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January 22, 2022
CALGARY, AB - NOVEMBER 09: Calgary Flames Left Wing Milan Lucic (17) and San Jose Sharks Right Wing Jonathan Dahlen (76) skate during the first period of an NHL game where the Calgary Flames hosted the San Jose Sharks on November 9, 2021, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire)

Jonathan Dahlen knows.

“I’m not super-happy with the way I’ve been playing,” the San Jose Sharks rookie admitted this morning.

Dahlen has been mired in a prolonged slump, with no goals and two assists in his last 13 games, and a single goal in his last 25. This, despite regular playing time on both San Jose’s top-six and power play.

“I gotta get more inside,” he said, “get to net more.”

That’s what the Swedish import was doing in October, when he vaulted himself into the Calder Trophy conversation with three goals in his first seven games.

I was particularly impressed with Dahlen’s gift for getting his shot off under all types of duress:

Quick Thoughts: Dahlen’s Skills Shining on Hockey’s Biggest Stage

Per Natural Stat Trick, Dahlen averaged 7.73 High-Danger Shot Attempts Per 60 in All Situations in October, 3.86 in November, 4.77 in December, and 3.11 so far in January. As a point of comparison, Tomas Hertl leads the Sharks with 6.51 High-Danger Shot Attempts Per 60 this year.

In all, Jonathan Dahlen scored seven goals in his first 15 NHL games. Of course, nobody expected him to keep that pace up — but Dahlen admitted that the league’s grind has been a obstacle. Two stints in COVID protocol and a shoulder injury haven’t helped matters.

“It’s a lot of games here. You gotta have legs to get inside there,” he acknowledged. “I played 45 regular season games last year, and I’m almost there already. It’s a lot physically.”

Dahlen dominated second-division Swedish hockey with 71 points in just 45 games last season.

San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner still believes in Jonathan Dahlen’s work ethic and talent. So much so, he’s giving the rookie a shot to skate with Hertl and All-Star Timo Meier, the team’s undisputed offensive titans, tonight.

“He’s one of our better offensive players,” Boughner explained. “He’s doing a lot of good things. Even on the first Gregor chance [in Seattle], second shift of the game, Dally got inside on the forecheck, won that 50-50 puck, and ended up getting it to Gregor right in the slot, which was maybe one of our better chances of the game.”