It’s been an exciting summer for the San Jose Sharks!

So it’s a good time for a pre-preseason subscriber’s mailbag!

Thank you so much for subscribing! Go here if you haven’t subscribed yet!

Ken Fischer: Now that Brodie Brazil is out at NBC, who are we going to get stuck with for Pre and Post-Game? (3:16)

James R: Any recent chatter about Joe Pavelski joining the San Jose Sharks’ front office or coaching staff in some capacity? (6:15)

Rothgar: What is Shakir Mukhamadullin’s preferred nickname?

Flying Frenchman: Can you talk about the phases of a rebuild and where the Sharks are? (12:28)

Bring Back Celebrini: Since Grier has taken over, he appears to have changed over about 60 percent of the organizational depth chart. Have you seen any other NHL club go through such a dramatic change in such a short period of time, and if so, how long did it take for those clubs to climb back into contention? (20:15)

Chris Boucher: How do the Sharks get into the position where they’re contending for a playoff spot by the 2025-26 season? (33:36)

Joshua: Who do you see as a realistic target for the Sharks to pursue or what position do you see them building upon? (39:50)

SJShorky: Do you think Mike Grier makes some big purchases or acquisitions next summer?

Matt Harrison: Who are some potential free agents or trade targets that you think may be on Grier’s radar in the next 1-3 years?

Stephen Akerson: How do you each view the balance between tanking and establishing a winning culture these next few seasons? I find it tempting to keep chasing top-five picks, but obviously that has to change at some point. (55:38)

Mark Bonham: Which top prospects are most likely to be on the opening night roster? (1:06:41)

Lizbeth DeSelm: Not really a question, but a vision that is both exciting and terrifying. I can’t help but look at the Leon Draisaitl extension and looming Connor McDavid extension and feel like I am looking at issues the Sharks will be facing in eight years with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith (or William Eklund or Sam Dickinson). (1:08:45)

Meetyourmako: I was told that the San Jose Sharks’ goal horn is a foghorn taken from a decommissioned ship, I have been dying to know its provenance? Can you uncover the name of the ship that foghorn came from?

Alaskan_ice: At this point, there are quite a lot of ex-Sharks players around the organization. Some have issues with this process, I like it. Do you think it’s a good idea to bring back people that wore teal? (1:14:20)

TJ: Is there any concern that the Sharks alumni that Grier is hiring back, they never got over the hump and that may translate to the younger players they are developing? Always seemed like there was an element missing from those 2000s and 2010s teams despite all the success.

sharkzilla: Is there anything in the works to get another guest on the show like Pierre McGuire/Jimmy Murphy again (or better yet Greg Wyshynski) talking about the current state of the Sharks’ rebuild? (1:19:42)

Embrace_the_rebuild: How many more seasons would it take before Sharks get to the playoffs? Win a playoff series? (1:26:37)

Gary To: What do you think is Mukhamadullin’s biggest skill-set and what is his weakest skill that he needs to work on?

Jenna B: When should the holiday video return? Who is lowkey the funniest guy on the Sharks, staff or player? (1:36:25)

jacob b: Is this the off-season the best in San Jose Sharks history?

Steven Stoker: Is this the end of Logan Couture’s return? (1:51:18)

David Gotlieb: Who are the best mascots?

Patrick: Among the prospects, who are the potential busts? (2:00:10)

Zeke: What happened to Yaroslav Askarov in the playoffs?

Alex Genadinik: Who should the San Jose Sharks deal at the Trade Deadline? Any surprises there?

Any Askarov-like trade targets for a young defenseman? (2:07:00)

Eric Pichette: Who has the better offensive numbers this season, Eklund, Celebrini, or Smith?

Matthias893: Have there been any indications the Sharks or NBC would be interested in a more direct streaming model? (2:19:55)

Splash114: Of the veteran defensemen, who, if any, do you think will spend time with the Barracuda and/or on waivers? 

George West: What are the odds of Celebrini playing 1C for most of the year? And does Will Smith have a chance at being the 2C? (2:27:35)

El Gato Joe: Why didn’t they buy out Vlasic?

Chaz Marshall: Have the San Jose Sharks hired a Russia-based scout to replace Igor Eronko? (2:35:15)

Fin Coe: What players have benefited or suffered from the Sharks’ system? How has the Luke Kunin trade aged? (2:36:48)

Daniel Almaraz: With the announcement of Celebrini and Smith living with Thornton and Marleau respectively next season, I’m curious, have there been any other Sharks vet/rookie combos that we know about over the last couple years?

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Tyler Toffoli joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Toffoli talks about being junior teammates with Logan Couture and Cody Ceci, the San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings playoff battles, his view of Couture and Drew Doughty’s “rivalry”, forming a new 70’s Line with Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund, and his NSFW nickname. (56:19)

But before we get to Tyler, let’s talk some San Jose Sharks news!

Keegan and Sheng chat more about the Yaroslav Askarov trade. (02:40)

They take a first look at some of the big roster battles upcoming in San Jose Sharks training camp. (25:00)

We also talk about the latest on Couture and Matt Benning’s injuries. (50:57)

And now, Tyler Toffoli! (56:19)

Toffoli talks about being teammates with Couture and Ceci on the Ottawa 67’s. He also talks about Couture and Doughty’s “war” of words back in the playoff rivalry days. (56:44)

What’s the difference between great or just good in the locker room? (1:01:12)

Toffoli shares his memories of the 2014 and 2016 San Jose Sharks/Kings’ playoff series. (1:05:55)

Who was Toffoli’s least favorite San Jose Sharks player to play against back then and why? (1:09:05)

Toffoli compares the Kings’ rebuild and the Sharks’ current one. (1:12:35)

Toffoli has surpassed 30 goals in back-to-back years, two of his three 30-plus goal campaigns. Why has he gotten better with age? (1:14:50)

What are his thoughts about a new 70’s Line with Celebrini and Eklund? (1:15:45)

What’s the worst part about moving? (1:17:15)

Toffoli discusses his NSFW nickname. (1:18:05)

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Chris Peters joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Peters says people are underrating…Macklin Celebrini? He also thinks winning the Draft Lottery could well be the second-most important day in San Jose Sharks’ history. Chris also chats about other 2024 Draft targets for the Sharks and why he thinks Will Smith should’ve stayed in school.

But before we get to Peters (1:27:00), we discuss a busy off-season week for the Sharks.

What are our thoughts about the Ty Dellandrea trade? (2:14)

Could all the moves this week be a prelude to dealing Mikael Granlund or Nico Sturm at the Trade Deadline?

Sheng shares his four stages of Barclay Goodrow acceptance, from the San Jose Sharks claiming Goodrow to the revelation that the Sharks were on Goodrow’s No-Trade List. (14:56)

Regardless, Sheng makes the case for adding Goodrow. (35:32)

Finally, Keegan shares his personal top-32 2024 Draft rankings, highlighting his underrated favorites like Konsta Helenius, Jett Luchanko, and Andrew Basha. Who would Sheng and Keegan take at No. 14? (53:21)

Now, Chris Peters (1:27:00)!

Peters hypes up Celebrini, explaining why the soon-to-be San Jose Sharks’ No. 1 pick is underrated, and why winning the Draft Lottery could be the second-most important day in franchise history. (1:27:22)

In his most recent mock draft, Peters picked defenseman Stian Solberg for the Sharks at No. 14. We also discuss other options there like Cole Eiserman and Adam Jiricek. How did Solberg and Eiserman interview at the Combine? What if Konsta Helenius or Carter Yakemchuk drop? (1:39:31)

Peters also picked defenseman Adam Kleber at No. 33 and winger Matvei Gridin at No. 42 for the Sharks, why? Who else looks like a Mike Grier-type in the second round? (1:52:02)

Sheng asks Peters about two prospects who he’s been hearing that the San Jose Sharks are sniffing around on, center Dean Letourneau and defenseman Gabriel Eliasson. Peters says one of these prospects was described to him, light-heartedly, as “evil”. (2:02:01)

Peters also shares his thoughts about possible Sharks-type prospects after the second round, along with the goalies in this draft class. (2:05:26)

Finally, Peters opines on why Will Smith wasn’t a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist, and why he thinks Smith should’ve stayed in school another year. (2:11:48)

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Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast! This week, we have defenseman Henry Thrun to talk all about new San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky. (56:00)

Warsofsky ran the defense last year and worked closely with all the defenders, Thrun included. Thrun shares his insights into Warsofsky’s coaching and development style, and how he thinks next year will be different than last year. 

But first, Sheng and Keegan share their initial reactions to the hiring of Ryan Warsofsky and discuss some of the industry chatter about his reputation and coaching style. (02:15)

Why does Warsofsky, now the youngest coach in the NHL, make sense for a rebuilding San Jose Sharks team? (08:50)

Will they keep Brian Wiseman as a power play coach for next season? (12:00)

Who should they bring in to coach the defense? (15:05)

Why Warsofsky despite the Sharks having a terrible defense and penalty kill last season? (19:20)

Why not Marco Sturm? (22:30)

Lastly, we focus a bit on the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry draft, including adding a few more confirmed names to the Sharks’ Combine interview list. (38:00)

Now, it's time for the Henry Thrun interview! (56:00)

We start off hot: Ryan's a coach who was part of a staff that led the San Jose Sharks to just 47 points last year. What’s going to be different next season? (56:30)

How did Henry think he got better under Warsofsky? (57:32)

What makes Warsofsky a strong development coach? (1:00:45)

How does his coaching style compare to David Quinn's? (1:02:20)

Thrun shares just how direct Ryan's communication can be, and how that's helpful to his development. (1:03:55)

Sheng asks about Warsofsky's competitiveness and shares a story about Ryan knocking over former Shark Steven Lorentz in practice in the AHL. (1:08:21)

Finally, Henry shares his offseason plans and outlines some plans for late-summer scrimmages with Will Smith and Collin Graf. (1:10:22)

Thanks for watching! 

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Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

We welcome San Jose Sharks' Director of Player Development Todd Marchant back to the show for our 50th episode! Todd was our very first guest on the new San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and we celebrate our 50th episode by getting his thoughts on tons of Sharks prospects, from Quentin Musty to Alex Young. (57:13)

But first! It was the NHL Scouting Combine this week and Sheng was on the ground in Buffalo. He shares loads of buzz, rumors and some confirmed prospect interviews. He added a new name to his list from yesterday. (3:25)

We cover whether we think Macklin Celebrini is actually going to return to the NCAA or sign with the Sharks, after multiple interviews have come out that Macklin is undecided at this point. (16:00)

We have some coaching search updates, including some rumored finalists to share. Also, did the San Jose Sharks ever reach out to David Carle or Joel Ward? (25:05)

Are the Sharks going to be active in free agency this summer? Jeff Marek floated the possibility of Jake Guentzel as a FA target, and we give our thoughts on that possibility. Also, will Eetu Makinemi be back? (33:25)

Our last topic is the retirement of Joe Pavelski. We share some of our thoughts about his tremendous career, and whether he has enough of a resume for the Hall of Fame. (42:50)

And now it's time for Todd Marchant! (57:13)

We decided to go through the San Jose Sharks system, from the 2023 Draft to the 2020 with Todd, discussing some well-known and lots of lesser-known prospects as well, focusing on mostly non-Barracuda prospects.

First, the 2023 Draft!

Quentin Musty (59:10)
Kasper Halttunen (1:03:47)
Brandon Svoboda (1:05:15)
Luca Cagnoni (1:08:03)
Axel Landén (1:10:28)
Eric Pohlkamp (1:12:10)
David Klee (1:14:30)
Yegor Rimashevsky (1:16:15)

2022:

Filip Bystedt (1:19:45)
Cam Lund (1:21:45)
Mattias Hävelid (1:23:10)
Michael Fisher (1:26:35)
Mason Beaupit (1:28:45)
Jake Furlong (1:30:20)
Joey Muldowney, Eli Barnett and Reese Laubach (1:34:02)

Who's left from the 2021 Draft, not playing with the Barracuda or the San Jose Sharks?

Theo Jacobsson (1:37:19)
Yevgeni Kashnikov (1:38:25)

2020:

Alex Young (1:39:25)
Timofei Spitserov (1:40:25)
Brandon Coe (1:41:30)

We also discuss with Todd some prospects not drafted by the San Jose Sharks, starting with David Edstrom, acquired in the Tomas Hertl trade. (1:43:35)

Finally, what does Todd think of Collin Graf? (1:45:10)

Todd shares some final thoughts about the direction of the Sharks going forward and who has taken some big steps from last year. (1:47:50)

Thanks for watching!

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Will Smith’s agent, Sean Coffey, joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Coffey takes us behind the scenes of Smith signing with the San Jose Sharks this past week.

But before we get to Coffey (44:15), we talk about what Smith’s arrival means for the Sharks.

We’ll talk more to Coffey about this -- he wasn’t one of Sheng’s sources!! -- but Sheng got wind of Smith signing last Friday. (1:50)

What was our initial reaction to the news? (4:20)

Would it make sense for the San Jose Sharks to send Smith to the AHL? Would the Sharks try to “slide” his contract? How does Smith compare to William Eklund at about the same age? (15:05)

Comparing Macklin Celebrini-Smith to Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin and Jonathan Toews-Patrick Kane? Why start the clock on Celebrini and Smith’s contracts at the same time? (24:00)

Where does Smith slot positionally, center or wing, in his rookie year? It is more common than Sheng thought to go through a season with two rookie centers in the line-up. (27:20)

Sheng shares a conversation that he had with a league source about the lumps that Smith will likely face in his rookie year, his struggles at the World Championships, and what Smith has to learn about winning NHL hockey. (36:35)

Sheng and Keegan predict how many points that Smith will put up next year. (40:23)

And now, Sean Coffey! (44:15)

How did Coffey become a player agent?

