Sharks Top 10 Prospects of 2025-2026 | EP 103 Musty, Lund Rising?

Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now podcast. Today we are going to talk about the top 10 Sharks prospects at preseason. We’re also going to dive back in into the Bronley Gadro versus Tyler Tofoley debate uh for captaincy debate. We’ll have Dan Bole weigh in and we’re going to talk about Michael Misa’s preseason debut. But before then, Shang, why don’t you give us a word from our sponsors as well? Yes. So, bring hockey back. Bring hockeyback.net. The best place for nifty t-shirts. I’m wearing my shorts shirt that I have not washed in uh I think six months. I I need to wash at some point. I only wear it for this uh for this podcast. All right. I don’t wear it out. You don’t wear it on your Tinder dates? No, I do not. I don’t I’m not on Tinder Dan. So, it’s it’s hinge and it’s bumble dance. My bad. My bad. Hinge and bumble. Bring hockey back. Uh also, you can get custom hockey jerseys from them. Uh they are making us one. I’m not going to give away give away what it is, guys, but it’s very very cool. It’s very very uh connected. And anyway, bring hockey back. Bring hockeyback.net. Keep on code San Jose hockey now for 15% off. So once again, bring hockeyback.net. Keep on code San Jose hockey now for 15% off. All right. You know, they should do a dating app for like just shark fans. What do you think, Shang Pang? We get that going. No, I don’t I don’t want that. I don’t want to get in trouble with that. I don’t want to mess around with that. So, I’ve actually run into people who work for the Sharks or are very very clearly Sharks fans on app. I’ll be honest. I’m like I am less likely to swipe right because you don’t want to you don’t want to mess work with the personal life much. That’s that’s my opinion. I don’t know about you your guys your experiences with work life and personal life but I think the less that crosses probably better. So they’re going to be trying to get you for information and get some like there. Got to ask how’s the number information if they work for the Sharks. How’s the defense in this situation? Puppy number information. the bump bump. How’s the uh how’s the dating been going, bud? Uh it’s been going good. Yeah, I’ve uh met a lot of interesting women in the last couple of months. I guess a little background. I mean, I think people sort of know, but uh March 2024, I got separated. So, slash the you know, leading to divorce. And last year was a bit honestly a bit of a a bit of a tough time uh going through that. I was married for 12 years and la last year last year was a lot of just sort of processing and absorbing it. I went to therapy for a a little bit. Um I was going to therapy before that too and that for me it was really good. I don’t know for some people I don’t know if therapy works for them or not but for me it was very helpful. Anyway, I uh after 15 15 months of uh just being away from it, I started dating in July. And it’s a as some of you guys know, it’s a well actually no actually you guys don’t know maybe because some of you guys have been away from it. It is a wild wild west out there. Especially if you haven’t dated in 15 years like like me. So, how about a dating app for like Shark fans and Kings fans? Just like bring the world together. Bring the world together. World peace. and then the Vegas fans and then you guys can all just all thrown in together. It’s a horrible mix and it actually just turns into a hockey discussion and you know there’s no dating involved. Just just a thought. Yeah. Yeah. Well, so until uh bring hockey back brings us uh gets us our our our new swag. Uh boilers, I promised you I’d wear a band shirt. Yeah. So, I brought uh I brought out one of these. This is uh one of my favorite bands, The Liars. You guys ever heard of them? No. Give me a Give me a comparable. Give me a They are It’s a little um It’s a little complicated in terms of like a because they are they’re like I guess they started off like more punk, but like the one that people might know them through is actually weird. You guys know the Yeah. Yeah. Yas. Sure. I do. Yeah. Yeah. You know that their their really famous song maps? Yeah. I argue for that. So Matt is an acronym for My Angus Please stay because she was dating the lead singer of Oh, that’s right. That’s all. Okay. Yeah, they sounded familiar, right? Yeah. Okay. So, The Liars, Australian lead singer, founded in LA, three-piece band, was very punk, and every album they go to a different city to record. So, the album that I would tell you guys to get on, which boilers I know you’ll like cuz you’re as eclectic and weird as me in that taste. Yeah. and they went to Berlin and they got really into like the techno scene and they’re like a punk band and so they they got really into drum and bass and then they released an album called Drums Not Dead and it is a 10 out of 10. It is like a perfect [ __ ] record. It is so good, so weird. It’ll get you going. My favorite lyric from that album is Your Blood Will Tell