San Jose Sharks
Preview/Lines #55: On Scratching Dickinson, Sherwood To Make Sharks’ Debut, Reaves & Dellandrea Updates
DENVER — Sam Dickinson has played some promising hockey recently, but he’s still got a little ways to go before becoming an everyday NHL defenseman.
That was basically the message from San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, on why he’s sitting the 19-year-old rookie blueliner on Wednesday.
“I think the game has sped up on him at times. He’s played some really good hockey, and we’re seeing a lot of potential out of him, but this gives him a little bit more of a break mentally,” Warsofsky said. “Just more of a reset. This was not a punishment, by any sense. It’s just more of part of the plan.”
Game recognize game, right?
Dickinson has played some quality hockey since his last scratch on Dec. 20, notching six assists in 19 appearances, but it’s still averaging 17:12 a night, bottom-pairing minutes. There are still notable things to iron out in his game, things to improve before he becomes the top-four rearguard that he’s projected to be.
That said, Dickinson has made real progress as a player this season and might be earning a larger role after the Olympic break.
Could Dickinson start to earn some regular power play time?
“It’s something we thought about,” Warsofsky smiled, asking if San Jose Hockey Now had a crystal ball. “It’s something that we may, after the break, may incorporate.”
San Jose Sharks (27-23-4)
Yaroslav Askarov will start
Kiefer Sherwood will make his Sharks’ debut.
These are how lines should look tonight:
Sherwood-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Misa-Toffoli
Kurashev-Wennberg-Graf
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Gaudette
Orlov-Klingberg
Ferraro-Liljegren
Mukhamadullin-Desharnais
Askarov
Reaves's upper-body injury is considered more day-to-day, so he's expected to be ready to go when the Sharks start play again in late February.
Warsofsky says they'll have more of an update on Dellandrea after the break. "Too soon to say" if he'll be immediately available
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 4, 2026
Colorado Avalanche (36-9-9)
Mackenzie Blackwood will start.
Get all your Colorado Avalanche lines and updates at Colorado Hockey Now!
Where To Watch
Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche is at 6 PM PT at Ball Arena. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.
Panarin to LA for a prospect +two draft picks (3rd and 4th round). Rumor is that NY asked for Smith, but Grier said no. Panarin signed a 2×11 deal immediately
Based on the actual return, I think that rumor is a load of crap. You don’t go from asking for Will Smith to accepting Greentree and a Conditional 3rd
Wait that was all they got? Geez, maybe the Sharks should have done it.
I don’t think we really had the option to do it. Rumbling is he gave LA as the only team he would waive NMC for, in spite of other teams having offered him bigger extensions. Haven’t seen anything, though, on what other trade packages may have been agreed to by teams had Panarin selected them…
Didn’t the SJHN write about a week ago that Panarin would approve trade to the Sharks?
Yep. But there were other teams that were told the same, and there are so many variables. It is to Panarin’s advantage that his agent make as many teams as possible believe they are an option in order to try and drive up the extension offers. And a week ago Panarin may not have even know whether LA was a legitimate option – the more recent reporting (32 Thoughts podcast) was that LA was doing soul searching to decide if Panarin was even a smart move for them. The reporting today is pretty undisputed (multiple sources saying the same thing)… Read more »
There are people who love to lowball the sellers. and this may be the case.
Good. Grier isn’t really deviating from plan then. NY is fuckin nutz if they think they’re getting Cellys best friend in a trade. Dudes untouchable.
Smith may end up being the better more impactful player when it’s all said and done!? plus a 14 year age difference behavioral problems notwithstanding.
I’ve said repeatedly that I think Smith may be the guy who wins a Con Smythe and scores the clutch playoff goals, but Celly will always drive the bus. We’re lucky our team has both and now Misa.
Oh it’s Celly’s team lock stock and barrel but he has one helluva side kick and I think Celly Misa Smitty is 3 of the “core 4 or 5” so to speak
You get that rumor from Hockey Buzz? Lol
My wife actually called me while I was at work, and I thought it was an emergency!! She was telling me about a hockey trade, so you can imagine my relief.
I love that my wife is a hockey lunatic as well!
the big trade????
Devils get Nick Bjugstad from the Blues for … Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth.
lol!
Somebody should call a sheriff to report NJ Devils stealing property!
