San Jose Barracuda
Subscriber Mailbag: Ask Us Anything!
We’re No. 2!
The San Jose Sharks, the worst team in the NHL, did not get the first-overall pick in the 2025 Draft, but came out with the No. 2 selection.
What’s next for the Sharks this off-season?
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Can the Sharks sign Zetterlund to an offer sheet even though they traded him? Though I know it’s unlikely he signs anything that would require a second or less in compensation (and Ottawa would likely match anyway), are there any rules that restrict teams that trade players from then “offer sheeting them” when they are RFAs? Thanks!
Now there is a decent chance Schaefer is gone first, so SJ will be getting a really good forward. That’s fine.
Do you guys see Grier packaging the late 1st from Dallas and some other assets to move up and grab a D man or will he settle for a Dman that falls around 28th-32nd ? Any compelling targets?
I wonder if they use the Dallas pick and their own second to move up into Mrtka range. That would be an ideal draft. An enormous RHD and a high end two-way center to play behind Celebrini.
He probably needs to go back for another year assuming he can play college. But would love it if he turned pro and they ran the Smith protocol on him.
Remember that the Smith protocol was in his D+2 year. I love me some Misa, but I don’t actually think he’s better than Smith. Smith is really good, I think we took him for granted. I think the final 30 games of Smith’s season could justify crazy conclusions like he would have been a justifiable #2 pick in 2023 over the likes of Fantilli, Michkov and Carlsson. 2023 was a better draft at the top than this one. And Hagens was plus and play on Smith’s line at BC and got about half the results and he could go #3… Read more »
Yeah I know but Carlson was his draft year and that was really the beginning of the protocol.
I’m not convinced Misa is better. Smiths vision and the way he manipulates time and space is elite. I’m fully on board with the Kucherov light comparisons.
I think if Misa is taken at 2, both Misa & Smith will spend time at center in the coming years. Most modern hockey structures have centers and wingers shift responsibilities based on how play develops. It’s never a bad thing to have too many centers. Remember when the Sharks had natural centers Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Couture & Hertl in their top 6. Their play will dictate who plays there more often, but as Joe Pavelski once said to the question ” when was the last time you played center?” After being listed at center for the first time in… Read more »
Pavs’ response is one of my favorite answers. That said, it helped a lot that he had extensive time at both positions.
With probably the deepest U23 forward group of all time if they add Misa (and that’s not even hyperbole), do you think a high end prospect like Musty gets moved for a high end RHD like Nemec/Willander/Sandin Pellikka?
it’s a good proposition. I hate to give Musty away right now. I would rather trade Ferraro and a late 1st instead of Musty.
Of course we’d prefer that, it just doesn’t seem like Ferraro’s value is as high as it used to be.
How do we know what his value is? It sounds like it wasn’t for a 1st but he’s worth at least a 2nd. NJ could use a buy like him for their butter soft defense and he would probably thrive with all that talent to help cover up his lack of passing ability.
We know that his analytics value has dropped significantly. I like him and think we need someone who can take on the minutes he does, but I’m not sure that he’s a true upgrade over any of their top defenders: Hamilton, Hughes, Kovacevic, Pesce, Dillon, and Siegenthaler. Nemec has a higher ceiling than him. Siegenthaler could potentially be replaced by him, but they also have Brendan Dillon signed for a few more years. They would have to make other moves for it to make sense for them to want to trade for Ferraro.
I would imagine they would dump someone like Dillon or Pesce. Both are expendable and Ferraro would probably be an upgrade.
I don’t want to say it was a bit of bad luck to land in the #2 slot for us, because I couldn’t decide between Schaeffer and Misa when I thought about who I wanted. Most posters thought Schaeffer was the best target, and maybe he is, but we all know that defense is a sore spot for the Sharks. OTOH, scoring is also. Misa seems like a natural to pair with Smith. If we could up our goals by 30 just from this draft pick, we can always dip into the FA market for a solid defenseman. We need… Read more »
I had a pit in my stomach when the final ball of the 2nd drawing was about to come up and there was only about a 50% chance of the Sharks getting the 2nd pick (34% from their own balls and 18% from Utah and Calgary). It is a draft where 2 players have separated themselves, and the Sharks are likely getting an offensive dynamo who showed out all season. Schaefer only played 17 OHL games and 4 periods at World Juniors. The only “questions” about Misa were his performance against a Schaefer-less Erie in the first round, but I… Read more »
Where would Sam Dickinson be ranked or be mock drafted in this year’s draft?
What have you heard/learned since last year on why we took Dickinson vs Zeev?
Size and TOI potential. Dickinsons potential is as an all situations minute muncher in the 1st or 2nd pair. 5v5, PK, PP… Buium probably has to be sheltered 5v5 and won’t be a PK staple.
Dickinson is 7 months younger than Buium and his development trajectory is way different. I think the Sharks took the right guy and I still think Dickinson’s ceiling is way higher as a bigger body and a better skater
I’m not sure about “way higher”. I think they’re 2 different players and a contender likely needs each type.
Thoughts about Martone? I think he would fit well to San Jose, I think we need some big body type forwards with elite potential.
What does the package look like that would tempt Grier to trade down? Obviously would need a top 10 pick from this year (maybe use on Victor Eklund?). But maybe a first next year + player? Do you think it would at least be worth considering?
Wishing Eklund a speedy recovery, he’s my fav Shark A lot of people are talking about the cap going up, but with the Sharks they have future star players and none on older discounted contracts. If the Sharks draft Misa, Celebrini Smith, Dickenson and Askarov, those 5 players alone could cost 60 million in their prime and the owner can want to spend to the cap but i am not convinced spending to a 123 million cap even makes economic sense for a small market team like the Sharks. My question is does it make sense to keep Eklund given… Read more »
Post draft lottery Grier in fact said of Eklund “everything is in the table”
Everything on the table was in reference to the type of contract, bridge or long term. Not about trading him.
I’m sorry, but in what world is San Jose a small market? It’s the 13th largest city in the entire country, and sits in the middle of one of the wealthiest and most populous regions in the world. Hasso is the wealthiest majority owner in the league.
Sure are a lot of picky trolls here, do you think the Sharks are even top 15 in NHL TV ratings? Do you think they are even one of the biggest sports teams in California?
Colorado just traded a future hall of famer not because they couldn’t afford him but because they decided they couldn’t.
Maybe people could try thinking about the questions before complaining about them
Disagreeing is not trolling. The Sharks play in a large market. When they’re good, the building sells out every night. They’ve been in the top half of the league in merch sales since the inception of the franchise. I’m sure you’re right that they’re not a top 15 draw in terms of television ratings. That doesn’t change the size of the available market in an extraordinarily wealthy area. The Sharks are highly incentivized to be good, because when they are they sell tickets to rich people and when they’re not those rich people spend their money elsewhere.