When did the San Jose Sharks start signaling to Coffey that they thought Smith was ready to come out? (49:28)

When did Smith actually decide to sign with the Sharks? How many meetings did Smith have with Mike Grier or Todd Marchant or the Sharks throughout the season? (51:55)

Did Ryan Leonard announcing early that he was going back to Boston College impact Smith in any way? (55:20)

Sean shares why he ghosted Sheng via text for a few weeks. (57:25)

Coffey reveals when exactly Smith made his decision to come out. (58:10)

Between Boston College and the San Jose Sharks, how close of a decision was it for Smith? (1:00:10)

For Coffey, from a development standpoint, why did it make sense for Smith to go pro?

Coffey confirms that the San Jose Sharks winning the Draft Lottery and getting presumptive No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini had nothing to do with Smith’s decision -- but regardless, it’s great for fellow teenagers Celebrini and Smith to start out together. (1:02:40)

Coffey talks about the potential (or lack thereof) of Smith going to the AHL or the Sharks trying to “slide” his contract. (1:05:15)

Did the Cutter Gauthier situation change the paradigm of how NHL teams treat their top NCAA prospects? (1:09:00)

Coffey explains, even though Smith decided in early May, why Smith held off on the announcement that he was coming out until this past week. (1:13:00)

Was it a challenge to keep Smith’s decision a secret? Sean also talks about keeping Sheng’s texts on “Read” when Sheng was looking for confirmation.

Sheng shares his process from getting wind of the Smith signing on Friday to publishing a story on it on Sunday, two days before it was officially announced. (1:17:40)

Why was Tuesday the day that the Sharks announced Smith’s signing? (1:19:45)

Coffey shares some of the details about the bonuses in Smith’s entry-level contract. (1:21:55)

https://twitter.com/PuckPedia/status/1795509414990090339 

Who is Coffey representing in the 2024 Draft? (1:28:00)

Also, Coffey subscribes to San Jose Hockey Now! You should too if you’re not!

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/membership-account/membership-levels/

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Craig Button joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast this week!

The TSN draft guru thinks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith might make a Crosby-Malkin like impact on the San Jose Sharks, who he’d consider for San Jose at No. 14, and an underrated Sharks prospect that he really likes. (1:22:52)

But before we get to Craig, Keegan and I talk about the San Jose Sharks coaching search. (2:18)

Then, we chat about four positions that the Sharks should target this off-season if they want to be more competitive, and discuss J.G. Pageau, Dakota Joshua, Dylan DeMelo, and Sean Walker as realistic possibilities. Sheng also suggests a couple more intriguing names in this middle class of the free agency market. (15:49)

We discuss the San Jose Sharks signing Luca Cagnoni. Are Sharks fans perhaps overrating Cagnoni? And is he better suited to start next season in the AHL or go back to the WHL? (44:24)

Have Sheng or Keegan changed their minds about whether Will Smith will sign with the San Jose Sharks for next year? (1:10:18)

Finally, before we interview Craig Button, we discuss his recent, perhaps controversial top-64 list (1:12:22) on TSN. By the way, we talked with Craig before he released these rankings:

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/craig-s-list-konsta-helenius-tij-iginla-push-into-top-five-1.2124326

And now, Craig Button! (1:22:52)

What is Macklin Celebrini’s ceiling? Why is Craig so high on him? (1:23:30)

Button draws parallels between Smith getting drafted a year before Celebrini…to the Pittsburgh Penguins getting Evgeni Malkin in 2004 and Sidney Crosby in 2005. Whoa! Button calls Smith a difference-maker. (1:28:40)

Button compares Celebrini to Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli. (1:30:12)

He discusses the recently-concluded U-18’s. (1:32:00)

Who could the San Jose Sharks pick at No. 14?

Button gives his thoughts about Trevor Connelly (1:36:35), Tij Iginla, Terik Parascak (1:42:25), Adam Jiricek (1:51:19), EJ Emery (1:54:10), Stian Solberg (1:54:47), Charlie Elick (1:55:10), and Dominik Badinka.

Button doesn’t see a big difference between Anton Silayev and Emery!

Button discusses the goaltending in the 2024 Draft. There’s only one goalie that he’d considered in the second round.(1:56:10)

Button talks about how Will Smith has “wowed” him for a long time and if he’s ready for the NHL. (2:00:37)

Button shares his thoughts about Quentin Musty (2:06:55), Kasper Halttunen (2:08:55), and Luca Cagnoni. (2:11:45)

Button shouts out a now under-the-radar San Jose Sharks prospect. (2:12:25)

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This week on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, we welcome back Nico Sturm! (57:15) 

We ask Nico all about the David Quinn tenure and his recent firing by GM Mike Grier, what Nico thinks about Quinn's coaching style and the 2023-2024 season in general. We also ask him about his likely future San Jose Sharks teammate Macklin Celebrini!

But before that, we cover just a few topics in what was a light few weeks for the Sharks. (01:33)

Who has been interviewed, or who has been rumored to be considered for the San Jose Sharks head coaching job so far? (03:20)

What do the coaching candidates so far seem to have in common?

We enter yet another week of Will Smith Watch! What did Will Smith say about his upcoming decision, stay in Boston College or sign with the San Jose Sharks for next year, at the World Championships? (12:17)

What can Will Smith learn by leaving the NCAA and breaking away from his long-time linemates? (18:45)

Sheng talks about an interesting dynamic that could form if both Celebrini and Smith leave college at the same time. (22:30)

We transition to the playoffs of Kasper Halttunen and Luca Cagnoni. Halttunen had 17 goals in 18 playoff games, leading the London Knights in goals in the postseason. (30:35)

The ultimate speculation: Leon Draisaitl to the San Jose Sharks in 2025? (35:00)

What do Sheng and Keegan think about moving up from the No. 14 pick to take a defenseman in the 2024 NHL Draft? (42:20)

Sheng dug deep and contacted local media members from each of the teams at No. 5-12 to get their thoughts on trading down to the Sharks, check out the article here! (43:20)

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-2024-draft-defenseman-trade-up/

Finally, we talk about Brodie Brazil's interview with Jason Demers, who also shared his thoughts about firing David Quinn. (53:00)

Nico Sturm joins our show for the second time, this time from Czechia and the World Championships! (57:15)

Sturm talks about the San Jose Sharks winning the Draft Lottery. (58:20)

Sturm discusses Macklin Celebrini as a responsible two-way player and just how rare that is for a 17-year-old. (59:05)

Sturm on David Quinn's firing, was it a surprise? (1:02:25)

What did Nico think of Quinn as a coach? (1:04:15)

Why does Sturm think Quinn was fired? (1:06:00)

Does Nico think that Quinn lost the locker room? (1:08:00)

Does Sturm think there could have been more structure in the San Jose Sharks' game last year? (1:09:40)

Was there a way that this 2023-24 San Jose Sharks team could’ve realistically been better last year? How much better? (1:12:40)

Sturm has also played for former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason. He's a potential coaching hire for the Sharks, what does Nico remember from his time with him? (1:15:15)

Nico Sturm hasn't played for Marco Sturm, but Marco's name is making the rounds as a coaching candidate for the San Jose Sharks, what does Nico think about his fellow German countryman? (1:19:00)

How’s Sturm's summer look after the World Championships? (1:21:10)

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Welcome to a post-Draft Lottery victory mailbag!

Congratulations, San Jose Sharks fans! You deserved this win.

Thanks for all your questions!

Sharksmustbealways asked if the Sharks were waiting for the Draft Lottery result to help them lure a better head coach candidate? (3:10)

Amorris209 wondered generally how Macklin Celebrini affects the process for the coaching search? (4:20)

Jigglz brought up Tim Kawakami’s recent criticism of Sharks owner Hasso Plattner: Would the franchise be better if Plattner was seen or heard from more? (6:10)

Jamnjon asked if the Sharks should target smaller prospects like Alexander Zetterberg or Justin Poirier in the mid to later rounds? (17:00)

Rob S wondered how Sheng was selected to witness the actual Draft Lottery? Also, who’s the San Jose Sharks’ goalie of the future? And will the Sharks ever host a Sharks game at Tech CU Arena? (22:08)

David Gotlieb loves pets! He asked about Mushu's favorites and if Keegan has pets. (37:09)

Josh Frojelin wondered if Ethan Cardwell could make the San Jose Sharks out of camp next season? (41:35)

Mike suggested perhaps trading the No. 14 pick for a more NHL-ready young defenseman? (45:42)

James R wondered what it would take for the San Jose Sharks to land Mitch Marner this summer? (1:01:30)

_sharkzilla_ asked when San Jose Hockey Now would get scout opinions on the Sharks’ post-Celebrini prospect pool? (1:10:10)

Stephanie K wondered what the last straw for David Quinn was? She also wondered about how Sheng feels about going into the 2024 Draft, getting to cover the No. 1 pick. Finally, how does Celebrini stack up versus other recent top prospects? (1:14:47)

Timorous me asked what was Sheng's reaction to the Sharks winning the Draft Lottery? (1:24:02)

Nimrod wondered if Luca Cagnoni is better served playing his overage season in the WHL or going to the AHL? (1:33:05)

Zeke discussed the possibility of trading the no. 33 pick for a 2025 first-round pick? (1:38:47)

Alaskan_ice checked in on Sheng and Keegan’s relationship. (1:44:50)

Michael K wondered if we go out of our way to deflate expectations of San Jose Sharks prospects? (1:51:24)

Splash114 asked how the Sharks should go about adding a true No. 1 or 2 defensemen to the organization? (2:02:11)

Chris Braun wondered if the Sharks should add a veteran center to help mentor Celebrini, especially if Couture is still injured? (2:07:51)

KuperKris suggested some theoretical additions to the team: Could the Sharks push for the wild card? (2:12:40)

Fin Coe checked in on the Sharks’ Russian scout situation and the Kevin Whitmer investigation. (2:17:43)

Alex Genadinik wondered where William Eklund would go in a 2021 re-Draft? (2:19:05)

Blue Science asked if the Sharks should go for a defenseman no matter what at No. 14? (2:27:43)

Recycle Shark wondered how the Sharks should improve their defense next year and if Thomas Bordeleau or Danil Gushchin are destined to get traded? (2:32:52)

Lakshya Jain asked if we think the Sharks will sign both Will Smith and Celebrini this off-season? (2:40:00)

Matthias893 wanted our thoughts on how Cagnoni stacks up compared to Olen Zellweger? (2:43:30)

Tony asked who Mike Grier should target at UFA forward this summer? (2:44:52)

James wondered if Hasso would stomach another tank in 2024-25, this time for James Hagens? (2:46:10)

David Rowley asked if the Sharks would target a more offensive defenseman in this year's draft? (2:49:35)

Patrick wondered what the Sharks’ greatest positional needs are going into the Draft? (2:50:45)

Matt Railo asked, after winning the Draft Lottery, if the San Jose Sharks should have the core of a playoff team soon? (2:53:08)

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Here's our too-early San Jose Sharks' off-season plan!

***Quick aside, Keegan's microphone is muffled a bit this episode. We're sorry, everyone! One day, we'll have pristine audio every single time. But not this day. This is kind of like those workplace accident signs where they knock off 100 days since the last accident and replace it with zero. Again. Sigh.***

This week, Sheng and Keegan outline some potential off-season moves that could help make the 2024-2025 version of the Sharks be less embarrassing than this year's. (53:45)

But before all that, we have a few quick-hitting topics this week (1:15). 

We start with Will Smith watch: Is he signing or not? (2:30)

Sheng and Keegan preview the upcoming May 7th Draft Lottery odds and each run a simulation at Tankathon. Do the Sharks win? (6:10)

We highlight what Sheng has heard about some potential candidates for Sharks head coach. (13:15)

John McCarthy and the rest of the San Jose Barracuda coaching staff will be returning next season, despite some poor on-ice results. Why do Sheng and Keegan support their return? (29:30)

The Sharks want goaltending coach Thomas Speer back, even after David Quinn was let go. (37:21)

Finally, we revisit our pre-season bold predictions...how did Sheng and Keegan do? (42:20)

Finally, our off-season plan! Which of their free agents should the Sharks keep or let go? Who should they target in the free agency market? Can they make a good trade? (53:45)

How much cap and roster space could the San Jose Sharks have? (54:45)

Which of the Sharks’ UFAs and RFAs will they keep? Who should they allow to walk? (57:45)

What’s the order of positional need for San Jose this summer? (1:14:33)

Let’s talk to free agents first -- Sheng has a couple intriguing longshot UFA targets. (1:22:14)

Keegan offers a longshot UFA signing at defense. (1:35:55)

Then, Keegan shares his favorite lower-end UFA targets. (1:39:00)

Sheng has a former Sharks defenseman in mind. (1:41:30)

Finally, Keegan offers some forward UFAs with some upside. (1:46:10)

That’s free agency, how can the San Jose Sharks improve via trade? (1:58:24)

Keegan proposes a Mikael Granlund trade. (1:58:44)

Going back, Sheng discusses why the Mikey Eyssimont trade was such a mistake, and how the thinking behind the deal helped pave the way for a disastrous 2023-24. (2:03:30)

What should Grier’s trade philosophy be this summer? (2:16:25)

Sheng is prioritizing distressed assets – who are a couple defenseman that the Sharks could target via trade? (2:17:55)

How about a trio of center candidates? (2:20:51)

Are the San Jose Sharks a better team with a couple of these realistic additions? (2:32:05)

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It’s an emergency episode of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier has fired head coach David Quinn.