You. It’s just like hey, whatever answers you need in life, it’s in it’s going through your veins. And it is a it’s a dark album. It’s a little sinister. It’s funny. It’s also beautiful. There was a movie with uh uh Gordon Levit and he had cancer. Do you guys remember this movie? Yeah. Like back cancer spinal cancer. Yeah. Yeah. The end of that movie they’re on the rooftop and they’re actually playing one of the songs off that album in that movie. So they, you know, they’ve done well. They they’re great band. They went like punk to that weird like drum and bass to electronic. I love all their phases, but the early stuff partic particularly rocks. It’s great. So that’s I I don’t I I like when a band doesn’t sit in the same you listen to the same album over and over again. Um I like that’s why I like Faith No More because it just within a song within an album you’re like what am I listening to? Mr. Bungle as well. You’re just like just a mash of just every kind of genre. And so I like that. You know I was wearing a Deft Tones shirt I think last podcast. The new album came out. Yeah. It’s good but I’ve heard that album many times. So I love the Deft Tones but I do like some variety in my music. Yeah. Yeah. Same. I love an album that just takes you on a journey too where you can like listen to the whole thing through and yeah, we canled our Spotify recently just because and it I found myself like wanting to go to Spotify for easy music and as a result my wife’s been listening to like CDs in her car and I’ve been putting on records again at home and just listening to the record all the way through. It’s so nice. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, no band shirt for you, Keegan. No band shirt for me. I’m rocking the old uh Virginia’s Vermont Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Uh, but I’m up in up in Vermont, so it’s um there’s just littered with all of these little uh Virgins Vermont shirts and everything is kind of where our family uh cabin is. Um, actually, Dan, why don’t you talk about your shirt and then I’ll talk about mine. I’m wearing a tulle shirt. Obviously, not a not a well-known band now. Um, I’m actually reading uh Maynard’s book right now, which so far is isn’t great, but uh that’s a side, you know, thing. But, uh, no, one of my favorite concerts ever was a Perfect Circle. And, uh, oh yeah, at the time they had just come out and obviously I knew Tulle, but I had not heard any Perfect Circle music, but I just went to the show knowing that, you know, it was Maynard’s band and I think uh, somebody from Smashing Pumpkins. And anyways, I didn’t know much about him and I was blown away because I hadn’t seen Tulle yet. And anyone who’s seen a Tool show or Perfect Circle Show or Pifer Show, like there’s a lot of it’s different. And uh so they come on, you know, they’re they’re playing as behind a backdrop. So it’s just a silhouette of the band. First song amazing. And then you’re thinking the curtains coming down. Nope. Second song silhouette. Like okay, this is weird. Third song playing, you know, and the lights are shining perfectly. So you’re just seeing silhouettes and shadows. And then the curtain comes down, but it’s dark. And then they’re in the fourth song, and I’m like, “Wow, I haven’t seen anyone from the band yet.” Fifth song, small little c, you know, flashes of light. Maynard’s in the back facing the opposite way. And I’m like, “That’s pretty [ __ ] anything that’s different for me is like [ __ ] that I like. Anything that’s weird, odd, and uh so kind of became a huge Perfect Circle fan after that. uh went back to Tulle and you know um Pussifer is this other band. Um so anyways that’s that’s my t-shirt of the day. Tool. I love it. I have to just add too there that like that’s something that I love in all arc too is when I’m taken by surprise and taken off guard and that’s why I love the weird too. And this album the one I was talking to Drums Not Dead like I’ve played that for people like what’s wrong with you? I’m like that’s like my safe space. That’s where I’m warm like in a blanket. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Feeling comfortable in the uncomfortable. I get that. I get that very much. So, I went and saw a uh a concert this weekend. I went to um Boiler, you may know this one because you have teenage girls. Um I went and saw um Marina, if you’ve ever heard of Marina before. No. Okay. So, Marina is a female artist. She um does like a lot of like poppy kind of punkish kind of stuff, but um I think 95% of the audience was female. And I went with my my fiance just cuz she’s been like a huge fan of hers since college and stuff and I was like, “You know what? Concert’s a concert. It’ll be fun.” And it was actually not too bad. My the funniest thing was we were walking to this venue and it’s in Boston and we’re walking up and there’s just this line that goes all the way around the building and I’m like, “Are we going to sit in this line?” And she’s like, “N.” And then we walk around the backside, like