Game Preview/Lines #31: Dubnyk Wants to Stay in San Jose

San Jose Sharks (12-14-4)

The #SJSharks look to #BeatLA tonight.

Projected lines as the go for the series sweep. pic.twitter.com/iytFK7wX0e

— Locked on Shirtless Couture (@LockedOnSharks) March 24, 2021

Los Angeles Kings (13-12-6)

These were LA’s lines on Monday:

Tonight’s @LAKings line rushes looking like –

Iafallo – Kopitar – Brown
Grundstrom – Anderson-Dolan – Moore
Athanasiou – Kempe – Carter
Wagner – Lizotte – Vilardi

Anderson – Doughty
Bjornfot – Roy
MacDermid – Walker

Quick
Petersen

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 23, 2021

Martin Jones starting for Sharks tonight after making 41 saves against Kings on Monday. Expecting Cal Petersen in net for LA, but will get more info following morning skate.

— Dan Greenspan (@DanGreenspan) March 24, 2021

Where to Watch

Puck drop is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it on NBCSN, NBC Sports Bay Area, Fox Sports West, or NHL.tv.

Morning Skate

Devan Dubnyk wants to stay, but do the San Jose Sharks want him to?

The impending UFA, like his team, has had an up-and-down campaign, his .899 Save % 43^rd in the NHL (of 59 goalies, 10+ games played). But the 34-year-old does own a wealth of starting experience: Pierre LeBrun reported last week that Dubnyk, who has a 10-team no-trade clause, would be willing to waive to go to a contender. LeBrun also reported that the Sharks were probably looking to move on from Dubnyk.

“All I know is I’ve loved my time here. I’ve instantly got along well with the group. It’s a group that I felt like I’ve been a part of for a long time even though it hasn’t been,” Dubnyk said yesterday. “It’s certainly something that, when you think about it, you don’t want to go anywhere. I’d love to have an opportunity to continue on here, finish strong this season. Maybe have an opportunity to see what a normal season would be like in this beautiful place.”

And for Dubnyk, it isn’t a normal season without his family, who have stayed back in Minnesota.

“It’s been the most difficult part of this year, for sure,” Dubnyk admitted. “Just with the uncertainty with the start of the season, training camp in Arizona, and really not knowing when we were going to be back [in San Jose]…with three kids that are all going to school, we made the decision that we couldn’t pull them out come February.”

Dubnyk has received intermittent visits from his family over the last month, and the San Jose Sharks will be in Minnesota in mid-April. But of course, that’s still far from “right.”

“Everything feels right and the way it’s supposed to be when they’re here and definitely doesn’t feel right when they’re not,” Dubnyk said. “We’re a pretty close family and it’s been extremely difficult this year. But finding a way through it.”

Can San Jose be a home for Dubnyk and his family? Do they even have a spot for him next year? In theory, yes.

Let’s say the Sharks buy out Martin Jones this off-season – a real possibility, despite the three years remaining in Jones’s contract, because of his unreliable play over the last three seasons. Let’s say they want to break in one of their prospect goalies, either Alexei Melnichuk or Josef Korenar. There’s still a spot available for a bridge starter then.

Of course, it would be understandable if the San Jose Sharks wanted to go in a different direction – .899 Save % — but there’s still time for Dubnyk to change minds. The Trade Deadline is on Apr. 12.

“There’s a lot of hockey to be played,” Dubnyk said, “I’m just gonna keep working and enjoying myself in the time with the guys here.”