The ratings were up substantially this year. More winning, more ratings. The team gets it
If you’re going to post 80 questions and comments expect responses. If some of your stuff isn’t well thought out don’t expect us to blow sunshine up your butt. We’re not trolls just because you don’t like our responses or answers. Toughen up.😉
It wouldn’t be the worst thing if we were more patient with people in a friendly environment though.
Like if someone wants to wear a tin hat and think everything is rigged, maybe they really thought that one through! Ok, nevermind. But still, nobody has to come on here and be an arrogant prick either
Thanks Kads. Shork gets a little too big for his britches sometimes and thinks it’s amusing when actually it’s more mean spirited than anything else.
I think it’s cool to be passionate about our opinions, but it’s also good to be mindful that sometimes the passion might drive people away and that isn’t what any of us want
My ornery nature has helped this comment section skyrocket in engagement. 😉😁
🥺😭Cry me a river. 😈💩😘
They play in a huge media market but are dwarfed by the giants, 49ers and warriors as far as media coverage and attention, there is no way you can compare Sharks media and fan attention to Philly or Boston or NYR who also compete with huge franchises but still somehow get their share of media coverage and fan fare. That’s why the sharks are an incredibly small market team. They have two beat writers for Pete’s sake lol and sometimes Sheng runs out of questions because he’s the only one asking them. that is the definition of a small market… Read more »
No, the definition of a small market team is a team that plays in a small market. The Sharks play in fucking Silicon Valley.
100%
I acknowledge the fact that you are well educated and knowledgeable about a lot of things but I think you are not understanding what a market is, you can open up a Steak house in Delhi India because there are 30 million people but it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a market for it.
The addressable market for the Sharks is any sports fan in the Bay Area. When they’re good, they attract exponentially more casual sports fans.
Even if we define the market as people who are already interested in hockey – which is not how any business would ever define its total addressable market – San Jose is still not a small market. Sharks Ice is the largest hockey facility west of the Mississippi. It has been since the fourth rink was built like 15 years ago.
What do you think it would cost to trade up to 1?
A lot of brain cells?
If NYI was willing to flip picks for the Sharks second rounder, you wouldn’t do that?
I would do this in a second, but I’m still not convinced that the Islanders will go defense. I’m wondering how many teams truly see Schaefer as standing apart from Misa. Do the Sharks even think that?
If Schaefer is a ceiling #1 D with, for arguments sake, a floor of #2, is that more valuable than a 1C ceiling? NYI has both needs for sure, so I guess we might find out.
There are more than enough cases of the independent scouts being way off what teams actually think. It should surprise none of us if the top 5 go in some order that none of us imagined.
No way it’s that cheap. I’m referring to what it would actually cost.🙂
I forgot an emoji. 😜
Do the Sharks at some point need to address the left right balance of the defence? I’ve never heard of a team winning with 6or7 left handers, and contenders like Edmonton Toronto and Dallas have spend years of their windows trying to find right handers; it seems like an over simplification to say it doesn’t matter when top teams put such an emphasis on it.
There is no way to really do that in the prospect pool, but the Sharks have a ton of assets to possibly get 2 big defensive RHDs to pair with guys like Dickinson and possibly Schaefer. As has been said, the draft isn’t the only way to acquire talent. I know we are finding all kinds of problems with Ekblad, but I think he might be particularly amenable to a short term high dollar contract based on his recent suspensions. 3 years, $30M, he would change the defense all by himself just because the matchups and pairings would domino. Grier… Read more »
Joseph had an idea to sign a couple more under the radar D to improve the group that I liked. Can’t remember who… Lindgren maybe? And another dude.
Orlov would be a good add I think.
I also think Orlov would be good, just doesn’t solve the RHD imbalance is all
Unfortunately I think that problem is going to get kicked down the road another season or two.
I agree that today’s problem is “just get better players” and we can nitpick later. A guy I used to work with said to break the big rocks before you break the small rocks. Still a lot of big rocks for a team with the worst offense and the worst defense in the league.
Some guys can play the offside though. Shak and Cags both can play RD.
There you go. Yeah I’m all for one of the under the radar guys but selfishly want someone who can move into a #1 role if even only for a short time.
I was optimistic on Lindgren. Right up until I saw him play vs dallas (admittedly, high end competition). He’s really dipped from a few years back.
That said, GMMG wants shorter term and probably pays up for it. Plus Lindgren > Liljegren.
🤣🤣🤣 Randy might quit.
The last time the Islanders picked 1st overall, the player they picked (John Tavares) ended up leaving. Does that factor in at all to their possible willingness to lean towards Hagens, who is a Long Island native and true homegrown talent.
IF they are even thinking about moving back to select the kid who grew up going to their games… what would it take to move up from 2?
What are the chances SJ trades back, picks up another first in ’26, and ends up with a combination of Radim Mrtka or Jackson Smith and (insert forward here)?
Where would Misa and Schaefer be picked if they were in the 2023 draft? 2024 draft?
Have all successful rebuilds actually drafted their defensemen?
Post-lockout teams to win with a #1 defenseman they didn’t draft:
Hopefully we add SJ to that list. Unless it’s Cags. 🤪
I wonder if the Sharks are headed for a depth vs. traditional structure on defense. They have a lot of guys that would be better than average third pairing players, and some pillars to build around in the top four with Muk and Dickinson. Cagnoni on the third pair, for example, could be quite the luxury.
I think there’s a role for d-men who play 3rd pair at 5v5 and run the PP. Cagnoni is the sort that fits this. The big issue most raise is his first step and his ability to avoid heavy play. Those aren’t issue on the PP. The rest of his game is very promising. Good decisions, good skating, good puck mover. Even a pretty good shot. Another player who fit that, at least at times, might have been Burns. He ad long stretches where his 5v5 game was a liability, but his PP (and surprisingly, his PK) were both really… Read more »
The way I see it, the Sharks are building a group that has the potential to be contender-level by committee, the way Florida, Edmonton and others have done successfully. Dickinson might not be a number one guy, but he’ll be an above average number two and at worst a shutdown workhorse with his size and skating ability. Mukhamadullin might not be a top pairing player, but he will be able to anchor a second pairing in his sleep and add some minutes on the second PP unit. I think there’s a natural partner for Mukhamadullin in the organization already in… Read more »
I just can’t imagine Cags being a factor at the NHL level next season. He’s made a career out of surpassing expectations though so I’m not counting him out.
Oh I agree, this would be well into the future when Dickinson and Mukhamadullin are established.
Sharks traded for both EK65 and Brent Burns. They were the best team in the NHL with those 2 — right up until EK65 got injured.
