Wisconsin hockey transfer portal targets after six players go pro

The Wisconsin Badgers landed Penn State transfer forward JJ Wiebusch, but their work has just begun.

Head coach Mike Hastings lost a ton of talent to the NHL. There were the expected losses of seniors Ben Dexheimer and Aiden Dubinsky, but four other players also went pro.

Those four players will have a chance to make the most of their entry-level contracts, but now it's up to Hastings and the rest of this coaching staff to get Wisconsin back to the National Championship game.

Wiebusch had been linked to the Badgers for quite a while, as have Cornell goaltender Alexis Cournoyer and Maine forward Justin Poirier. Should Wisconsin land all three, they'll be in great shape heading into the 2026-27 season.

Goalie Alexis Cournoyer

Badgers fans may be quick to jump on this one as the team already has Daniel Hauser, but no one expects Hauser to play every single game during the season. Hastings got a ton out of the freshman this season, and that's something they'll look to build on in his second year with the Badgers.

As for Cournoyer, this would be a fantastic depth move. Adding the Cornell goalie likely means either Eli Pulver or Anton Castro is on their way out, but that's something Wisconsin can live with. Both just concluded their sophomore season, with Castro being the clear No. 3.

Cournoyer just concluded his freshman season with an average of 2.05 goals allowed per game. For reference, Hauser allowed 2.49 in 1832:51 minutes while Cournoyer was on the ice for 1636:17.

Forward Justin Poirier

Poirier was dealing with an "undisclosed injury," which turned out to be him . That's certainly something to keep an eye on, but it's not like that would be a big enough reason for Wisconsin to be out on the Maine forward.