The job that Adam Nightingale has done putting Michigan State hockey on the map has been nothing short of incredible. The Spartans have gone from Big Ten bottom-dweller to winning three straight conference titles, but the ultimate goal still has not been met.
While Nightingale deserves all the credit in the world for putting the program back on the map, he also deserves a little bit of criticism for not getting to the Frozen Four despite having elite teams.
Unfortunately — or fortunately, however you want to look at it — for him, he’s going to have even more pressure on his shoulders thanks to arguably the best roster that Michigan State hockey has ever constructed. Obviously it’s a good problem to have the most talented team that you’ve ever coached, but that obviously comes with the pressure of winning it all.
Is that a little drastic for a team that lost its best player to the Philadelphia Flyers and is also replacing a three-year starting goalie?
Not when you consider how much talent is coming in. Not only are the Spartans returning first-rounders like Ryker Lee and Cayden Lindstrom, but they’re also bringing in what feels like an army of (projected) first-round picks. If the Spartans have four first-round picks in the upcoming NHL draft, that would mean that their roster would feature nine (!!) first-round picks in 2026-27.
If Belchetz, Hextall, Reid (lol), and Klepov all go 1st round I expect @MSU_Hockey to have 9 total NHL 1st round players on the roster
— JerBear (@JD_Jerbear) May 12, 2026
This unprecedented talent has been made possible by Nightingale and the number went from eight to nine on Tuesday with the commitment of Ethan Belchetz, a projected top-10 pick.
The 2026-27 Spartans are going to be insane levels of loaded.
Is national title or bust fair for Michigan State?
This is a question that I often ask myself, and that’s because it’s one of the most over-used phrases in sports. The “championship or bust” mentality has crushed many elite teams, adding immense pressure to an already pressure-filled situation.
Every team in the country is going to want a shot at Michigan State, so winning the national title can’t necessarily be the expectation.
However, with the amount of talent coming in to a roster that’s won three straight Big Ten titles, it would be a shame if the Spartans didn’t at least make the Frozen Four. This will be Nightingale’s most talented team, on paper, and although Porter Martone, Charlie Stramel, and Trey Augustine are gone, the team is already reloading.
National title or bust isn’t exactly fair, but I will say Frozen Four or bust is.
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