San Jose Barracuda
From Blichfeld to Weatherby, Sommer Reviews Sharks Prospects’ Seasons
Roy Sommer has never seen anything like this San Jose Barracuda season.
That’s Roy Sommer, 24 years as the San Jose Sharks’ AHL head coach, Wayne Gretzky’s teammate in the early days of the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty, almost 50 years at the highest levels of hockey.
“I’ve never been on anything like this before in my career,” Sommer said of the 15-game losing streak that ended this Barracuda season. “It was hard to go through. It wasn’t fun. That’s all I gotta say about it.”
Sommer not having a lot to say is also significant for the normally affable, win or lose, bench boss.
Luckily for us, Sommer had a lot more to say about the San Jose Sharks prospects under his watchful eye.
Why didn’t leading scorer Joachim Blichfeld get more of a look with the San Jose Sharks? What’s Sasha Chmelevski’s next step? How are Artemi Kniazev and Santeri Hatakka progressing?
Sommer gives us his insights about Blichfeld, Jayden Halbgewachs, Chmelevski, John Leonard, Kniazev, Nick Cicek, Jasper Weatherby, Adam Raska, Hatakka, Brinson Pasichnuk, Jake McGrew, Zach Gallant, Dillon Hamaliuk, and Timur Ibragimov’s seasons in this exclusive interview.
Read The Full Article At NBC Sports Bay Area
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there’s a long list of pure goal scorers who managed to carve out NHL careers being “one dimensional”. do guys like: Laine, Draisaitl, or Ovechkin even know there are two ends of the ice?
not saying Blichfeld is on those players level (more realistic is a Sam Gagner or Thomas Vanek), but for a goal-starved (worst 5v5 scoring and 3rd worst overall) club like the Sharks, you’d think they might take a chance and call up a pure goal scorer. i mean, according to Sommer, there’s “NO DOUBT ABOUT IT”…
He’s not Vanek, at least not prime Vanek, who was a 40-goal guy.
Some guys are so good at one end, you forgive his shortcoming at the other end. Blichfeld isn’t in that category
more of a type argument, SP, don’t cherry pick;) perhaps with more of an opportunity he can prove 1 way of the other how much his goal scoring prowess would translate to the NHL level? iirc, he’s been the goal scoring (at least on a per 60 basis) leader every season he’s been with the Cuda. you’ve got massive 3rd line (and PP problems) and you’ve got more time for the Viel’s and Gadjovich’s (they play 4th line minutes but then that made time for the Nieto’s to play up) then a 1-dimensional goal scorer who might actually help you… Read more »
Not cherrypicking! Just putting some respect on Vanek’s name. Reason why the Oilers offersheeted him back in the day.
On Blichfeld himself, huge “perhaps.” Not seeing it in my watches either. Just too one-dimensional