San Jose Sharks
Warsofsky on Why Sharks Claimed Duehr: ‘We need some bleep bleep attitude’

Ryan Warsofsky made it clear what he’s expecting to see from Walker Duehr.
“We need some bleep bleep attitude,” the San Jose Sharks’ bench boss said after Thursday’s morning skate.
“This is a guy we thought has a makeup that we’re looking for,” Warsofsky said. “A big guy that can skate in that bottom-six role, that can check. [His] skating stands out to us as big time.”
NHL scouts agree that Walker Duehr‘s speed stands out, though there are questions about his overall game.
But the San Jose Sharks, after claiming the 27-year-old winger off waivers from the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, are wasting no time giving him a good opportunity. The 6-foot-3 winger is projected to make his debut in teal on Thursday on the third line with Alex Wennberg and Nikolai Kovalenko.
Warsofsky recalled Duehr being a standout player in the AHL. Warsofsky’s Calder Cup-winning Chicago Wolves played against Duehr and the Stockton Heat in the 2022 Western Conference Finals.
“I thought he was a really, really effective player in that series,” Warsofsky said. “I remember him really getting under our guys’ skins and playing a heavy type of hockey, and that’s what I need him to bring here.”
Warsofsky says that this was transaction that he and San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier certainly worked together on.
“We talked about him,” Warsofsky said. “We’ve talked about him in the past too, we kind of had him on our radar.”
Duehr, a self-described power forward, has recorded nine goals and 10 assists in 84 career NHL games with the Flames, highlighted by a 2022-23 campaign where he scored seven goals in just 27 contests.
He knows what’s expected of him: “Being physical and using my speed are the two main aspects where I’m most successful.”
The impending UFA also knows that he’s at a crossroads in his career.
“I’ve shown at times that I belong in this league, and I’ve had good stretches at it,” he said. “It’s a fresh start, a new group and coaching staff, so I’m excited for that opportunity.”
“Give him a clean slate and see what he can do,” Warsofsky said.