When did Sheng first get wind that Quinn’s job might be in jeopardy? He had an idea on Monday. (1:10)

What’s our first reaction? Sheng argues that the Sharks’ ill-constructed roster wasn’t on Quinn, but more on Grier. (4:33)

So if not the roster, did Quinn get fired because he didn’t develop the young San Jose Sharks players? (23:00)

Were Grier and Quinn on the same page about what they wanted out of the Sharks, their identity?

Keegan wonders if player perception of Quinn doomed him. (26:40)

Sheng and Keegan speculate on other reasons why Grier fired Quinn. Is Grier feeling the heat from above (read: Hasso Plattner) after back-to-back disappointing seasons? (34:40)

Keegan argues there isn’t much downside to letting Quinn go right now.

Was Quinn a fall guy for Grier?

What type of coach should the San Jose Sharks target in this stage of their rebuild? What about David Carle? (43:30)

What are our thoughts about Grier keeping John McCarthy behind the San Jose Barracuda bench? (47:05)

Finally, a note about the San Jose Sharks hoping to sign Will Smith. (53:20)

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This week on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, we welcome ESPN senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski! Greg recently made the case for Mike Grier for GM of the Year, and we had to dive into that, given some of the criticism we've heard recently about Grier (48:15). 

But before we get to Greg, we start our show with just how important it is that the San Jose Sharks have finished dead-last in the NHL, securing the best odds at the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft (2:27).

We cover some of the Will Smith ELC signing scenarios (7:40).

Sheng and Keegan discuss some of the San Jose Sharks games this past week, including a shellacking by the Oilers, a win for Devin Cooley, and much more (14:18). We also go into why Danil Gushchin, Jack Thompson, and Georgi Romanov were able to get call-ups this late in the year.

Luke Kunin has been maligned by the analytics folks all year, but Sheng wanted to share some of the league-wide sentiment regarding Kunin's analytics (23:45).

The San Jose Sharks and Barracuda came out with their 2023-24 awards. Who did Sheng choose for the Sharks/Cuda, and who does Keegan think should have won? (34:30)

Finally, Sheng shares some of his observations from watching Filip Bystedt live. (43:05)

And now, Greg Wyshynski! (48:15)

We recorded this in early April, by the way, before everything happened with the Arizona Coyotes and their move to Salt Lake City.

Greg's praise for Mike Grier as GM of Year on the Mar. 27 episode of “The Jeff Marek Show” really turned some heads around the NHL (49:00). 

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-grier-gm-year-links/

So what happens if the San Jose Sharks don’t win No. 1? Would Greg still think of Grier as GM of the Year? (54:20)

Keegan asks the question, what is Sharks’ deserve-o-meter for the No. 1 pick? (57:13)

There's lots of Arizona Coyotes' talk here that is outdated...so listen if you want, but understand that the speculation did not end up correct.

Sheng wonders about the national perception of the San Jose Sharks' rebuild and the Tomas Hertl trade. (1:06:10)

Greg is a famous New Jersey Devils fan, so what does he think of the Timo Meier trade, and Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek in goal? (1:13:35)

How can the San Jose Sharks avoid protracted rebuilds like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are dealing with now, and the Edmonton Oilers dealt with before 2015? (1:19:10)

When does Greg think the Sharks will make the playoffs again? (1:24:15)

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The San Jose Sharks might have just traded for their goaltender of the future!

Sheng and Keegan share their initial reactions to acquiring Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators.

In a six-piece deal, the San Jose Sharks are getting Askarov, a 2025 third-round pick (via the Colorado Avalanche), and prospect Nolan Burke for prospects David Edstrom and Magnus Chrona, and a 2025 first-round pick (via the Vegas Golden Knights, top-10 protected).

Both Keegan and Sheng love this trade for the Sharks and GM Mike Grier on many levels. Why?

Regardless, what are the concerns about Askarov? There are real questions.

Also, is Askarov the best goaltending prospect in San Jose Sharks history? What about incumbent goalies Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek? How would we grade Grier's work as Sharks GM over the last two years? We talk about that and more!

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The Frozen Four starts on Thursday!

Top San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith will be part of it with Boston College.

So we got Cam Robinson from Elite Prospects to talk about Smith. (53:06)

Back during the World Juniors, Robinson tweeted:

https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/status/1742237537999945804

Does Robinson still think that?

Before Cam, we talk about the San Jose Sharks’ week that was, touching on William Eklund’s hat trick, Devin Cooley’s first win, Collin Graf’s NHL debut, and the Luke Kunin conundrum. We also touch on the Danil Gushchin to KHL rumor. (2:50)

We chat a little about Filip Bystedt’s AHL debut. (26:05)

Keegan shares his takes on what the scouts are saying about the San Jose Sharks’ top-10 prospects. (27:55)

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-graf-cagnoni-musty-mukhamadullin-scouts-prospects/

And now, Cam! (53:06)

Does Robinson still think that Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault are better than Smith? (54:00)

We talk about Smith’s strengths and weaknesses. (57:48)

Which San Jose Sharks prospect does Robinson think might be better than Smith? (1:01:45)

What does Robinson think the Sharks see in Smith? (1:04:45)

Who was your pick at #4 if you’re San Jose in 2023? Matvei Michkov and non-Michkov category? (1:09:32)

Why is Cam so high on Quentin Musty? (1:10:57)

Going into the 2024 Draft, if the San Jose Sharks don’t get Macklin Celebrini at No. 1, who should they target at No. 2 or 3? (1:13:55)

Who does Cam like as his top defenseman in this Draft? (1:19:06)

Using Ivan Demidov as the barometer, how would Robinson compare the 2024 and 2023 Drafts?

Robinson also shares prospects who he likes in the potential Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2024 first-round area. (1:23:11)

Does Cam like any other San Jose Sharks prospects a lot? What are his thoughts about Collin Graf? (1:25:50)

Make sure to check out the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, their flagship product, coming out soon!

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Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Joining us this week are long-time broadcaster and hockey executive Pierre McGuire and Bruins insider Jimmy Murphy, hosts of The Eye Test Podcast! (50:40) They're joining us to talk all about their recent Mar. 20th episode of their podcast where they shared some less-than-optimistic views of the current state of the San Jose Sharks.

But before we get to the interview, what do we want from the Sharks before the end of the season? Can we get Devin Cooley a win in San Jose? (1:55)

Klim Kostin has taken advantage of his ice-time after his trade to the Sharks, what's behind his recent success? (6:05)

Another bright spot lately has been the play of Mackenzie Blackwood, who posted a rare San Jose Sharks shutout this week. (13:30)

We turn our discussion to the NCAA tourney, and the play of Will Smith and 2024 prospect Artyom Levshunov in the NCAA Tournament. (17:30) 

Filip Bystedt, San Jose's 2022 first-rounder is coming to San Jose! (29:10)

Lastly, Sheng and Keegan discuss the Jack Studnicka recall to the San Jose Sharks, why it happened, and what this means for Danil Gushchin. (36:35)

Finally, we have Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy to get some perspective on the Sharks from outside San Jose (50:40). 

Setting the stage, Sheng outlines some of the statements by Jimmy and Pierre on the Sharks' rebuild, made of the Mar. 20 episode of "The Eye Test" podcast. He also lays out what Grier has done differently since being hired in the summer of 2022. (52:30) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be784-b3JOI

Pierre admits Mike inherited a bad situation, but asks the question about how the Sharks are planning on being better next year? (1:00:00)

Jimmy jumps in and shares his thoughts about the perception of the Sharks' lack of a positive environment around the younger players in the locker room. (1:04:13)

Sheng thinks Grier is going to reset this offseason and sign more "character" guys to help mentor the young guys. (1:07:10)

Pierre has spoken with other hockey executives and he thinks it's another 5-7 years to "fix" the San Jose Sharks. (1:08:40)

Pierre also talks about the art of team-building and why it may be difficult to attract free agents to San Jose. (1:10:20)

Pierre mentions an upcoming 2024 Draft prospect (not Macklin Celebrini) that he thinks the Sharks may target in they don't land the No. 1 pick. (1:11:20)

Jimmy would put a focus on veteran depth to improve the culture heading into the offseason. (1:14:30)

Pierre thinks the goal-differential (the San Jose Sharks are -133 currently) is the most important thing to correct next year by changing the defense. (1:17:00)

Pierre doesn't put stock into the idea of Noah Hanifin coming to San Jose in the off-season, and Jimmy brings up that taxes in California may be a real issue. (1:26:00)

Sheng defends Erik Karlsson's Norris Trophy, specifically how his plus/minus was affected by a ton of empty net goals. (1:30:05)

Keegan brings up a misstep by Doug Wilson extending veteran players in hopes of winning a Stanley Cup, after they never won a Stanley Cup in the first place. (1:31:05)

Jimmy points out that almost every Sharks defender is at best a third-pairing defender, aside from Mario Ferraro. (1:33:35)

Finally Keegan asks Sheng, Pierre, and Jimmy, would they have traded Tomas Hertl? (1:39:15)

Sheng defends the trade!

Thanks so much for watching, listening and subscribing on YouTube!

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Welcome back to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast! This week, Keegan is going to reveal his current top-16 of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft! (23:50) 

But before that, we talk about the week that was for the San Jose Sharks. (00:30)

We cover the recent improved play of Thomas Bordeleau, and we talk about a shift in his playing style and his mindset with the Sharks during this call-up. (1:30) 

Sheng and Keegan discuss William Eklund's demotion to the fourth line, and how a change was needed to spark Eklund. (9:00)

Will Smith made some waves this weekend during the Hockey East tournament. Sheng and Keegan discuss his chances at the Hobey Baker award after his performance. (14:55)

Sheng has a quick note on the possibility of Barracuda call-ups in the last dozen games of the season. He was told that the San Jose Sharks have just one regular call-up left, but that they could also use emergency call-ups to play some Cuda prospects in the NHL. (18:30)

Finally, we touch on the recent signing of Akim Aliu to a PTO with the San Jose Barracuda. (19:50)

Now, Keegan reveals his current 2024 Top-16 ranking, broken down by tiers! (23:50)

Is there anybody besides Macklin Celebrini in Tier 1? (26:10)

In Tier 2, who does Keegan rank behind Celebrini...Ivan Demidov, Berkly Catton, Cayden Lindstrom, Artyom Levshunov, Anton Silayev, or Cole Eiserman? (29:30)

Keegan has a bunch of defensemen in Tier 3, will the San Jose Sharks grab any of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins' pick? Where does he rank Levshunov, Silayev, Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, and Carter Yakemchuk? (39:27)

Where do forwards Konsta Helenius, Tij Iginla, Andrew Basha, Terik Parascak, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård fit in?

How far into the first round does Keegan's Tier 4 go? Who just missed the top-16 cut? (56:40)

Finally, what is Keegan's perfect 2024 San Jose Sharks' first round?

Thanks for listening and watching! Subscribe on YouTube! 

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Who are our top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects, post-Trade Deadline?

Before we share our rankings, we talk about the San Jose Sharks’ week that was, and the performances of Klim Kostin, Magnus Chrona, Devin Cooley, Thomas Bordeleau, and William Eklund. (3:05)

What do we think about the Tomas Hertl trade, one week later? (30:08)

We make sense of reassigning Ozzy Wiesblatt to the Milwaukee Admirals. What about Sasha Chmelevski’s NHL future? What was the hidden message from GM Mike Grier’s candid comments about the San Jose Sharks firing Igor Eronko? (40:22)

Also, thanks to all those who have helped Sheng travel this year! (1:08:30)

Finally, who are our top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects? Where do new additions David Edstrom and Jack Thompson fit in?

From No. 10 to No. 6, where do Luca Cagnoni, Ethan Cardwell, Kasper Halttunen, Jack Thompson, Cam Lund, Henry Thrun, Thomas Bordeleau, and Danil Gushchin fit in? (1:15:26)

Between David Edstrom and Filip Bystedt, who ranked higher? (1:37:32)

How did our top-three of Shakir Mukhamadullin, Quentin Musty, and Will Smith shake out? (1:45:00)

We also touched on some honorable mentions like Eric Pohlkamp, Jake Furlong, Mattias Havelid, and more. (1:55:42)

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Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights?!?

We react to all of the San Jose Sharks’ Trade Deadline moves, and talk about why we like the Hertl trade for the Golden Knights.

But before we get there, we talk about Logan Couture ruling himself out for the rest of the season, a perfect way to cap off perhaps the worst day in San Jose Sharks history. (1:12)

Sheng describes a surreal day around Sharks Ice.

We get in deep about the Hertl trade, both the on and off the ice implications and emotions. (13:43)

The Hertl trade, obviously, was the star of the show, but we also talked about all of the Sharks’ moves today and yesterday.

Why we had “no notes” for the Anthony Duclair trade? (51:45)

Keegan really liked the Kaapo Kahkonen trade: Why was it a sensible swap for Vitek Vanecek? (57:05)

Sheng’s favorite San Jose Sharks’ Trade Deadline move was Radim Simek for Klim Kostin. (1:08:15)

Why didn’t Nikita Okhotiuk pan out for the San Jose Sharks? (1:15:45)

Finally, we end with a thought about Devin Cooley. (1:20:45)

We grade the San Jose Sharks’ 2024 Trade Deadline. (1:24:25)

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It's our San Jose Sharks' Trade Deadline predictions! We dive deep into 12 potential players that could be traded this week from the Sharks and try to predict potential returns (32:30)

But first, we talk this past week of Sharks' action.

