Sharks Locker Room: What Can Celebrini & Company Learn From Wennberg?

Young San Jose Sharks forwards like Macklin Celebrini and company can learn a lot from veteran center Alex Wennberg.

Specifically, they can learn to value the puck like the 30-year-old center does.

Four Wennberg (21) passes, of varying skill and vision, connect in this sequence, early in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Also noteworthy is his high-end puck protection and stickhandling skills. But point is, Wennberg doesn’t try a lot of hope passes or give the puck away easy.

“He creates a lot of space for himself. He’s got a lot of poise with the puck,” Mario Ferraro said of Wennberg. “He draws some coverage and then guys open up for him and he makes those plays.”

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky agreed that Wennberg is a model of puck management for a skill forward: “We got to value the puck, especially in areas where we can score goals. I thought we’ve gotten better this year, breaking out pucks and valuing it that way and supporting it when we’re in trouble, but in the offensive zone is probably the next step.”

That’s a message for Celebrini and company.

Celebrini (71) plays as if he can make every pass, and truthfully, the uber-skilled teenager can. But what’s more effective, holding onto the puck and probing for a weakness in the Oilers defense a la Wennberg or forcing a backhand pass to Will Smith (2)? Or maybe Celebrini is going for an unlikely bank shot off Ryan-Nugent Hopkins (93)?

Either way, they’re low-percentage plays that usually become unforced turnovers in the offensive zone.

Of course, you want a special player to try special things.

But there’s only one puck, and as we’ve seen with the rebuilding Sharks over the years, it’s tough to get back. So why just give it away?

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on if the young Sharks forwards can learn from how Alex Wennberg values the puck in all zones:

Yeah, for sure, big time. We got to value the puck, especially in areas where we can score goals. I thought we’ve gotten better this year, breaking out pucks and valuing it that way and supporting it when we’re in trouble, but in the offensive zone is probably the next step.

Warsofsky, on Jeff Skinner’s game-winner:

We lose coverage in the backside with our defensemen not boxing out. Then a young player in Cam Lund just doesn’t get out there quick enough and extend his stick. It’s a detail that probably you get away with in college, but not this level. So it’s something he’ll learn from.

Warsofsky, on the next level that William Eklund can get to:

I would say getting into the inside of the ice, sticking his nose over some pucks, winning some 50-50 pucks, keeping pucks alive, second, third effort stuff. He does it at times. It’s just gotta be more consistent.

Jack Thompson

Thompson, on what the San Jose Sharks have been doing right since the first period of the Anaheim game:

When we’re at our best, we’re playing simple hockey, and we’re playing behind them and getting the puck in their zone. When we’re doing that, it shows, the offense that we can create and staying out of our D-zone. I think when we do that, we are a good team.

Alex Wennberg

Wennberg, on Eklund playing his best hockey right now:

I feel like from the beginning [of the season] too, you see his skill. But right now, like he’s owning the puck even more, he’s creating chances, and I feel like he’s a big part of this future as well.

Mario Ferraro

Ferraro, on Wennberg’s importance to the San Jose Sharks:

He creates a lot of space for himself. He’s got a lot of poise with the puck. He draws some coverage and then guys open up for him and he makes those plays. He’s shown his offensive abilities and he’s had some defensive roles too and has played pretty responsibly. He’s been a big part of this team. He’s a good leader for these young guys too.