San Jose Sharks
Subscriber Mailbag: Ask Us Anything!
We’re about to start the most exciting San Jose Sharks season in over five years…let’s talk about it!
The San Jose Hockey Now Podcast will once again take your questions in a special subscriber mailbag.
Subscribers, just drop your questions in the comments below. Keegan and I will pick the best questions and answer them this weekend. Every subscriber will get at least one question answered.
Get your questions in by Sunday morning!
If possible, please use your e-mail that you subscribe with in your comment! That makes it easier for me to verify your subscription.
Not a subscriber to the best San Jose Sharks coverage around? Subscribe to San Jose Hockey Now here — get three free months off the regular price if you subscribe for the year (Code: SHENG10), otherwise, it’s just $4.49 a month. This subscription is also your pass to the entire National Hockey Now network, from Pittsburgh Hockey Now to Colorado Hockey Now and more.
And if you haven’t been, make sure you’re following or subscribed to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast on YouTube!
Or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for all things San Jose Sharks!
It’s Just Rookie Faceoff, But Sharks Are Wiping Teams Off the Map
Sharks Fans Excited To Be Part of History: How Some Got Tough Rookie Faceoff Tix
SOURCE: Labanc, Devils Close to PTO
Nolan Burke Played Hurt Last Year, Looking Forward to ‘Better Path’ With Sharks
1st of Many Wins? Thoughts on Beginning of Celebrini-Smith Era for Sharks
What Does Rest of NHL Think of Askarov Trade, His Maturity? (+)
Evgeni Nabokov on Yaroslav Askarov: ‘This is not just another goalie that we acquired’
Barabanov on Last Year’s Sharks: ‘The team played primitive hockey’
BREAKING: Sharks Acquire Askarov for Edstrom, Vegas 1st-Round Pick
One NHL Scout’s Thoughts About Ceci Trade (+)
Nolan Burke Played Hurt Last Year, Looking Forward to ‘Better Path’ With Sharks
Musty on Working With Crosby’s Trainer, Getting Quicker
Mukhamadullin Getting Stronger, Talks Long Friendship With Askarov
Will Smith Talks Getting Stronger, Living With Patrick Marleau
Sheng & Keegan;
The Sharks should be improved but likely not good. Maybe a bottom 10 team instead of the worst team in the league.
Between now and next offseason what do you think the Sharks can do to be in contention for a wild card spot at the deadline and hopefully play meaningful hockey into at least April for the 25/26 season?
Why didn’t they buy out Vlasic?
They don’t need to. You buy someone out with a large cap hit when you need to allocate those dollars to other needs. The Sharks as of now have tons of cap, so making moves to acquire more room now at the expense of less later doesn’t make much sense.
Hey Sheng and Keegan, 5 months ago, the Sharks signaled a fractured Russian scouting presence with the abrupt firing of Igor Eronko. This came around the same time that rumors of the Sharks essentially being ‘out’ on Michkov as a potential destination. Since then, the Sharks selected Chernyshov with the 33rd overall pick in the following draft, and traded for Yaroslav Askarov. It seems that they have established a good relationship with Dan Milstein and therefore a lot of potential top draft eligible Russian skaters. Has there been any news on the current state of the Russian scouting department since… Read more »
Looking at the 2022-23 organizational depth chart GMMG inherited, he’s: 1 – Replaced 100% of the goalies, 9 of 9 2 – Removed ~52% of the D, 11 of 21 (remaining are: Benning, Ferraro, MEV, Havelid, Laroque, Barnett, Fisher, Furlong, Guryev, Kashnikov) 3. Removed ~57% of the F, 24 of 42 (remaining are: Coture, Kunin, Sturm, Bordeleau, Bystedt, Eklund, Coe, Gushchin, Lund, Cardwell, Jacobsson, Laubach, Muldowney, Robins, Russell, Spiridonov, Spitserov, Young) *NOTE – Some of those players are unsigned, but SJS retains the rights to the player That’s about 61% of the org removed in 2+ seasons. Have you seen… Read more »
@sheng and @keegan – ty for your response!!!! Hopefully I’ll see you two at TSC if I can find a way to sneak in this weekend!!!!!