Four losses since the last podcast, who stood out for the San Jose Sharks in these losing efforts? (2:22)

Sheng answers the question that many people had on Twitter; why did David Quinn call a timeout down 7-1 to the New Jersey Devils in the third period? Quinn explains. (2:55)

We discuss the quality start that Magnus Chrona put up this week against the Dallas Stars, and we do a little reminiscing about the 2021 Trade Deadline when Doug Wilson acquired Alexander Barabanov and Chrona for very little. (14:50)

After the San Jose Sharks' loss to the Minnesota Wild this week, we revisited the Kaapo Kahkonen/Jake Middleton deal from the 2022 Trade Deadline. (21:02)

Finally, here are the official San Jose Hockey Now Trade Deadline predictions! (32:30)

What do Sheng's sources think the Sharks will get for their players? Read this article as a reference for our discussion:

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-trade-deadline-scouts-value-scouts/

Do Sheng and Keegan think that these players will get traded...and for what?

Mikael Granlund (37:30)
Kevin Labanc (42:15)
Mike Hoffman (44:28)
Mario Ferraro (46:45)
Anthony Duclair (51:00) (plus what young player does Keegan think Duclair could get traded for?)
Kaapo Kahkonen (58:25)
Luke Kunin (1:00:15)
Jan Rutta (1:04:10)
Alex Barabanov (1:06:55)
Nico Sturm (1:10:02)
Ryan Carpenter + Justin Bailey (1:11:30)

Catch us later this week for our Trade Deadline wrap-up show and to see how many predictions we got right!

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Why are the San Jose Sharks so easy to play against? And how unhappy are the players?

But before the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast digs into that, Keegan and Sheng discuss Anthony Duclair’s recent play (2:22) and touch on David Quinn and Kevin Labanc not seeing eye to eye (4:50).

What is Sheng hearing about the Sharks’ top Trade Deadline targets (8:30)?

Last week, Frank Seravalli said on the DFO Rundown Podcast that Sharks players “feel like they aren’t even playing on an NHL franchise” -- his podcast co-host Jason Gregor agreed, “I’ve heard some ridiculous stories about lack of preparation.” (18:00)

Sheng investigates, talking to Sharks players and people closely associated with them. What did he find?

Finally, we dig into why the San Jose Sharks are so easy to play against (41:12).

SPORTLOGiQ stats from last year to this season give a stark contrast (43:00).

There are the things that Mike Grier couldn’t control (46:35) -- and something that he could control (50:00).

How could all this shape the San Jose Sharks’ coming off-season (1:00:05)?

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This week on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast we have an interview with Mike Santos from Team 33, an independent scouting service that consults for NHL teams around the league. He joins Sheng and Keegan to discuss the relative value of many of the Sharks' players that may be available at the trade deadline. (39:20)

Before that though, we have our news of the week. (02:00) This week, it was announced that both Hertl and Couture would be out somewhat long-term with injuries. We break down some expected timelines (or lack thereof) for both players. (02:45)

We cover the two games this week, a 1-0 loss to Winnipeg and a 6-3 win against Calgary, while touching on the play of Kaapo Kähkönen and Filip Zadina, who shined in those two games. (10:40)

Our final topic before the interview with Mike Santos, we take a dive into some of the recent comments made by Kevin Labanc. We go into the comments and why a change of scenery needs to happen for Labanc to find his game. (23:40)

Now the Mike Santos interview!  (39:20)

People have been asking, what exactly is Team 33? Mike covers the structure of their scouting service and highlights some of the teams that use their services. (39:50)

Sheng and Keegan ask Mike Santos about possible trade candidates for the Sharks, and how the Team 33 scouts are rating these players, and their trade values. (45:34)

How much are the following players worth? 

Anthony Duclair (47:00)

Alexander Barabanov (53:05)

Mike Hoffman (1:00:40)

Kevin Labanc (1:03:55)

Mikael Granlund (1:07:20)

Nico Sturm (1:13:40)

Mario Ferraro (1:20:30)

Kaapo Kahkonen (1:28:24)

Lastly Mike shares some of his general thoughts on who he would keep going forward from this Sharks roster and who is most likely to be traded. (1:36:25)

Thank you all for watching, listening, and subscribing to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

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It’s mailbag time!

What are San Jose Sharks fans curious about right now?

Here’s what San Jose Hockey Now subscribers asked.

Gary To asked if we think Tomas Hertl is staying or going this summer, and what GM Mike Grier would have to do to convince Hertl to stay (6:27).

James R. wondered what Kaapo Kahkonen’s next contract, if he re-signs with the San Jose Sharks, will be (14:35). Also, have Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood’s success taken the heat off Evgeni Nabokov?

Jake went all the way back to 2019 to get our recollections about Peter DeBoer playing Micheal Haley over Joonas Donskoi (22:50), and what we were thinking during Sharks-Golden Knights’ Game Seven.

Matthias893 wonders what Hertl could get in a trade with half-retention (35:30)?

Jenna B asked if there are any European/NCAA/CHL free agents that the San Jose Sharks could be interested in (38:25)? Also, props to Jenna for inspiring my Sharks dogs stories from Christmas.

Stephanie wondered if the media could influence management/player decisions and performance (45:50)?

Fin Coe thinks maybe William Eklund could have a Joe Pavelski path in his career (56:15)?

Dylan Smallwood inquired about the asset management when it came to trading for Calen Addison with Leon Gawanke waiting in the wings (59:00). Also, he doesn’t think a Hertl trade should require retention.

Chris Braun wonders if a Hertl trade is worth it, if you can find a team to take on the whole salary (1:16:35). He also wondered which defensemen will remain on the roster after the break?

Jigglz checked in on the type of players that Grier could be looking for this off-season via trade or free agency (1:23:15). 

Alex Genadinik wonders what it would take for the Sharks to get a first or second-round pick this Trade Deadline (1:28:50)?

Stefan Schwartz dug into the San Jose Sharks locker room dynamic this season (1:36:35).

Zeke thinks that Kevin Labanc, for his own good, should be assigned to the San Jose Barracuda (1:41:40).

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What's the problem with the last-place San Jose Barracuda?

We have a special guest, Patrick Williams from AHL.com and NHL.com, who knows all things AHL, to shed some light on why the San Jose Barracuda are struggling this season. (43:30)

Williams has a good handle on realistic expectations for the last-place Cuda.

But before we get to that interview, we have a few San Jose Sharks topics to cover.

First, William Eklund has been playing...center!. (03:30) We talk all about his play and what his change to center might mean for the rebuild if this is a permanent or semi-permanent change.

The Sharks have another young prospect making waves in the NHL as Shakir Mukhamadullin was called up this week. (13:20) We dive into his play and speculate whether he stays up with the Sharks after the break or not.

Sheng and Keegan discuss the addition of Mukhamadullin to the AHL All-star game, and the injury to Danil Gushchin that's going to keep him out of the All-Star lineup. (23:50)

Finally, before we get to Patrick Williams, we discuss Tomas Hertl (27:18). News came out this week that a conversation might take place this offseason to discuss Hertl's future on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks club. Let the speculation commence on his future, and what the Sharks might get for Hertl in a trade.

Alright, it's time for the Patrick Williams interview! We ask loads of questions and get his opinion on how the Barracuda are performing relative to the other teams in the AHL. (43:30)

First we ask the big question: Is it okay to be disappointed in the Barracuda this season? (45:00)

Just how many high-end players (for this league) does the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate have right now? (47:30)

We ask about John McCarthy and whether he deserves to be fired. (53:25)

McCarthy is one of the AHL's youngest coaches. Did he miss out on having an experienced mentor by his side to start his head coaching career? (56:50)

Just how much was expected from this Barracuda roster, and how much of the failure can really be put on McCarthy? (1:05:20)

What does Patrick think of Danil Gushchin? (1:09:30)

Despite some defensive additions to the Barracuda this season, they still sit last in goals allowed in the AHL. What's going wrong defensively for them? (1:12:45)

We dive into the curious decision to roll with three young netminders, one with injury concerns, to start the year for the Barracuda. (1:18:27)

The defense has been a mess, but the offense is actually decent for the Barracuda. What's gone right so far there this year? (1:23:45)

What does Patrick think about the compete level for the Barracuda overall? (1:26:35)

Who is Patrick's favorite Barracuda player to watch? (1:28:44)

Who does Patrick think has the potential to reach the NHL from the AHL roster? (1:29:45)

To end the interview, how much of the team's losing can be put on Cuda GM Joe Will? (1:31:30)

After the interview, Sheng and Keegan react to Patrick's interview and discuss some of the rumblings in the hockey world, related to how the Barracuda are perceived. (1:35:40) This includes lots of insights from scouts and executives on how the Barracuda and the San Jose Sharks are seen, and some of the limitations involved with running these teams.

Thanks all for watching, listening and subscribing!

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Marco Sturm joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Sturm was 19 when he started in the NHL with fellow teenager Patrick Marleau -- a situation that the San Jose Sharks will see this fall with youngsters Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith -- and he recounts that experience. The current Ontario Reign head coach also shared some stories about being interviewed for the Sharks’ head coach job this summer.

But before we get to Marco (1:13:24), we chat about the big Sharks news.

On Sunday, the San Jose Sharks acquired Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick from the Edmonton Oilers for Ty Emberson.

Keegan was a lot colder on the trade than Sheng, Emberson being his big sticking point. (2:10)

How did we grade the trade? (43:02)

Are the San Jose Sharks also circling star goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov? Askarov requested a trade from the Nashville Predators earlier this week. (45:50)

Sheng and Keegan bat around different trade proposals for Askarov, discuss their concerns about the mercurial netminder, and more.

And now, Marco Sturm! (1:13:24)

Sturm talks about what it was like to enter the NHL with fellow teenager Patrick Marleau in 1997. (1:14:00)

Who did Sturm live with? (1:19:30)

Sturm talks about how important it was to have solid veteran leadership around he and Marleau. (1:21:53)

Sturm had a great Sharks career, but he was also part of the biggest trade in franchise history, the Joe Thornton trade. Sturm recalls what he was going through personally at the time, and why he was upset with GM Doug Wilson about it for years. (1:25:55)

Sturm was part of two painful Sharks playoff losses, 2002 against the Colorado Avalanche and 2004 against the Calgary Flames. He shares his memories of both, and says if the Sharks had made the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, that maybe he could’ve played. (1:33:40)

What was special about the Shark Tank during the years Marco played? He says it's tough to see the Shark Tank attendance like it is now. (1:38:20)

In 2018, Sturm, now Team Germany head coach, led Germany to an Olympic silver medal, their first top-three finish in either the Olympics or World Championships since 1976. He shares what he did to help take German hockey to another level. (1:43:05)

When did Sturm realize that he wanted to be a head coach? It wasn’t during his playing career. (1:48:40)

Sturm talks about being interviewed for San Jose Sharks head coach, including coming to San Jose for an interview. Did he ever talk with Hasso Plattner during the process? He also shared some interesting insight about Mike Sullivan as a young coach. (1:57:15)

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What’s a realistic path for the San Jose Sharks to be competitive by 2025-26 or 2026-27 (54:40)?

We’re asking this question because that seems to be GM Mike Grier’s hope.

“In two or three years, hopefully we can be a team that is pushing for the playoffs, if not hopefully grabbing a spot,” he said in his media availability on Thursday.

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-mike-grier-all-star-availability/

Before we get to that discussion, Keegan and Sheng talk about the San Jose Sharks’ recent play, including signs of life from William Eklund. (03:00)

What did Sheng think of Shakir Mukhamadullin’s mixed bag NHL debut? (12:08)

Sheng has a lot of thoughts about the new Cali Fin jersey, including the controversial usage of the Fin logo as the primary crest. (21:25)

We also touched on assorted Sharks' injuries and other thoughts about Grier’s availability. (37:05)

So what has to happen for the San Jose Sharks to be in the playoff discussion in a couple years? (54:40)

Before we get into that, why might 2025-26 be the target season to be competitive? (55:25)

We break down what has to go right for each position to be competitive in two to three years. (1:02:50)

Who might the goalie of the 2025-26 Sharks be? Why is Sheng not too worried about this position? (1:03:05)

The Sharks don’t have a future No. 1 defenseman yet. Why might quality depth be the workaround? Could Mario Ferraro, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Henry Thrun be the start of a credible top-four? And where does the Noah Hanifin trade rumor fit in? (1:07:05)

If the Sharks need to look toward the 2024 Draft to find their No. 1 defenseman of the future, who does Keegan like best in a deep pool of defensive prospects? (1:11:25)

Also, why doesn’t it make sense to buy out Marc-Edouard Vlasic, even in the summer of 2025? (1:17:00)

The San Jose Sharks are also lacking a 1C of the future. Obviously, if the Jonathan Toews comp is accurate, Macklin Celebrini could be the answer here. (1:21:52)

How about Tomas Hertl as your 2C and Logan Couture as your 3C? And where could Will Smith, William Eklund, and Fabian Zetterlund fit in up the middle or along the wing? (1:22:40)

What does this forward group lack and how could the 2025 free agency class possibly provide an answer? (1:29:30)

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Corey Masisak joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

But before we get to Corey and talk about his incredible Hasso Plattner story (44:56), only on San Jose Hockey Now, we talk about the latest San Jose Sharks news!

Keegan and Sheng chatted about the Sharks’ week, including a feel-good victory over the Anaheim Ducks (2:10). Keegan is predicting no more double-digit losing streaks (12:55) for the rest of the season.

Sheng talks about Logan Couture coming back, and how close he was to breaking the news of Couture’s specific injury (14:30).

The San Jose Sharks are retiring Joe Thornton’s jersey next year (26:10)! We also debate if Brent Burns deserves the same treatment one day (27:40).

Finally, we share our thoughts about the Sharks’ new third jerseys (33:10). Keegan likes them, Sheng is not a fan! And we make fun of the Sharks’ Aloha shirt giveaways (39:25).

Now, Corey Masisak (44:56)!

Corey explains the genesis of his Hasso Plattner story (46:25). What did Corey learn about the San Jose Sharks owner when he was in Germany?

