Granted it was only like 4 points in 3 games so small sample size. Anyways, overall he's like 4 points in 5 games when Makar wasn't in the lineup. I've heard here and there that Umass isn't that great of a program but I haven't done a lot of research on that. I'm a bit split on whether or not Ferraro would be better off if Makar joins the Avs next season cuz if Makar leaves then Ferraro will probably get a huge boost in responsibilities but playing with a strong program will other good players would also be good too.
I'm a UMass alum and have been following the program since 2003 when I was a freshman. I can say our program has gone through some dark days since the Quick/Braun/Irwin era, the worst of which were probably the 2-3 seasons prior to this year due to an awful awful head coach (Micheletto). Summer of '16 we brought in a new coach though (Greg Carvel) who has a history in the NHL and has worked with some legendary NHL defenseman (Karlsson, Pronger & Niedermeyer). The program is turning it around quickly. UMass more than tripled it's win total from last season and is made up of almost entirely freshmen and sophomores. Despite the program having bad years they still play in Hockey East which is a top 2-3 conference and in some years it is the best conference in NCAA hockey. This means that whether UMass is winning or losing, Makar/Ferraro are playing against some of the best players/teams in college hockey regularly throughout the season. For example they play BU with Jordan Greenway, Shane Bowers, Dante Fabro, Brady Tkachuk and goalie Jake Oettinger 3 times. The conference is deep and while this is a bit of a down year for Hockey East, it typically sends 4-6 teams to the NCAA tournament.
I personally think Makar and Ferraro would benefit from staying with Carvel longer due to his experience with top notch d-men. I'd say Makar should stay 1 more season in college and Ferraro probably 2 more. Makar still needs to add some size and consistency IMO. Much of what makes him look so good in college is his end to end carries but that won't be as easy when he gets to the next level. He's still lacking a bit in his own end though and playing at a high level every game. Ferraro I think plays a more well rounded game currently than Makar, but doesn't have quite the offensive flair that Makar does. I don't think Ferraro would benefit from Makar leaving as he already plays with him on the top PP unit and the top pairing.
Edit: Also UMass has sent a decent amount of players to the NHL over the past 10-15 years and even more to the AHL and foreign pro leagues.
Tomas Pock, Greg Maulden, Casey Wellman, Jon Quick, Justin Braun, Matt Irwin, Frank Vatrano, Conor Sheary, Brandon Montour, Mike Kostka, Joel Hanley, Conor Allen and Matt Anderson.