One could also argue that having to trade for and pay both those players led to the six year playoff drought we find ourselves in currently. Based on the recent cup winners, drafting and developing a number one guy in house sure seems like an advantage, although certainly not a prerequisite.
What led to the playoff drought was 15 years of success. It happens. Same thing with the Pens and now it looks like the Bruins.
DW made the right decisions to get both guys because he had a Cup window and was determined to keep it going.
The failure to recognize when the window closed and pivot to a rebuild (vs a re-tool) led to a longer process.
That said, completely agree with your statement of “drafting and developing a number one guy in house sure seems like an advantage, although certainly not a prerequisite.”
I think what led to the playoff drought was missing out on Tavares to transition to the 1C ahead of the aging Jumbo and then throwing all the picks/prospects and eventual dollars at the consolation prize of EK64 when we didn’t exactly need a second #1 blue liner.
No, it was the pandemic and the frozen cap. If the cap had continued to increase the EK65 contract wouldn’t have been nearly as detrimental. Also the Kane disaster, the Labanc contract and the force feeding of d level rookies like Yourtaykin into the top 9 instead of at least signing legit NHLers to vet min contracts. Also, those 20-21, 21-22 seasons had long term injuries to significant players. And lastly, fuckin Martin Jones and his complete crater into beer league goalie status. Blaming the Sharks descent on having Burns and EK65 simply ignores a whole lot of nuance and… Read more »
1000%
Losing a top three pick is a huge deal.
But how did they end up with 3OA? Many bad things had to happen all in the same season.
Yup, they boat raced all the best teams in the NHL during that stretch before EK65 got hurt.
No
The athletic just did this with Schaefer and they rated him better than Dahlin and the best defensive prospect of the last decade. One note, on their new list Celly is the 2nd best prospect of the last 10 years behind only Matthews.😁 if the Sharks somehow get Schaefer to go along with Askarov and Celly… 😬
I saw that, too. Last year, though, they rated Celebrini 5th on the list, too. I think the execs are being disingenuous about how they initially viewed guys. In no universe was Celebrini even close to as hyped as Bedard and now all these execs are pretending they knew he’d be better? Get out of town.
disengenious? I don’t think so. They explain Celly’s rise up the list. Made sense to me. They are saying they always thought he was better than Bedard. Just that clearly he is now.
Shoot… mistyped. Should say “they aren’t saying they always thought he was better than Bedard”.
That list is supposed to measure pre-draft hype, not ability or ceiling.
I don’t know. They said they moved Celly higher because his offense ended up translating in the NHL. They said in the previous year they did this there were concerns about it translating?
Asset accumulation v asset management:
The Sharks are quickly reaching the point where asset management is equally important to asset accumulation. After this draft, is it not time to start moving redundancy in the pipeline, as well as future draft assets, to address team deficiencies? The free agent market this year is blah…surely they will strike next year. But, much can be done beforehand. What redundancies have significant value, and who are the likely targets to be moved?
I think some redundancy is good since you can never be sure a guy is going to be what you thought. I am open to any move that Grier thinks is right, but even though the pipeline is deep, I wouldn’t say we have all that much redundancy in any particular place. But if Grier finds a Bystedt and Sallen Wahlenius for Dobson deal, he’s gotta do that, obviously. On the flip side, there really isn’t a circumstance where I would trade Misa in a deal involving a guy at Dobson’s level. I think the team would be better off… Read more »
You would have to top 10 protect that 1st.
Really important question. I call this the transition from buckshot to rifle shot. To me, the timing is next offseason. But its a soft transition, not a flipped switch. For example, RHD is so modest, both in terms of current players and pipeline, its pretty clear that one should take a rifle shot when the right fit comes along (or put another way, maybe see how Sharks 5th rd pick in 2024, 6’4″ RHD Nate Misskey, is doing). The other weakness is top d-man on either side. I don’t see Mukh filling that role and Dickinson is potential, but I… Read more »
If we’re talking ammo, I’m gonna say going to battle with Logan Cooley as your 1C is bringing a knife to a gunfight.
The Sharks are in a very different position than almost every other bottom 15 team. Celebrini changes everything and Smith is probably going to be better than a guy like Cooley, too.
Go. For. It.
Cooley turned 21 just 2 days ago. In his age 20 season, He put up 65 points and was a + player. Clayton Keller put up 90 pts on the wing. Schmaltz, as a C, hit 63 points. Guenther in his age 21 season, put up 60 pts in 70 games. They have a legit top tier pipeline (and now a 4th overall pick via a lucky lottery ball). Utah is on its way. And given the cap space they have, expect them to also be in on Marner. Marner +Sergachev are the sorts of rifle shots which perfectly fit… Read more »
Agee 100%. Celly and Smith could very easily come in next season and put up 80-90 points each. Be a colossal mismanagement to waste years when they can produce.
Agree with every point you made. Well said.
Only for the right piece. For so many of these prospects we have no clue if they’re hits or misses. Hell we don’t know where Eklund ends up. Is this what he is or does he continue developing and become a PPG player? He’s still young enough to have more in him. He’s pretty much the oldest and furthest along. So if you can trade for a player who’s maybe 21 and far enough along to have a better idea if they’re a “hit” then sure. Otherwise I think they still need to wait. I remain uncertain unconvinced they need… Read more »
Completely agree on the RD vs LD. You need one of the 2 to be a stud. Doesn’t matter which handed he is. One of the league’ best d-pairs a couple seasons ago was EK65 and Jake Middleton. Greatness needs the right compliment. Dylan DeMelo with Josh Morrissey, for example. Brenden Dillon was a terrific complimentary player. On his on, he’s OK. But everyone who he partnered with seemed to thrive. One season, every Sharks RHD had their highest Corsi and GF% with Dillon. If you get a 2nd stud, then run essentially 2 top pairings. Sharks had Burns and… Read more »
Any sense on whether the Sharks would look to require their 2026 3rd round pick from Pittsburgh so that an offer sheet option would open up? With the cap going up is an offer sheet on someone like Dobson or Miller even worthwhile since it’d be much easier for the targeted team to match? Does that leave a trade as the Sharks’ best pathway to upgrading the top 4 of their blue line?
There’s no way the Sharks offer sheet anyone, giving up an unprotected first round pick in the McKenna draft would be absolutely nuts at this stage of the rebuild.
You don’t have to give up a first round pick in an offer sheet situation. Broberg cost the Blues a 2nd and Holloway a 3rd.
Dobson or Miller is going to require a first. Broberg was far less of a proven quantity.
Just saying, you said there was no way they offer sheet anyone.
Alexander Romanov?
So I asked Mike Bartner, who does pretty good hockey videos every day and is an Isles fan, about Dobson (he isn’t that high on him).
He gave an answer which wasn’t quite what I asked, but he said he’d happily trade Dobson and Colorado’s 1st (early 20’s pick which they got in the Brock Nelson trade) for Utah’s 4th overall.
