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Thursday, August 8, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

Michigan hockey roster preview: An overview of returning players

The Michigan hockey team’s 
season ended earlier than expected 
in the first round of the Big Ten 
Tournament in Minneapolis. After 
an 
inconsistent 
regular 
season, 
the Wolverines were unable to 
collect themselves and make a deep 
postseason run. Players and coaches 
alike assert that it was not a season 
up to par with normal program 
standards. If this year is any different, 
the returning players and coaches 
will need to turn the sour taste 
from last year into a sustained level 
of motivation and urgency that, at 
times, eluded last season’s team.
The Daily breaks down Michigan’s 
returning players for this season.
Senior 
defenseman 
Luke 
Martin
Martin enters his senior season as 
perhaps the most polished returning 
defenseman. He injured his left arm 
in February and missed the rest of the 
year. Prior to the injury, he recorded 
6 assists in 28 games, finishing with 
a plus-one rating in plus-minus — 
good for third-best among Wolverine 
defensemen.
Senior defenseman Griffin Luce
Luce finished with the team lead 
in blocked shots, 74, along with one 
goal and three assists last season. 
He was a mainstay on the left side 
of the blue line for Michigan last 
year, appearing in 35 games. Prior to 
Martin’s injury in February, the two 
were a strong defensive pairing. If the 
two are paired together once again 
for their senior seasons, expect solid 
defense and physicality at the cost of 
some offensive upside.
Sophomore defenseman Jack 
Summers
Summers received inconsistent 
playing time to begin his freshman 
campaign. After the injury to Martin, 
Summers was frequently slotted 
alongside Nick Boka. The sophomore 
is a solid skater with offensive 
potential. He finished with one goal 
and 10 assists over 29 games last year. 
It would not come as a surprise to see 
him take on a more consistent role 
next season as an extra defenseman 
or starter, in light of the departures of 
Joseph Cecconi and Quinn Hughes.
Sophomore defenseman Jake 
Gingell
Gingell appeared in only one 
game last season after spending 
two seasons in the USHL with the 
Youngstown Phantoms. The physical 
lefty may be an option for Michigan 
coach Mel Pearson as an extra skater 
after a season of getting accustomed 

with the program.
Senior defenseman Christian 
Meike
Meike played in two games 
last season, recording a goal in an 
exhibition match against Waterloo. 
The senior adds depth to the defense 
— whether he will receive extended 
playing time remains to be seen.
Sophomore 
defenseman/
forward Nick Blankenburg
Blankenburg was arguably the 
most impressive freshman on the 
team last season. He is a fast skater 
and good shot creator — dynamic 
enough to receive time at both 
forward and defenseman. Pearson 
referred to Blankenburg as a “Quinn 
Hughes lite.”
The sophomore did struggle at 
times as an off-puck defender but 
showed the ability to make up for it 
with his aggressiveness and speed. If 
he cuts down on his defensive gambles 
and becomes more comfortable as a 
defender, he will continue to make an 
impact on both ends of the ice.
Junior forward Jack Becker
At six-foot-four and 205 pounds, 
Becker has the potential to be a 
dominant forward on the ice. After 
a promising freshman season in 
which he recorded 15 points and two 
game-winning goals, he turned in 
similar numbers in his sophomore 
campaign — 15 points on six goals and 
nine assists. Becker can be one of the 
driving forces on offense if he sees an 
uptick in production.
Senior forward Will Lockwood
Lockwood faced the decision 
of whether to leave for the NHL 
or return for his senior season this 
summer. He chose the latter and 
became the 100th captain in program 
history.
The 
Bloomfield 
Hills-native 
led the Wolverines with 16 goals 
and will spearhead the offense 
once again. His combination of 
speed and stick handling makes 
him a difficult matchup for most 
collegiate defenders. The second-
round selection by the Canucks is 
Michigan’s most polished scorer and 
became one of the main sources of 
offense after Josh Norris’s season-
ending injury in January. Lockwood 
will be featured on the top line, likely 
alongside some combination of senior 
forwards Jake Slaker, Nick Pastujov 
and junior Jack Becker.
Junior forward Dakota Raabe
Last season, Raabe was a part 
of two units that impressed and 
improved as the season progressed. 
His line with Garrett Van Wyhe 
and Nolan Moyle drew praise from 
Pearson for their yeoman-like effort. 

For that reason, Van Wyhe and 
Raabe were often called upon to kill 
penalties.
Raabe is among the fastest skaters 
on the team, and despite his relatively 
small stature, was also among the 
team leaders in blocked shots for 
a forward. After an impressive 
sophomore season, expect Raabe 
to continue to make strides on the 
penalty kill as well as improving his 
offensive repertoire.
Senior forward Jake Slaker
Slaker enters his senior season 
as a potential top-line forward and 
figures to be a big part of the offense 
once again. He excelled on the top 
line at the beginning of the year 
alongside Norris and Lockwood, 
but eventually switched lines after 
Norris’s injury. Slaker was streaky 
last year, accumulating the majority 
of his points at the beginning of the 
season before going into a midseason 
slump. The lefty has a strong shot, 
good vision and often played around 
the net.
Senior forward Adam Winborg
Winborg struggled to crack the 
rotation early on in his junior season. 
But by the time November came 
around, he was receiving consistent 
playing time. First it was his faceoff 
success the impressed. Over his first 
three games last season, he went 
18-26 in the faceoff circle. Then, 
he showed enough consistency for 
Pearson to decide to keep Winborg 
in the lineup — he went on to play 
in 27 games, recording five points. 
Entering his senior season, he brings 
a solid faceoff presence and stability 
up the middle of the ice.
Sophomore 
forward 
Jack 
Olmstead
Olmstead appeared in seven games 

last season, scoring his only goal in 
a 3-1 victory against St. Lawrence. 
Perhaps after a year of building 
familiarity with the program, he will 
receive an extended opportunity for 
ice time.
Junior 
forward 
Michael 
Pastujov
Pastujov is a skilled skater and 
playmaker 
who 
showed 
some 
inconsistency throughout last season. 
After recording three points over 
the first four games of the season 
and being featured on the top line, 
he hit a dry spell. From Oct. 7 to 
Dec. 1, Pastujov recorded just one 
point and missed three games due 
to injury. After being a healthy 
scratch at Ohio State in January, 
he rebounded and reemerged as a 
contributor — including five goals 
over the course of two series against 
Penn State and Michigan State. If he 
can piece together a consistent year, 
Pastujov can help address some of the 
Wolverines’ offensive woes from last 
season. 
Senior forward Nick Pastujov
Pastujov has improved upon his 
season totals in each of his three 
seasons thus far. Last season, he 
finished with 11 goals and 13 assists — 
often slotted in alongside Lockwood 
after the injury to Norris. Pastujov 
told the Daily earlier this summer 
that though the confidence in his 
game is high, he is still looking to 
make strides and continue his trend. 
Pastujov, along with Lockwood and 
Slaker will lead Michigan’s offensive 
attack this winter.
Sophomore forward Garrett 
Van Wyhe
Van Wyhe is often one of the larger 
players on the ice, but what makes 
his skillset unique is his combination 

of size and speed. It made him an 
effective penalty killer alongside 
Raabe and contributed towards 
his four goals and six assists over 
36 games. Van Wyhe continued to 
improve as the season progressed. If 
that trend continues, he will play an 
even larger role next season.
Sophomore 
forward 
Jimmy 
Lambert
The sophomore forward played 
in 31 games, tallying four goals and 
nine assists for thirteen points. In the 
latter half of the year, he broke out 
of his slump and started producing, 
scoring and assisting on two big goals 
against Wisconsin late in the seasons.
Redshirt-junior forward Luke 
Morgan
Morgan played in all 36 games last 
season, finishing with six goals and 
seven assists. He is a physical forward 
who became a solid contributor after 
getting off to a slow start on the 
stats sheet. Expect Morgan to play 
an equally big role this season in his 
second season on the ice.
Sophomore 
forward 
Nolan 
Moyle
Moyle appeared in 30 games last 
season, putting up seven goals and 
three assists. He offered a consistent 
physical presence on the fourth line 
alongside Raabe and Van Wyhe. 
Once the line founds its chemistry, 
Moyle found his groove. If he makes 
the jump with the rest of the fourth 
line, Moyle could become a 20-point 
scorer.
Senior 
goaltender 
Hayden 
Lavigne
Lavigne earned the starting job 
over the offseason between his 

JORGE CAZARES & TIEN LE
Summer Managing Sports Editors

ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Michigan hockey coach Mel Pearson will enter his third season as head coach of the Wolverines with plenty of talent.

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