Hi gents, What would you say the Sharks’ system is (or has been, if you think Warso will change it), and what players have benefited or suffered from that system? It’s easy to say that the team is bad, and the numbers tell us ONE narrative about which individuals are playing better. But are there guys who are more talented than their point totals would suggest, but a bad fit for San Jose? And are there guys who are enjoying more success here than they would elsewhere, based on how they’re being deployed/utilized? And a quick one: How do you… Read more »
They got Steven Lorentz in the Burns trade to I guess that could be considered an “in” no?
Eh I think that more went out the door than came in, no offense to Lorentz. I don’t think anyone outside of Carolina (or in it either) was calling it “the Lorentz trade” any more than we said “Edstrom trade” for the Hertl out or Askarov in deals.
Whereas in the Kunin deal, he was the biggest piece. The third and John Leonard were parts of a sum.
Maybe a dumb question but, what are the odds of macklin playing 1C for most of the year? And if so does Will Smith have a chance at being the 2C? I’ve been expecting granlund to be 1C again but I would love to see what macklin looks like against the best of the best
Of the veteran DMen, who, if any, do you think will spend time with the Cuda and/or on waivers? I would like to see the younger guys get more ice time. The bulk of our DMen are 3rd pair or worse players. Muk prospects to be 2nd pair and Thrun a 3rd pair. I’d rather see them at 22 and 23 than Vlasic (I know, can’t move him), Mario, Benning, Rutta, and others. I don’t think they could be any worse than the current roster of DMen and I think it would be valuable for their development. I know contracts… Read more »
Thanks guys for all the great interviews this summer! It’s been a long one, but SJHN podcasts have been a bright spot.
Its been exciting to see that some NHL clubs have switched to a more direct streaming model, giving fans an option to watch their team without paying an arm and a leg. Have there been any indications the Sharks or NBC would be interested in that route? Last I heard the NBC/Comcast deal ran until around 2028.
Are there any left handed D on the roster that could potentially play on their off side?
Hey can you provide the email that you subscribe with? Can’t find your account
fun debate: who has the better offensive numbers this season: Eklund, Celebrini or Smith?
Thanks as always guys, great work!!
Could you do a mock of who you’d trade at the trade deadline? Since we are largely tanking, I think that’s still a big storyline. And don’t be afraid to get creative like Hertl deal last year 😉 Also – if we don’t draft a #1 RHD, who could we target in a trade or free agency like Askarov but maybe older? And if the team improves, do you see them buying the last year of Vlasic out or doing LTIR with him for the last year? And if so, which pieces should the sharks add to be a playoff… Read more »
Dude,,, they’re clearly not tanking anymore. Grier wouldn’t have gone out and got all those players if they were. They may not be great but they ain’t tanking anymore.
Still a bottom team..same difference.
it’s not.
Dude, do you have multiple logins? Alex & Grenadinik? WTF?
I looked up Askarov’s AHL season and he had a good regular season. A bit better than his back-up, Troy Grosenick (example .921 sv% vs .917). My question is, what happened with Askarov in the playoffs? I saw the box scores and it didn’t look good (replaced as the starter twice?), but otherwise, have no insight. My perspective, a down playoffs can still be a growth step. Separately, I want to see the ‘Cuda playing playoff games. Whether they win or not, playing on bigger stages with increased pressure/intensity is important for player development. A bunch of future Sharks are… Read more »
Fwiw JD had the Locked On Nashville hosts on last week to discuss the trade and this came up. My takeaway was that they were tiptoeing around saying that he just didn’t have the juice in the playoffs, could’ve come back sooner but they went with the vet.
Thanks for doing the mailbag Sheng and Keegan.
Sharks Fans are obviously pretty stoked about our prospect pipeline but historically only about 3/4 of 1st round and 1/3 of 2nd round picks go on to have any sort of meaningful NHL career (numbers vary depending on whose analysis you look at). Who are the prospects in the system now that might have that exciting ceiling but who those outside of the organization have serious concerns about their floor? Stated another way: Who are our potential busts?
Who are the best mascots?