Surprised at the Panarin return. Taking the moral side out of it, that’s roughly the equivalent of Panarin for Ravensbergen
Kings have so little in their pipeline. I get wanting to do right by Kopitar, but outside of that, I honestly don’t get it
The Kings situation is quite funny. Rob Blake left because they kept losing to the Oilers and Luc brought in Holland to get them over the hump. Then Holland’s big ideas were Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin instead of Gavrikov. And then as of two weeks ago, Friedman reporting that the Kings are soul searching to determine where they are and whether to scrap it and start over. Holland didn’t take long to make the Kings look hopeless and stuck in maybe competing for playoff spots at best. Gotta love it. So this is the desperate swing to look like… Read more »
Jordan Spence, too.
Hard to understand it, but they’ve got a long period of irrelevance coming
This is bizarre. 3 seasons ago some considered LA as the template for how to successfully manage a rebuild.
That it makes so little sense for LA is why I like it, lol (but full props to them for at least not overpaying in both the trade and the extension). I do think, though, there is a strong chance LA becomes irrelevant in another year or two – don’t see where Panarin will have the center support he needs to make him hugely successful. Byfield is good, but don’t think he will ever be close to elite. Ultimately, this helps the Kings push for the playoffs this year, but it doesn’t make them a legitimate contender now or in… Read more »
Fuck that! ravensbergen is worth way more the Bordeleau. He was just a contract slot dump. They weren’t adding him because they wanted him.
huh?
Sorry, I was jumping around and messed up. Feel free to ignore that comment.
Ravensbergen is the comp to Liam Greentree in the Panarin trade.
Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t paying enough attention.
Gavin McKenna is being charged with 4 counts included felony assault for an alteraction where he supposedly broke someone’s jaw on January 31st.
Isn’t that just a 5 minute penalty in the box?
Dam!! I might have to start calling him “JawBreaker”
If the charges stick and he’s found guilty you can then call him “convict”.
If some of the posts I’ve seen on social media are true…apparently some random PSU student saw him out in public after the stadium game (PSU stadium game) and started heckling him for no reason other than to try and get under his skin. He wouldn’t stop, eventually called Gavin’s mom a whore (she was there with him), and at that point Gavin knocked him out. Broken jaw, missing teeth, concussion…
I like the guy already, shows character and proper respect for family values. I’d do the same.
I don’t blame him if true. Should have hit a little softer and then kneed him in the groin.
Was the altercation on the ice during game or some bar? Do you know? It makes a huge difference for his draft status this year.
Definitely not on the ice. After the game they were out somewhere. I hesitate to say “bar” because Gavin is 18 years old. Might have been more of a restaurant that has a bar area or something like that. There were (supposedly – if the eyewitness accounts are accurate) other teammates and family there too.
I think the Breadman trade would have been more realistic if: 1) he didn’t narrow it down to one or two teams that probably didn’t include the Sharks, AND, 2) Sharks weren’t such a playoff bubble team where we haven’t even seen if Sherwood will make a difference for them let alone another pending FA will. Sharks should wait to see how Sherwood pans out, and resign him if he gives the Sharks a bump in team play each game, and hopefully a bump in the standings before the trade deadline. Breadman would be another variable to account for when… Read more »
I think there’s only about 5 games between now and the deadline, which probably isn’t enough to draw any real conclusions
Warso: Could Dickinson start to earn some regular power play time?
“It’s something we thought about,” Warsofsky smiled, asking if San Jose Hockey Now had a crystal ball. “It’s something that we may, after the break, may incorporate.”
Breaking the code: “It’s something that we may, after trading Klingberg, may incorporate”
I can hope…
I’m not sure they’re going to be able to trade Klinger at this point unless he’s a contract dump in a trade for another D?
And they sure as hell won’t be able to trade Tim “the turnover” Liljegrub or Mario “mudfeet” Ferraro either
Mario has mud feet? Don’t know if I agree with that…
Hot take… Sharks sign Brent burns in the off season if they can’t make a trade to solve their defense.
Very strange streak in the Pacific. As of the end of 1st period vs. Colorado, all Pacific teams are on some losing streak except the Ducks who won 2 in a row. Anybody else noticed that shot counting at Colorado is not accurate? With 5 min.to go in the 1st they didn’t count at least 2 Sharks shots with 1 on the second PP. Asky’s good so far…..