When Arizona State stunned then-No. 6 North Dakota on the road back in mid-November, it felt like a program-defining moment.
Cullen Potter and Jack Beck - two young forwards with big ceilings - were key in that 4-2 win, with Potter lighting the lamp and setting the tone. That victory kicked off an 8-3 run that vaulted ASU from No. 44 to No. 24 in the NCAA PairWise rankings.
But as the Sun Devils prepare for the rematch in Tempe, they’ll be doing it without both of those forwards - and that changes the equation in a big way.
Head coach Greg Powers confirmed Tuesday that Potter will miss the rest of the season after suffering an upper-body injury against Miami (Ohio) on January 10. He’ll undergo surgery, joining Beck - already sidelined for the year - on the injured list. It’s a tough break for a player who was just starting to hit his stride.
Potter, who became the first Sun Devil ever selected in the first round of the NHL Draft this past summer, closes out his sophomore season with 12 goals and 28 points. Seven of those goals came in his final seven games - a stretch where he looked every bit the elite scorer ASU hoped he’d become.
“Obviously a huge loss for us,” Powers said. “My heart goes out to the kid because he was just playing so well.
But we have to - and always will - do what’s best for our players’ long-term success. He’ll make a full recovery and be back flying around when he’s healthy.”
Beck, a freshman, only appeared in 10 games but made his presence felt. He and Potter each averaged 0.50 goals per game, tied for ninth in the NCHC, right alongside senior forward Cruz Lucius and two others. That kind of scoring punch is hard to replace.
Still, ASU has found ways to win. Since Beck went down, the Sun Devils have gone 5-3, including wins over then-No.
5 Minnesota Duluth and then-No. 8 Dartmouth.
That’s not just surviving - that’s thriving, even with a lineup that’s been reshuffled more than once.
“It’s been a tough month and a half from an injury standpoint,” Powers said. “But from a results standpoint, it’s been our best month and a half.
It speaks to the depth we have and the belief in every guy in that room to step up when we’re shorthanded. They’ve done it, and there’s no reason why that should change.”
ASU’s top line has carried a heavy load this season, with Potter, Lucius, and senior forward Bennett Schimek combining for 89 of the team’s 201 points. That’s nearly 45% of the offense coming from just three players. Schimek, who missed last Saturday’s game due to injury, is expected back, though Powers didn’t specify who would take over in the faceoff circle.
With Potter out, the opportunity is there for someone to step into a top-line role. Powers has been vocal about needing more from his remaining nine forwards - and lately, they’ve started to deliver. The other three lines have chipped in nine goals over the last six games, a sign that the depth is beginning to click at just the right time.
“We still really like what we have,” Powers said. “We like how we’re playing.
It’s a great opportunity for guys to step up, and they will. They’re completely capable.
We’re still confident. We believe in whoever it’s going to be to take over.”
In Schimek’s absence last weekend, freshman Carmelo Crandell got the call on the top line, skating alongside Potter and Lucius. The trio didn’t register a point, but Crandell held his own. With Lucius sitting at 32 points (tied for fifth in the country) and Schimek at 31 (tied for eighth), there’s no shortage of playmaking on that line - no matter who joins them.
“They’re comfortable with any of them,” Powers said. “And that’s important.
Will their line look different? Yes.
But will it still be effective? Absolutely.
Whoever gets to play with them is going to treat it like they won the lottery. It’s two of the top seven or eight scorers in the country.”
One name to keep an eye on is freshman Ben Kevan. A second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2025 NHL Draft, Kevan started the season in ASU’s top six but slid down to the fourth line after a quiet start - just four points so far. Now, with Potter out, there’s a door open for Kevan to reclaim a larger role.
“It’s a good opportunity for me,” Kevan said. “The circumstances that led to it are unfortunate, but I’ve had a lot of good talks with Coach Powers and everyone else about seizing my moment and getting another opportunity at a top-six role. I’m excited to try and make the best of it.”
The timing couldn’t be more critical. ASU currently sits at No. 23 in the NCAA PairWise Index, and the margin between teams ranked 15 through 24 is razor-thin - mere hundredths of a point separating them. A win over third-ranked North Dakota could vault the Sun Devils into serious tournament contention.
Last year, ASU missed the NCAA Tournament by the slimmest of margins. Powers and his team are determined not to let history repeat itself.
“We moved up this weekend, which was great without even playing,” Powers said. “The margin between 24 and 15 is so minuscule right now that with a successful weekend, we’re really in a position where we can make hay here at home.
There are no moral victories because we got guys out. We could make [the injuries] the story, or we can make how we respond to that the story.”
With six of their final 12 games against top-10 opponents, the path to the postseason won’t be easy. But if the last month has shown us anything, it’s that this ASU team doesn’t flinch when adversity hits. The stars may be sidelined, but the stage is set for new names to rise - and for the Sun Devils to prove they’re more than just their top line.