As Penn State begins its seventh season of hockey, different faces will have to lead the way within Guy Gadowsky's signature high-speed, high-risk system. Gone is Andrew Sturtz, the program's all-time goals leader, as is Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Trevor Hamilton. Players like Denis Smirnov, Liam Folkes and Brandon Biro, who helped fuel Penn State's breakout as freshmen, are now upperclassmen hoping to help secure the Nittany Lions' place on the national stage. Before Penn State hosts No. 17 Clarkson on Thursday, learn everything you need to know about these Nittany Lions, below, beginning with five things to know about the team.

Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky

1. Penn State’s offense could be historically good Even after the departure of Sturtz for the professional ranks, the Nittany Lions return the most goals out of any team in college hockey. Among the forwards that will likely comprise Penn State’s top-9, seven of them finished with at least 20 points a year ago. The Nittany Lions have finished within the top-3 nationally in scoring in each of the last two seasons, but their offensive attack in 2018-19 could be truly special. 2. Penn State’s defense corps has serious question marks After allowing the second most goals of any Big Ten team a year ago, Penn State must now recover from the graduation of two of its three most productive defensemen, including the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in Trevor Hamilton. The Nittany Lions will get a boost when transfer Evan Bell becomes eligible in January, but they may find themselves just trying to survive until then. 3. The Big Ten is probably the best conference in college hockey Three of the four teams to make the Frozen Four last season came from the Big Ten, and the seven-team conference also had three teams in the top-4 of the USCHO preseason poll with Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan. Minnesota could find itself back in elite territory with a new head coach, Wisconsin is always among the most talented teams in the country and Michigan State has one of the nation’s best forward lines. There will be no easy weekends in conference play for the Nittany LIons. 4. The Nittany Lions have reworked their power play With so many talented forwards on the roster, Penn State is making an effort to get more of them on the ice in power-play situations. Gadowsky showed two different four forward, one defenseman looks during the international game and said that’s something Penn State will experiment with during the regular season. The Nittany Lions also finally have a reliable face-off man in Ludvig Larsson, who played with the top power-play unit during the international exhibition to add to what should be a very different dynamic when on the man advantage. 5. There’s no formal goaltender competition, but more is expected from Peyton Jones With save percentages of .904 and .905 during his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively, Jones has shown flashes of greatness but has been unable to put together a consistent season. The starting job is his to lose, but Gadowsky said outright that if Jones and his backup Chris Funkey can’t produce better numbers, freshman netminder Oskar Autio is going to get his chance.

Sophomore forward Evan Barratt.

Player Breakdowns Forwards: Evan Barratt The Stats: 32 Games, 11 Goals, 7 Assists, +0. The Skinny: There aren’t many players who are more fun to watch than Barratt. The sophomore, a third-round draft choice of the Chicago Blackhawks, plays with a combination of skill and edge that allows him to do a little bit of everything for the Nittany Lions. He’ll center Liam Folkes and Alex Limoges to begin the season. That line essentially carried Penn State to four straight wins over Minnesota at the end of last year. Chase Berger The Stats: 38 Games, 11 Goals, 16 Assists, +8. The Skinny: The obvious choice to be Penn State’s captain, Berger has already carved out a place as one of Penn State’s best, but he still has much to prove. He won’t be playing regularly alongside Andrew Sturtz, the program’s all-time leading goal-scorer, anymore. Berger also needs to improve in the face-off circle. He won just 49.1 percent of his draws last season after posting a 57.8 percent mark the year before to lead the team. Brandon Biro The Stats: 37 Games, 9 Goals, 22 Assists, +7. The Skinny: Biro is one of the more underappreciated players on the Nittany Lions’ roster. The junior’s 31 points last year were the second most on a team that scored the third-most goals in the country last year. He’ll likely be asked to score even more as Penn State looks to replace Sturtz, especially on the power play, where he scored during Penn State’s international game. Liam Folkes The Stats: 38 Games, 13 Goals, 10 Assists, +3 The Skinny: Guy Gadowsky asked Folkes to take on a mentorship role with Barratt and Limoges early on last season, even though Folkes was only a sophomore. He brings a steady presence to a team that can often find itself needing one. If the Nittany Lions are to have a successful year, Folkes will likely be a major reason. Blake Gober The Stats: 16 Games, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, -7. The Skinny: Gober saw the ice in less than half of Penn State’s games last year, and it’s tough to see the high-effort Texan finding much more playing time this season with a loaded forward group. Ludvig Larsson The Stats: 36 Games, 13 Goals, 8 Assists, +0 (Merrimack) The Skinny: Larsson is the first graduate transfer in Penn State history, and one the Nittany Lions desperately needed. His 58.3 percent success rate on face-offs was 14th best in the country last season. Coming from what he described as a defensive system at Merrimack, Larsson will likely give the Nittany Lions a boost in their own third as well. Alex Limoges The Stats: 37 Games, 7 Goals, 14 Assists, -1. The Skinny: Like Barratt, it took Limoges, now a sophomore, a little while to get going in his freshman season. But he posted four goals and four assists over Penn State’s final seven games. If he can roll that production into the new season, the Nittany Lions have a star on their hands. Alec Marsh The Stats: 35 Games, 2 Goals, 7 Assists, -4. The Skinny: Marsh played something resembling a utility infielder role for the Nittany Lions and it’s fair to expect the senior to do that again this season. His most natural fit seems to be on the wing of Nikita Pavlychev on Penn State’s version of a checking line. Nikita Pavlychev The Stats: 35 Games, 9 Goals, 5 Assists, -7. The Skinny: Don’t let the negative goal differential fool you. Pavlychev is one of the most important players on Penn State’s roster. Gadowsky frequently deploys the Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick against the opposing team’s most dangerous line, using the 6-foot-7 Russian’s excellent ability to defend. Pavlychev will get involved offensively as a net-front presence on the power play occasionally as well. Max Sauve The Stats: N/A The Skinny: A freshman, Sauve’s size at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds makes it seem like he might need a year to get bigger before he takes on a sizeable role. But his speed disagrees. He’s the fastest lap skater the Nittany Lions have ever had, per Gadowsky. In a system where speed is king, it might not be too long before Sauve makes an impact. Denis Smirnov The Stats: 30 Games, 15 Goals, 12 Assists, +1. The Skinny: Smirnov, a draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, is Penn State’s most dangerous scoring threat with 34 goals in the first two years of his career. Injuries partially derailed his season a year ago, as the Russian missed eight games in the middle of the year. If he can build a rhythm, he should be one of the nation’s top offensive players. Sam Sternschein The Stats: 25 Games, 5 Goals, 5 Assists, +2. The Skinny: Sternschein, a sophomore, gives Gadowsky a nice dose of versatility on a roster full of skill players. He has the size to play effective defense and the shot to be an offensive threat. He played in most of Penn State’s games down the stretch run last season to earn Gadowsky’s trust. He’s a breakout candidate heading into this season. Nate Sucese The Stats: 36 Games, 14 Goals, 15 Assists, +4. The Skinny: Sucese is set to take on a different role for the Nittany Lions this season, moving out to the wing after playing mostly center over the first two years of his career. He’ll still likely play with Biro if both players are healthy. Like Biro, Sucese is an underrated scoring threat and an excellent passer. He’ll be a primary contributor in 2018-19. Aarne Talvitie The Stats: N/A The Skinny: Talvitie is the gem of the freshman class for Gadowsky. A Devils draft pick, Talvitie has captained the Finnish junior national team and impressed at the international level. He’s made an impact in the Penn State locker room as well, earning comparisons to Sturtz. Gadowsky considers him a 200-foot player who will play on the power play and penalty kill.

