Preview/Lines #47: Grier, Quinn on Scott Harrington & Earning Your Spot in Sharks’ Line-Up

We asked Mike Grier and David Quinn about Ryan Merkley and Kevin Labanc, and they both talked about Scott Harrington.

NHL and AHL veteran Harrington joined the San Jose Sharks on a PTO in training camp and made the team out of training camp. In the first two months of the season though, Harrington was waived as much (twice) as he played NHL games (2).

“Scott Harrington, probably when he got sent down to the American [League], thought his opportunity here was done,” Quinn said Thursday. “One of the things I said to him, our conversation was you go down there, play well, you come back to play. That’s exactly what happened.”

Since his call-up on Nov. 27, Harrington has played in 15 games and provided a steadying presence on the back-end when he’s been in the line-up. Tonight, he’s playing the Columbus Blue Jackets, the organization that he spent the last six years with before coming to San Jose.

On Merkley, the question was what the plan was for the San Jose Sharks’ 2018 first-round pick, who hasn’t played since he requested a trade in early January.

Grier noted: “He’s got to earn his way back in, just like Scott Harrington did here, or whoever it may be, [Evgeny] Svechnikov. They sat for a while, they got to earn their way back in. That’s where he’s at with that. It’s a fluid situation, but he’s got to work his way back into the lineup.”

Grier on Merkley Trade Request, What Eklund & Bordeleau Must Improve

On Labanc, the question was if Quinn has been healthy scratching the skill winger to provide a jolt to the Sharks.

Quinn denied that, then touched on Harrington perhaps thinking his NHL shot was done when the Sharks waived him.

The bench boss continued on Harrington today: “To me, there’s just no bullshit to him.

“He doesn’t get distracted by everything else in this world and think there’s a hidden agenda or anything else

“I haven’t met a coach who puts people in line-up that doesn’t give them a chance to win.

“He went down there, played well, got called back up, played well within the line-up. Sometimes, we lose sight of simplicity in this world.”

This echoed what he said about Harrington on Thursday: “Those who play well will be rewarded with further play. The simplicity of it can’t get lost on us.

“It’s so simple that it’s hard.”

San Jose Sharks (14-23-9)

No projected changes in the lines for the #SJSharks.

Kaapo Kahkonen gets the start against #CBJ

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— Locked on Sharks (@LockedOnSharks) January 21, 2023

Columbus Blue Jackets (13-30-2)

Per NHL.com:

Johnny Gaudreau — Boone Jenner — Kirill Marchenko
Gustav Nyquist — Jack Roslovic — Patrik Laine
Kent Johnson — Cole Sillinger — Emil Bemstrom
Eric Robinson — Sean Kuraly — Mathieu Olivier

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Boqvist
Tim Berni — Erik Gudbranson
Nick Blankenburg — Andrew Peeke

Joonas Korpisalo

Where to Watch

The San Jose Sharks will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at 4 PM PST at Nationwide Arena. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.