Caron and Muzzatti Enter Transfer Portal, Where Does the Search Stand?

RPI's first two portal entrants shake up the offensive picture

Earlier in the week, standout freshman Felix Caron and Nashville draft pick Sutter Muzzatti entered their names in the transfer portal. Aside from early entrant Nick Strom, these are the first, and likely not the last players we will see go. It is part of the game nowadays, especially when you undergo a coaching change.

Sutter Muzzatti had a bit of a “what could have been” career at RPI, especially after the prolific freshman year he had. He was basically a point-per-game producer in the second half of his freshman year and was rewarded as a 5th-round selection of Nashville that summer. He battled injuries his sophomore year on a bad team, and didn’t quite take the leap that he had hoped. In the offseason, he had hip surgeries which essentially took him out of his junior year entirely. It makes sense that he needs a change of scenery, especially before the Predators would lose his rights. If his body is fully healthy, he can make a real impact in the middle-6 for a top 10 or 15 team in the country. It is too bad we never got to see everything Muzzatti could have been while at RPI. All accounts say that Sutter was an excellent leader and ambassador of the program, and we wish him all the best in his final year of college hockey.

Caron is a real tough one to lose. He was the crown jewel of last year’s recruiting class. He came in off a year in which he finished 3rd in goals and points in the BCHL. He took a ton of penalties in his freshman year, but 21 points as a freshman is a rarity. Felix was definitely a player you would have liked to keep and develop the next 3 years. He was on a path to becoming a 15 goal, point-per-game type of player in a few seasons. Losing Muzzatti hurts, but Caron would have been a much more valuable piece to a new coach because of how much eligibility he has left. We wish Felix the best and look forward to following the rest of his college career.

Big Picture Thoughts Before the Hiring

The Houston Field House feasibility study and future renovations, the coaching change, and extended search indicate the institution is committed to reviving the hockey program. But RPI is not positioned financially and competitively for an overnight rebuild. As disheartening as that may be for fans that have endured a lot of struggles, it is still the reality of the situation. I take a lot of solace in the fact that the new president is an alum and a massive hockey fan. The AD came from a hockey powerhouse at Boston University. They are putting their fingerprints on this program, but it takes a minute to get your ducks in a row behind the scenes.

Engineer fans shouldn’t panic if there is short term pain. Remember, this team finished 12th and 10th respectively in the past two seasons. There is no talent on the roster that is absolutely irreplaceable. Regardless, these two losses sting. Muzzatti has been a staple with explosive talent, and Caron had the potential to be a top-6 cornerstone. I am sure there is urgency within the athletic department to get this this search wrapped up, so the new coach doesn’t inherit a gutted roster.

This process is about rebuilding the foundation of the program to support long-term, sustained winning. Things like this are going to happen, but you have to keep the vision in mind and let whoever the new coach is build it their way. Hopefully we will have clarity on the search soon, I would expect something is finalized or very close by the end of next week. Until then, and especially after then, buckle up and have patience as the program overhaul roars on this summer. It’s going to be a busy offseason.