Hasso has a love for Russian wingers (53:10)? We also talk about Plattner’s attitude toward SAP Center (56:05) and how long the Sharks might be there.

Does Corey think this 2023-24 San Jose Sharks squad is the worst of the cap era (58:00)? What phrase does Corey remember most from his time in San Jose (1:00:00)?

How did incoming GM Mike Grier “convince” Plattner to maybe embrace more of a rebuild philosophy?

We revisit the Tomas Hertl extension (1:05:00).

What is Corey’s confidence level in Mike Grier and David Quinn right now (1:08:40)? What did he think of the Erik Karlsson trade (1:13:00)?

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Chris Peters, NHL Draft and Prospects analyst and Senior Content Creator, @FloHockey, joins the San Jose Hockey Now podcast to recap the World Junior Championship and the play of the six Sharks prospects at the tournament. (1:14:31)

But before that, after a 12 game losing streak, we finally have a Sharks win to talk about! (01:32)

Throughout the win  against Montreal and a following three assist night against Ottawa, Ferraro has emerged as a leader, something Sheng has been saying for a few months now. (06:45)

Sheng and Keegan dive into the Chmelevski trade rumors that were shared by Kevin Weekes. What's a likely return for him? Can he be successful at the NHL level? (15:42)

We discuss Sharks' former first round pick Ozzy Wiesblatt and his meniscus surgery, and highlight some of his struggles in the AHL this year. (32:00)

Keegan is excited as Danil Gushchin is an AHL All-star! (37:20)

Finally before the Chris Peters interview, Sheng has some thoughts on the coaching job of David Quinn (41:30). What was expected of him this year, and is he the right coach for next year and beyond in this rebuild?

Now to the Chris Peters interview. (1:14:31)

We ask Chris about his thoughts on Team USA's gold medal. (1:16:20)

We get the deep dive on Will Smith, and how he turned his game around throughout the tournament. (1:17:20)

Should the Sharks sign Will Smith at the end of this year? (1:23:15)

How did Chris think Eric Pohlkamp performed, and what led to him being the odd man out in the medal rounds? (1:26:45)

Now onto Team Sweden and Jonathan Lekkerimäki's MVP. Sheng has some questions about how he won it over a few of the other candidates. (1:29:45)

Chris remarks on the less than impressive performance of Filip Bystedt. (1:32:00), and the so-so performance of Mattias Hävelid (1:34:30).

Chris answers Sheng's question of where would Filip Bystedt be ranked among the Swedish forwards from the 2022 draft? (1:36:30)

Moving onto Team Canada, Chris answers the question of Jake Furlong's pro potential after he surprised many and made Team Canada. (1:39:17) 

Finally, Team Finland's only Sharks representative, Kasper Halttunen. What needs to improve to transform Halttunen from a junior shooter to an NHL regular? (1:41:50)

Chris shares a few remarks on prospects that weren't at the WJC including Quentin Musty (1:47:30), Cam Lund (1:48:05), Magnus Chrona (1:48:30) and Daniil Gushchin (1:48:55).

Finally, we ask the question, is Macklin Celebrini the unanimous #1 overall for the 2024 Draft? (1:50:00)

Thanks for watching, listening and subscribing to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast on YouTube!

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Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast Mid-season Award Show! We hand out all sorts of awards, as well as predict a breakout candidate and predict some trades for the back-half of the season. 

But first, there's more! 

Sharks are...bad. (02:30). Sheng and Keegan briefly recap this week's losses and how they keep finding new ways to lose (03:15). We talk about the status of the Tankathon for this season, and a little about Macklin Celebrini and the upcoming 2024 draft (10:30). 

We discuss the ending of the WJC and the play/grades of Will Smith, Eric Pohlkamp, Filip Bystedt, Mattias Havelid, Jake Furlong and Kasper Halttunen (12:58). We plan on having a longer episode recapping the WJC in the coming weeks, with some expert opinions as well. 

Sheng and Keegan dive into the Kaapo Kahkonen trade rumor from Elliotte Friedman (24:00). 

Jack Studnicka was sent down to the AHL this week (33:40), and why a CBA detail forced the Sharks' hand on this move. 

We have some IR updates on Logan Couture and a season-ending move for Matt Benning (42:30).

Tomas Hertl is an NHL All-Star for the second time (47:30), and why we think the selection was obvious this year for the Sharks. 

Finally, it's our mid-season awards. Find out who won the following from both Sheng and Keegan: 

Mid-season MVP (48:10)

Best Forward (52:10)

Best Defenseman (54:20)

Most Improved Player (1:00:50)

Unsung Hero (1:09:00)

Most Disappointing Player (1:15:40)

Sleeper Prospect (1:25:55)

Most Surprising Prospect (1:33:30)

Lastly, we have a few predictions for the last half of the season. Who are the second-half breakout candidates for the Sharks? (1:38:50). 

Finally, Sheng predicts a Kaapo Kahkonen deadline trade, including some historical comparisons (1:47:20) and Keegan predicts an oddly specific Alexander Barabanov trade (1:51:45). 

Thank you all for watching, listening and subscribing on YouTube! 

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2024 World Juniors round-robin play is over! How are the San Jose Sharks prospects at the WJCs doing?

Also, the Sharks have six prospects at World Juniors, third in the NHL. Is that the most in franchise history?

But before we get to that, Sheng talks about his (unimpressed) impressions of Sharks games this week (2:40). Is 10 Goals Against Watch back (7:00)?

What's the next major coaching challenge for David Quinn this season? And how is that related to San Jose Sharks forwards who are offense-first (9:30), that they want to play defense-first?

Logan Couture is getting close (20:00).

Also, we talk about keeping an open mind about Mario Ferraro on the power play (23:45).

UPDATE: We talked Ferraro BEFORE his injury against the Avs tonight.

Then, Keegan gives his grades on how San Jose Sharks prospects have fared so far in WJC round-robin play: What does he think of Will Smith (37:00), Eric Pohlkamp (42:30), Kasper Halttunen (43:07), Filip Bystedt and Mattias Havelid (48:36), and Jake Furlong (51:30)?

Finally, we take a historical look at the San Jose Sharks at the World Junior Championships (54:30).

The Sharks have six prospects at the 2024 WJCs, but that's not their most-ever. What positives can we gather from San Jose's stacked 1995 and 1996 WJC classes? What are the cautionary tales from the 2015 WJC class? 

There was also a three-year stretch where the San Jose Sharks had zero World Junior prospects.

Also, history suggests that Sharks fans should take notice of late-rounders Furlong and Pohlkamp being selected by deep national teams for the World Juniors.

Happy New Year!

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Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis joins us to discuss the six San Jose Sharks prospects at the World Junior Championships and why he’s so high on Will Smith.

But first, Keegan and Sheng talk about some of the San Jose Sharks that had a good week, like Filip Zadina (2:40).

What’s going on with Logan Couture and Nico Sturm’s injuries (15:40)? 

We discuss what Sharks director of amateur scouting Chris Morehouse said about the prospects at the WJCs and more, along with Keegan’s impressions of Smith and company at the WJC tune-up games (20:25). 

Finally, what presents do we want the Sharks to get this Christmas (32:10)? 

And just for fun, what would Keegan trade for Alexis Lafreniere (42:15)? 

Now, Steven Ellis (45:20)! 

Ellis talks Team USA’s Will Smith and Eric Pohlkamp (46:40). What’s Smith’s NHL ceiling and why is Ellis so high on him? Does Pohlkamp have NHL potential?

Why was Quentin Musty a Team USA snub (55:30)?

Ellis predicts that Smith can jump to the NHL next year.

Why did Jake Furlong make Team Canada (1:00:40)? Ellis admits that Furlong wasn’t on his initial projected roster.

What does Ellis think of Filip Bystedt and Mattias Havelid from Team Sweden (1:04:55)? He has no concern about Bystedt’s up-and-down sophomore SHL campaign. What are their NHL ceilings?

Ellis loves to watch (and chat with) Team Finland’s Kasper Halttunen: “He’s full of violence” (1:09:50).

Ellis discusses other San Jose Sharks prospects that he’s high on (1:13:35) and where he ranks their system (1:15:20). Ellis has the system in his top-10!

Finally, Macklin Celebrini = Jonathan Toews? And what does Ellis think of the defensive depth in the 2024 Draft?

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Should the San Jose Sharks trade Mario Ferraro? And if they do, what’s a reasonable return?

That’s what we’re discussing in this episode of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast.

But before we get to that, Keegan and Sheng talk about this week in San Jose Sharks hockey and strong performers like William Eklund, Tomas Hertl, and Mikael Granlund. (2:08)

Then we talk about Logan Couture’s honesty about his dark mental state while dealing with his injury, and the work that Sheng is doing to try to get to the bottom of what the injury is. (9:35)

Keegan and Sheng debate the Jack Studnicka trade (14:05) and healthy scratching Anthony Duclair. (33:00)

Finally, we talk about the San Jose Sharks prospects who are going to the World Junior Championships. (37:05)

What did Chris Peters say about Quentin Musty's exclusion from Team USA? (43:45)

So to trade Ferraro or not to trade Ferraro?

Sheng talks about how much he loves Ferraro, and what it would take, in his mind, to trade him. (45:40)

Sheng shares what scouts are telling him about Ferraro’s ceiling and trade value. What does Jason Demers think? (51:00)

Ferraro is not like most of the high-profile defensemen like Filip Hronek or Jakob Chychrun who have been dealt for premium assets recently. (57:00)

There is, however, a recent comp for a Ferraro trade that yielded a team a first-round pick in return. (1:03:45)

Keegan offered some defensemen trades, featuring stay-at-home blueliners, from the past decade, and asked if any of those trade archetypes were appealing. (1:07:30)

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Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

We have a special guest, Luke Kunin who joins to talk the Sharks locker room and his foundation for Type 1 Diabetes (1:17:00).

But first, an introduction of the topics for the day (1:30), including Sharks are...good? (2:10)

We run through a few of the players who have stepped their game up the past few weeks, including Hertl (7:35), Granlund (16:45), Zetterlund (27:00) and William Eklund (29:45).

What if the Sharks don't finish as the worst team in the league? What's the benefit of playing this well for a rebuilding team? (36:00)

We touch on some of the rumors regarding Mario Ferraro, but plan to have a longer episode on this later in the year. (42:10)

Finally, we talk all about the preliminary World Junior Championship rosters for Team USA, Team Sweden, and Team Canada (54:00).

Sharks prospects Will Smith and Eric Pohlkamp made Team USA, Jake Furlong made Team Canada, and Filip Bystedt and Mattias Hävelid made Team Sweden.

Why the Quentin Musty snub for Team USA may make sense, even if Keegan is mad about it (56:00).

Lastly, Sheng's interview with Luke Kunin! (1:17:00)
 
First some birthday wishes for Luke. (1:17:05)

Sheng and Luke talk about his friendship with Matt Benning, how they do everything together including Halloween costumes and fantasy football. (1:17:35)

Speaking of fantasy football, we learn Luke/Matt's team name, talk playoffs and who's in the league (Hint: many former/current Sharks!) (1:18:45)

What is Luke's responsibility for SkeeYee, the former win song in the locker room? (1:20:50)

Sheng chats with Luke about his musical taste. (1:23:05)

For some Sharks talk, Luke has been heating up a bit more recently, scoring more, before an injury, what went into that? (1:23:35)

How does Luke handle criticism from fans and the media? (1:24:10)

Congrats to Sophia, Luke's wife, who just signed with the PWHL Minnesota! (1:25:20)

Are they the first NHL/PWHL couple? (1:25:44)

Lastly, Sheng talks with Luke about the Luke Kunin T1D fund and a former NHLer who helped him through his diagnosis as a kid. (1:26:45)

We also talk about his Luke Kunin LKT1D clothing collection, 50 percent of the proceeds going to his foundation.

Thanks for watching!

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Should the San Jose Sharks trade or keep Mackenzie Blackwood? 

Keegan and Sheng debate.

Sheng thanks everybody for all their well wishes on the passing of his father-in-law. (2:00)

Keegan and Sheng then chat about what’s up with the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks are playing better! Is this the team that Mike Grier envisioned? (4:30)

They waived Nikolai Knyzhov. Why? (14:35)

Logan Couture is still hurt. Sheng misses watching Couture play. (26:08)

Now, Blackwood trade speculation!

Why should the San Jose Sharks keep Blackwood? (29:45)

Is getting a first-rounder for Blackwood plausible? (36:20)

Why would Sheng consider a second-rounder for Blackwood? (44:15)

What if Blackwood’s play drops? (58:50)

Is Blackwood’s goaltending the best that the San Jose Sharks have seen in five years? 

Keegan and Sheng come to an agreement about trading Blackwood! (1:01:00)

Adin Hill revisionist history! (1:07:00)

Keegan has an interesting Blackwood comp. (1:11:00)

Next, Keegan answers some questions from his live view of the San Jose Sharks-Boston Bruins game. (1:14:40)

Just Dan (on Twitter) asked about impressions of Calen Addison? (1:16:00)

Lakshya Jain asked about how William Eklund’s game has changed over the last month? How’s his play along the boards? (1:23:25)

S Pon asked does Justin Bailey do enough to stay up with the San Jose Sharks? (1:31:09)

MattyD and Chris Lindsey asked about Fabian Zetterlund. (1:39:40)

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The theme of this week’s episode of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast is not writing off players too quickly.

