“How are the new players adjusting? How does the team deal with so many new players? Who are the new players the coaching staff expects the most from?”

And it’s difficult not to take notice of the “new” makeup of the team; there are 12 players stepping into the Spartan locker room for the first time this season.

They practically take up half the roster — there only are 15 returning players.

But head coach Tom Anastos and his players aren’t focusing on the inexperience of this year’s squad; instead, they are worrying about developing coherence with the players on the roster.

The players aren’t necessarily strangers to each other anymore. They all came to East Lansing in July to take second-session summer courses and get to know each other before the season got underway.

“We’ve spent a lot of time together; I don’t consider them new guys anymore,” senior forward Anthony Hayes said. “I don’t look at them as freshmen unless they ask me where the (Clara Bell) Smith Center is, then they’re freshmen. On the ice, we look at each other and we’re all equals.”

MSU does return five of its eight top scorers from last season, along with second-team preseason pick junior goaltender Will Yanakeff.

The defense sees the biggest bulk of inexperienced players, with six new defensemen and only two returning — junior Jake Chelios and senior Matt Grassi. Those numbers don’t include redshirt freshman Branden Carney, who was out last season with an injury.

Anastos said it would be ideal to pair up a new defenseman with an experienced one, but they simply don’t have the numbers to make that possible.

“Jake obviously started to play a lot toward the end of the season,” Anastos said. “Matt has some experience, but if you recall, he got a concussion in January last year and never played again for the rest of the season.”

For freshman defenseman John Draeger, the concern on others’ parts only reads as opportunity to him. He said Chelios has been helping him a great deal with the new system and playing style, making the transition smoother.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to get a spot and make a difference with how young the (defensive) core is,” he said. “I can go out there and hopefully get some playing time and make an impact.”

The team was ranked seven out of 11 in the CCHA coaches poll, and six out of 11 in the CCHA media poll.