In the 1970s, record companies began to form Supergroups - bands made up of the best of the best at each position. They got the best guitar player, bass, and vocalist all in one band. The roster Lee Smith chooses for his 2019-20 Eden Prairie Eagles this November is going to look like one of those bands, but instead of drum sticks, the boys will be using sticks of graphite.

Let's start with the Eagles front line - it's scary. Returning from last year's runner-up team at the Xcel Energy Center are forwards Division I verbal commits John Mittelstadt (Minnesota), Carter Batchelder (Colorado College), and Drew Holt (uncommitted). That would be enough to get most teams to state. But there is more. Eden Prairie brings in the High School Elite League top scorers Ben Steeves and Jackson Blake, who is verbally committed to North Dakota. The Eagles now have five players expected to top 25 total points for the season.

If you think their forwards look great, the blue line might be even better. EP returns the top junior defenseman in the country, Luke Mittelstadt, and will pair him with recent Harvard commit Mason Langenbrunner, who has transferred from Cloquet. It doesn't drop off much from there. Kam Langfels played minutes last year for the state runner-up, and the Eagles also add Luke Busby to the lineup who skated a year in Colorado last winter. 

Axel Rosenlund returns to the net for the Eagles after a strong junior campaign (2.62 GAA/.982 Save %). But the Eagles have plenty of talent behind Rosenlund in case he falters. 

Between the ears, I think Eden Prairie has the most significant advantage. The coaching staff of Lee Smith, Paul Ranheim, and Tom Gerdes brings a ton of experience with a talented group like this. With their talent and coaching ability at no time will they lose the locker room. They saw the look on this team's face after losing in overtime to their bitter rival on the state's biggest stage. It won't take much to motivate this already very motivated group os 20 skaters.

This team has the offense and defense to be as dominant of a team we’ve seen in a few years. On top of that, they will have a great power play (imagine Luke Mittelstadt feeding proven scorers Holt or brother John). On the penalty kill, you have spark plugs like Blake and Batchelder and depth from a 2019 junior varsity team that only lost one game all season. Eden Prairie will take on all comers this year (Lake Conference, BSM, Blake, Cretin-Derham Hall, Duluth East, Grand Rapids, and Hermantown) and by season’s end be ready to go against the very tough Section 2AA gauntlet. The section flexed its muscles to the rest of the state when Holy Family Catholic upended No. 1 ranked Minnetonka in the section semifinals, a testament to the section's overall difficulty. 

With enviable depth in all three phases of the game, the Eagles should not be forced to line-match in most of their contests, allowing their natural talent to take over. 

Eden Prairie is the preseason No. 1.