Backing it out, if that’s fair value, it places Dobson stand-alone value around a 10th overall pick in this draft.
10th overall in this draft is also probably around where Mrkta goes, considered the top RHD in the draft.
Who says his valuation is accurate? He’s not a GM.
I’m not saying it is. I am saying he’s watched the guy every game for years and he has a lot of hockey insight. Which make his opinion more insightful than anyone else’s up here. He’d mentioned Dobson in his video so I asked. Here’s the interaction: Me: Curious, why are you so meh on Dobson? Is he worth a 4th overall pick? Are the Isles looking to move him? I know he’s an RFA looking for a big raise, but that can’t be enough of a reason. Bartner: I’d move him and the COL 1st for 4th overall in… Read more »
I don’t know. Sounds like someone who shouldn’t be running a franchise. That’s a horrible trade IMO.
If, say, the Sharks successfully offer-sheeted Knies or Samberg or Dobson, for example, and they made some other moves to complete whatever “dream offseason” we could fathom, presumably that lottery spot would be around 10th, the same as NYI. Yes, we know it can happen, but I wouldn’t pass that up for a 3% chance at McKenna
I think even a vastly improved Sharks team would be one unfortunate injury away from another bottom five finish. I’d be really reticent to trade away SJ firsts until the playoffs are a lock.
As long as it’s for a significant piece for the rebuild and it’s top 10 protected specifically for next year I’m fine moving a 1st.
I think what we are all struggling with is how to cross the chasm. At some point, there is going to be a risk the Sharks are required to take. Doing it at the right time for the right risk is the key. I do also think there’s a risk of waiting too long and losing momentum. Celebrini and Smith are going to worlds soon and will be having sleepovers and getting guys excited. Eklund’s injury is rough because Team Sweden won’t have a Shark. But I kinda feel like the iron is hot. Strike! Not saying a massive offer… Read more »
That’s essentially why I asked my original question. Crossing the chasm will be a challenge. Getting the timing right where we match the windows of our forward core with our D core will be paramount. Since D take longer to develop generally,
I think we need to kick start it a bit.
They need to trade for a #1D to match development curves of Smith and Celly. All the young D in the org are already way behind those two studs.
I’m all in with you for them to go big this off season.😜
My similar take on this is: I’d rather have 1 too many really good players than 1 too few.
Look at dallas, beating Colorado without Heiskanen and Robertson. That next wave has got to make a real difference. Really good teams have robust rosters.
The Sharks next wave is coming, but it wont be ‘NHL good’ next year.
I do think when the time comes, the Sharks won’t take the stairs up, they’ll take the elevator. Go from a 60-ish pt team to 100+ pt team over 2 seasons.
This 109%. Unless of course you can somehow top 10 protect but threatening offer sheet and instead make a trade?
It’s possible a team could take a top 10 protected Sharks pick if the alternative is getting offer sheeted by a contending team and getting a back of the round pick instead. I think Toronto might be most amenable to this with Knies, actually. I definitely think he would be worth a major offer and he’s 22. Imagine Knies on one line and Chernyshov on another. Celebrini, Misa, Smith also in the top 6. That feels contending to me.
I would love to add Knies.
yup
The Sharks have a decent number of Defensemen in the system, but besides Dickinson, none are considered top pairing. It isn’t 100% certainty the Islanders pick Schaefer, but if they do, and the Sharks get Misa, the Sharks continue to pile up a prospect pool of forwards. Could the GMMG consider trading the #2 pick (or a package of prospects) for a young proven top blueliner? Sabers have Powers, Dahlen, and Byram for example. They’re all young and seem to fit the development timeline
If they somehow got Dahlin that would be a chefs kiss offseason.
Second overall pick plus upstate native Quentin Musty might get the job done. That org is desperate for size up front. They have difficulty attracting and keeping free agents. If they’re willing to part with Dahlin, it means they’re rebuilding to some extent. And if they’re rebuilding, I don’t think they’d see a better offer than that. Someone could offer up established players, but I have to think they’d prefer the futures if they’re going that route.
I think Dahlin is a pipe dream. It’d be a signal to their fan base that they are once again starting over
They’ve signaled worse, 🤣
That fan base is collectively dead inside, and they’ve earned that outlook the hard way. What’s one more dagger to the heart?
🤣🤣🤣
I do too but it’s a nice dream for the moment. 😉
I think Byram is the most realistic option for the them, but i wouldn’t give up the 2OA. But in any case, i think there’s potential to give up draft collateral or prospects to get one of them.
Thanks as always for doing these. Read aloud as much or as little of this as makes sense I know it’s meandering as hell. What’s the deal with our Swedish defencemen, particularly as it relates to the NHL-SHL/IIHF agreement? Mattias Havelid was drafted in the second round of 2022, which means I think he’s the last one eligible to come play in the AHL at age 22 (which he’ll turn this coming January). Any word on him signing his NHL contract? Has Mike Grier even mentioned him at all since discussing prospects about to enter their playoffs, a few months… Read more »
I’m really curious about this, too. The CBA seems to present some roadblocks in terms of getting these later round Swedes to North America but Grier and his staff often discuss it like it’s not really a factor.
Thanks for doing the show!
Keegan – What is your favorite book on the shelf that is usually behind you?
Sheng – Who is your personal favorite basketball player of all time?
Lastly, this isn’t a question, but if your ever looking for guest ideas I’d love to see Luca Sbisa or Tommy Wingels on to talk about the day to day of player development.
Obviously a lot will depend on what Grier (and other GMs) do this coming off-season, but I’m wondering which teams you think the Sharks are likely to leapfrog in the standings next year? I look at the bottom 10 or so teams from this year and I think the Sharks might be better (on paper) than maybe 2 or 3 of those teams, but I’m not completely confident in that.
This year was pretty awesome seeing Celebrini, Smith and for a brief time, Graf and Askarov make an impact with the Sharks this season.
Which (if any) rookies do you think will likely come in and make an impact next year?
Long list…
Let’s start with the AHL guys… In no particular order…
Forwards: Lund, Chernyshov, Musty, Bystedt, Haltunnen
Dmen: Cagnoni
Dickinson is in his own bucket because he has to go back to London if he doesn’t make the Sharks. Dickinson going back to London would be a catastrophic failure.
Agreed re Dickinson. The others though… I could see maybe Lund the mostly likely to get enough time in the NHL level to be impactful, but I have my doubts any of the others spend much time in the NHL next year.
I don’t know about catastrophic but it would be a bummer. Another year won’t kill him.
Exactly.
It’d help if London was a worse team because of turnover and Dickinson had to be ‘the man’.
