Our preseason power rankings continue with a look at teams I have ranked No. 28-25.
This issue features in-depth looks at Augustana, Michigan Tech, Northeastern, and Connecticut.
Remember, you can follow along with my complete national preseason power rankings at the link below, which also includes a conference-by-conference breakdown.
No. 24 Connecticut
Last Season
Record: 20-12-5
NPI: 14th (54.18)
League Finish: 3rd/12
2026-27 Projection
NPI: 24th (52.58)
League Finish: 7th/12
Ranking Tier: 4th/9
Storylines
— The Huskies are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Last season, UConn fell to Merrimack in the Hockey East championship game but still reached the 20-win mark for the fourth time in five seasons.
Since 2021, Mike Cavanaugh has led UConn to a 98-72-12 record.
— The Huskies had some notable departures from last season’s roster. Leading scorer Ryan Tattle graduated, while Jake Richard signed with Buffalo in May.
Roster Breakdown
Top 378 Forwards
F1 denotes first-line ranking (No. 1 - No. 189)
F2 denotes second-line ranking (No. 190 - No. 378)
Joey Muldowney, Sr., F1
Jeremy Loranger, Soph, F2
Kaden Shahan, Jr., F2
Mike Murtagh, Jr., F2
Alexandre Blais, Soph., F2
Carlin Dezaindie, Soph., F2
Top 252 Defensemen
D1 denotes first-pair ranking (No. 1 - No. 126)
D2 denotes second-pair ranking (No. 127 - No. 252)
Kai Janviriya, Jr., D1
Trey Scott, Jr., D1
Anthony Allain Samake, Soph., D2
Projected Starting Goaltender
Veeti Louhivaara, Frosh., 2.86/.905 in the USHL
Kam Hendrickson, Soph., 2.44/.916 in 197 minutes
UConn has a lot of new faces, particularly on the back end and in goal.
Kai Janviriya is a top defenseman, and Trey Scott looks like a breakout candidate. But the Huskies still have to replace some major minutes from last season. Viking Gustafsson Nyberg signed professionally, while Tom Messineo graduated. Together, those two averaged nearly 42 minutes per game.
I’m not overly concerned about the goaltending situation. UConn has two solid options, and it’s really a matter of who wins the job. I’d expect one of them to give the Huskies suitable goaltending.
The bigger question is whether either can give UConn what Tyler Muszelik provided last season.
Muszelik posted a .926 save percentage and ranked No. 9 nationally in xGA+ per 60. He was one of the best goaltenders in the country.
Up front, the Huskies have good depth. I wouldn’t be too concerned about the forward group.