First, a brief apology for Keegan's bad audio this week. He's dumb, but at least he apologizes. (0:13)

But before we get to that, Keegan and Sheng get to some of the big news surrounding the San Jose Sharks. (3:35)

We send our best wishes to Nico Sturm, who is taking a leave of absence because of a family matter. (4:30) 

We give Ryan Carpenter tons of credit for stabilizing San Jose up the middle. (5:15)

Who will the Sharks replace Sturm with at center during the upcoming road trip? We speculate about Luke Kunin or Thomas Bordeleau. (7:15)

Next, we talk about why William Eklund got benched for half a period. We touch on David Quinn’s track record with younger players, good and bad, focusing on Pavel Buchnevich. (18:40)

What does Danil Gushchin have to do to stay up with the San Jose Sharks? In Sheng’s mind, it’s not just about production. We have plenty of back-and-forth regarding the merits of Gushchin in the AHL vs. the NHL. (40:00)

What discuss Mike Hoffman’s mini-resurgence and how he's gotten back to his goal-scoring ways. (58:45)

Finally, maybe the best examples on the San Jose Sharks right now of not writing players off too quickly, we chat about what we can learn about their surprising leading goalscorers Kunin and Fabian Zetterlund. (1:05:00)

Thanks for watching, be sure to subscribe on YouTube to catch every episode!

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Joe Will joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

The San Jose Barracuda GM talks about the Barracuda goaltending situation, John McCarthy as a developer of talent, and San Jose’s AHL player turnover rate.

But before we get to Joe Will (53:15), we talk about this week in San Jose Sharks news!

Igor Chernyshov signs with the San Jose Sharks! He’s also playing for the Saginaw Spirit. Why not the AHL for Chernyshov? Will Russian native Chernyshov feel isolated in Saginaw? Sheng reached out to Chernyshov’s agent Dan Milstein about that. (2:28)

The San Jose Sharks impressed at World Junior Summer Showcase! Keegan talked about what he saw from prospects who impressed like Brandon Svoboda and Leo Sahlin Wallenius and Sam Dickinson, Quentin Musty being just okay, and Carson Wetsch and Axel Landen. (8:50)

Keegan discussed three Draft trends that he’s observed in the Mike Grier era. (19:31)

Sheng talked about what ex-San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson said about letting Joe Pavelski walk as a free agent in 2019. (26:29)

How has the Erik Karlsson trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins looked for the Sharks, one year later? (36:58) 

Last call for subscriber Andy Drexler, last chance to win your Sharks legend autograph! You have until the end of this week to reach out to Sheng via e-mail. (50:08)

And now, Joe Will! (53:15)

Will talks about the Barracuda’s big free agent signings this summer, Andrew Poturalski, Lucas Carlsson, and Jimmy Schuldt, and where they will slot in with the Cuda. (55:00)

Could the Barracuda add one more high-end veteran before camp? Will says yes, and reveals the positional fit.

How about the goaltending? Fans have been expecting a more veteran goalie to be added to the Barracuda…Will says that the San Jose Sharks organization, if anything, is looking for an older, more experienced prospect for that role. (57:17)

Could the San Jose Sharks find their No. 3 goalie in waivers? 

Will discusses stories that have circulated that some of the recent Cuda veterans and their wives haven’t been happy in San Jose. In his view, has player treatment been a problem in San Jose in recent years? (1:02:20)

Will suggests another reason why veterans might be unhappy.

How has treatment of players changed from Worcester to San Jose? Does Will have to make better contract offers with a Bay Area-based team?

Will defends head coach John McCarthy’s track record as a developer of talent. (1:08:43)

How did Barracuda prospects progress throughout last season, what were they asked to focus on this off-season? Going by position. (1:12:16)

Magnus Chrona (1:12:52)

Georgi Romanov

Will explains rolling with Eetu Makiniemi last year, his profile looks like what the San Jose Sharks are looking for right now, absent Makiniemi’s injuries. (1:15:10)

Thomas Bordeleau (1:17:18)

Danil Gushchin

Ethan Cardwell (1:20:23)

Filip Bystedt

Tristen Robins (1:26:12)

Shakir Mukhamadullin (1:27:22)

Jack Thompson (1:32:00)

Valtteri Pulli

Artem Guryev (1:35:38)

Gannon Laroque

Will discusses Luca Cagnoni and Kasper Halttunen, both eligible to return to the CHL, breaking camp with the Barracuda instead. (1:42:00)

Does Will expect this Barracuda team to make the playoffs? Or do they need more? (1:47:42)

Will was also San Jose Sharks interim GM throughout most of the 2021-22 season: Keegan asks him about re-signed Tomas Hertl to an eight-year extension. (1:50:40)

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Craig Morgan from PHNX Sports joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast (39:10)! He joins us to take a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the 2017-2018 and the 2021-2022 Arizona Coyotes, who both started 0-10-1, just like the Sharks. The echoes between these teams and the current Sharks makes for a great conversation about the parallels between bad teams. 

But before we get to Craig, Sheng and Keegan discuss the news of a fairly good week for the Sharks. 

Why is Keegan happy and wearing a Sharks jersey this week? (1:28)

Sheng and Keegan discuss the back-to-back wins for the Sharks to break the slump (2:28)

Why does the Eklund-Hertl-Zetterlund line work so well? (5:00) Plus some notes on the play of Granlund and Hoffman (6:50), as well as Zadina (8:50).

Sheng reveals some of the ins-and-outs of the General Manager Mike Grier tongue-lashing that the Sharks received before their wins this week (9:55).

Keegan discusses why this team meeting with Mike Grier is a good sign for a young general manager and was exactly what the team needed to avoid more embarrassment (17:40).

Sheng and Keegan discuss the Calen Addison trade and why it's a good fit for the Sharks (24:25)

Sheng talks about the misstep of drafting Merkley and how Addison is filling the role he could have filled on the Sharks today (27:50)

Keegan highlights why Addison can stick in the league with 'forgivable' defense vs. Merkley who could not (29:55).

Finally, Sheng and Keegan discuss the Sharks entry drafts from 2015-2020, including Adam Raska who was traded in the Addison trade (33:00).

Alright, time for Craig Morgan (39:10)!

First we talk about the 2017-18 Coyotes, who, like the Sharks, also started 0-10-1 and were looking to avoid that record-breaking 12th loss (41:18).

What did people think of that Coyotes team to start season? (42:25)

What does Craig think the low points of that losing streak was? (43:45)

How did Rick Tocchet and the Coyotes manage their way out and end the season 29-31-11? (46:46) Also, how did they buy-in to his system? (50:10)

Who were the leaders of the locker room at that time? (51:50)

What was current Shark Anthony Duclair's role on that 2017-2018 Coyotes team? (54:50)

How did Clayton Keller handle all the losing in that season as a young player and how did that shape his future career? (57:20)

Moving on to the 2021-2022 Arizona Coyotes, what does Craig remember about that season? (1:02:50)

How did Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny coach that team to a respectable-ish record by season's end? (1:05:30)

How good goaltending can really save a sinking ship, and how that relates to the Sharks and Blackwood. (1:07:30)

The Coyotes lost the draft lottery in 2022 but found themselves the real gem of the draft in Logan Cooley (1:10:10), and why Sharks fans shouldn't pin all their hopes on just one player.

The Coyotes also took on some project players, Shayne Gostisbehere among them, how did he fare that season? (1:12:52)

Craig wonders just what the expectations were for Sharks head coach David Quinn this season. (1:15:40)

Back to the Coyotes, what was the defense like during the 2021-2022 with recent draft pick JJ Moser joining? (1:18:40)

How important was finding a goaltender, Karel Vejmelka, during this rough time for the Coyotes? (1:22:07)

Keegan and Craig talk about how Vejmelka built up his image on the backs of excellent high-danger save percentage. (1:25:20)

Craig goes into detail about Matias Maccelli and how he should have won the Calder over Stuart Skinner last year (1:27:00)
 
Sheng asks Craig about Coyotes scout Teal Fowler, and tries to get the Sharks to hire him based on his Sharks-esque name. (1:29:40)

Craig talks about the final positives and negatives related to the 2021-2022 Coyotes, including getting out of Glendale. (1:32:28)

Craig clears up just where the Coyotes are at in terms of a new arena deal. (1:35:40)

Finally the three talk about why the Coyotes are more competitive and dug themselves out of a deep hole just two years ago (1:38:55)

Thanks for watching! Be sure to subscribe on Youtube.

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“Job security” is the buzz phrase in this subscriber’s mailbag edition of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast.

From Sheng Peng to John McCarthy to David Quinn to Mike Grier to Jonathan Becher to Hasso Plattner to the literal concept of the Sharks in San Jose, everybody’s job security is questioned.

Alaskan_ice started us off nice though, wondering if Sheng or Keegan have ever "geeked out" during an interview? (6:20)

Gary To asked if Tomas Hertl is slowing down. (13:00)

Embrace_the_rebuild asked where Sheng and Keegan would bet the San Jose Sharks would finish, over/under 34.5 Points? (17:30) Also, do the Sharks have any attractive Trade Deadline pieces? 

Lizbeth DeSelm checked in on the severity of Logan Couture's injury (26:50) and just how good is Macklin Celebrini? 

Chris Boucher-Lam wondered if the end is nigh for Marc-Edouard Vlasic and if the San Jose Sharks should buy him out this summer. (34:15)

Bring Back Celebrini! asked who’s worth bringing back from this current Sharks squad and what type of UFAs should they target this summer. (38:50)

Just Steve inquired as to what the Sharks’ scouting presence in Russia is. (49:10)

Alex Genadinik wondered about Mike Grier’s job security (51:00). Also, if the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top-10 2024 first-round pick doesn’t convey, does that mean the Pens’ 2025 first-rounder is unprotected?

matthias893 asked if there are any young, affordable NHL-caliber offensive defensemen available for the Sharks? (59:00)

Anthony Morris inquired about Jonathan Becher’s job security. (1:01:45)

Zeke followed up about Quinn and McCarthy’s job security? (1:07:20)

Supreme_dream wondered how the Sharks D prospects were coming along?  (1:18:40)

Teddy asked if any Barracuda prospects look ready for the NHL? (1:34:00)

Jon Swenson wondered who we thought was the best goaltender not in the NHL?

Fin Coe asked about the difference between dealing with Bob Boughner and Quinn? (1:42:10)

Amy asked if Grier and Quinn are in danger of losing their jobs right now. (1:45:30)

Jodv wondered when Sheng would get on Threads. (1:46:30)

Jamnjon asked how high would you pick a defenseman in the 2024 Draft? (1:51:00)

SummoningSalt had this gem of a question: “In 1984, Wayne Gretzky injured his shoulder. In his time gone from the team, the Oilers went into a tailspin, losing 5 straight while being outscored 33-9. This included brutal beatings of 9-2 and 11-0.

“Is it possible that Logan Couture is Wayne Gretzky and the Sharks are the 1983-1984 Edmonton Oilers?” (1:55:00)

Brownagedon requested a detailed analysis of William Eklund’s season. (1:56:20)

Kristian wondered if a perfect storm is brewing to blow the Sharks out of San Jose, indirectly questioning Sheng’s job security. (2:08:00)

Christopher MacDonald asked if the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks will get any better, or if this is it. (2:13:45)

SJShorky wondered if Hasso Plattner would sell the team. (2:18:00)

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Keegan and Sheng look for the bright spots on the 0-8-1 San Jose Sharks.

But before that, they talk about Joe Thornton officially retiring from the NHL (1:52). Sheng takes a guess when the San Jose Sharks will retire Jumbo’s jersey. David Quinn also said something interesting in regards to Thornton joining the Sharks front office (4:15).

Next, we talk about everything wrong with the 0-8-1 Sharks (6:55).

Sheng talks about why it’s the right call for the San Jose Sharks to send Thomas Bordeleau (8:55) down to the AHL.

Keegan shares his thoughts about why Jacob Peterson (16:00) got sent down. 

He also thinks, however, that the Barracuda style of play may not be great for Bordeleau (16:50).

Sheng and Keegan dive into the Luke Kunin debate (21:30). 

Next, they talk about the unpolished Filip Zadina (24:30).

What’s up with Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair, and Alexander Barabanov (26:00)?

How about the San Jose Sharks defense so far (27:25)? The goaltending (32:20)?

Keegan and Sheng then go back up front to talk about Mikael Granlund (33:20) and Fabian Zetterlund (37:15).

Is this the worst San Jose Sharks team ever (40:40)?

Keegan talks about what he’s focusing on with this Sharks squad (47:00).

Finally, Keegan shares his thoughts about Will Smith so far (52:15).

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Scott Hannan joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast – and it’s a family reunion!

Really!

But before we find out, between Keegan and Sheng, who’s related to Hannan (1:17:24), let’s talk about some of the big San Jose Sharks news.

What’s going on with Kevin Labanc (1:25)? What was up with the Frank Seravalli report that he was going to be waived?

Radim Simek was actually waived (20:25).

Mikael Granlund and Logan Couture are still on the mend (25:35).

And why Tomas Hertl and David Quinn were right to be upset that the San Jose Sharks allowed Filip Forsberg to escape punishment after Forsberg body slammed Mackenzie Blackwood (30:15).

Keegan and Sheng also review how the San Jose Sharks forwards (44:43), defensemen (1:01:13), and goalies (1:15:20) have looked through their 0-4-1 start.

And now, Scott Hannan (1:17:24)!

So who on the show is related to Hannan (1:18:00)?

Why did Hannan think the Sharks weren’t interested in him in the 1997 Draft (1:19:25)? He gives details about how Tim Burke grilled him in his pre-Draft interview. Who did he think would pick him?

Hannan shares who bought a katana sword (and brought it home on the plane) when the San Jose Sharks started the season in Japan in 1998 (1:24:30).

Hannan talks about his breakout 2003-04 campaign, when he shut down Peter Forsberg in the playoffs and hung up on Wayne Gretzky when the Great One tried to call him to tell him about his selection to Team Canada’s 2004 World Cup-winning squad (1:32:40).