The taller kids always seem to take longer. D-men take longer. A 19 year old skinny d-man could, very easily, get eaten alive in the NHL. That’d be far worse than another year in London. Though I’d hope maybe he could play in a men’s league, perhaps in Sweden.
Yeah, “catastrophic” is definitely an overstatement… But I think him returning to London for another year would be a waste of development time. I think he’d get more out of playing half the games in the NHL next year than returning to the OHL. Sweden could be an interesting option – but not sure if introducing him to a larger ice surface would help or hinder his development (probably neither…but I’m really not sure).
I’m not going there with Sam and the NHL. The risk of an NHL stint being a full-on disaster is too great. Saw him at last season’s prospect games and he wasn’t good. Didn’t see him at the Worlds, but there were a lot of prospect evaluation sorts who did — and he didn’t get good reviews. These were games against players in his age group. When it comes to player development paths, I come with a lot of humility. They’re really tricky and really hard to assess, even from the inside. Let alone from the outside. But I think… Read more »
I don’t want to be the guy who makes excuses for people, but the prospect game was a lot of 3 on 3 jungle ball where I even had questions about Celebrini coming out of it. And Team Canada was a tire fire at worlds where the wheels just came off. Misa avoided any criticism from that experience. Why? Because he didn’t make the team. So I don’t want to pile on those kids, I think the team was really poorly coached and then having their top Dman smack a crossbar like that just took the wind out of the… Read more »
Ok fine. “Complete waste of a year.”
You define that your way.
Playing some games in the NHL in the first half of the season is a great idea.
I do t think he’s that skinny. he’s already added significant muscle. My bet is he comes to camp built like a truck.
Not sure 6’3” 209 is skinny… Mark Stone is 6’4” 212 no one calling him skinny!
That’s a beefy dude right there. Didn’t realize he was almost 210. Knowing that I bet he’s in the NHL next season if he has a good camp.
I asked the Europe professional league regarding Musty and Dickinson in last year’s mailbag because there is not even one precedent of a player drafted out of the CHL to play over in Europe before he was 20. Sheng asked the agent of Musty and said the answer was that it is not possible.
My guess is that it’s for the same reason young Swedes, Russians, etc don’t get any development time in the top leagues. Those teams are in business to make money and they aren’t NHL minor league teams. they get players to win now. They don’t develop Sharks prospects out of some sense of charity
Lots of draft questions with lottery recent bias so here’s a meaty one about roster construction.
Sheng you’ve vocally critized 23/24 and noted marked improvement for the organization this year.
At this moment in time how do your sharks and Cuda rosters line up next year?
If there’s time what GMMG era later prospects (say 3rds and later have stood out as possible roster additions in the next few years)
Who are some of the young defensemen who may be trade assets this year? We know Nemec and Jiricek were discussed and the latter was moved. Who else is out there that would fit what the Sharks are trying to do?
With the cap going up and projected out for the next three years (I know that can fluctuate), how active do we see the off-season going forward? Are teams like Boston going to start retooling/rebuilding? The King’s let go of Rob Blake and a new GM may want to make some big moves. Those are just two small examples as there are more that could take place if Edm or Tor fail to make the cup final. This is all speculation, but it feels like this off-season has the potential to be one of the more interesting in years past.
First off, this BETTER be another 4-hour mailbag 🙂 Would you make this trade: To NYI: 2nd overall | 2nd Round Pick | B-Level prospect | Dellandrea To SJS: Noah Dobson (8-year extension signed) | Pierre Engvall | Colorados 1st (Nelson Trade) | B/C-Level prospect. Sharks get the D they need and NYI can rebuild on the fly. This is all predicated that NYI would select Schafer with the # 1. I like Misa but IF the Islanders were to select Schafer wouldn’t it make organizational sense to try and get your #1 D (not true #1 but a PPQB… Read more »
I’m lower on Dobson than most, but I’d think the Isles move at light speed to make that deal.
I think they’d move at light speed to make that deal for Misa alone and include their 2nd rounder in the return.
i wouldn’t do it. Go after the Sabres – They have three really good blueliners: Powers, Dahlen, or Byram.
if you’re moving a 2nd overall, guy with HOF potential in Misa, its gotta be Dahlin and nothing less.
i wouldn’t mind
so the 2nd overall pick for engvall’s contract, Dobson and Colorado’s 1st? No way
It’s all hypothetical, but why not? You don’t have to deal with the dev curve of drafting a defenseman, you get a good bottom-6 forward and capital in that pick in a deep draft.
It would really accelerate the Sharks timeline just from a D perspective.
I don’t like that trade. Dobson is good but not *that* good
Do you think GMMG will seriously consider trading for one of the Toronto goalies — Woll or Stolarz? Both seem like the right sort to complement Askarov while Toronto may be counting is cap pennies if it wants to retain both Tavares and Marner.
This is a good one. Doubt Toronto wants to keep both though unless Marner wins con smythe en route to a cup win.
With the cap increasing so much and a relatively thin crop of high impact UFAs on the market, how difficult do you think it will be for the Sharks to fill holes via free agency? How many free agent signings do you each predict we’ll see this offseason?
great question but it kills our dreams of significant improvement this off season. 😜 it’s probably going to be really difficult unless UFAs really believe in what they see in the SJ pipeline.
Toffoli and Wennberg took the Sharks’ money in a much less interesting period of the rebuild. I think there will be enough excitement around the Sharks narrative now that guys will come here if the Sharks are paying the most. Players like money.
Marner could have taken the 8/$100M from Toronto a year ago if he wanted to feel happy as a Leaf. No, he wants money. So let’s give him money.
I hope you’re right. So hard to tell.
My dreams of significant improvements on the back end have already died, I think they just shore it up and stack the forward group with productive vets on short term deals. IMO, the timeline for solving the issues on defense is essentially the same timeline for the second wave of prospects arriving (Chernyshov, Musty, Dickinson). As long as it’s done before those guys show up and start contributing, I think Grier and company can live with that. But you’re right. Not as exciting for us.
Remember when I said the Devils RHD Kovacevic that signed for like 5/$20M a couple months back should fire his agent and that agent should be forced to move to Russia and break ice for the rest of his life because that was an effing terrible contract and had absolutely no vision for how salaries were going to explode? This is exactly what I was talking about. He could have gotten $20M for 3 years. Probably $30M for 5. Hell, I’m going to pick up hockey and I’m a right handed stick. I think I’m worth Kovecevic’s crappy deal. Anyways,… Read more »
Hopefully Grier addresses it with trades if he can’t in UFA.
It kinda has to be a lot since the team is far short of the cap floor. I think GMMG is reading it right with prioritizing shorter term. Which means needle movers are probably off the table.
But yes, the FA crop is modest and it’ll be really pricey. The Matt Coronato deal is pretty telling. A few years back, he’s a $3-4mil guy. Now he’s $6.5mil.
