Your place or mine?: Of Palmer's 30 points, 15 were
scored at home and 15 were registered away from
Oxford.
Key Statistics: Palmer
scored 11 goals and added 19 assists in 42 games during
his rookie season at Miami. Of his 30 points, all but
seven (two goals, five assists) came at even strength
or when the RedHawks were short-handed.
What He Does: It should
come as no surprise that Palmer, who turned 21 last
February, played like a seasoned veteran as a freshman.
He handled a variety of roles for the RedHawks last
season, playing both wings and even logging some spot
duty at center. Miami coach Enrico Blasi says Palmer's
hands are as good as one will find in the CCHA. That,
coupled with his tenacious puck pursuit, gives him the
ability to pick an opponent's pocket on a moment's notice.
He's a trustworthy defender, too; Palmer was often on
the ice during the last minute of close games.
The Bigger Picture:
With Christie and Guerin — both of whom eclipsed
the century mark in scoring during their careers —
now graduated, Palmer becomes a logical choice to anchor
a line to complement the high-scoring duo of seniors
Nathan Davis and Ryan Jones. Whether he's grouped with
a proven returnees such as junior Justin Mercier or
put with one or two of the RedHawks' heralded freshmen,
Blasi says that with Palmer's ability to score, set
up teammates, and run down the puck, there's no reason
he can't score 40 points this season. Keeping opponents
from zeroing in on Davis and Jones is a must.
Miami head coach Enrico Blasi
on Palmer: “He's not a flashy guy. He's
a gamer. If you watched him in practice, you might not
notice him. Put him in a game situation, you're going
to notice him because he's always got the puck or always
around the puck."
