Previewing The Defense
Did RPI do enough to overhaul this defensive unit?
September is the time of year that every college hockey team thinks they’ve plugged their holes, rounded out their roster, and are poised for a deep run into March. There was no bigger hole on last year’s team than the blue line, but it is extremely hard to critique the complete overhaul performed by the staff this offseason. Two freshmen, three transfers, and a solid core of returners leave me feeling significantly better about this group.
While playing in the August golf outing and meeting this year’s roster, I was cautiously optimistic that the defense had been improved to a level I was comfortable with. I did, however, feel that perhaps one piece was missing. And then two weeks later, buzz circulated in college hockey circles that Alaska standout Arvils Bergmanis would be joining the Engineers. Funny how timing works. My outlook on the defensive core changed drastically with that news, not just because of Bergmanis’ ability, but because of how it slots everyone else into a better spot.
RPI’s defense struggled mightily last year, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The traditional, old school fan response is to say, “We need enforcers!” and “We need to be more physical!”. This staff actually took the opposite approach, and I really like their logic. RPI did not possess the puck at all last year, they were outshot in nearly every game, and as a result spent way too much time in their own end. This resulted in more penalties taken, less time on the attack, and more goals allowed. Brendan wrote a phenomenal piece about it at the end of last season which illustrated the problem. The team actually finished scoring opportunities at a high clip, but higher puck possession is more sustainable and also prevents goals against. As the old adage goes, “You can’t score without the puck”.
As a result, puck moving, play making defensemen were targeted in the transfer portal, intending to tilt the ice back in favor of the Engineers. Time will tell if this strategy was savvy, but I am very excited about the idea of it. One thing is for sure: This group is experienced and will be hungry to change the narrative of last season.
Top 4
The aforementioned Arvils Bergmanis may have committed the latest, but he appears to be the crown jewel of this year’s transfer portal class.
Coming over after 3 years at Alaska with a wealth of international experience for Latvia, Bergmanis should comfortably slot into the top 4. In my opinion, he would pair nicely with standout Max Smolinski, and I believe he will likely find himself on the top powerplay unit. As you can see on his player card, Bergmanis is an offensive standout that will drive play for the Engineers and sustain offensive opportunities. He fits the offseason mantra of “If you’re playing offense, you’re not playing defense”. He possesses the puck, he hits, and he breaks the puck out at a high level. I am not sure if the numbers necessarily support this, but I do feel that RPI lacked a true power play quarterback last year. Bergmanis is that. Another thing Arvils adds to this blue line is experience, and he has puck carrying ability that I haven’t seen in an Engineer in several years. I saw flashes of 19-20 Cory Babichuk watching him fluidly skate the puck blue line to blue line to start a rush. This is an exciting pickup for the Engineers, and Arvils should pack an offensive punch that RPI fans can really get excited about.
Max Smolinski returns for his junior year after a strong second half and a trip to Los Angeles Kings development camp this summer. Max is rising into a leadership role, and it was clear in speaking with him this summer that he is one of the returners hungry to turn it around. He and Bergmanis will be 1A and 1B for this unit, and I think we all appreciate the two-way game that Max brings to the table.
The important thing to note relative to his card are the bottom three statistics, which show his performance relative to the team. The team’s struggles will cloud Max’s performance, but he is a play-driver and a competitor in his own end. I thought his game matured as the season went on and showed he was turning the corner from a flashy underclassman to a mature, responsible defenseman. One thing to note is how the Strom-Smolinski pairing has been a fixture over the past two years, but it appears Bergmanis and McDermott slot in above Strom on the left side right now. These two are very effective together, but we certainly could see some new combinations this season. Regardless, he is poised for a junior year breakout, where he approaches 20 points and all-league honors.
Elliott McDermott has had a unique journey around college hockey before landing at RPI. After being a standout at Colgate for two years, he moved to Hockey East to join the UMass Minutemen for a pair of years. RPI has had success with most of its Hockey East transfers, and it is easy to get excited about an experienced defenseman that is coming down from a harder league. Anthony Baxter flourished here, and I believe McDermott’s game will seamlessly transition back to physical ECAC play. His career high in points (13) came at Colgate, but he was a regular in the lineup for a good UMass team during his two years. McDermott is a good skater and an experienced defender with a high IQ and motor. He breaks pucks out well, and I would expect him to contribute to the theme of quick, play-driving defensemen this year.