Sophomore defenseman Cole Hults.

Defensemen: Evan Bell The Stats: 5 Games, 0 Goals, 2 Assists, +3. (Merrimack) The Skinny: In some ways, Penn State’s season might be a race to January. That’s when Bell, a sophomore, becomes eligible after transfering from Merrimack, which he left just five games into his freshman year. He put up excellent numbers in the USHL, though, and will no doubt help boost a Penn State defensive corps with question marks. Paul DeNaples The Stats: N/A The Skinny: DeNaples is a fundamentally sound freshman defenseman who likely won’t do anything flashy with the puck. He impressed in the defensive third during Penn State’s international scrimmage and could compete for playing time as the Nittany Lions sort out their defense. James Gobetz The Stats: 35 Games, 1 Goal, 8 Assists, +3. The Skinny: Gobetz is one of the players on whom Penn State’s season may depend. The Nittany Lions need him to be a reliable option on the back end as they try to recover from the loss of Hamilton and Erik Autio. He’s shown flashes of offensive capablity over the first two years of his career, but if he defends reliably, it’ll be a win for Gadowsky and company. Derian Hamilton The Stats: 22 Games, 1 Goal, 3 Assists, -2. The Skinny: A senior, Hamilton has a chance to become a mainstay in the Penn State lineup for the first time in his career. Gadowsky even gave him a look as a power-play quarterback during the international scrimmage. Cole Hults The Stats: 38 Games, 3 Goals, 17 Assists, +6. The Skinny: Hults is likely the most talented player within Penn State’s defense corps, and the Nittany Lions need him to help lead that group after an excellent freshman year. Gadowsky consistently lauds the Los Angeles Kings draft choice’s ability to stay engaged offensively without taking risks. If Hults can keep that up, he’s poised to post excellent numbers. Kevin Kerr The Stats: 20 Games, 1 Goal, 9 Assists, +12 The Skinny: Kerr, when healthy, is one of the best players on the ice in any game. An assistant captain, health has been difficult to come by over the last two seasons for Kerr. To put it frankly, the Nittany Lions absolutely need him on the ice this season with an unproven group on defense. Kris Myllari The Stats: 38 Games, 5 Goals, 9 Assists, -6. The Skinny: Myllari is yet another defenseman the Nittany Lions are depending on to take a step forward. He’s always had a rocket for a slapshot and is one of Penn State’s most gritty players, known for blocking shots. The junior is a natural fit to slide into a Trevor Hamilton-type role this season. Adam Pilewicz The Stats: 2 Games, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, +0. The Skinny: Pilewicz didn’t get much action last season as a freshman, but the fluidity of Penn State’s blue line situation probably means that everyone will get a look. He played only sparingly in the international exhibition. Alex Stevens The Stats: 7 Games, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, +0. The Skinny: Gadowsky and the Nittany Lions are excited by Stevens’ ability to shoot the puck from the point. At 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, Stevens is among the more physically imposing Penn State players as well. He’ll have an opportunity to earn playing time.

Junior goaltender Peyton Jones.