Preview/Lines #56: Addison Gets Another Chance To Fill Sharks’ Power Play ‘Void’

San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn called it “a void” to start the season.

And GM Mike Grier tried to fill it in early November, when he acquired defenseman Calen Addison from the Minnesota Wild for a 2026 fifth-round pick and prospect Adam Raska.

Addison, 23, was a pending RFA with a history of offensive production and defensive shortcomings. Specifically, the Sharks were hoping that Addison could run their top power play unit, that had tried forward Mikael Granlund and stay-at-home defenseman Kyle Burroughs, among others, to quarterback it with mixed results early in the season.

Results, however, have remained mixed with Addison at the power play helm.

“Inconsistent,” San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn said about Addison’s work on the man advantage. “You always want to be better. Power play breakout on entries has to be faster. When we’re retrieving pucks and moving pucks and playing with pace, we can be pretty good. Certainly no secret. Same recipe across the league.”

For what it’s worth, and it’s not all on Addison, of course, but the Sharks have a 19.0 Power Play % with the youngster in the line-up. That would be 21st in the NHL right now.

That is a shade over San Jose’s 17.3 percent, 23rd in the league, this season.

His 4.17 Power Play Points Per 60, since the trade, is about average, 29th among qualified defensemen (of 62, 50-plus PP minutes).

Regardless, based on practice yesterday, Addison was headed toward a healthy scratch tonight against the Nashville Predators. Henry Thrun, three points in 24 games, was about to get a look up top.

But instead, Addison got a reprieve, another opportunity tonight. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who practiced yesterday, has a day-to-day upper-body injury. So Addison is not only staying in the line-up, but he’s going back to the power play.

Quinn wasn’t sure if Thrun would take Mario Ferraro’s place on PP2 or not.

Of course, Addison’s would-be scratch wasn’t just about the power play. The 5-foot-11 defender still has a lot of work to do in-zone.

Addison knows it.

“Keep making stuff happen offensively, trying to battle defensively,” he said this morning, of his goals tonight. “Just make plays, keep my feet moving.”

San Jose Sharks (15-35-5)

Kaapo Kahkonen will start, Luke Kunin is a game-time decision. Givani Smith will draw back in. Kyle Burroughs will slide in for Vlasic.

Nashville Predators (30-25-2)

Preds morning skate in the Shark Tank!

Juuse Saros first goalie off, lines and pairs look the same for the fourth straight game @1025TheGame pic.twitter.com/vVHQtuIm8w

— Max Herz (@MaxHerzTalks) February 24, 2024

Where to Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators is 7:00 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.