Sharks Locker Room: What Did Ricci Tell Zadina? Thrun Talks Sherwood Mistake

Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair are playing some of their best hockey at the right time.

That is, if San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier plans to move them by the Mar. 8 Trade Deadline. Duclair and Granlund are the top Sharks on TSN’s most recent Trade Bait board.

SJHN Daily: Duclair, Granlund Top Sharks on TSN’s Trade Bait Board

Both were also among the better Sharks in a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators.

Granlund beat former teammate Juuse Saros to open the scoring for San Jose.

“You could see he was on his game tonight,” head coach David Quinn said.

Duclair didn’t score, but he was tied for the team lead with four shots, along with Filip Zadina, who added the Sharks’ other goal. Duclair also last touched what ended up as a no-goal in the third period that would’ve tied the game at three.

“The way he skates, he’s a great asset for us,” his center Granlund said.

But are both skating their way out of last-place San Jose?

Mikael Granlund

Granlund, on Anthony Duclair:

He knows if he just gets moving, I’m trying to find him. That gives him a little bit of green light to just go and get some speed. It’s been working pretty good. Obviously, the way he skates, he’s a great asset for us.

Granlund, on his name being in Trade Deadline rumors:

There’s literally nothing you can do about it. So play hockey. Enjoy the game. Playing in the NHL, it’s pretty fun.

Granlund, on why Juuse Saros is so good:

I don’t know anything about goalies, let’s just put it out there first, but his positioning and the way that he moves, I’ve never seen that fast of a goalie. I was lucky to play with him for four years and get to see him every single day.

Granlund, on if his goal is how he used to beat Saros in #Preds practice: "I don't think I've ever beat him in a practice."

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 25, 2024

Filip Zadina

Zadina, on his increased production since the break:

Ricci told me that hard work pays off, but you never know when. It’s slowly coming. Just trying to do my job, work hard for the team, and if I get those chances, I’m trying to score.

Henry Thrun

Thrun, on getting beat by Kiefer Sherwood on the game-winner:

I just made a bad read on it. I was trying to play aggressive down a goal and just kind of was half in and half out, which end of the day, does you no good. So just had one misstep and in the NHL [you’re beat].

Thrun, on Jan Rutta’s impact on him:

He’s been huge. Just taught me so much. He elevates my game, he’s really easy to play with, very communicative, walks me through a lot of different things.

David Quinn

Quinn, on Thrun’s game:

It’s typical, you miss a lot of hockey, you come back, you have a really good first game. There was a little bit of a drop in the second game. He played a lot of hockey tonight too. I don’t think that we helped his cause.

We sat a couple of guys [different] times. So I think that contributed to the fact he played 23 minutes and that’s not the number we want him at, so fairness to him.

Quinn, on Zadina and Duclair playing freer since the break:

Those two guys have certainly come back [from the break], I think brought their game to another level.

Quinn, on Addison’s performance:

He’s just gotta defend harder more consistently. That’s usually what happens when he gets in a little bit of trouble. I just thought the first goal, needed to be harder defending from his end of it and a little bit better [of a] decision.”

Quinn, on why he scratched Labanc: “A lot of things. I can't pick one of them. He’ll be back in.”

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 25, 2024