This one hurts to ask but do you sense a road for Logan coutures return or do you feel like this is the end of his career? This is the most excited I’ve been for a season in a while because of the potential for the young stars but I’m dying to know more about Logan’s situation, I know he’s not skating yet but is working out off ice. He would be instantly the best mentor on the team for the youngsters
I truly hopes he gets to play in the playoffs as a Shark again. Dude is a playoff stud.
hey guys, thank you for everything you do and the consistent offseason content. I just wonder if this offseason was the best in sharks history? it seemed like so much happened and so much of it was positive.
JD at LOS did an episode recently about this. as far as potential this is probably the best. If the Sharks only get a franchise #1 center out of this I would be inclined to say it’s the best IMO.
i have decided personally that the sharks will officially be fully back vibes-wise when we get the return of the holiday video. is this the year it comes back? what sort of fun silly side content would you guys want to see from the sharks or expect to see from the sharks?
who is lowkey the funniest guy on the sharks, staff or player?
Hey guys,
Not to get too ahead of ourselves but I’m looking forward to the 2025 NHL draft already. I think the Sharks will most likely finish with a top 5 draft pick. Which player do you think they might target? Do you think they draft for need (a right handed defensemen) or best player available?
Hey can you provide the email that you subscribe with? Can’t find your account
Hi Sheng & Keegan, will you be at the Jumbo jersey retirement game? I will be attending and hope to see you guys around! I am getting to be a bit of a Mukhamadullin fan, what do you think his biggest skillset is and what is his weakest skill that he needs to work on? Thank you.
Hi Sheng and Keegan! Thanks for the great content as always!
Since it’s unreasonable to expect Sharks to be in play-off contention this season, how many more seasons would it take before Sharks:
One more question – Are only LAK / Ontario Reign STH the only ones with access to the Rookie Faceoff???? That’s incredibly insane and should automatically disqualify LAK from hosting the tournament again. I get it, the Toyota Sports Center isn’t the biggest, so teams, hold it at a rink big enough to seat a few thousand fans from all teams! TCU, 5Point, something! Or go to Onatario, Cochella…heck, even SD! Outside of all of the great prospects one would expect from GMMG, it’d be great to see them facing off against the Firkus Circus, Beckett, Luneu, Warren, Clarke, there’s… Read more »
Hey Sheng/Keegan, is there anything in the works to get another guest on the show like Pierre McGuire/Jimmy Murphy again ( or better yet Greg Wyshynski) talking about the current state of the Sharks’ rebuild? Really enjoyed these episodes + Sheng’s defense on EK65’s bad plus/minus stat including empty net goals towards Pierre McGuire was legendary. Love the content guys!
Thank you both for all the great content!
With GMMG bringing back all these former Sharks players in front office/scouting roles, is there any concern that as great as these players were in their primes, they never got over the hump and that may translate to the younger players they are developing?
Always seemed like there was an element missing from those 2000s and 2010s teams despite all the success.
This might be a nerdy, borderline-off-topic question for a less busy off-season, but I have a question about Deep Sharks Lore and I don’t know whom else to ask. Ever since I was told that the Sharks’ goal horn is a foghorn taken from a decommissioned ship, I have been dying to know its provenance! Any chance you have the connections to uncover the name of the ship that foghorn came from?
Brodie Brazil did a video about the Sharks goal horn though he didn’t mention what ship it came from, specifically talking about the model though.
It’s a Kahlenberg Triton S-120 originally designed for use on aircraft carriers. Again, no specific ship mentioned.
Not really a question, but a vision that is both exciting and terrifying: I can’t help but look at the Draisaitl extension and looming McDavid extension and feel like I am looking at issues the Sharks will be facing in 8 years with Celebrini and Smith (or Eklund or Dickinson or…). I realize 2 or 3 of these young players have to live up to and beyond the current hype, a stretch in and of itself, but if they do- both exciting and terrifying!
I think we’re fortunate that both project to be great players but not “McDavid” level players. Having these young guys locked up for say 11 years between their ELC and a first 8 year extension puts the Sharks on course for at least 8-9 competitive seasons before their second payout contract comes out. The hope in that window they can be competing for a Stanley Cup, smartly add around the fringes in free agency and start trading excess futures at the beginning of the window for win now players. Once Couture and Vlassic’s contact come off the books and the… Read more »
Which top prospects are most likely to be on the opening night roster?
