Preview/Lines #72: Askarov Back, Dellandrea Upgraded, Why Goodrow So Important to Sharks

Barclay Goodrow has arguably been the San Jose Sharks’ most consistent forward in their recent six-game losing streak.

That’s a cold comfort, to some degree — if your fourth line is your best in a game, there’s a good chance that your top line is scuffling a little — but it also says something about the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

Small sample size and these stats aren’t be-all, end-all, but over the last seven games, Goodrow and his center Zack Ostapchuk lead San Jose forwards with a 67.83 and 70.34 5-on-5 Expected Goals %, respectively.

Even as the rest of his teammates, a lot of them very young, were perhaps not raising their game to March’s playoff-like level, the 33-year-old winger was.

“Barclay Goodrow has been so important for our group right now,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told San Jose Hockey Now in Columbus on Saturday. “You definitely need a level of desperation, especially right now, where we’re at.”

Warsofsky lauded his alternate captain’s leadership, in particular.

Goodrow is one of four San Jose Sharks players who have won a Stanley Cup, along with Nick Leddy, Dmitry Orlov, and Tyler Toffoli.

“He knows what it looks like this time of year, he knows how you have to play. He knows the simplicity that you need to play with,” Warsofsky said. “He’s really done a good job of trying to help our young guys understand that. More so, not so much vocally, but just doing it and showing it and we can use it on film, and we can teach from it.”

So what Goodrow film is Warsofsky showing the young Sharks?

“He just feels the momentum of the game. He knows when to keep the game simple. He knows how to play through people. That doesn’t mean he’s blowing people up. It’s, you got to get into people’s way to slow them down. He does a good job of that,” Goodrow said. “He plays within our structure. He does his job when he’s on the ice. I think that line has been really good here this last little stretch, even though we’ve lost some games, they have a predictability to their game. I think that’s when you’re at your best.”

It’s not just about being a good example, either.

“He’s skating the best I’ve seen him skate since he’s been here with us,” Warsofsky said on Monday.

The San Jose Sharks claimed Goodrow off waivers in the summer of 2024, in a much-criticized decision. And Goodrow, he’d probably admit, did not have his finest season last year.

But in his exit interview, Barclay Goodrow said a long off-season, his first after six-straight Conference Finals-or-better runs, would help him get his body right and allow him to focus on things that had “slipped” in his game.

San Jose Hockey Now has noticed more pop in the San Jose Sharks winger’s step since October.

“Having a good long summer was important for him. He worked on his skating,” Warsofsky confirmed today. “You can see it. He’s in great shape.”

San Jose Sharks (33-31-7)

Yaroslav Askarov will start.

The lines will stay the same as last game:

Chernyshov-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Wennberg-Sherwood
Graf-Misa-Toffoli
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Gaudette

Orlov-Desharnais
Mukhamadullin-Ferraro
Dickinson-Leddy

Askarov

#SJSharks power play groups…

PP1: Orlov-Celebrini-Smith-Toffoli-Wennberg
PP2: Dickinson-Eklund-Chernyshov-Misa-Sherwood

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 30, 2026

The @SanJoseSharks have assigned G Laurent Brossoit to the #SJBarracuda pic.twitter.com/wZuOreroxC

— SJ Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) March 30, 2026

Dellandrea upgraded to day-to-day

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 30, 2026

St. Louis Blues (31-30-11)

See the lineup we're bringing for Monday's big matchup in San Jose. #stlblues

PROJECTED LINEUP ➡️ https://t.co/AYgUoRF1Ux https://t.co/AYgUoRF1Ux

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 30, 2026

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues is at 7 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.