Sheng Peng
The 2020 NHL Draft is over, now the work toward making next year’s San Jose Sharks competitive begins.
Well, you can argue that it began on Monday, when Doug Wilson brought in Devan Dubnyk to help shore up the goaltending and Ryan Donato to add secondary scoring.
It continues on Friday for the San Jose Sharks with the beginning of free agency.
San Jose Hockey Now has already spoken with NHL scouts about possible bargain UFA gems like Alex Galchenyuk, Cody Eakin, Colin Wilson, Conor Sheary, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jimmy Vesey, Mattias Janmark, Michael Frolik, Pat Maroon, Tyler Ennis, Vladimir Sobotka, and Wayne Simmonds:
We’ve also covered buyout UFAs like Bobby Ryan, Michael Grabner, and Kyle Turris:
We will get to some of the better RFAs who weren’t qualified and will therefore become UFAs: Anthony Duclair, Andreas Athanasiou, Vinnie Hinostroza, Nick Cousins, and Dominik Kahun. But not yet.
Instead, let’s focus right now on the cream of the UFA forward crop. Two NHL scouts gave San Jose Hockey Now detailed scouting reports about 10 of the better UFA forwards: Mikael Granlund, Craig Smith, Erik Haula, Evgenii Dadonov, Carl Soderberg, Valeri Nichushkin (actually a RFA despite being a UFA last summer), Jesper Fast, Vladislav Namestnikov, Josh Leivo, and Tyler Toffoli.
Are any of those forwards a good fit for the San Jose Sharks?
Mikael Granlund
Scout #1: He had an off-year, but I didn’t mind him.
Works hard, he’s a sincere guy.
He’d be a decent add as a third-line guy.
But he didn’t that much for me other than work. I expected more of him.
I didn’t like him at wing, he didn’t have the puck.
I’ve liked him more in the past, but that was at center.
As long as you get him on a short-term deal. He can increase his leverage in say two years.
His biggest concern is who is he playing with and can he jump lines.
So if he goes to a team that doesn’t have a very good third line and that’s where they see him, why would he go there? He’ll go somewhere he can jump into the second line.
Scout #2: He’s a deceptive skater. Skilled, can score. Pass-first mentality.
I like him; I don’t love him.
He’s tough [to figure out]. He can turn around and be a 60-point guy next year and I’d say I was wrong.
To me, he’s a middle-six winger, can make some plays.
He’s not going to drive the line. He’s more of a complementary player.
I’ve watched him closely. I just can’t put my finger on what he’s doing any differently [than in Minnesota].
I’ve asked myself that question a couple of times. I asked other scouts. They say the same thing: No clue.
It’s not from a lack of effort or anything like that. I don’t know if it’s confidence?
Craig Smith
Scout #1: He’s kind of a hot-and-cold player.
But I’ve always liked him. I’ve got lots of time for him.
He’s going to get some activity. I think there’s some people who think they can do some things with him.
I like him because he can play center or right wing. I’ve seen him at center. He’s a good skater. He works. He’s a pretty smart player. He’s got good finish. But he’s a streaky player.
He plays with strength and power. He can play heavy. When he’s got confidence, he’s going. As long as he’s going in the right [confidence] direction.
Scout #2: He’s a good skater, got a good motor. Plays in straight lines.
He’s a complementary player who can score. High-volume shooter. He’ll score off the rush, get inside.
He’s not hard or overly physical, but he plays hard.
On the right term and money, I like him as a good third-line role player.
I don’t know if you want him handling the puck in the neutral zone, but he’s really good along the walls. Below the dots on the cycle.
Erik Haula
Scout #2: There’s a little buyer beware there because of the injuries.
Back in Vegas, I thought he was a really good third-line center on a good team. I liked everything about his game there. He had a pretty good shot. You can slot him up if you need him to. If he’s healthy.
If he brings it, he can give you energy. I just didn’t see it in Carolina. He wasn’t playing like he was in Vegas. I’ve soured on him a little bit.
It wasn’t skating that was the issue in Carolina. It was more the way he battled. I thought he was more hungry and more engaged before. He would get there, get into battles, but they were more fly-bys.
From a character standpoint, I’ve heard mixed reviews. I’ve heard some guys say he’s fine. Other guys have said he’s okay, but he’s not somebody you necessarily love in the locker room.
Evgenii Dadonov
Scout #1: Dadonov is a sneaky-smart player. He’s got good hands and he can score and he can make plays.
