It’s leap year for five Denver sophomores, and you can expect all five to be heavy contributors this season. That’s a scary thought for opponents because center Henrik Borgstrom and defenseman Michael Davies were NCHC all-rookie team members last season.

Here is a closer look at each of the five, listed in alphabetical order.

Henrik Borgstrom

As good as the fabulous Fin was a season ago (43 points, NCAA freshman-leading 22 goals), coach Jim Montgomery said Borgstrom could be even better this time around. “It’s scary to say this, but Borgstrom can improve in some areas. If that happens, he will be an even more dominant college hockey player,” the coach said. One area to look for that improvement would be in his all-around game. Borgstrom made a majority of his starts in the offensive zone and he didn’t kill penalties nearly as often as Troy Terry or Dylan Gambrell did. With several killers graduated, he probably will get that chance. Borgstrom’s skill level isn’t open for debate – if he had space he could create and finish like few in the college game. He led DU with eight power-play goals, a number that was second among Division I freshmen, and was second with 17 PP points. He’s also highly accurate, boasting a 17.5 shooting percentage. He and Terry are the tone-setters for DU’s offense as each scored a game’s first goal five times last season. His ceiling is high enough to launch hot air balloons in.

Michael Davies

Davies was the only freshman to play all 44 games last season, and he stepped right into an every situation role right away. Making that more impressive is he did it as a smaller defenseman and he led the team with a plus-32. His 17 points were second only to Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher’s 36 among DU blue liners. A good skater, Davies thinks the game a level higher than most players. His patience with the puck and his timing hitting open teammates was impeccable. He also wasn’t physically overmatched very often, as evidenced by him taking just 10 minors. Davies, as much as anyone, will be counted on for more offensive production with Butcher’s graduation.

Erich Fear

Though the 6-foot-5 defenseman appeared in just six games, time and again Montgomery lauded his work ethic and improvement at practice. He is a strong contender to get more ice time this season, and if that’s the case he’ll add size, strength and skill to the back end. He offers intriguing upside.

Liam Finlay

The diminutive winger scored seven of his eight goals from late January on and formed a potent trio with fellow freshmen Borgstrom and Tyson McLellan during the NCAA Tournament. It’s easy to forget he was in the top 10 in points (20), goals and assists (12) for the Pioneers. His elusiveness and puck skills make him an entertaining player to watch and his shooting accuracy (14.3 percent, tied for third on the team) leads me to believe there is more upside to his offense. Now that he has a year of the college game under his belt, he could flirt with 30 points.

Tyson McLellan

McLellan picked up points in three of his first four games, then didn’t score for two months. After picking up an assist vs. Minnesota-Duluth in early December, he didn’t score for another six weeks. From February on, he was a much better player, using his speed, tenacity and smarts to become an important penalty killer and sometime offensive threat in the postseason. He can create shots (67 shots, five of which went in for 7.5 percent). He clearly gained a higher level of confidence down the stretch, and he will be counted on to fill a bigger role, likely including on faceoffs, with the departure of so many veteran forwards.

Final analysis

Expect all five in the lineup every game or just about every game. The upside that all five bring is tantalizing collectively and individually. It will be fun to watch their development continue.

Go inside the numbers with DU’s seniors

Go inside the numbers with DU’s juniors

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