Josh Frojelin
Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith can’t do it all.
With that in mind, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier built around his teenage centers with veteran talent, especially up the middle. Alex Wennberg, Barclay Goodrow, and Ty Dellandrea were among the forward acquisitions this past summer, capable of playing both center and wing.
Wennberg has been a linchpin addition, putting up six goals and 14 points in his last 19 games after going pointless in his first seven games in teal.
The ex-Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken, and New York Rangers forward is certainly living up to his two-year, $10 million contract.
“You don’t find too many two-way centers like him who can also play the wing,” Mike Grier said after Wennberg’s signing. “It also helps insulate not only the young guys, but our team in general — someone who can be put out there on the power play and PK and play in every situation and be responsible, then contribute offensively too.”
How good has Wennberg been? His offensive impact has been clear, and Wennberg himself gave great insight into his instant chemistry with Tyler Toffoli. Stathletes quantified his underrated defensive impact.
Wennberg, Toffoli, and Mikael Granlund have been consistent veteran contributors to an otherwise younger San Jose Sharks’ top-nine forward group and power play units.
“He’s been there,” Warsofsky said of Alex Wennberg last week. “[You] can see just the way he plays. He’s calm, he’s cool, he’s collected. He has no panic. Makes big plays.”
Wennberg has been that and more for the Sharks, combining with Mikael Granlund and Macklin Celebrini to form the deepest group of centers that San Jose has seen in six years. He’s been the best third-line center that the team has boasted since Joe Thornton in 2018-19.
His addition has pushed down ace defensive center Nico Sturm, better suited for a fourth line, and also allowed Will Smith to go to the wing, where the youngster has flourished. He’s scored clutch goals, including a pair of overtime winners.
Wennberg has been terrific offensively, teaming up recently with top scorer Toffoli. Pairing a center with over 250 career assists with an eight-time 20-goal scorer has led to instant success.
“Everyone sees that scoring ability, which is remarkable,” Wennberg said of shoot-first Toffoli. “So for me, I always say, I will always be probably a pass-first guy. I feel like that kind of helped with the connection right there.”
What makes Toffoli so good? Wennberg gave an example, from Nov. 18.
“He starts net front and he pops up. He just has that sense of where the puck is gonna end up,” Wennberg said. “It’s so hard. Because you see other players chasing where the puck [is] gonna be, and he kind of knows where it’s already heading.”
Credit, of course, to Wennberg for being able to consistently find the open man.
“It’s a lot of fun to play with him,” Wennberg said.
The 6-foot-2 center has also been, as advertised, a true 200-foot asset, above-average in all zones.
For example, per Stathletes, he’s tied for seventh among all NHL forwards in Pass Interceptions in All Situations with 48 (Mitch Marner, Ryan O’Reilly, and Brock Nelson are tied for first with 57) — and tops with Nicolas Roy with 13 Pass Interceptions in the Neutral Zone.
He’s also second among all forwards with 68 Deflections Causing Turnovers (Alex Tuch has 71). He’s also second among all forwards with 163 Defensive Zone Puck Recoveries (Ryan McLeod has 168).
This two-way reliability has enabled Wennberg to lead Sharks forwards in ice time some nights, like his 19:19 in an 8-5 victory over the Kraken on Friday. He’s been both a power play and penalty kill mainstay.
“That was obviously [Mike Grier’s] plan of getting some depth down the middle of the ice,” Warsofsky said of signing Wennberg. “Especially with the development plans with Mack and Will and if they were going to be out, we had to have some sort of depth there.”
The San Jose Sharks bench boss continued: “He’s a good pro. The way he prepares, the way he plays through bumps and bruises, the way he practices every single day. It’s good for these young players to watch.”
Wennberg currently is on pace for his best offensive season since his 59 points in 2016-17 and is on pace to match a career-high in ice time, 18:42 with the Kraken in 2022-23, both impressive marks for a 30-year-old in his 11th NHL season.
Wennberg’s early season struggles, like the Sharks’, are in the rear view mirror. He’s been as much a part of San Jose’s 8-6-3 surge after their 0-7-2 start as anybody.
“There’s a little bit of a game of confidence…I feel like the team in general is playing better,” he said, of his increased production. “I wouldn’t say there’s any secret recipe for me. What I’ve taken pride of is just always digging in on faceoffs, playing hard, and being smart out there.”