He’s not a physical guy, but he plays with courage. He knows how to get to the inside. He knows where the net is. He’s a darter in the heavy areas because he’s not going to win too many battles. But he’s smart enough.
Carl Soderberg
Scout #1: I’m concerned about him. And I’ve always been a fan.
He has to play net front in order to get goals. And he’s very good at net front on the power play.
But the concern for me is the skating.
The other thing is they moved him from center to left wing the second half of the year.
I like him at center because he distributes pretty good, sees the ice well.
They had him paired up with Richardson playing center. That concerned me because I thought that might be because of slippage in his game. Probably from foot speed.
If you talked to me a year ago, I would’ve said I like him. He’s a good third-line center. But now? I’ve got a question mark on him. I wouldn’t extend myself too far for him.
He’s a really reliable third-line player that has maybe two years left.
Scout #2: His game has been up and down the last couple of years. Big body. He does his best work below the tops of the circles, corners, and net-front.
He’s got the skill, he can shoot the puck.
Not overly physical or hard. But he’s strong. He’s a big body. He protects the puck well.
There’s some versatility there. He can be used on the power play net-front. Penalty kill too.
A little bit of slippage in his skating. But because he protects the puck well, he’s okay. Some of these bigger guys, if their skating has dropped off a little bit, he’s smart enough to go to the right spots.
On a one or two-year deal, there’s some value in the player.
Valeri Nichushkin (RFA)
Scout #1: You have to be careful. He went a whole year without scoring.
He played this year like people thought he could play.
Nichushkin goes to Colorado, plays with a really good team. Creates offense.
But what does his agent want? I’d be scared to death.
I liked him this year. But I’ve seen him previous years. I’m like Jesus Christ. For the toolbox this guy has, this is all he could do? He couldn’t get going. And that scares me to death.
Scout #2: Big guy, can skate. I see him as a good third-line player. He was much more engaged, much more willing to get to the net in Colorado. I think confidence is a big thing for him.
I don’t think he’s the hardest or most physical player for the big body. But for his size, he skates awfully well.
If you give him the right opportunity, he’s a guy who might have some upside.
I think 20 goals is his high side. I see him as more of 15-goal guy.
I think Donato is a better bet for 20, for example.
Jesper Fast
Scout #1: I really like him. I really like him.
I want him more than Dadonov [relative to projected cost].
He’s a sneaky-good top-nine player. Smart. Doesn’t have finish. He’ll also never have finish.
But he’s a really good two-way player. He doesn’t mind doing the heavy lifting, the work in the corners. He’s good in those areas.
I got lots of time for him.
He’s an ideal third-line winger. He also impressed me playing up, he just doesn’t finish.
Scout #2: Smart. More of a penalty killer.
Does a lot of things well. Skates well. Decent hands, can make a few plays.
Competes, not a big guy. He’s a good role player.
If we had room for him, he’s a guy I certainly like.
Vladislav Namestinikov
Scout #1: I like him, but he’s a top-nine, not a top-six. I’m not saying that because he doesn’t have top-six ability, he can.
He’s got a quiet game. But he’s not afraid. He’s smart.
He can’t produce in a top-six role against top defensemen. He’s just not quite good enough. That’s where he falls off. He’ll have more success as a third-line player.
He’s a good two-way third-line player.
Put him on a power play, he’ll get you 20 goals, 40 points.
You might try him up, but back down he goes. But what is he, 27? Sometimes, guys take time to find their maturity.
He might play right wing with Evander Kane and Logan Couture and you think fuck, this guy is pretty good.
Josh Leivo
Scout #1: I like Leivo. But he’s got that knee injury, that has to be a concern. I don’t know what’s happening with that.
He’s a good player though, good third-line right winger. He’s heavy. He’s not a very good skater, but he’s not a bad skater. Good straight-line skater.
And he’s got hands. He’s around that net. He’s got a little bit of Alex Tuch in him.
He might be a reclamation project, a perfect fit for the Sharks. They might get him for less.
Scout #2: Skating is just okay. But he can score. Got size. He’s got a really, really good shot.
Kind of a complementary player, more of a third-liner who can play on your second line and chip in secondary scoring.
Skating has always been an area of concern for me, he could add a step.
But low risk, high reward player.
Tyler Toffoli
Didn’t actually ask for a Toffoli scouting report because I figured he’d be out of San Jose’s price range — hence, no Taylor Hall on this list. But a scout brought him up in relation to Ryan: