Penn State men's hockey announces four newcomers, bringing class to six
While folks across the country seek out relief from a blistering heatwave Monday, Penn State men's hockey announced a six-man class set to inhabit the chilly Pegula Ice Arena this fall.
Joining Paul DeNaples and Aarne Talvitie, whose signings were announced during the early signing period, are two incoming freshmen, Oskar Autio and Max Suave, as well as a pair of transfers in Evan Bell and Ludvig Larsson.
Learn about each player and where Guy Gadowsky's newest recruits could fit next season and in the long term, below.
Aarne Talvitie
Previous team: Espoo Blues (Finland)
Position: Forward
Within this class, Talvitie is the headliner. The forward is a sixth-round draft choice of the New Jersey Devils and spent last season lighting up the Finish junior league to the tune of 34 goals and 24 assists in 41 games. Talvitie is a center by trade, and it will be interesting to see if Gadowsky keeps him there as a freshman with no shortage of other centermen on the roster. Regardless, Talvitie figures to slot into a goal scoring role right away as the Nittany Lions look to replace the production of Andrew Sturtz. Talvitie has all the makings of a star.
Ludvig Larsson
Previous team: Merrimack College (NCAA, Hockey East)
Position: Forward
Larsson notches a couple of firsts in Penn State's brief history, becoming the only Swedish player to don the blue and white, as well as the first graduate transfer. He'll give the Nittany Lions value in a variety of ways during his only remaining year of eligibility, but it seems clear he was brought in to win face-offs. Penn State was in the bottom third nationally in face-off percentage last season after leading the country in that category two years ago. Larsson won 58.3 percent of his draws last season, making him the second-best face-off man in the Hockey East. With Larsson, the Nittany Lions address one of their most important needs.
Evan Bell
Previous team: Fargo Force (USHL), Merrimack College (NCAA, Hockey East)
Position: Defenseman
Bell will help Penn State patch together a defensive corps that is loaded with question marks following the graduation of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Trevor Hamilton and Erik Autio, but he'll have to wait to do so. After playing just five games with Merrimack in his freshman season, Bell opted to return to junior hockey in the middle of the season, meaning he'll have to wait until the second semester to join the Nittany Lions. In 35 games with the USHL's Fargo Force last season, Bell totaled 23 points and a plus-15 rating. A lefty, he should be a solid addition to Penn State's blue line moving forward, but the Nittany Lions' success next season might depend on how quickly he can adapt come January.
Oskar Autio
Previous team: Chicago Steel (USHL)
Position: Goaltender
Sound familiar? Oskar, the younger brother of former Penn State defenseman Erik Autio, will give the Nittany Lions another option between the goalposts this season. In his first year in the USHL, Autio managed the 14th-best save percentage in the league with a .904 mark. It's reasonable to expect Autio to spend the first two years of his Penn State tenure backing up starter Peyton Jones. Even if Jones stumbles this year, rising senior Chris Funkey figures to be next in line for Gadowsky.
Paul DeNaples
Previous team: Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
Position: Defenseman
DeNaples' production stalled during his second year with the Stampede last season, posting only two goals and two assists after a 17-point showing the year before. DeNaples is a right-handed shot and the Nittany Lions don't return much production from right-handed defensemen, but Gadowsky has shown a willingness to play his blue-liners on their off side, meaning DeNaples will have to impress to earn significant playing time as a freshman.
Max Sauve
Previous team: Avon Old Farms (Prep)
Position: Forward
Sauve seems like an obvious candidate for a redshirt this season, due to his size alone. The Massachusetts native is 5-foot-9 and only 165 pounds. With the Nittany Lions returning so much talent at forward, Suave would be hard-pressed to find any ice time.