Todd Milewski, who covers the Badgers for a paper in Madison, Wis., asked me to participate in a media poll on the top teams and players in the WCHA.

He will release the results on Oct. 3 or 6. But if you can’t wait that long, here are my best guesses: (I might change a few after a coaches’ teleconference call on Oct. 7).

PRESEASON PROJECTIONS

1. Colorado College … Tigers have best goalie, Richard Bachman, and a big-play center in Chad Rau, the kid from Eden Prairie who stuck around for his senior year … They also have the Guntzels, ex-Gophers coach Mike and his son Gave, a freshman D

2. North Dakota … Enough of the Sioux’s top players stayed around to make them dangerous. They need to replace their goalie, but have talented forwards such as Evan Trupp who was having a solid freshman year until getting hurt. Big Joe Finley is back at D as is Chay Genoway.

3. Minnesota … Gophers should be much improved. … Goalie situation should be much better. … Team does not have any superstars, unless some of the 12 freshmen develop fast. … If junior wing Jay Barriball bounces back from subpar sophomore year and at least some of those freshmen play well, Gophers will surprise people.

 4. Minnesota State, Mankato … The Mavs gave the Gophers all they wanted in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. … The program appears go be going the right direction.

5. Denver … The Pioneers won the WCHA Final Five and may have the most talented young forwards in the league. Most of Denver’s scoring came from them last season.

6. St. Cloud State … Forward Ryan Lasch leads the Huskies. He and Garrett Roe will turns the lamp on a lot this season. … Can the Huskies play defense?

7. Wisconsin … The Badgers’ defensemen scored more goals than any other team’s blue-line corps. … Ryan McDonagh, a sophomore from Cretin-Derham Hall, and Jamie McBain are two of Wisconsin’s top D.

8. Michigan Tech … The Gophers play Tech on the last weekend of the regular season in Houghton, Mich. By then the Huskies should be out of the race.

9. Minnesota-Duluth … Goalie Alex Stalock, the acrobatic one from South St. Paul, gives the ‘Dogs a chance in every game. … Where will UMD’s goals come from?

10. Alaska-Anchorage … It’s almost automatic. Everyone seems to put down the Seawolves because they finish in the basement so often. … That can’t go on forever, can it?

TOP PLAYERS

Player of the Year: Chad Rau, CC … He will unseat teammate Bachman for this award. … The goalies will not dominate in conference play as much as they did last season. There are a lot of top forwards back and rule changes like the new icing rule, will increase scoring. Now if a team ices the puck, it still can’t change lines.

Rookie of the Year: Aaron Ness, Minnesota … The Gophers will give him plenty of ice time to do his thing, which is set up goals at even-strength and on power plays. The PP last season was unwatchable at times.

All-WCHA preseason team
Forwards
• Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State, 5-7, 175, jr.: One of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as a soph. Scored 25 goals and had 28 assists for 53 points. Had 13 goals on power plays, five game-winners. Led WCHA in scoring with 17 goals, 17 assists for 34 points. From Lake Forest, Calif.

• Chad Rau, Colorado College, 5-11, 180, sr.: Had 28 goals and 14 assists in 42 games for regular-season conference champions [MacNaughton Cup winners]. Scored five game-winners, led nation with six short-handed goals, and had points in 16 games in a row early in the season. First team All-WCHA pick, a center. Back for his senior year. Picked in seventh round of NHL draft in 2005 by Toronto, 228th player taken.

• Evan Trupp, North Dakota, 5-9, 170, so.: Named Sioux’s Rookie of the Year. Had eight goals, five of them game-winners and 13 assists despite missing 11 games because of a broken bone in one of his legs. Scored spectacular OT goal vs. Gophers. From Anchorage, Alaska.

Defensemen
• Chay Genoway, North Dakota, 5-9, 172, jr.: Led Sioux defensemen with 29 points. Had eight goals, four on power plays. Third on team in plus-minus department, he was a plus-17 player. Second team All-WCHA.

• Jamie McBain, Wisconsin, 6-2, 175, jr.: Received Badgers’ Most Consistent award. Had five goals, 19 assists in 35 games. Had three power plays goals. Led team with a plus-12 rating. Named third team All-WCHA. Taken by Carolina in the second round of 2006 NHL draft, 63rd overall pick.

Goalie
• Richard Bachman, Colorado College, 5-10, 165, so.: Was only second player to be named WCHA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the conference. Had a 25-9-1 record as a freshman with a 1.85 goals-against average and a 93.1 save percentage. Gave up two or fewer goals in 25 of 35 starts. Picked by Dallas in fourth round of 2006 NHL draft, 120th pick overall.

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