Sharks Locker Room: Couture Loves Oilers’ Treatment of Demers, Quinn on Moving Karlsson to Forward

The San Jose Sharks ended their home campaign with a whimper, getting blown out by the Edmonton Oilers 6-1.

It was an interesting post-game though, as Logan Couture talked about the return of fan favorite Jason Demers to the Tank, Tomas Hertl complimented Jacob Peterson, and David Quinn talked about moving Erik Karlsson to forward and Thomas Bordeleau’s demotion on the power play.

Logan Couture, on Peterson:

Smart player. One of those guys that does everything well. Thinks the game well, makes plays to guys in the slot.

That’s one thing that I’ve noticed, he has poise behind the net and down low where he can find guys open in the slot. Doesn’t throw pucks away. That’s a big thing with him. If he doesn’t have a play, he puts it in a good area. I think he’s good pro.

Couture compliments Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft for calling up San Jose Sharks fan favorite Jason Demers to play his 700th NHL game at SAP Center:

Just the name brings a smile to a few guys here that were fortunate to play with JD. Character. Just a great glue guy in the locker room. Great sense of humor. He was a big part of a lot of those teams that we had.

Happy to see him get a chance to play 700 games. I talked to him after he was done in Arizona, and he has a little upset about the way that ended. I think they scratched him a few times near the end of the season at 699 when they were out of the playoffs. As a fellow player, that didn’t sit too well with a lot of guys.

But good on Edmonton and [Jay Woodcroft] to bring him up and play in this building for 700. I think that speaks about the type of person that Woody is over there behind the bench.

Hertl, on playing with Peterson:

He’s a smart kid and he plays hard in every game. I think he showed he’s an NHL player.

It’s easy to talk to him. On the ice, it’s easy to read [playing with him]. I really enjoyed playing the last couple of games with him. I’m looking forward [to play] with him because I think he’s really smart. And he’s got a big future.

David Quinn, on need for San Jose Sharks to play faster:

There’s got to be way more awareness from our end. Playing fast isn’t skating fast. It’s really having an anticipation of what you’re going to do. We’ve got too many guys right now that are just not paying attention and not alert enough. That’s a reason why we struggle.

Quinn, on moving Erik Karlsson to forward to end season:

I trust that he’s gonna get to where he needs to get to playing defense. If you want to do it, do it right. If you’re going to be a 100-point scoring defenseman, play defense the whole time. I don’t think he’d want that.

I think he’s gonna be a hell of a forward. I jokingly talked to him about that. Boy, the last few years of your career, you’re going to make one hell of a forward.

But right now, if you’re going to achieve what he wants to achieve and what the hockey world thinks he’s capable of achieving, he’s got to be a defenseman. I think there’s got to be an integrity to it.

Quinn, on Karlsson’s offense coming at the cost of defense:

I wouldn’t say that.

Listen. It’s hard. He’s frustrated. He’s trying to force things because he thinks that in order for us to create offense, he’s got to do more than he should. I know people watching probably get frustrated with him.

I certainly don’t. I understand his mindset. It’s easy to sit in the stands and pass judgment. But when you’re on that ice, and you’re at ice level and you see the things that could be happening that don’t, I can understand the frustration.

He’s trying to force something because he wants to do what’s right for the team, wants to create scoring chances for us. And he’s done a remarkable job of it throughout the season.

His offense isn’t at the cost of his defense more so than any other high-scoring defenseman. Usually, when you get a high-scoring defenseman, there’s gonna be some give and take and you got to live with it. He’s a world-class player.

But I do understand people thinking that. But you gotta take in the totality of the situation to really appreciate what he’s done.

Quinn, on promoting Steven Lorentz to San Jose Sharks’ top power play unit and taking Thomas Bordeleau off that group:

Yeah, that’s a double-edge decision. It’s Lorentz playing well, doing the things he needs to do, and he needs to be rewarded. And Bordy needing to pick up his pace of play and do the things that he and I talked about doing.

Listened to tape again, Quinn said lower

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 8, 2023