The New-Look Michigan State NCAA Roster Trying To Fill Big Shoes Left Behind

DURHAM, N.H. — Any time a team loses even half as much talent in one off-season as Michigan State just did, fans usually gird themselves for a step back. Maybe even a rebuilding year.

But in the new college hockey landscape, and with a program as strong as MSU's, that just doesn't have to be the case anymore.

The Spartans lost forwards Porter Martone, Charlie Stramel, and Daniel Russell. They scored a combined 55 of the team's 136 goals a year ago all by themselves. They lost Matt Basgall and Maxim Strbak, their top two defensemen by both points and time on ice. They lost Richter winner Trey Augustine (a .929 save percentage, 22.9 goals saved above expected, and appearances in all but three of MSU's games).

Through the first four games of this new season, and despite all those losses to the pros, the roster doesn't seem to be bothered based on its performances.

But that doesn't mean it's all sunshine and rainbows. On Friday, they lost 1-0 on the road to New Hampshire, having been outshot 34-14. It's the lowest single-game shot total for the Spartans since Dec. 9, 2016.

Even with the loss, though, the Spartans are 3-1 with a 16-5 goal difference and a plus-18 shot advantage. And you don't need to do much more than look at a line chart to understand how this is happening, both good and bad.

Between incoming freshmen and the transfer portal, coach Adam Nightingale added multiple first-round picks to his roster, to go with two others who arrived a year earlier. But as other teams across the country have learned since the sea change in recruiting a few years ago, talent alone isn't always going to move the needle for you. The Spartans had 13 freshmen or sophomores in the lineup on Friday.

"I refuse to say to our guys, 'We're young and new guys,'" Nightingale said. "We look across college hockey, and I've always believed in that. I think as soon as you start going down that path, you give guys an excuse. And so our guys are good enough, they're smart enough, and UNH is a good team, too. 

"I mean, you got to give them credit. I thought they did a good job, and we definitely got to be better if we want to have success [Saturday]," he added.

When you have a roster loaded with 18- and 19-year-olds in a developmental league with players as old as 25 or 26, because those younger players — playing important roles for the Spartans — are less mature both physically and in their individual games.

Which, one assumes, is why MSU has scheduled some physically demanding games for the start of the season. To date, they've played Northern Michigan twice (whose average player is 22 years old), RIT once (22.6), and now they are in the middle of a road series at New Hampshire (22.3). There are also very few teams in the whole country with more freshmen. It's a real test early on, and so far they're passing.

Nightingale is no doubt learning about both the positives and negatives of his roster, and can fine-tune the controllable aspects of the game accordingly.

"You can't control where the game's scheduled, and you've got to be ready to play," Nightingale said. "And to me, there's a difference between expecting to win and being entitled to win, and we're definitely not entitled to win any hockey games. We have to go out and earn it, and every team we're gonna play is gonna play with desperation, and I thought they did a much better job of that tonight than us."

But the freshman with perhaps the most weight on his shoulders these days is goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen, the 30th pick in the 2025 draft. There are very few goaltenders in recent college hockey history with the kind of resume his predecessor, Augustine, built in his three years in East Lansing, and behind a young team.

The Spartans go from having a proven veteran who delivered high-end results reliably. Ravensbergen, a CHL All-Star last season, may have a great track record, but college coaches say it year after year: You never know exactly what you're getting with freshman goaltenders. But so far, so good. Two wins in three starts, a .949 save percentage, and 2.3 goals saved above expected to start his NCAA career. Can't ask for much more than that after transitioning from the CHL, where the top age is 20.

"It's just a little tighter checking," Ravensbergen told TheHockeyNews.com. "You don't have those complete breakdowns as much here. Everything's a little more structured and a little heavier. … I think it helps as a goalie, honestly. The play, you get to read it a little longer, and everything's kinda more in front of you, and not as many second and third opportunities. I felt the guys really helped me out with that."

Because of that potential uncertainty around any first-year netminder in college hockey, it must be said that MSU has seemingly recommitted itself to the defensive side of the game.

They're allowing just 27 shots on net per game, blocking an average of nine, and only conceding 2.12 expected goals a night. Are they doing it against the most skilled competition? Not at all, and it would be surprising if any of their three opponents so far even make the NCAA tournament, but it's impressive against anyone, including older teams that play a heavier brand of hockey.

Especially because their defense is currently led by Chase Reid, the No. 7 selection in the 2026 draft, and Tommy Bleyl, the 31st pick. They average about 22 and 19 minutes, respectively, and you sure wouldn't know they were new to the college game from watching them.

"Our buy-in has been good," Nightingale said. "It's just, you come to the rink, a certain hunger level, you got to play with, right? That comes out in different forms, whether it be a puck battle, but I also think execution, too. It's finding that balance between playing hard and still being able to execute. 

"So, lots to work on, for sure. Obviously, that's my job, at the end of the day, to help these guys get better," he added.

Meanwhile, all the scoring — an average of four goals per game even after getting shut out — is coming largely by committee and from mostly the more experienced players. Of the Spartans' 16 goals to date, just four are from their freshman class (Jack Hextall twice, Ethan Belchetz and Reid once each).

You can be assured that more guys will pile on the offense as the season continues and the team adjusts to its new roles, but for now, if you've got 11 different goal-scorers in four games, you're in fine shape. And games like the UNH loss at least provide some teachable moments and an object lesson that, at this level, if you're not on your game every night, you're gonna pay the price.

"I thought there were some sequences where we did some good things, and the positive is playing in games like this, right?" Nightingale said. "It's easier up 5-1, and everyone looks sweet. 

"I mean, that's not real hockey, right? So, you want to play in these type of games, these type of environments," he said.

All of which is to say that no one expected Michigan State to have a floor much lower than "elite," and all the high hopes at Munn Ice Arena are more than justified. But when you have this many unknowns on one roster, even if you really trust them to hit the ground running, you never know until you see it in action.

Growth in hockey isn't linear, but it's clear there's a lot to like about this team now, and especially going forward.

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