Yeah it feels like they need a minimum of five everyday players, but I can’t remember the last time the Sharks brought in five top nine F/top four D types in the same offseason. It’ll be interesting to see what goes down and how.
I actually think the potential for massive improvements on the bottom 6 on shorter deals might be the most economical way to improve the forward group. We played with 2 5th lines most of the year, the production from that group was awful.
The first season they made the playoffs? ;P
Do you guys think there is a world where the Sharks flip the #2 pick for a young, proven defenseman (preferably a right hander) ?
If so – who?
If we believe the #2 pick is off the table – who becomes expendable and what kind of scenarios do you envision plausibly playing out?
I’d hate to see any of Eklund, Musty, or Chernyshov moved (especially Ekky) but I am starting to wonder if they are the best pieces to dangle for defensive help we desperately need.
Cherny is the last guy of that bunch I would move. Eklund is probably worth the most depending on the trading partner.
What is your favorite hypothetical package for trading the #2 pick that is still realistic? I think mine is centered around getting ASP, 13OA and extra draft picks from detroit for the second pick.
BONUS: Keegan, if YOU had to replace sheng on the pod with any current or former shark, who would it be?👀😂
ASP is a pretty small dude to be banking on as a future top pairing guy in the modern NHL.
ASP?
Axel Sandin-Pellinka (sic?)
Gazuntite. ;P
How big do you think is the chance that the drafting team and Grier make Victor Eklund a Shark in the end?
Less than zero. Grier doesn’t really draft undersized forwards no matter how hard they play.
Not a question, but a statement which I believe.
Michael Misa will have a Hall of Fame career.
Every time I listen to the people who discuss him, they’re always full of superlatives. I tend to discount those. But when it comes to weaknesses, they just don’t have much. Its really rare to have a player talked about at this age with so few negatives. I’m kind of blown away by that.
So all these trade questions come back to me like this: if you’re trading away a HOF player, what HOF player are you getting in return?
I’ve pretty much talked myself into Misa being the optimal outcome for San Jose. Schaefer fits such an obvious need that they’d have never passed up on him. But facts are facts, he played 17 games in his draft year and is one of the youngest players eligible. There are a lot more unknowns with him than Misa, who kicked ass unstoppably all season long and only seemed to find another gear when he was paired with a player already in the Sharks system. His point totals this year were incredible, leading the OHL in scoring as a draft eligible… Read more »
He’s regarded as a 200 ft stud much the way cell was. Honestly I could see him playing in the NHL next season. 6’1″ 185lbs now. Probably be 190 lbs by camp. Skates like the wind and is defensively responsible. If he doesn’t go to college he could likely play in the NHL next season. He won’t have to be “the man” like Celly did. Probably put him on the 3rd line to start.
ZachO, Graf and Misa 3rd line? 🤔 Just hacking the top 6 currently would be Celebrini, Smith, Toffoli, Eklund, Wennberg and ???… Dang if that ??? isn’t a great place for Marner though. I just don’t see why some people don’t see him as a great fit. The first line would be electric and the 2nd line would be able to grow into a major difference maker ideally over the course of next season, especially post Olympics. Remembering also that Wennberg probably gets moved at the TDL hopefully not just because the team wants to hoard assets, but also because… Read more »
Wennberg, Eklund & Marner would be a disaster. No way the Sharks keep Eklund if they sign Marner.
if those are the players, you need to put Marner with Celly and move Smith to the 2nd line. Marner would likely only sign for the chance to play with Celly. That line would shred most in the league with their defensive play. Just need a big winger to play with them. Musty or Cherny at some point in the near future?
I was thinking Toffoli, Eklund, Wennberg with Marner on a line with the kiddos. But this line only plays together for half a year at the most anyways
Smith needs to play center away from Celly.
With the sharks likely picking a forward in this class, what do you think they do in next year’s draft in terms of if they pick a need or still pick bpa? Xavier villenueve and Keaton verhoeff look pretty good but next year looks pretty forward heavy and all look pretty good, of course things can change in a year but it’s an interesting place to be in.
Always BPA. There’s never an instance where you pick for need.
I agree.
But … one can define best player available in a variety of ways. Scarcity is one of those. RHD are harder to find. So one could define RHD as more valuable than LW and embed that value in BPA analysis.
The team will establish a list of all prospects in their order of value. Once that list is established, you take the next available on your list. That’s what defines BPA for each team.
Not sure if this has been asked but how would you go about using our assets to build up the D? Of the “available” D trade targets, who do you like (Dobson, Nemec, Clarke, etc)?
Potentially silly idea on Mitch Marner:
sign him to a 2 year/ $max ($18M or whatever) contract
in those 2 years, let him play with Celebrini, get used to the area (with his new baby) and if he likes it at the end of it, resign him to a 6 year / $64 M to “complete” an 8 year / $100M contract.
Marner gets $100M deal with essentially an opt out after 2 years, but the later 6 years have a lower cap hit when Celebrini/Smith are off their ELCs
He might get 7 years / $18M AAV. It’s gonna be nuts
Not quite the same, but Thornton trusted Wilson to treat him fairly.
When Marleau bugged out of town, Wilson gave Jumbo an $8mil deal, even if he wasn’t worth it at that point. Had Marleau stayed, the deals would have needed to be less to keep both players.
You can do these things where there’s a lot of trust. Being a new situation, I’m not sure it’s there to pull it off
In their prime, Jumbo always demanded he and Patty signed identical deals even though Patty wasn’t worth as much. Jumbo usually took a haircut to achieve that. Fewer players as great a dude as he was to his teammates. Especially to Patty.
What would trade to move up to #1? Musty? Shakir? Mario?
I would move Mario. Not the other 2.
I would trade Rutta,myself. The Isles aren’t moving off whoever they want for Mario.
Rutta? He’s not even a Shark anymore…
My point was both our ideas are ridiculous, but only one of us was trying to be ridiculous
huh? Why is Mario ridiculous? That’s pretty reasonable actually. Probably take another lesser pick. I think it’s inferred that the Isles also get the #2 pick. so #2, Mario and… I don’t know a 3rd? That’s probably good.
How can you tell if Mike Grier is excited?
Good question, but I appreciate his measured approach to the questions, he’s careful with his answers, and I think it’s the right mindset for a GM. He’s going to need to be patiently waiting around every corner this offseason, and if he can be in the right place at the right time to make the right moves, I think the 15 win improvement that I think should be the goal is attainable
Every answer was the right answer. He knows how to ‘non-answer’, He never boxes himself in. He never tips his hand.
But he also says he spoke to Eklund (good) but didn’t commit to a hard timeline for the recovery. When it comes to the media, he knows what he’s doing.
I did really like his answer about the Sharks not being in a spot to draft for need, recognizing its about getting the max talent in.