Mike Grier has mentioned the possibility of bringing in and attracting free agents as an avenue to improve and advance the timeline. He made good on some of that with the Toffoli signing… but I think he has continued to allude to that as a viable strategy moving forward, provided some of these kids live up to and/or exceed expectations… Who are some potential Free Agents or even signed, potential cap-casualty squeeze-outs from other teams coming up in the next 1 – 3 years that you think may be on GMMG’s radar? I think most of us speculate that’s where… Read more »
Howdy guys!!!
At this point, there are quite a lot of ex-Sharks players around the organization. Some have issues with this process, I like it. I feel that these guys have forgotten more hockey than we will ever know.
I’m curious how you two feel about this. Do you think it’s a good idea to bring back people that wore teal?
How do you each view the balance between tanking and establishing a winning culture these next few seasons. I find it tempting to keep chasing top 5 picks, but obviously that has to change at some point. Do you feel it would significantly damper our future to get too competitive too quickly, e.g. if the Sharks surprise this year and end up with a pick falling in the 10-15 range.
Thanks for your great work!
Hello Sheng and Keegan, Here a couple questions: 1) When would you expect a possible trade for one of the existing goalies to occur or will they keep them both until the end of the season? 2) Do you believe it is more likely that the Sharks fill their needs on defense after thi season through free agency, the waiver wires or through trade? Or I should ask which is the most likely avenue to use? 3) Of the defensemen who have contracts expiring in the next two seasons (almost all of the expected starters going into this season) which… Read more »
Hey can you provide the email that you subscribe with? Can’t find your account
Sheng you’ve previously mentioned next off season as a potential time for Grier to add enough for the team to legitimately compete for the playoffs… Considering his escalation this off season, do you still think Grier makes some big purchases or acquisitions next summer? I think this season is kind of the prototype, to get everyone playing the way they want, to get the kids some NHL experience and see if they are the players they thought they were. If Celly, Smith & Shak prove to be legit, I think they go after a 25ish year old #1RD in a… Read more »
Ok got one more… Of all the young guys who are expected to play or are already playing in the NHL, who do you predict has the most impressive season? (Celly, Smith, Shak, Thompson, Askarov, Musty(?), Bystedt, Haltunen(?), etc…? Just to be a little bit of a gambler, I’m going with Smith. Celly’s presence takes a lot of pressure off him IMO. He will get to just play and not worry about the hype he might have gotten if it was just him making his NHL debut this season. Hard to bet against Celly and that work ethic but Smith… Read more »
Rebuilds take years. Can you talk about the phases of a rebuild, where the sharks are in those phases, how they compare with currently rebuilding teams, how they compare with some of the most successfull rebuilds of the last 20 or so years (at least so far). Thanks, and great work Sheng and Keegan on the podcasts, great format and love the interviews.
What is Shakirs’ preferred nickname? Shak? Muk? Moose? or does he even have one? Or just plain Shakir?
Gotta be Shak-daddy!
Heard about the “Comments” not working, seems like same prob in most recent arty Cele-Jumbo roomies. May want to revamp your posting process to include checking to make sure all sections are properly enabled.
Take it from an old IT guy, documenting your processes so they work correctly can save you valuable time & energy when sh*t hits the fan.
With the news coming out that Celebrini will be living with Thornton this season, do either of you know if Will Smith will have a similar arrangement? Would be cool if he got to live with Patty.
Any recent chatter about Joe Pavelski joining the front office or coaching staff in some capacity? It would be great to have him around but not sure if he just wants to relax for a year and recover from a long career. Or would even want to rejoin the Sharks.
Now that Brodie Brazil is out, who are we going to get stuck with for Pre and Post game? I got a bad feeling Tara Slone,
With the Sharks trying to compete in a couple of years who do you see as a realistic candidate of a target for the Sharks to pursue or what position do you see them building upon?
Hey guys,
With the announcement of Celebrini and Smith living with Thornton and Marleau respectively next season, I’m curious: have there been any other Sharks vet/rookie combos that we know about over the last couple years? Is it unusual for a rookie to spend their first season with a vet, something generally reserved for potential-franchise caliber players e.g. Crosby/Lemieux?
Thanks!