NHL
“Stay Away” from Galchenyuk, Goodrow on Pavelski
Just some San Jose Sharks-relevant odds and ends today: A scout said “Stay away” in regards to pending UFA Alex Galchenyuk, a Marcus Sorensen update, Barclay Goodrow talked about Game Seven versus the Golden Knights last year and Joe Pavelski, and Pavelski chats about how odd it is to be on the same team with Corey Perry.
“Stay Away” from Galchenyuk
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin told reporters this week that they would not be re-signing pending UFA Alex Galchenyuk.
So the third-overall pick of the 2012 Draft will be onto his fifth team in four years. Should the San Jose Sharks check in?
A scout — not one of two who talked to San Jose Hockey Now two weeks ago about Galchenyuk and other UFA forwards — cautioned: “Stay away. He doesn’t want to work. He’s a good player — when he feels like it.”
There will be a team that takes a chance on the former 30-goal scorer. After all, he’s just 26. But nobody, it seems, has figured out how to get Galchenyuk going.
“If we knew,” the scout acknowledged, “he would be with us.”
Sorensen to Allsvenskan?
Will Joel Kellman joining Kristianstads IK open up the floodgates for Sharks players to join Allsvenskan clubs?
Of course, there were already rumors that Marcus Sorensen is on his way to the same league’s HC Vita Hästen.
However, Vita Hästen GM/head coach Tony Zabel, who spoke with SJHN about Sorensen a couple days ago, says they had “no further information” on the San Jose Sharks winger.
If you’re curious why Kellman, and potentially, Sorensen, will be playing in second-division competition instead of top-division SHL, Swedish hockey insiders Per Bjurman and Uffe Bodin filled us in earlier today.
Goodrow on San Jose & Pavelski
This morning, Barclay Goodrow talked about what he learned from last year’s Game Seven against Vegas. No San Jose Sharks fan will ever forget his series-winning overtime goal, but people may forget that he was benched in the middle of the game before his re-emergence in OT: “When you go on different runs, you learn things along the way. I learned a lot from that game. It’s just about staying even-keel. There’s so many things that can go on in a game. It’s like you’re never out of it. You always have to stay ready.
“There’s definitely a lot of highs and lows. You just have to stay the course.”
Goodrow was also asked about facing his ex-captain Joe Pavelski in the Stanley Cup Final: “He’s a leader. He’s a guy, it’s easy to follow to follow his lead. His play in the playoffs speaks for itself; he rises to the occasion. I’ve learned a lot from him over the years; it’s going to be fun to compete against him.”
Pavelski & Perry
Speaking of odd couples, long-time rivals Pavelski and Corey Perry shared the podium yesterday at Stanley Cup Media Day.
Before their team-up this season, Pavelski had played 66 regular season games against Perry’s Anaheim Ducks, Perry 65 against Pavelski’s San Jose Sharks.
“I think it’s great. A few games ago, we did one of these [pressers] and I just kind of looked up at the screen and saw it, and I just kind of started laughing,” Pavelski said, smiling. “This is great, here in the playoffs with Corey Perry. It’s been awesome. There’s tons of experience, we’ve competed against each other for a long time. It’s fun to be on the same side.”
Pavelski vs. Perry was also book-ended by a pair of playoff match-ups, Anaheim’s six-game upset of the top-seed in 2009 and San Jose’s first-round sweep in 2018. But Perry pointed out that they had also been fierce rivals outside of the NHL.
“There are lots of battles that we’ve gone through, regular season, playoffs, whatever it may be. Internationally,” Perry noted. “There’s been a lot of hockey played between us. It’s nice to be sitting here beside him right now and doing this.”
Wisconsin-born Pavelski has battled Ontario native Perry in the 2010 Olympics, the 2014 Olympics, and the 2016 World Cup.
But now, they’re sharing laughs and the same sweater on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final.
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I see Galchenyuk is getting a pretty bad reputation…when scouts says he doesn’t want to work, is that during games or the off ice work? I only ask because I’ve seen several articles in the past where he seems to be a workout monster. But that was several years ago, so maybe that’s changed too. It’s too bad, but man that was a bad draft year, good thing we got Hertl from it, he’s gotta be like 3rd or 4th best player that year behind Rielly and forsberg and maybe Andersen.
Vasilevskiy, Hellebuyck, Slavin up there too…there’s an argument for Hertl being top forward in a re-draft.
That’s a good question about Galchenyuk, I didn’t clarify. I wonder, I’ll reach out again, but I assume on the ice
Thanks Sheng. Wow I wasn’t even close in my assessment haha totally missed The two vezina caliber goalies on the list haha
It’s an interesting dilemma in terms of signing Galchenyuk. The Sharks obviously need high-end offensive talent, yet don’t really have the means of acquiring that (assets or cap space). There are guys like Galchenyuk who, for whatever reason, suddenly do put it together, start working harder, etc. Obviously that can end up being the kind of wishful thinking that gets a team burned, but for the Sharks, it almost feels like a worthwhile gamble, depending on the cost, because this team most needs guys who can contribute in the top six. How much will the team be improved, realistically, with… Read more »
I agree that you have to take chances and have no issue with bringing in Galchenyuk on the cheap. There’s one subtle distinction I’ll make though: I don’t think Sharks need to bring in any fourth-liners, they have plenty of those. They need middle-six forwards, perhaps an entire new third line. Third line is technically bottom-six, but a good third-liner like Thornton circa 2018-19 plays a solid 15 as opposed to 10 and goes a regular shift. To me, a good third line is almost as important as a good second line in terms of importance to a good team.… Read more »
I felt like the Sharks problem last year was there were two half first lines instead of a first and a second. Kane-Hertl and Meier-Couture are both a player away from being first lines. Not super elite first lines or anything, but they are all top 93 forwards in the NHL when healthy. The issue was when the third guys are Gregor and Labanc, who have some skill but are not the most controlled players, it ends up detracting from the other two guys. Looking at when the Sharks were succeeding, the top line was Hertl-Goodrow-Meier. Goodrow just played a… Read more »
Agree the Sharks have the makings of a good top-6, though disagree that the players you mentioned would make core of a strong third line. Of your list, the only guy I’d feel good about handing a middle-six role to, no questions asked, is Labanc. Everybody else, I have serious reservations about, though of course a Handemark or Bergmann or Gregor could surprise. But I say don’t count on that, cap willing, sign a couple solid middle-six guys to re-build your third line, and if somebody like Gregor surprises you and is ready for a high-leverage NHL role, you suddenly… Read more »
I would like Alex if he’s really cheap option of course.People were saying similar about Evander.
No issue with Galchenyuk at a cheap deal for sure…but people are saying a lot worse about Galchenyuk, in regards to on-the-ice stuff, than Kane. Unlike Kane, not only is AG going through teams but quickly. EK9 hasn’t worn out his welcome like AG has