I think he does a good job balancing fan desire to be part of the process, too. I think all of us would sell our mothers to Russia for a chance to be a fly on the wall in Sharks brass meetings. But obviously Russia doesn’t think my mother is worth that price, so it’s not happening. But he’s telling us they are turning over every rock and looking at all the angles. What else could we want? It’s not like the guy doesn’t make enough moves. Is there even a team in the league with more transaction volume than… Read more »
The Avs turned over both goalies and about half their NHL roster in season.
And it should be mentioned their season lasted 2 weeks longer than the Sharks’ season. 1st round exits suck. A lot. Maybe the Avs should have just given Rantanen his $96M, that would have been simpler. This can only be categorized as an epic fail, especially when a guy like MacKinnon has to watch his former linemate who says he wanted to stay wreck his season. Lots of moves do not necessarily mean the team is better, although the goaltending improved massively, so kudos there. Specifically, the Sharks need to think about beating Vegas, Edmonton and Los Angeles. If they… Read more »
You asked if there was a team with more transaction volume. I gave you one. Not sure what all the other stuff in your reply is for…?
Question for sheng? Did you grow up a sharks fan in the Bay Area ? If not what team/players gave you your passion for hockey?
He started in LA
He repeatedly says he’s not a Sharks fan on the podcast.
There is a special place in hell for people who ask personal questions in these mailbags. When I’m on hour 3.5 of a hockey podcast the last thing I want to hear is a childhood story from one of the hosts, or a recap of the best restaurants in Dallas.
Gotta disagree with you on this one, that’s what the 30-second skip button is for. I and plenty of others want to hear the human side of the talking heads we give so much time to.
Jesus, sorry lol I like sheng and I like to paint a picture in my head about someone’s hockey roots when I fallow their hockey commentary. Kinda like it’s fun to paint a picture of Shorky when I read his comments. Sorry for the unpopular question.
I agree with you.
Just as long as you don’t touch yourself while you’re “painting”… 😬
lol 😂 I have a sexy wife for that. I just get a kick out of and think old quirky curmudgeons are solid gold .
If that’s what you think you’d be very surprised to meet me in person then. ;P
Former Shark and Grier teammate Rob Blake is recently jobless. Could there be a role in the Sharks front office? Certainly wouldn’t mind having him in the building to teach Mukhamadullin and Dickinson a few things.
What’s your guess on whether Pavelski or Couture re-join the Sharks as development coaches or front office staff?
I definitely think Couture becomes an NHL coach someday. Maybe Pavs too.
Who besides Hannan from the old guard are around for this type of mentorship? I actually love the idea to bring in Blake for that plus some kind of AGM role
Marleau, Thornton, Ricci, Wingels, Grier, Nabokov, Clowe…
I meant specifically Dmen, but I was very aware of the rest of the guys.
I saw Ricci once in the parking lot before a game this year and I was staring at him for like 50 feet and all I could muster as I walked by was, “Hi.” He was impressed.
They have a pretty massive development staff for this sort of thing. Blake isn’t a coach, he’s front office.
Agreed he hasn’t been a coach up to now, which is why I asked about a front office role. I was just suggesting that having a Norris trophy winner around the building couldn’t hurt when you have a couple of up and coming d-men.
Honestly I don’t think it matters when it comes to the front office. Sharks had a HOF d-man running the whole show for nearly 2 decades.
Pickles’ presence almost certainly helps a lot, too
Very true. Even as a cautionary tale. ;P
After the last pod, wanted to give you my Marner pitch. Everyone is going to offer 7 years. Sharks aren’t going to get him that way. If they want him, they should offer a 2 year MAX contract. The Sharks have tons of cap room. They have 2 years before Celebrini, Smith, Askorov contracts are up. Why would Marner sign here? Relationship with Marleau & Thornton. Chance to play with the kids. And Marner would still be only 30 when it ends and could still sign a 7 year deal. With the cap going up, that contract could be higher… Read more »
It’s a very intriguing idea. Great thinking!
It is a creative idea. I think relatively few players will go this route because the first time they hit free agency is in the later 20’s. A second FA deal after 30 might not be as lucrative given the downside risk in the latter years. But if you paid Marner 2x$18mil, way above market, that probably nets him more $$ than signing a 7 year deal at $15mil per. You’d have to think his next deal, if he does a 5 year deal, would be over $15mil per with the cap increasing so quickly. So perhaps he nets $10mil… Read more »
The reason is advocate for the Sharks to just go the full 7 on Marner is precisely because he’s young enough that he should give the team strong value for the duration on the deal. They don’t have to worry about the age 35-38 years with this one, and so the massive positive value reaped early won’t be undone later.
The contract should be very tradable as well, since it will look reasonable in 2 years
If someone offered you a guaranteed $18M and someone else offered you a guaranteed $100M, which would you take?
What are you hearing, if anything as to plan for Dickenson? We often forget he is still only 18, Like Celebrini he is a just in time to be drafted 18yr old. Assume he gets his 9 game cup of coffee, is that the deciding line? Sending him back to juniors cost/benefit analysis? as a coach I often have to decide is a player better served by being a captain and dominating, while gaining some added maturity; or to face best competition, face adversity and raising his game— even if that almost always means extra hand holding for a chunk… Read more »
Each team that updates a jersey is required to keep it for at least 3 years. These 3 years have expired since the Sharks last updated their jerseys. Should the Sharks go back to using their original logo? Also, any sense that there will be any kind of updates with their current jerseys this offseason?
eww no. The original logo looks like if a 3 year old was trying to draw the new logo. Can’t stand seeing that dumb cartoon shark logo anymore.
You don’t like the Shark chomping on the stick? Which original logo are we talking about? I did a little googling, do you mean the black without the teal accents? If so, then ok, I’m with you. But if you mean the one with the teal accents, we are fighting (on the internet)
what do you mean which original logo? They’ve only had 2. The current and the one from their inaugural season. The one they currently use is awesome. The one before looks dumb. Fight all you want. I guess I have higher standards for artwork and graphic design. 😘
Ok, so the greatest logo in sports history is dumb and a fin in a circle is awesome?!? Dang it!!!
in sports history? How much weed to you smoke? Greatest logo in sports history belongs to a football team most likely. From the NHL the winged wheel is more iconic.
Awesome
1200px-SanJoseSharksLogo.svg.png
Fine when it came out but now that we have the new one it’s Dumb
755 × 720
Wait, a fin in a circle? Are you talking about that dumb cali fin jersey? That ones cheesy but I get the appeal. It’s only a 3rd jersey design though. I wasn’t even counting that thing. The best 3rd jersey design is the one with the full body Shark. My kid has that one with Pavs name and number.
What are the realistic chances that GMMG has real interest from other clubs to trade up to #2? And what are the chances he would actually do it?
A couple questions for you guys:
Here’s my 2, using different assets so Grier could actually make both. The idea here is both these teams know their RFAs are getting massive offer sheets and those could come from teams where the picks just aren’t that valuable. The Sharks make better offers and get it done without risking a catastrophic loss of the 2026 1st if things go south. Toronto sends: Matthew Knies Sharks send: 2026 top 8 protected #1 Oilers 2026 #1 2026 Colorado #2 Wennberg (fully retained contract) The Sharks get their dream 230 lb, 30 goal scoring, 22 year old winger. The Leafs get… Read more »
You can’t retain a full contract and even if you could, Toronto would laugh that proposal right off the table.
Knies is an RFA and is going to get a MASSIVE offer sheet. If they are choosing Knies over Marner, that’s their choice, but I think right now, Toronto is trying to have their cake and eat it, too, with all three of Knies, Marner and Tavares (and also Nick Robertson, but he should be much cheaper). They do not have the cap luxuries that some teams have because they’ve really been pushing the envelope. I think their hope is that all 3 players get the warm fuzzies and sign for way under market value so they can keep them… Read more »
Forgot to mention that their two choices are “something for Knies” or “nothing for Marner”…
Also, the Wennberg thing can be tweaked for whatever percentages are allowed, it was not a consequential part of the deal for me (or you, obviously)
Under the previous regime, the Sharks would look to the European leagues for mid-level talent to fill roster spots. Players like Melker Karlsson, Jonas Donskoi, Radim Simek.
Do you see the current regime doing anything similar? And if so, who are the current top Euro FAs that the Sharks could sign?
Great question!
I’ve seen a lot of names being thrown around as potential free agent signings, but one that I think suits us very well and doesn’t really get mentioned is Matt Duchene. He’s on the older side, so won’t be a long-term deal, and has the center/wing versatility to allow Smith to play either role too. Given that he just ended a point-per-game season, would you say he would sign a 2-year, $8M AAV with us?
Probably more like 2/$14M, but sign me up
He’s not getting 14 per. 2×10 would be overpay enough to get him. He’s old too.
I would be totally down with signing him at this point. Very good veteran who’s been thru the wringer and still produces. Can help the young guys with whatever comes up.
The young forward corps is going to be stacked with the Sharks likely picking a forward (Misa) at #2. But as each year passes, there seems to be an increasing sense of urgency to get another blue-chip defensive prospect. If not through the draft, who are some young defenseman the Sharks could realistically look to acquire through trade? Who, or what, could go the other way? Chicago seems like a fitting trade partner given their abundance of D and underwhelming top-end forward prospects, but I’d imagine it’d take a decent haul to get a guy like Rinzel or Korchinski.
Assuming the Sharks stay at #2, how sure are we that Schaefer or Misa is the pick? Grier said something to the effect of their draft board being different than 80% of the teams. Jonathan Becher (in an interview with Brodie) said something to the effect that they’re very confident the guy they want will be there at #2. Grier loves size. Grier has said before that he’s hesitant on fast risers – not saying that Schaefer fits the “fast risers” category, per se, but he was ranked around #5-ish not so long ago and has shot to #1 on… Read more »
Schaefer’s been ranked one since early in the season and held it the whole time despite being injured. That’s not even close to a fast riser. You have an interested point though. DIdn’t see Cecher say that but it definitely leads one to think they’re drafting someone further down the list. I hope they don’t galaxy brain this but I could definitely see Grier going for Martone who was ranked #1 at one point last year. They’re the ones doing all the scouting so we have to trust they know what they’re doing. Makes the draft far more suspenseful than… Read more »
Are we inferring that Misa is a fast riser and the team would take Martone over him? I cannot get behind that, although if that’s what the team does, I will have no choice but to give Grier the benefit of the doubt and get proven wrong, hopefully. Just feels like the team has 2 Martones (Chernyshov, Musty) and one Martone Lite (Haltunnen) already in the system and that Misa is the guy who went supernova and did it all year, before and after Chernyshov. I guess I just have it in my mind that Misa is out guy now… Read more »
Re: Schaefer – I did try to qualify the “fast riser” by saying I didn’t mean it in the traditional sense. What I meant was that, for example, he was #5 in Scott Wheeler’s preseason rankings (and in his “Tier 2”). He shot past everyone very quickly to #1 based on a small number of games, and (if I remember correctly) was his only player in Tier 1 for a bit after Hagans dropped down. And then he has stayed at #1 without playing many more games to solidify this jump. You don’t typically see a player jump past the… Read more »
No “we” are not. I was simply saying that Schaefer was not a fast riser. The rankings have been pretty steady for quite a while now. A bunch of guys disagree with the order of 3-8 but that’s to be expected with a draft class like this. Martone is a light years better prospect than Cherny, Musty and especially Haltunen. I personally wouldn’t draft him with Misa available but I can see the appeal and would just hope the Sharks are confident they can improve his skating if they do draft him. But yeah, if Schaefer is gone I truly… Read more »
What’s stopping the sharks from completely weaponizing their cap space, signing Mitch marner to a one year deal at maximum pay, then flipping him at the deadline with maximum salary retained? Is there even an example of a similar scenario you can think of?
Looks like that would be $19.1M or so. 2 years from now the maximum will be over $22M.
We could see something crazy like that, but I don’t think the Sharks would be interested in that type of deal. An injury to the player would be catastrophic for the team if the plan is to deal him, too. I just can’t see the risk being worth it
Why do people keep asking this question? Why on earth would Mitch Marner take a one year deal at max when someone is going to offer him seven at max?
It doesn’t matter if it’s a good idea for the Sharks. It would be an insane thing for Marner to do, risking a hundred million dollars for a one year payout.
Yup. No way Marner doesn’t sign a max term deal for a shit ton of money. Players don’t really like the uncertainty of dealing with new contracts too so no way would he want to go thru this next off season too.
Marner won’t take it. No chance. But a guy like Ehlers might
I doubt it. Any of the guys like that are going to demand and receive max term big money contracts.
Curious to hear your thoughts on Ostapchuk now that he’s been with the Sharks/Cuda for a couple of months. I know he’s still young and it is the idea of what he can become in a few years that was the reason for the trade, but he just seems a little over his head on so many plays. Not overly worried about zero points (same as the Zetterlund scenario when he was traded), but the lack of noticing him impacting the game in positive ways is a bit alarming. That and consistently seeming to turn the puck over or failing… Read more »
I thought he had some great moments in the playoffs. I think he just needs more time. Giant, very young dude adjusting to a new team and system. I wouldn’t be “alarmed” unless he’s completely lost around next Christmas.
Well, since JD covered it on LOS, might as well have you guys give your thoughts on Tom Willander and if he’s be a good target for the Sharks?