~ Won Hockey Baker Award
Final Thoughts
Judging by the last decade in NCAA ice hockey, first-round NHL draft picks usually do not propel their college team to the National Championship. Brock Boeser did it for North Dakota in 2016. Jack Eichel almost accomplished the feat for Boston University in 2015. The same for Cale Makar and UMass-Amherst in 2019.If the summer of 2020 had seen Tim Stützle selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft followed by his arrival on the UNH campus in August, would he have returned the Wildcats to national prominence? Would he have been more like Boeser, Eichel, and Makar? Or more like most NHL first-rounders - very good college hockey players but not transformative?
Having watched a lot of live and on-demand video feeds of Jungadler Mannheim over the last year and a half, I think Tim Stützle would have dramatically increased UNH's goal-scoring. He has a lot of room to develop defensively but with his elite skating and the proper coaching, that will improve. Given how rapidly he has progressed playing against older, stronger players in Germany and in International competition, he probably would have stayed at UNH for one season then signed an NHL contract.
Crashing back to reality, that train has already left the station and is racing ahead. In his first two official, professional games, Tim Stützle potted a goal in each for Adler Mannheim. Here's a link to some video highlights from his second game put together by Daniel Gee Scouting. What might have been, indeed.
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