Minnesota is a month and a half removed from ending their season with a 6-1 loss to Boston College in the Frozen Four semifinals but it's not too early to look at next year.
Despite the 2012-2013 season being four months away, preseason rankings are going on and Inside College Hockey has the Golden Gophers as the number one team. There are still a few things up in air such as whether or not Nick Bjugstad will sign with the Florida Panthers but Minnesota returns the majority of last year's team.
Assuming Bjugstad returns for his junior season instead of turning pro, the Gophers' lineup will boast seven players who scored 20 or more points last season. Good thing they'll score a ton, because Minnesota must break in a pair of untested goaltenders-junior Mike Shibrowski (20 career minutes played) and rookie Adam Wilcox, a South St. Paul, Minn., native who spent the last two seasons in the USHL with Green Bay and Tri-City.
For more on the Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also catch up on the WCHA over at Western College Hockey.