Alexander Ovechkin called Hannan the league’s "toughest defenseman to play against" – also, who was tough for Hannan to handle (1:37:40)?

How did the rule changes in 2005-06 affect Hannan’s career (1:40:45)?

How good was Marc-Edouard Vlasic as a teenage rookie in 2006-07 (1:44:20)?

Jason Demers had a great Hannan story (1:45:35).

Which was the best Sharks team that Hannan was a part of, the one that he thought should have won the Cup (1:50:50)?

Hannan talks about his increased role on “Sharks Pregame Live” and “Sharks Postgame Live” (1:56:30).

He chats about Demers joining the broadcast (2:02:58).

Finally, we get into some interesting discussion about the current San Jose Sharks defense (2:05:30).

We talk about the polarizing Mario Ferraro. What analytics miss about defensive defenseman? What Hannan looks for from defensemen that isn’t tracked.

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On the eve of the San Jose Sharks’ season opener, Keegan and Sheng drop 5 bold predictions (each) for the 2023-24 season.

But before we get to the fun, we touch on the big news as Sharks training camp comes to a close.

We discuss the opening night lines (2:00), Kaapo Kahkonen earning the nod as opening night starter (7:48), Logan Couture’s setback (10:07), and the NHL’s ban of Pride tape (17:11).

Sheng distinguishes the difference between the specialty warm-up jersey and Pride tape bans. 

And now, five, some bold, San Jose Sharks predictions! Keep in mind, these are all pure or educated guesses.

Sheng predicts the San Jose Sharks will finish with over 70 points (39:18).

On the other hand, Keegan counters that the Sharks will be the worst team in the NHL (41:00).

Sheng believes Filip Zadina will score over 20 goals (43:58).

Meanwhile, Keegan thinks Anthony Duclair will be the team’s leading goal-scorer, at least up to the Trade Deadline (48:00).

Sheng is guessing -- a pure guess -- that Couture won’t play until December (52:00).

Keegan replies with some optimism: He says Kaapo Kahkonen will top a .905 Save % this season (55:00).

Sheng joins in looking at the sunny side of things, he likes Mikael Granlund with over 50 points this year (58:17).

Here’s a spicy hot take: Keegan says Alexander Barabanov will lead the San Jose Sharks in points (1:01:22).

Sheng believes Henry Thrun will stick the whole season with the Sharks (1:02:57).

Keegan is seeing William Eklund putting up over 40 points (1:05:23).

Finally, some bonus predictions (1:09:50)! Sheng thinks Mario Ferraro will repair his reputation this season -- while Keegan predicts Ty Emberson will establish himself as an everyday NHL’er.

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Ryan Miller, the winningest American goaltender ever and the newest addition to the San Jose Sharks goaltending staff, joins the podcast this week!

But before we get to Miller (39:57), Sheng and Keegan discuss all the recent moves and cuts from the Sharks roster, as well as the players who have surprised during training camp.

Oskar Lindblom, Jacob Peterson, and Ryan Carpenter were put on waivers, and we discuss how this sets the table for the opening night lineup (1:20).

We discuss how this means that Thomas Bordeleau (seemingly) is making the team with Couture being injured, and what that means for his development (2:00).

We talk the futures of Carpenter (4:15), Lindblom (8:32), and Peterson (9:46).

We recap who is left for the Sharks forwards on opening night (14:55) before heading into the defense (19:40) and predict who the Sharks keep to start the season (23:35). 

We talk about Thrun's future if he starts on the Barracuda instead of the Sharks, and why this might be the case to start the year. (24:30)

Sheng and Keegan discuss a few players that have surprised this training camp: Granlund (30:50), Hoffman (32:35), Zadina (33:20), Bordeleau (34:50), Emberson (35:46), and Blackwood/Kahkonen (36:52). 

And now the Miller interview (39:57)!

Ryan Miller talks about his childhood, growing up for a few years, playing hockey, in Santa Clara (40:30) and how this actually began his journey as a goaltender. Ryan talks about how his dad was his coach and didn't want him to play goalie originally (41:45), but Ryan convinced him that goalie was the right decision. 

Ryan also talks about how he and his brother were actually some of the early petitioners for getting an NHL team in San Jose (42:38), heading door-to-door with pamphlets in the Bay Area.

Ryan talks about his playing time with Buffalo, his time with Mike Grier as a player (43:25), as well as the rebuilding years in Buffalo when he first came into the league, and how it's similar to what's happening in San Jose (44:25). 

We ask Ryan who he thinks is the best American goaltender not named Ryan Miller (48:22)? Ryan talks about what is interesting about goalie development and what drew him to the job (49:35).
 
Ryan talks about why he joined the Sharks specifically, and Grier's influence on that (52:25). 

We ask Ryan what he thinks Grier meant when he called Ryan 'analytical' regarding the goaltending position (54:25). 

What does Ryan think are the undervalued and overvalued aspects of scouting goaltending? (56:27)

What would Ryan's style be if he were playing in today's NHL? (57:40)

Finally, we ask Ryan what his scope regarding his scouting and development is going to be (1:00:05) and any impressions from training camp (1:00:58). 

Lastly Ryan talks about the Steadfast Foundation (1:01:30) (more info at steadfastfoundation.org), an organization dedicated to providing recreational opportunities for children with disabilities in Buffalo. 

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What will the San Jose Sharks’ opening night roster look like?

Keegan and Sheng take an early swing at it, just one week into training camp. 

Keep in mind that these are our projections as of Sept. 28 – a lot can change from now until opening night on Oct. 12.

We start off with the locks at forward for the San Jose Sharks (1:30), and Sheng touches on what’s surprised him about Filip Zadina (2:38) so far.

Then we discuss six forwards on the bubble, Thomas Bordeleau (9:11), Oskar Lindblom (13:35), Ryan Carpenter (19:45), Jacob Peterson (22:00), Givani Smith (28:40), and William Eklund (32:32).

Next, we touch on the locks among defensemen (39:06).

There are a lot of blueliners – we counted seven – on the bubble, Henry Thrun (40:20), Jacob MacDonald (45:50), Radim Simek (47:50), Nikolai Knyzhov (50:28), Leon Gawanke (56:05), Nikita Okhotiuk (59:05) and Shakir Mukhamadullin (1:02:00).

Then, a note on the goalies.

Who’s on our 23-man opening roster (1:14:21)? Who’s getting waived? Sheng and Keegan share their joint list.

What will the San Jose Sharks’ opening night roster look like if Logan Couture is unavailable? We forgot to get to it on the podcast, but Sheng has Carpenter in for Couture, while Keegan has Bordeleau replacing the captain.

Finally, we discuss training camp impressions of Danil Gushchin (1:27:50), Ozzy Wiesblatt (1:30:13), Tristen Robins (1:32:30), Nick Cicek, Gannon Laroque, Georgi Romanov, and Eetu Makiniemi.

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What were our impressions of how San Jose Sharks prospects performed at the Rookie Faceoff?

Keegan and Sheng started from the net out, touching on Georgi Romanov, Magnus Chrona, and Mason Beaupit’s performances (2:00).

They agree that Shakir Mukhamadullin was the San Jose Sharks’ top prospect in this tourney (5:45). But Sheng thinks Mukhamadullin will have to clean this up before he makes the jump.

They also share their thoughts about Gannon Laroque (12:00), Artem Guryev (17:30), Jake Furlong (23:12), Henry Thrun (25:45), and Luca Cagnoni (26:35).

Finally, they talk about the San Jose Sharks prospects up front.

What was impressive about Quentin Musty (27:45)? Next, they touch on Ethan Cardwell (33:25).

Why does Sheng say of Kasper Halttunen, “There is a lot to work with, but there is a lot to work on” (35:10)?

How did Tristen Robins fare (41:10)? Did we see the best and worst of Thomas Bordeleau at the Rookie Faceoff (43:20)? We also talked about William Eklund (49:20).

Keegan says he was disappointed by Danil Gushchin’s tournament (52:55).

We wrap up with thoughts about Brandon Coe (57:48), Ozzy Wiesblatt (1:02:20), and Bradley Marek (1:07:05).

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Tomas Hertl joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

But before we get to Hertl Power (1:15:00), Keegan and Sheng preview the San Jose Sharks’ Rookie Faceoff roster (1:48) and John McCarthy’s first media availability since Martin Kaut’s accusations.

In honor of the Rookie Faceoff, we formed two all-time San Jose Sharks prospects teams (7:10), the Most Disappointing Sharks Prospects and the Most Surprising, complete with recollections from a lot of fun archival sources.

Pat Fallon (9:47), Teemu Rihijarvi (13:10), Nikolay Goldobin (17:50), Jeff Jillson (22:04), Mirco Mueller (27:45), and Ben Gaudreau (35:15) “headline” one team.

We also touch on some dishonorable mentions (39:26).

Joe Pavelski (46:16), Ryane Clowe (49:10), Kevin Labanc (51:18), Justin Braun (57:17), Jason Demers (59:15), and Evgeni Nabokov (1:02:37) highlight a team of the positive.

And of course, there are honorable mentions (1:05:05)!

Speaking of a prospect who did not disappoint, Tomas Hertl (1:15:00)!

Hertl says he got “leaner” over the summer (1:16:23). He also talked about putting too much pressure on himself last year, and how being more confident makes you faster too.

Hertl shares his reaction to the Martin Kaut situation (1:19:38) and the Erik Karlsson trade (1:21:00).

Hertl talks about his patience level with the San Jose Sharks’ rebuilding process (1:22:07). He thinks they can “be secretly good” up front.

He finally shares some observations about the Captain’s Skates (1:25:01).

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Mario Ferraro joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Before we get to Ferraro (1:34:49), Keegan and Sheng touch on surprises from the San Jose Sharks’ Rookie Faceoff roster (2:08) and the Pittsburgh Penguins hiring Doug Wilson (8:00).

Then, we look at how post-salary cap era Stanley Cup winners and contenders have been built (11:50). Based on that, Keegan and Sheng believe Mike Grier’s “hybrid rebuild” can work (15:15).

Here’s our snapshot view of every Stanley Cup winner and how they acquired their key players, the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes (19:50), 2007 Anaheim Ducks (23:05), 2008 Detroit Red Wings (26:55), 2009 Penguins (29:45), 2010 Chicago Blackhawks (34:12), 2011 Boston Bruins (39:50), 2012 Los Angeles Kings (42:20), 2013 Blackhawks (46:15), 2014 Kings, 2015 Blackhawks, 2016 Penguins, 2017 Penguins, 2018 Washington Capitals (48:55), 2019 St. Louis Blues (53:24), 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning (55:30), 2021 Lightning, 2022 Colorado Avalanche (59:27), and 2023 Vegas Golden Knights (1:02:00).

It's worth noting that a number of a high picks like Eric Staal and Drew Doughty and Alexander Ovechkin and Alex Pietrangelo and Steven Stamkos who led their teams to championships weren’t acquired through “tanking”.

Sheng also evaluates how near-Cup winners were built, the 2015/2017 Ducks (1:07:00), 2013/2019 Bruins (1:09:55), 2019/2023 Hurricanes (1:12:30), 2020/2023 Dallas Stars (1:16:47), 2012/2014/2015 New York Rangers (1:20:27), and 2010/2011/2016 San Jose Sharks (1:24:00).

What’s the similarity (1:29:50) between Dean Lombardi and Mike Grier’s rebuild plans? 

Keegan and Sheng agree that there are many ways to build a contender. (1:31:20)

Now, it’s Mario! (1:34:49)

We talk first about Ferraro’s new dog, Wilder.

Ferraro talks about hanging out with Joe Thornton in Ontario this summer. (1:37:50)

Ferraro’s Youngest of Plugs YouTube channel has had two episodes in the last two weeks, after a year’s hiatus! (1:38:35)

Ferraro chats about building a relationship with the new guys like Mike Hoffman, Givani Smith, and Leon Gawanke. (1:41:00)

Ferraro talks about his reaction to the Erik Karlsson trade. (1:44:50)

Finally, Mario discusses trying to do too much as a player, which gets you away from what you’re best at on the ice. 

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Colby Cohen joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

ESPN college hockey color commentator Colby Cohen jumps on to talk all things Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith! (54:34)

But first, this week in San Jose Sharks news!

The Sharks signed Thomas Bordeleau to a one-year contract. Where does he fit in on the forward lines and on the power play? (03:28)

The San Jose Sharks also re-signed Henry Thrun. Does the San Jose defense have too many left-handers? (13:35)

Keegan talks about his impressions of San Jose Sharks prospects at the World Junior Summer Showcase, chiefly Brandon Svoboda and Quentin Musty. He’s been impressed with Svoboda. Sheng also goes off on the phrase “face puncher”. (28:00)

Bret Hedican is joining the San Diego Gulls in a development role. (51:05)

And now, Colby Cohen! (54:34)

Cohen is a BU alum, how likely was it that Celebrini would go back to BU instead of signing with the Sharks? (57:00)

How NHL-ready and complete is Celebrini’s game, in Cohen’s opinion? (59:17)

Cohen notes one underrated thing that instantly stood out about Celebrini as an NCAA freshman. (1:04:00)

Cohen is a Hobey Baker voter…how was Will Smith not a Hobey Baker top-three finalist? (1:06:10)

What makes Celebrini so ready to be an NHL center immediately? (1:11:20)

Cohen shares what he’s heard about Celebrini off the ice and in the room. (1:14:15)

What will Celebrini’s biggest NHL challenges be in his rookie year? What does Cohen project? (1:19:40)

What does Cohen think about the players that Mike Grier has surrounded Celebrini and Smith with? (1:27:40)

What does Celebrini have to work on, improve? (1:30:50)

If Macklin Celebrini doesn’t pan out, why would that be? (1:33:30)

Cohen doesn’t shy away from comparing Celebrini to Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. (1:39:40)

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It’s time for our pre-season top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects rankings! 

