Watching Hockey: The Hockey Guy Part 2

Watching Hockey: The Hockey Guy Part 2

You’re wearing the Shark sweater. So, let’s get to part two of our conversation. Let’s really narrow in on the San Jose Sharks. What’s a realistic and tangible expectation for you for this team in the upcoming season, 2526? We understand they’ve had last place finishes each of the last two seasons, but now it feels like things are different. Mhm. There’s there’s a good chance of improvement. I think it may depend on how the goalending holds up. Um, but I I do think another I would say 10 to 15 point improvement. I think that could be in the offing for them. There’s still definitely the chance they do more before we get to training camp, but I I really like the young core they’ve got put together now. Uh, I don’t mind the things they’ve been doing on the blue line either and bringing in veterans who might have a bounceback. Maybe has a big bounceback year after a down year in Carolina, that kind of thing. So, I I like what Mike Greer’s done, but then again, when he made the hurdle trade, I totally thought that trade was a good one for San Jose. Y and I I really I think the future’s really bright, but we should see incremental improvement this year. Uh at the very least, they should be maybe near that 30 30 win range, which would be a heck of a lot better than what it’s been the last little while. So, not playoff ready yet, but but getting getting a lot better. Well, speaking of 30, looking back at last season, the Sharks lost almost 30 games by onegoal margins. Uh there were so many games where they played well and the effort was there. The result obviously wasn’t. And I’m not here to make excuses. I promise you that. That’s that’s not the statement here. But the question is, when you add defensive players like Orlof and Clingberg and Ley and you kind of bolster your blue line a little bit, could some of that alone equate to 5, 7, 10, 12, 15 more wins? you know, is it that one thing in such a small margin? Could those players alone make a difference and maybe some goalending differences? It it there’s definitely the chance for for Orlov to have that big bounce back. Clingberg’s had a couple of down years. He’s got to be healthy. First thing with Clingberg’s got to be healthy. I It may depend on how the start goes for San Jose. If San Jose has a really strong start to the season, sure. If they have because the start’s what’s really hurt them the last couple of years and if they can avoid that, we could see a big jump in terms of wins. The toughest thing to call is when a team is jumping out of that rebuild where they’re going to make that huge big jump, right? Very very difficult to to predict. But once you get those wins, all of a sudden then teams players want to go and play for that team and it can really change things around for them. Uh it’s it’s going to depend on the start if they want to take that big jump in wins. I’d have to think the expectation for Matthew Schaefer is playing in the NHL for the Islanders this year and that kind of goes in line with Bard from two years ago straight to the NHL and Mlin Celbrini number one overall last year straight to the NHL with the Sharks. What do you think the expectations are for the second overall pick this year with Michael Misa in San Jose? Where where would you see his season being and going? You know, Misa is an interesting one because with San Jose having so many good young forwards, he doesn’t really have I don’t at least I don’t think he’ll have the pressure that other top draft picks have. So, if he doesn’t look ready and the Sharks say, “Okay, he’s not ready yet. Not a big deal.” Uh whereas if that had happened with Celibbrini last year, there would have been at least some level of panic that, you know, here’s this top draft pick who’s not quite ready. And this year’s draft was seen as I I’ve seen people talk about a week it is. What I kept seeing in in prospect reports were these guys may not be ready right away. Uh Misa’s got the physical tools. If he ends up playing say a supporting role coming out of camp, maybe they give him the nine games, see where he’s at and and send him down. But Misa is in a good position. I think he’s going to be an excellent forward. Uh, I don’t know if it’s going to happen early or if because you’ve got so many good young players in San Jose, they can take their time a bit more, which is also a good indicator that they’re coming out of a rebuild that they don’t have to have their top draft pick in their lineup right away to necessarily bolster their scoring. You know, I’m thinking back about Mlin Celebrin’s rookie rookie season and I I can’t ask for much more. like if the bar was a certain spot, he exceeded that clearly to the point where here in his sophomore season, I don’t even really know what to expect or or ask of him. If he does the same thing again, if he’s the same type of player, everybody’s still going to be thrilled. What do you see in his next step this upcoming season? I think I think what got me with Cabbrini was that all the reports were uh and and going back to Bard’s here. Baddard was seen as franchise player, franchise player, one of the best young draft picks in a long time. Cabbrini wasn’t necessarily seen as being as good as Badard, which wasn’t an insult to Celbrini as much as a compliment to Bard. I thought Celrini had a better rookie season than Badard did his first year. I thought San Jose did a better job of surrounding him with good players. I could see Cabbrini being in that point per game range this season. Again, that’ll be a good start, having him with the right linemates, but Celbrini the I think what got me with him was I knew the offensive game would be good as you usually get with the kids, but his all-around game, the fact that in different situations he didn’t look out of place. He did not play like a rookie um has me thinking that I I think he was undersold as a number one draft pick. I think he’s going to be a bigger star than was anticipated when he was drafted first overall. You know, just kind of following Mlin Summer, uh was golfing the other day with Sydney Crosby and obviously was at the World’s Tournament with uh you know, the who’s who of of team Canada. I just really feel like even some of the NHL’s biggest stars look at Mlin now and realize, okay, he’s still young, but they can already see what he’s going to be. And to somebody like myself, I know it. It’s just that it’s that great confirmation that maybe other players in this league are also recognizing who he’s probably going to be. Yes. And being around players like that can have a lasting impact on their career going forward. I know Vancouver got criticized heavily when they brought in Matt Sundine, right? and Matt Sundine was on a ridiculously expensive contract. But players in Vancouver after Sundine was done in Vancouver and he he’d retired. Uh there were players in Vancouver that said, “Hey, playing with Sundine taught us a lot about how to play the game at both ends of the ice. He had he had a lot of leadership experience to pass along and it really helped.” So Celibbrini being around these guys, I’m sure they’re giving him pointers and they’re talking to him and I’m sure they’ve watched highlight reels and I mean players generally are really supportive of one another. So yeah, I think those those experiences benefit and if he was to go to the Olympics, if he was to be named to the Olympic team, that would be massive experience for him. I was going to ask you about that as well. I don’t think that’s far off out of the picture, right? like considering that he played in worlds and considering that you know he’s kind of in that known commodity of young players and a lot of you know national teams they like to have their core of veteran players and star players but often times they’ll it’s like Christian Leightner of of the uh of the dream team back in what 1992 with Barcelona and basketball you know they they invite the college kid they invite the one kid who they think is going to be the next thing and I kind of feel like maybe hockey looks at Mlin that way right now the the only concern I would have with that is and and The one criticism I’ve had of team Canada going back for decades when it comes to the Olympics. There are times where they will pick the veteran player over the young player because of predictability, right? And it it drives people crazy because it’s like, okay, this guy’s there for his name, but there’s these young players that didn’t go. And so there’s there’s risk with that. I I would like to see them give more of the young guys a chance. Plus, to your point, too, Mlin should have multiple chances at being in the Olympics now that they’re a thing for NHL players again. Some guys have had to wait basically 10 years to have another crack at

The Hockey Guy joins Brodie Brazil on “Watching Hockey” to weigh in on the Sharks off-season moves and what’s in store for 2025–26 season.