Sharks Locker Room: Quinn Says Team Needs More Size, Will

We might have got a glimpse of the San Jose Sharks’ immediate future this afternoon.

But not on the ice, in a 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Instead, it was off the ice, where head coach David Quinn bemoaned both the Sharks’ lack of size and will.

“We have a lot of areas of improvement where we can be harder, regardless of our size. I guess I’m touching on both sides of it,” he said. “There are too many instances when we go into these battles and we’re not really into them.”

Per SPORTLOGiQ, the Golden Knights won a stunning 71.4 percent of Puck Battles in All Situations.

Obviously, Vegas isn’t hurt by the fact that they’re the heaviest team in the NHL. Per Elite Prospects, they average 207 pounds. San Jose, by the way, is 16th at 199 pounds.

But as they say, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”

The Colorado Avalanche, at 197 pounds, and the Vancouver Canucks, at 196 pounds, are examples of Stanley Cup contenders who are more will and skill than size.

Between skill and will and size, of course, skill is the hardest ingredient to acquire. San Jose Sharks fans have to be patient on that score.

But GM Mike Grier and Quinn appear to be on the same page, in terms of will and size. Will, then size, should be atop Grier’s wish list this off-season.

Grier was asked during last month’s State of the Sharks what his ideal roster looks like.

“I think for me, it’s what I talked about from day one, it’s to be fast, competitive, in your face, hard to play against,” he responded. “We’re kind of chipping away at that. We’re not there yet, obviously.

“We still need to get a little bit bigger. We need to get a little bit faster. Be harder to play against, get more competitive.”

Far from being “there”, the Sharks actually got easier to play against from Grier’s Year One to Year Two, going from being just a plain bad team to one of the cap era’s worst.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Sharks address that this summer.

David Quinn

Quinn, on the Michael Amadio game-opening breakaway goal:

We started off great, ready to play, first two-and-a-half minutes buzzin’, crossbar, some chances. And then we give up like our 38th breakaway in three games. It’s just inexcusable. It can’t happen. I mean, listen, guys make mistakes and you’ll live with it, that happens. But we’re just so puck-focused way too often. Our D corps just has to count bodies. We get a puck deep, we shoot a puck, and we stare at it instead of counting bodies and they get a clean breakaway. It wasn’t even close.

Listen, when you give up a goal that easily, why wouldn’t you slump your freakin’ shoulders? Nothing they did. Wasn’t any great play they made. We just fell asleep.

Quinn, on if puck battles were better tonight than in the last game:

I thought there was. You also gotta keep in mind, there is a big-size [dis]advantage against that team. When you’re 180, and you go in the corner, and get someone 220, you give your all, he gives his all, you’re gonna lose.

That being said, we have a lot of areas of improvement where we can be harder, regardless of our size. I guess I’m touching on both sides of it.

There are too many instances when we go into these battles and we’re not really into them. 80 percent into the battle and 20 percent into the puck. At this level, that’s just not good enough.

Quinn, on if will is the greater problem with this roster, not size:

Our job is to coach the team we have. We gotta keep elevating our will.

Quinn, on if healthy scratching Alexander Barabanov was related to his effort on the Boone Jenner game-winner in the last game:

Wasn’t just one thing.

The trade deadline a distraction? Quinn: "We're all human right? If somebody told us with all the jobs we have that in 2 1/2 weeks, you may not be where you're at, I think we'd all react a little bit differently. These guys are no different. So I'm certainly cognizant of that."

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) February 20, 2024

Jan Rutta

Rutta, on if the Trade Deadline might be weighing on the San Jose Sharks’ minds:

Yeah. Everywhere, around the league. Yeah, I mean, we’re probably not gonna make the playoffs. So yeah.

Ty Emberson

Emberson, on the message between the first and second periods:

First period, like I said, didn’t start well, and in between periods, it was just a lot of gotta win your battles. You have to hold your self more accountable. Hockey is a game of effort and passion. We didn’t have enough of that in the first period.

Kevin Labanc

Labanc, on his approach since returning from his long benching:

I think that’s a big thing, not being scared to make a mistake. When you are, somehow, you just end up making a mistake.

I felt great. That was a good team over there. I know they’re missing a couple of guys but felt pretty good. Like I said, we had a lot of good chances.