Keegan and Sheng counted down their respective top-10 lists, then talked about some honorable mentions at the end.

At No. 10, Sheng has Kasper Halttunen (2:30). Which San Jose Sharks prospect, not in Sheng’s top-10, did an NHL scout slot ahead of Halttunen? Keegan also had Halttunen at No. 10.

At No. 9, Sheng has Thomas Bordeleau (5:00). Sheng got a lot of pushback from scouts on this ranking. He likes Bordeleau’s talent a lot, but just isn’t sure if it will all come together. Keegan has Mattias Havelid (9:58) at No. 9 and explained why he’s so high on the smallish Swedish defenseman.

At No. 8, Sheng has Danil Gushchin (13:05). Keegan has Bordeleau (14:50). Keegan just isn’t sure where Bordeleau slots in an NHL line-up.

At No. 7, Sheng has Cam Lund (18:00). Why was it so tough for Lund at Northeastern this past year? Keegan also explains why he had Lund outside of his top-10. Keegan has Gushchin at No. 7. Why is Gushchin Keegan’s favorite San Jose Sharks prospect?

At No. 6, Sheng has Henry Thrun (26:10). A scout said that Thrun deserved to be in his own Sharks prospects tier, ahead of Gushchin and company. Keegan also had Thrun at No. 6. Why might Thrun not make the San Jose Sharks’ opening night?

At No. 5, both Sheng and Keegan had Quentin Musty (33:40). What should we expect from Musty this season?

At No. 4, Sheng had Filip Bystedt (39:25). One scout suggested that the San Jose Sharks’ top-four prospects, including Bystedt, is sort of their “Core Four.” Keegan also had Bystedt here and thinks he’s gotten faster this year. They also talk about how Bystedt has shot up ahead over all the 2022 Swedish first-rounders who were drafted ahead of him.

At No. 3, Sheng had Shakir Mukhamadullin (48:15). There was real debate here: One scout had Mukhamadullin ahead of William Eklund, while another had him a couple spots back. Keegan also had Mukhamadullin at No. 3. They revisit the Mukhamadullin vs. Alexander Holtz debate.

And at No. 1, both Keegan and Sheng have Will Smith (56:07). That means Eklund at No. 2.

One scout still considers Eklund a franchise-caliber talent. Keegan says that short of Andrew Agozzino, Eklund was the best Barracuda forward last year.

Are these top-five Sharks prospects the best top-five group of Sharks prospects in 20 or so years? (1:10:20)

Finally, Sheng and Keegan talk about some of the San Jose Sharks prospects who just missed their top-10 rankings, like Nikita Okhotiuk, Tristen Robins, Luca Cagnoni, Ethan Cardwell, Jake Furlong, Gannon Laroque, Artem Guryev, and Eetu Makiniemi (1:13:25). Sheng also shares what he’s heard about 2023 seventh-round pick Yegor Rimashevsky.

Finally, a lookback at San Jose Hockey Now’s top-10 Sharks prospects in Oct. 2021 (1:21:35).

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Jason Demers joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

Before we get to Demers (30:34), Keegan and Sheng give a too-early preview of the 2024 Draft. What trends and prospects should San Jose Sharks fans be keeping a closer eye on?

We start at the top of the Draft with Macklin Celebrini, Cole Eiserman, and Ivan Demidov (3:15)? Why might Eiserman drop? Sheng shares what he’s heard about Demidov (8:10). Could Demidov stay longer in the KHL (10:55)?

Sheng also shares what he’s heard about the Sharks’ new Russian-area scout Igor Eronko (11:35).

Keegan spies a couple Draft trends at the moment, that there aren’t a lot of centers at the top of this Draft (15:10), but there are a lot of defensemen (16:20).

He talks about top winger prospects Konsta Helenius, Tanner Howe, and Maxim Masse. Then he shares insight about top defensemen prospects Artyom Levshunov, Aron Kiviharju, Cole Hutson, Adam Jiricek, Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, Carter Yakemchuk, Henry Mews, and Zeev Buium.

Which defenseman might vault into the top-three (23:38)?

Also, where would Will Smith go in this Draft (27:40)?

Now, Jason Demers (30:34)!

Demers says that he’s “right on the edge of retirement” (31:18).

He says that he might do TV work with NHL Network and NBC Sharks.

Demers, picked in the seventh round of the 2008 Draft, tells us which San Jose Sharks scout advocated for him (34:48) and a funny Draft day story of mistaken identity. He says the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators were looking hard at him too.

He recalls that Tim Burke “liked to rag” on the QMJHL, where Demers came from (40:30). He thinks Burke is misunderstood.

Demers went from getting drafted in 2008 to a full-time role with the Sharks in 2010, and he shares the names of all the guys who made his transition to the NHL so smooth (41:36).

He thinks he probably “annoyed the crap” out of the Sharks veterans at the time, and was told to “zip it” a lot, because he was always upbeat and talking, even as a rookie. He elaborates on the incorrect perception that he took things too lightly as a young player, and shares that being a chatterbox was a coping mechanism for his anxiety (47:50).

“It was a great room to be in, but…it wasn’t an easy one,” he said of the San Jose Sharks locker room then. “To lose two games in a row, it was like armageddon in the locker room.”

Demers talks about the duality of Joe Thornton in the room, but ultimately, how much he loved Jumbo (52:39). 

He talks about how things were different back then, players would go out and drink a little the night before a game.

Demers shares why he thinks the Sharks couldn’t get over the hump in the 2010 and 2011 Western Conference Finals (58:45). He reveals some of the injuries and challenges that those teams faced.

Then, in 2012, the Sharks couldn’t get out of the first round, Demers thinks that perhaps the front office “overhauled too much” of the roster (1:03:06).

This leads to Demers’s last full season with the Sharks in 2013-14 and the Reverse Sweep (1:05:09). He recalls Raffi Torres’s early impact on that first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings, but then Torres got hurt. He recounts the course of the series, from Game One to Seven.
 

Demers remembered, when the Sharks went up 3-0: “A lot of the guys in LA that knew the guys in San Jose were texting with them, being like just finish us, we want to go home.” 

He also shares that Kings head coach Darryl Sutter called Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart after San Jose went up 3-0. Were there some mind games going on (1:12:06)?

Was there a moment when Demers really felt the series was slipping away (1:13:54)?

That off-season, Thornton was stripped of his captaincy. Demers and the Sharks room all thought that Jumbo was scapegoated (1:15:10).

Demers says he might be to blame for his “Daddy” nickname (1:17:06).

Demers shares the behind the scenes of the infamous and hilarious 2014 Sharks’ “Holiday Sweater” Christmas music video (1:18:45). He says John Scott got too much airtime, that it was something of a cursed video, and why Joe Thornton and other Sharks stars didn’t appear in it.

Demers remembers his “Holiday Sweater” rap verse (1:20:44)!

What was the secret door knock for Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s hotel room door (1:25:15)? Demers thinks it changed every road trip.

Finally, Demers, who spent most of last season in the AHL, talks about how special a moment it was to play his 700th NHL game last year at SAP Center (1:28:43). He joked that his entire minor league salary went toward flying friends and family in.

He also talked about playing against the San Jose Barracuda last year and why Ozzy Wiesblatt annoyed him (1:33:38).

“I tried to kill him every game, I got him a couple times,” Demers laughed.

Demers closes with more thoughts about his 700th game, and its significance to him (1:37:50).

Listen to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast — it’s a new link — on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and Google Podcasts.

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Kevin Constantine joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

But before we get to Kevin Constantine (33:57), Sheng and Keegan discuss the latest additions to the San Jose Sharks staff like Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek (1:10), and what the Miller hiring signals about the Sharks’ continued investment in player development (8:20). They also reflect on former Sharks’ first-round pick Ryan Merkley signing in the KHL (14:45).

Sheng shares an NHL scout’s thoughts on new Sharks players Mikael Granlund (23:12), Mike Hoffman (27:42), and Jan Rutta (30:32).

Now, Kevin Constantine (33:57)!

Constantine recalled coaching influences as diverse as Phil Jackson, Bill Walsh, Bo Schembechler, and John Wooden (36:40). What was Constantine’s hockey take on Wooden’s Pyramid of Success?

He coached the Kalamazoo Wings when they were a Minnesota North Stars affiliate, before the North Stars split up to help form the expansion Sharks (45:15). So Constantine coached the legendary Link Gaetz, and tells the story of when Gaetz beat up his own goalie.

Constantine took over behind the San Jose Sharks bench in the third year of the franchise, after they had only won 28 games in their first two seasons in the league. How did he add belief and discipline to a 1993-94 group that would go on a surprise playoff run, upsetting the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round (49:35)? 

That season, Constantine made the unusual coaching decision to allow five players a lot more latitude offensively than the rest of the team. Those five, Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Johan Garpenlov, Sandis Ozolinsh, and Jeff Norton, were the precursor to Detroit’s Russian Five, and would help propel the Sharks to success. What was behind Constantine loosening the reins on Larionov and company (53:52)? And how are Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan’s recent comments about integrating Erik Karlsson related (57:53)?

Constantine shares why he wasn’t happy about the city of San Jose throwing the Sharks a parade after their second-round loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs (1:04:00).

Constantine says he was in “Dumb and Dumber” and talks about how that movie and Jamie Baker helped inspire the ’94 Sharks (1:07:20).

Constantine reveals Tom Pederson’s girlfriend as the culprit behind leaking the Red Wings’ playoff plans to the Sharks (1:10:35).

He also recounts going with backup Wade Flaherty over Arturs Irbe in the 1995 playoffs, which helped propel the San Jose Sharks to another first-round upset, this time against the Calgary Flames (1:17:25).

Constantine opens up about getting fired by the San Jose Sharks early in the 1995-96 season (1:20:02). He was 37 then, and up to that point, a bit of a coaching wunderkind, so he took it hard.

Though he was a young head coach, Constantine says that he was a yeller who learned to relate to players a lot better as he got older, in the second half of his career (1:23:35).

After head coaching stints with Jaromir Jagr’s Penguins and Martin Brodeur’s New Jersey Devils, Constantine continued coaching in the NAHL, WHL, and AHL. In 2010, he got offered a coaching position in France, and was advised by multiple hockey people to not take that job. But he did, why (1:35:25)?

This started an international coaching odyssey that’s taken him also to professional leagues in Switzerland, Korea, Poland, and Hungary. He reflects on those experiences.

Constantine closes with a couple hilarious Jagr stories (1:42:08).

Finally, we wrap up with Constantine’s thoughts about taking over new WHL side, the Wenatchee Wild (1:51:38).

Listen to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast — it’s a new link — on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and Google Podcasts.

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Logan Couture joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!

But before we get to Couture (1:44:37) – who talked about the Erik Karlsson trade, denied that Karlsson and Brent Burns have a “strained relationship”, and discussed his own future with the San Jose Sharks – Keegan and Sheng answered your questions in a subscriber mailbag.

Stina117 asked if Mike Hoffman would mess up locker room chemistry? (1:55)

Jigglz asked who was more responsible for the Karlsson retention amount, Hasso Plattner or Mike Grier? (4:12)

James R. asked for an evaluation of Evgeni Nabokov and the state of San Jose Sharks goaltending? (7:45)

Chris Geer wondered which Sharks prospects are the future leaders of the team? (16:50)

Embrace_the_rebuild asked what the San Jose line-up would look like on opening night, especially where William Eklund, Kevin Labanc, and Jan Rutta will slot? (22:51)

Mike I. wondered if the Sharks will trade for an offensive defenseman before camp? (28:01) 

Splash114 wondered whether the veterans would block deserving youngsters from an NHL job? (31:50)

Patrick asked what the San Jose Sharks will look like in 2026-27? (39:17)

Chris Dahlstrom asked what’s going on with Gannon Laroque and Mason Beaupit? (43:35)

Fin Coe asked what Grier is prioritizing in trades, prospects or picks? (47:47)

Eric Pichette wondered who should have their jersey retired after Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton? (54:49)

Alex asked about Couture trade rumors? (1:01:16)

Zeke wondered what a successful 2023-24 Sharks season would be, and how they got there? (1:05:23)

Jodv asked about San Jose Barracuda culture issues? (1:09:33)

Basking Shark asked how likely it is for the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks to have a miracle season? (1:11:00)

Downriver asked about potential Trade Deadline values for the Sharks’ pending UFAs? (1:18:45)

Matthias893 wondered if San Jose will trade someone before the start of the season? (1:23:28)

Anthony asked how the Sharks will react if the prospects outplay the veterans during camp? (1:30:16)

Just Steve wondered if the Sharks have drafted too many forwards recently? (1:37:55)

And if we didn’t get to your question, here’s why! (1:42:30)

Finally, Logan Couture! (1:44:37)

Couture tells us what it’s like being a new dad – he and fiancée Brielle just had their first child, Kaden. (1:45:15)

He shares why the Sharks move forward without Karlsson and why last year might have been more “fun” for Karlsson. (1:46:32)

Couture shuts down any talk about Burns and Karlsson having a “strained relationship”. (1:49:44)

Sheng and Logan swap favorite Karlsson stories. (1:50:55)

Couture muses on the great what-if of the Karlsson Sharks’ era: If Karlsson was healthy during the 2019 playoffs? (1:54:20)

Couture says his team goal isn’t to be good by 2025-26, but this coming season – he discusses his future with the Sharks. (1:58:39)

Finally, Couture shares what he’s heard about new San Jose Sharks Mike Hoffman, Mikael Granlund, and Jan Rutta. (2:01:22)

Listen to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast — it’s a new link — on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Subscribe to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast YouTube channel, we’re trying to get over 1K subscribers!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.