The recruiting class of seven players that Denver announced on June 19 is much different than the one that was anticipated when five players signed National Letters of Intent back in November.

This group includes one goaltender, two defensemen and four forwards. Five of the six skaters wore letters for their junior teams this past season.

The reasons for the changes to the recruiting class are varied – program needs change and players might need more time to develop in juniors are two of prominent ones. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the Pioneers’ incoming freshmen class – by position – as well as an overview of the program’s needs.

Goaltender

The situation: The Pioneers appeared set for the next couple of years with as good of a goaltending tandem as any in Division I hockey. Devin Cooley turned heads with a superlative sophomore season (11-6-2, 1.85 goals-against average, .934 save percentage) after playing just 20 minutes his entire freshman season. And freshman Filip Larsson came back strong – to put it mildly – after a leg injury wiped out most of his first half. Larsson was especially strong in the postseason, starting six of seven , going 4-2 with a 1.12 GAA, a .962 save percentage and three of his four shutouts, including both games of the NCAA West Regional. But, the sixth-round pick of Detroit in 2016 played himself right back onto the Red Wings’ radar, and they signed him on April 15.

Enter Magnus Crona: Could lightning strike two years in a row for the Pioneers with a freshman goaltender from Sweden? Maybe, but this seems a bit less likely. For one, Chrona is younger and less polished than Larsson was even though Chrona was a fifth-round selection by Tampa Bay in the 2018 Entry Draft.

Chrona, a 2000 birth year, won’t turn 19 until the end of August, and while he brings optimal size to the cage (he’s 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds), he doesn’t possess the technical refinement or experience that Larsson brought. Larsson was the USHL’s goaltender of the year in 2017-18 and was on Sweden’s World Junior team.

When Chrona has played against his own age level, his numbers (2.13 goals-against average and .931 save percentage) were stellar. When he’s played against older competition, as he did for part of this past season, he had his struggles (4.00, .889). Still, he’s a tantalizing prospect whose arrow is pointing up.

Defense

The situation: Ian Mitchell‘s decision to return for his junior season and the development of four other players last season make this potentially DU’s strongest position. Mitchell, the team’s captain, and fellow junior Griffin Mendel formed the top pair. Senior Michael Davies, an assistant captain, was one of the Pioneers’ best players last season, and he’ll anchor another pair. And the third pair of senior Erich Fear and sophomore Slava Demin improved by leaps and bounds as the season went on. Graduated Les Lancaster will be missed, and spare part Sean Comrie left for the WHL after one season. Whoever steps into the sixth spot on a regular basis will be surrounded by skill and experience.

Enter Justin Lee: The 2000 had a highly productive first season in the USHL, putting up 30 points in 62 regular-season games. He was an assistant captain for Lincoln then was traded late in the season to Fargo.

At 5-11 and 182 pounds with excellent skating and puck movement skills, he fits the mold of defenseman DU favors. He originally committed to DU on Feb. 6, 2018, when he was in the midst of a 35-point-in-57-games season with Virden of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. He signed an NLI in November.

Lane Krenzen

Enter Lane Krenzen: The 21-year-old Krenzen was plucked from the greater Duluth area after captaining the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League the past two seasons. His intensity and competitiveness was a driver of the Bruins’ success, coach told Steve Howard told the team’s official website when Krenzen committed in late April.

An NAHL Top Prospects Tournament participant this year, the 5-10, 185-pounder matched the total of his first two junior seasons with 28 points (nine goals) this past season. He had 18 points the previous season and 10 assists in 2016-17. He was a plus player every season in junior, and he also captained his Duluth Marshall High School team.

Forward

The situation: Denver had its share of struggles at times on offense last season, and now it has to replace two of its most reliable players, one of whom is arguably the most clutch scorer in program history. Jarid Lukosevicius‘ 20 career game-winning goals obliterated the previous school mark by five, and he takes his 62 career goals (40 in the past two seasons) to the AHL. He easily was one of the best shooters the program has had in the past decade. Captain Colin Staub was a plug-and-play forward in any spot or situation and showed a nice touch around the net. Yes, the Pioneers should expect steps from a quartet of talented rising sophomores, and rising senior Liam Finlay broke out with career highs in points (36) and goals (16). But scoring still appears to be a strong need.

Enter Bobby Brink: The 2001 is the 19th ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting heading into the Entry Draft and is a strong bet to be selected in the first round. His arrival is one of the most anticipated ones of any DU recruit since Henrik Borgstrom‘s. Simply stated, Brink, who doesn’t even turn 18 until mid-July, has the potential to be a game-breaker for the Pioneers. He was the USHL’s Forward of the Year.

Bobby Brink

The 5-8, 160-pound Brink got a taste of the USHL as a 16-year-old when he wasn’t tearing up Minnesota High School Hockey to the tune of 68 points in 44 games. There was no drop-off this past season against players as many as four years older than him – he had 68 points in games points (fourth in the league) for Sioux City of the USHL. His 1.29 points per game was the 14th best in USHL history. The four players ahead of him played 19 more games. His 35 goals – as a center – were second in the USHL. A 2001, he also shone for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge, putting up six points in five games against many of the best players in his age group.

Hank Crone

Brink originally committed to the program on Jan. 30, 2017 – when he was 15 (that is Troy Terry territory).

Enter Hank Crone: Crone, who signed his NLI in late November, took a less conventional path to Denver. After three seasons in the USHL, he put up 12 points in 35 games at Boston University in 2017-18. The left wing then returned to junior and finished tied for sixth in the USHL in scoring with 65 points in 60 games for Fargo. He also served as an assistant captain.

A 1998, the 5-9, 165-pound Crone makes his living helping others fill the net. His 46 assists this past season were the third most in the USHL.

Enter Brett Edwards: A late 1998 birth year, Edwards has spent four seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, the past two of which have been highly productive. His 54 points (29 goals) in 49 games this past season were his high-water mark for Drumheller, which selected him the team MVP after the season. The 5-11, 194-pounder also served as an assistant captain for the Dragons.

Edwards had 49 points (26 goals) in 56 games in 2017-18. He committed to DU in late January of this year.

Jay Feiwell. Photo courtesy of the Shreveport MudBugs

Enter Jay Feiwell: Originally a Miami commit in late January, Feiwell changed gears – very recently it is believed – after the RedHawks’ offseason coaching change, and the Pioneers are the beneficiaries. The 1999 is yet another captain joining the mix, having led Shreveport of the NAHL this past season, when he had 38 points (14 goals) in 49 games. That was 12 more points than he had during his first two junior seasons combined.

The 5-10, 195-pounder favors a more physical brand of play, and his 310 penalty minutes in 144 junior games are one testament to that.

Notable

Three players who signed NLI’s in November aren’t part of this class – forwards Ryan O’Reilly, Josh Luedtke and McKade Webster. O’Reilly was a 2018 Detroit Red Wings draft pick, while Webster was injured much of last season.

Up next: Magness Mayhem’s analysis of the group and how they could fit into the 2019-20 lineup.

©First Line Editorial 2019