Will Gilson is the final transfer to cover, and he is unique in that he is the only transfer this year with multiple years of eligibility. Will comes over from Alaska-Anchorage, who did not compete for a few years before returning in 2022.
Gilson was not an incredibly heralded recruit, but his game flourished in Anchorage. His skillset is also offensive, and he should be yet another power play option on the back end for RPI. They do not all end up in goals, but Gilson puts pucks on net and allows good things to happen in front of the goaltender. He is not incredibly physical, but his speed is a strength, and he breaks pucks out very well. I could see him pairing nicely with a defensively responsible partner like Strom or McDermott and flourishing in this role.
3rd Pair
Nick Strom returns for year 3 at RPI where he will be relied upon to play shutdown defense in an offense heavy defensive group. Strom is incredibly reliable and has a high IQ. I expect him to be relied upon on the penalty kill and will balance out one of the more offensive minded RD’s that RPI has this year. Look for Strom to give the Engineers near identical output to that of his past two seasons.
Jimmy Goffredo provided the Engineers with an immediate spark upon his entrance during the Christmas break last season. Jimmy found immediate success and used his quick feet and heavy shot to contribute offense. I am excited to see what he looks like after going through a full offseason in the program, I can’t imagine the situation he walked into last year was ideal. He found success on the Engineer powerplay and will benefit from an upgraded partner like Nick Strom. I am intrigued by Jimmy’s upside and think he has top 4 potential in the next few years. His defense was more than adequate for a freshman, but I think if he elevates in the back end, he will be a real difference maker for the Engineers.
Depth
The third and final Latvian newcomer this year is Gustavs Ozolins, who comes in after captaining the Minnesota Wilderness of the NAHL. Gustavs has a high hockey IQ and should be a freshman with minimal growing pains because of his experience. Prior to the Bergmanis opportunity presenting itself, it seemed the staff was prepared for him to dress every night on the 3rd pair. I still expect Goose to get a lot of time this season, and he is clearly part of the future going forward with all three LDs above him on their way out. He is a bit smaller, but fits the puck-moving identity and perhaps is more defensively reliable than some ahead of him.
This may seem like a surprising spot to have veteran Jack Agnew, but it is simply due to the strength of the other right shot defenseman that RPI has on the roster. I expect Agnew to dress every night and think he will be one of RPI’s most relied upon penalty killers this season. One thing to note is that he is only 22 as a graduate student, which is pretty incredible in today’s game where you will find 26 and 27 year olds still in college hockey. Jack has been relied upon to play some of RPI’s heaviest minutes the past few seasons, which makes this season intriguing for him. In a more situational role this year, I am excited to see him maximize his minutes and excel at what he is great at. His experience, prowess on the PK, and skating will all show out this year and I am stoked to see Jack return for his 5th year.
Lucas Matta had a tough adjustment to RPI last season despite flashing some stretches of good play. Matta didn’t play much at Western Michigan his freshman year, and struggled to find rhythm after transferring into the ECAC. He does still possess the tools and has good size and skating, but it will be important to rebuild his confidence to access his potential. He is a bit of a wild card coming into the year, but is certainly a bounce back candidate that could give the team a shot in the arm if he contributes.
Finally, Brody Maguire comes to RPI from the Okotoks Oilers where he was teammates with Jagger Tapper the last few years. I am excited to see Brody because his stats do not jump off the page, but the staff speaks incredibly highly of him. He is labeled as a defensive defenseman that is physical and responsible. He plays a mature game that could definitely get some usage this year in an effort to balance out the skating and offense of the top guys. I am excited to see Brody’s development path here in the next few years.
I feel like it may be a hot take to say I think the strength of the team is its defense, but I really do believe it. The top 4 has been overhauled with Arvils Bergmanis, Elliott McDermott, and Will Gilson, and they pair with solid contributors from last year’s team. Max Smolinski has all-league potential and Jimmy Goffredo is poised to take a step. Gustavs Ozolins is an intriguing piece of the puzzle as a freshman. Ultimately, this group will need to come together and gel, but I do believe the potential is there for this unit. I did my best to articulate the data behind why it is more important for RPI to possess the puck this season than it is to be more physical, and I believe the roster turnover supports this. The hope is that if this area is improved, the Engineers will not only spend less time in their own end, but they will have more scoring chances by having the puck more. They will take less end-of-shift penalties (tripping, holding, etc.) because they won’t be caught in their own end and will play a faster, end-to-end game. Time will tell if this strategy works. I can’t wait to find out.