Locked On Sharks
The Best Free Agents (Sharks) Money Can Buy!
Erik and JD look at some of the available players left in free agency to fill the holes on the team. Could Jan Rutta, Slater Koekkoek, or Sami Vatanen be a fill-in for the 3rd pair defense? Then we look at some potential forwards that could add some depth (11:00). We also talk about if the San Jose Sharks move a player out, what that could do for their cap situation (20:00). Then we end the show by looking into the Vegas signing of Alex Pietrangelo and the trading of Nate Schmidt to Vancouver (22:00). Let us know in the comments about some players that the Sharks should look to add! Check out the podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Locked On Sharks
USNTDP coach Nick Fohr on Bordeleau’s Hockey IQ, Chmelevski’s Skating, Labanc’s Confidence
It’s Thomas Bordeleau Week here at San Jose Hockey Now!
Earlier this week, Kyle, Erik, and JD discussed some of the second-round pick’s scouting and statistical profiles:
Today, Sheng Peng joined the podcast, and we really got into detail on Bordeleau with his former USA Hockey National Team Development Program coach Nick Fohr.
Bordeleau isn’t the first San Jose Sharks prospect that Fohr has coached — the current USNTDP Associate Coach has worked with Kevin Labanc, Scott Reedy, and Sasha Chmelevski.
Nick Fohr Remembers Teenage Kevin Labanc: “Kevin was a scrawny little kid.”
Here’s a select transcription from this fun, informative interview — Fohr shares Bordeleau’s greatest strengths and weaknesses, discusses Chmelevski’s flawed-but- improving skating, and reveals what Labanc’s USNTDP teammates gave him a hard time about.
Nick Fohr, on Thomas Bordeleau’s greatest strength and weakness:
In Thomas’s case, he’s a very crafty, skilled forward that competes pretty hard. That was something he really improved on in the two years with us.
He really loves to rely on this skill.
He’s a cerebral player. He really takes in the game. He reads plays well up and down the ice sheet.
That being a strength of his, one of his weaknesses, he relies on his skill too much. That was something we talked with Thomas a lot: Although you are a skilled hockey player, you are not skilled enough to make it in the NHL on skill alone. You have to develop a little more bite, a little more aggressiveness. You gotta round your game out a little bit more defensively. Commit to those things and not rely on just being a skilled player. Those players don’t make it in the NHL anymore. They don’t. They used to. At least they don’t make it for a long, extended period of time.
Fohr, on Bordeleau’s hockey IQ:
If you ask a coach or a scout or a GM, what are your three most important things? People almost always throw hockey IQ at you.
For me, with Thomas, where you really see it, when you see the intelligence, when he gets the puck on his stick, his ability to manipulate the other team, manipulate the defender. For example, on the power play, when he has the puck on his tape, the way he postures the puck, the way he holds the puck on his stick, the way he postures his body, will tell one story to the defender, to get the defender to move. [That] opens up the play he really wants to make.
That’s a really, really, really hard skill. It takes a lot of hockey intelligence to do that, to understand the messages you’re sending to a defender. It’s a really elite trait of his.
Fohr, on Sasha Chmelevski’s skating:
The knock on him was always his skating. He kind of skated really wide. He didn’t recover his skating very well, so his feet were always really, really wide. So people were always worried about his skating, his ability to get around the rink.
I think he’s fixed that a little bit, as I’ve seen him over the years. But he’s similar to a Bordeleau type from his ability to make plays. They actually make pretty good comparables.
Fohr, on Kevin Labanc’s Twitter handle:
By the way, he’s got one of my favorite Twitter handles out there with @Str8ToTheBanc. He had that when he was here and I remember the guys gave him a hard time about it. But I loved it.
Fohr, on if Labanc’s USNTDP teammates were jealous that Labanc has such a cool last name:
(laughs) That was probably part of it. To have the cunning to him to be able to do that, right? Kevin never lacked the confidence to pull something off like that, that’s for sure.
Make sure to listen to the entire interview: It’s well worth your time if you’re interested in the draft process for USNTDP players (6:00), which San Jose Sharks scout concentrates on the USNTDP, what Bordeleau’s game looks like (10:00), and how his father (former NHL player Sebastien Bordeleau) helped shape his game (16:00). We also compare Labanc and Bordeleau (23:30) and get a Chmelevski update from Fohr (30:00).
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Kyle and JD put out a call for a mailbag and you responded! So much so that we had to ask for some help for your San Jose Sharks questions. We are joined by SB Nation’s Sie Morley to talk hockey, among other things. We look at reverse retro jerseys and why they are a thing, the Sharks goaltending, and if Martin Jones can bounce back (8:30). Also, who will be the third-line center (12:15) and how will San Jose Sharks fans treat Joe Thornton when they see him in blue (18:30)? Check out the podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Keep up with all things San Jose Sharks here:
Kyle, Erik, and JD look at San Jose Sharks second-round draft pick Thomas Bordeleau. We dig into his statistical profiling and what draft scouts are saying about him (10:00). Then we talk about what he needs to work on before getting to the NHL (14:00) and compare a hard shot vs. an accurate shot (18:30). We then project his timeline for reaching the San Jose Sharks. Check out the podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Keep up with all things San Jose Sharks here:
Sheng’s Daily: A New Look for Sharks
Rocky Thompson: “Leave analytics out of the locker room.”
USNTDP coach Nick Fohr on Bordeleau’s Hockey IQ, Chmelevski’s Skating, Labanc’s Confidence
Sheng’s Daily: It’s a Trap!
BREAKING: Sharks Are Talking to Conor Sheary
What I’m Hearing About Dubnyk-Donato to San Jose…
BREAKING: Sharks Are Talking to Conor Sheary
Speculation: Does Patrik Laine to the Sharks Make Sense?
A Scout’s Argument for Bobby Ryan
Joe Thornton Lost the Faith — Doug Wilson Hasn’t
USNTDP coach Nick Fohr on Bordeleau’s Hockey IQ, Chmelevski’s Skating, Labanc’s Confidence
Who’s Best Option for Sharks’ Third-Line Center?
Get to Know Thomas Bordeleau
Saying Goodbye to Joe Thornton
Let’s Get Sad About Joe Thornton Leaving San Jose
Is the Long Beach native the last of DW’s signings up front besides perhaps jumbo?
I hope not! I think Nieto will slide into the Melker role, but I’m hoping that Wilson still looks to add another winger with a little more scoring touch. He still also needs to look into adding another defenseman as well.
Well yes definitely another D. I hope he’s not done too, But upfront, with nieto signed, don’t they want to give a rookie or two a shot at making the roster? I would love for them to sign another solid third liners but there’s not much spots left it seems.
The prospects will have a chance — Marleau, Nieto, Sorensen, etc. — are pretty good players, but it’s not super-intimidating to leapfrog them in line-up. Assuming Donato is tried at top-six, there’s still an entire third line to fill and an open-looking competition to grab spots.
Sheary, by the time the NHL resumes will be half a year away from 29 yo. i think his production might be slipping. a 1-yr deal at around 2M might not be bad. i think Kahun will take a greater investment from the Sharks, but that might be worth exploring since they don’t have a strong 3C option on the face of things currently. neither Suomela nor Gambrell have locked that down. Jumbo’s no longer solid there. nothing but ??? from the rest of the pipeline. Chmelevski’s looking like a RW when he breaks in.