Denver watched 173 points and all but two of its goalie starts walk out the door after the 2017-18 season.

What’s left is a solid collection of players, albeit young ones. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to rank the Pioneers’ 18 returning players – just seven of whom will be upperclassmen next season – heading into the summer.

In forming this list, I considered past production, potential future production, team needs at given positions and a host of off-ice attributes that I’ve either observed at practices and gleaned through interviews. These are only my opinions, and I’d enjoy hearing your feedback. As always, you can tweet to me at @MagnessMayhem.

And now the list …

1. Ian Mitchell – Consider all of the terrific offensive defensemen the Pioneers have had during the past 15 years, and only Joey Laleggia (40 points) had a better freshman season than Mitchell did (30 points). Will Butcher didn’t. He had 16 points points as a freshman and didn’t surpass 30 until his junior season. DU’s other Hobey Baker winner, Matt Carle, had 26 as a freshman, before going on to 44, 53 and, like Butcher, the NHL. Mitchell is an elite talent who showed a nice progression last season on and off the ice. Much of the Pioneers’ offense will run through him, and it would not be a surprise to see him surpass 40 points.
2. Jarid Lukosevicius – The newly minted assistant captain nearly led
   

   Jared Lukosevicius. Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio and Denver Athletics

   DU in goals with his 21, finishing second to Henrik Borgström (23). Eleven of Luko’s strikes came on the power play, and Mitchell had a hand in many of those. Strong around the net and possessing a rocket of a shot, Luko should at least match his goal total despite having new linemates and drawing even more attention from opponents.

3. Logan O’Connor – The Pioneers’ captain, as have the young men directly above and below him on this list, has taken a step forward every season. His speed and intelligence will get him into scoring areas, so surpassing 21 points isn’t out of the question, but his defensive acumen and versatility are what really set him apart. He can play anywhere in the lineup and contribute. He’s one of the best penalty killers in all of college hockey.
4. Colin Staub – Much like O’Connor, Staub’s biggest calling cards are his versatility, intelligence and leadership. But don’t sleep on his offensive ability. He’s a capable goal scorer, and he should get more chances this season with increased playing time in offensive situations. And, if a puck goes near the wall or to the front of the net, you can safely assume Staub will emerge with it nine times out of 10.
5. Michael Davies – The defenseman, who played with graduated senior Adam Plant in a shutdown role last season, could be the program’s
   

   Michael Davies. Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio and DU Athletics

   Plant this season. His intelligence, stick and skating help him compensate for being a smaller D-man (5-foot-8, 166 pounds). With increased responsibility and more power-play time this season, it’s easy to see him surpassing the 17 points he put up as a freshman. He could be paired with a younger defender in a mentoring role or team up with a veteran in a shutdown role again.

6. Tyson McLellan – He nearly matched his freshman season output despite playing in barely a third of the games because of a shoulder injury. The junior features one of the best two-way games on the team, is its best face-off man and has impressive speed and hockey IQ. There is no way to quantify how much the Pioneers missed him last season beyond saying “a lot”. He seems like a likely candidate to slide into one of the top two center spots.
7. Jaakko Heikkinen – The maturity to Heikkinen’s game impressed me from the beginning of the season. The center plays a well-rounded game, and he scored seven goals despite not playing in a lot of scoring situations. He also is a good on face-offs. Most coaches will tell you that a college player’s biggest gains come between years 1 and 2, so expect Heikkinen to thrive in a much bigger role.
8. Kohen Olischefski – Like Heikkinen, Olischefski should blossom with a year of college hockey under his belt. His skill, speed and offensive upside were regularly on display during the second half of the 2017-18 season, and he could give Lukosevicius a run for his money as the team’s goal-scoring leader. His junior and youth hockey numbers indicate he could shoulder a much bigger portion of the Pioneers’ scoring load. He was also a plus-player as a freshman, so it’s not as if he’s a one-dimensional wonder.
9. Liam Finlay – Finlay came on in the second half of his freshman season and seemed to plateau a bit as a sophomore, when he scored four fewer points. Maybe it’s a matter of more opportunities, but more likely – and he told me this during the season – he needs to shoot the puck more. His skill with the puck on his stick and his elusiveness is off the charts, making his 5-7 stature less of an issue. A 30-point season is not out of the question.
10. Ryan Barrow – When Barrow fills out, watch out. He’s big (6-2), skates
    

    Ryan Barrow helped Denver win the Frozen Face-off with a second-period goal. Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio and Denver Athletics

    well and has a nose for the net. As he gained more confidence last season, his game took on some Staub-like characteristics, and he and Olischefski clearly built some chemistry. He was a big scorer in junior, and he demonstrated why at times near the end of his freshman year. He’s a player with tremendous upside.

11. Griffin Mendel – Don’t be surprised to see Mendel playing big minutes this coming season. How many freshmen D can go plus-13 in the NCHC? Not many, and that speaks to his defensive tenacity. A big man (6-4), he has excellent mobility and the ability to make solid exits from the D zone. He will be a key penalty killer and should be in the conversation for playing in one of DU’s top two pairs.
12. Jake Durflinger – He was the Pioneers’ second-highest scoring freshman a season ago and their top agitator by a mile. A very smart player, Durflinger brings all-out energy every shift and demonstrated a very good nose for the net. He also earned PK time as a freshman, which tells you something about how trusted he is.
13. Erich Fear – His game isn’t about numbers as much as it is about preventing opponents from piling them up, and by that measure the 6-5 blue liner grew by leaps and bounds in his second season. Another smart, sound player, I would expect him to play much more regularly than he did last season (20 games). He could pair with Mendel or Davies in a shutdown role, depending how much responsibility the Pioneers’ incoming D can handle. He also would be an excellent mentor to one of the newcomers.
14. Dayton Rasmussen – It’s tough to get a read on Rasmussen at this
    

    Dayton Rasmussen. Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio and Denver Athletics

    point. He’s big and strong, an exceptional athlete. But Tanner Jaillet started all but two games, and Rasmussen told me that he plays better the more he plays. When he did play, he tended to play better as the games went along. It will be interesting to track his progress this season, when he has a legitimate chance to start many more games.

15. Jack Doremus – He played in 10 games as a freshman, and his speed was the first characteristic that jumped out to me. He’s good with the puck on his stick, but he played almost strictly in fourth-line situations. With so many jobs open, he has a chance to grow into a bigger role.
16. Devin Cooley – The consummate relief pitcher, not to mention foremost team DJ, Cooley did everything that was asked of him, and looked good in his relief appearances of Jaillet. He has the prototypical height teams look for in goalies now (6-5), and it will be interesting to see where he fits in DU’s net equation with nearly 2,300 minutes played going out the door.
17. Ryan Orgel – Orgel was put in a bit of a tough spot. He left Juniors just before Thanksgiving and was thrust into the Pioneers’ lineup largely due to injuries. Uneven at first, his play improved when he got in the lineup later in the season. He’s an X-factor on the blue line. If he improves as much as he did during the season before next season, he’ll be in the mix to play much more regularly. Of the Pioneers’ more offensive-minded returning defensemen, he’s the biggest at 6-foot.

Incomplete – Jared Ressegule – The Colorado native joined the Pioneers at midseason from Junior and didn’t play in a game, so it’s tough to evaluate where he will fit this season.

©First Line Editorial 2017-18