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 CournoyerBadgers 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 PoirierPoirier was dealing with an "undisclosed injury," which turned out to be him undergoing hip surgery. 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.The Canadian recorded 29 points in his freshman season.

He scored 18 goals and added 11 assists with the Carolina Hurricanes closely watching on. Back in 2024, he was a fifth-round selection (No. 156 overall) and could easily come to Wisconsin and be the next player to go pro early after a stellar collegiate career.Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin men's hockey targeting Alexis Cournoyer and Justin Poirier