the back side of it. She paid like 50 bucks to get us like an upgraded thing to like get in the back way to like sit on the like the upper stage basically. And I was like, “Thank you.” And we did not have to wait in that hourong line. Um, and we got to just like go in right away. It was It was pretty good. But honestly, it was fun. I uh It’s good to experience different music. Not my kind of thing, but you know, it’s a concert to concert. Live music is usually Yeah, pretty good. Even the bad stuff is usually pretty good if it’s live, right? Bad stuff like Chicago. What’s that? What’ you say? I said the bad stuff like Chicago. Oh, yeah. Well, let’s let’s not get [ __ ] carried away, Shang. Calm down. Calm down. I said most live music. But I don’t know. I could I could I could do a gummy and uh you know see Chicago at the Mountain Winery with Shangers and uh I’ll have a little wine. Yeah. Throw a gummy in there. I’ll pretty much listen to anything. I’ll go listen to Britney Britney Spears on 10 milligrams and love it. Someone’s in hot Pilates class. She had just started the Princess of Power tour, so if you can imagine, that’s what the music was like. But it was actually really good. I thought it was good. All right. All right. All right. Let’s get into the news and notes. What do we got today, Shangers? Well, uh, let’s, uh, first kind of go back. We don’t want to relitigate everything that we, Keegan and I argue about last week. have read your comments. I know where the fans sit on this, but I think it is interesting to hear what Dan thinks because Dan obviously with his with his career uh long 18 year 18 year playing career. So I think just to do a quick recap of I guess the crux of of what Keegan and I argued about. Um so we were debating the merits of Gadro versus really just really the merits of Gdro as a captain really. We weren’t we didn’t even really get into Tyler DeFi that much. And so keep it brief. This is my one-s sentence recap that the word advocating was used a lot last week that I want to I guess I should have said this louder last week, but Mer Ferraro would be my choice for Sharks captain if if I had to choose, but my guess is that the Sharks are priorit prioritizing work ethic and ethos and most importantly Ferraro some degree of term. And if you look at the Sharks Puck Pedia that leaves only Barkley Gadro and Tyler Jafoy as your realistic candidates. Other people like Dmitri Orlov, Adam Goddard, too new William Ekan not realistic at this point. Too young Mlin same kind of thing. So anyway, that is my one-s sentence recap. Um Keegan, what is your one sentence or your brief recap of your your your point last week? Shang was way out to lunch. No, I’m kidding. My one sentence recap is first of all it was I think in some ways you were right in the fact that I can’t nobody especially me cannot definitively say somebody’s like the worst player in the NHL. That was way too like hot takeaky of me to say that. I think even during the episode we backed that down as like a bottom like five to 20% player in terms of 5v5 and I think that’s more fair and more realistic. like um Goodro probably was the first person to tell you that he didn’t have a good season like at all. He um struggled a lot at 5v5 like he um and the Sharks did as a as a whole. They did like that’s not anything new. Um but he had a very poor season. So my whole argument was basically Gdro is on a 2-year $3.6 million contract um that the Rangers waved because they couldn’t handle that cap hit for the kind of production that he provided. they waved him a year ago and then he had another season where he didn’t play particularly well except for on penalty kill and also um uh just providing a spark to the locker room kind of thing which is fine but can you make that kind of player your captain if a they might not be in the lineup every night if they got to be you know scratched for a couple of games for poor play um or if his play continues to decline right like he’s almost 33 he’s um already had two pretty significantly poor seasons um in the NHL Well, and he has two more years this year and next year. So, if you’re going to make him captain, you expect him to play every night pretty much. It may not be realistic that he’s playing every night. If you’re going purely on a merit base, um merit basis. So, that’s my argument. I think there are other candidates like Tofoley who who make a little bit more sense just based on the amount of the likelihood that they stick in the lineup during their contract and provide a positive impact on the ice. So, I will yes, again, I was way too hot takey. I love Barkley Good Row. The the best story, and this is a very quick aside, that I can provide is that my current fiance, which we’ve been together for six years now, um the reason why my my previous relationship ended, and not like the only reason, but one of the reasons is cuz Barkley Goodro scored that goal against Vegas and I screamed so loud that she came out of the room and was like, “What are you doing? Why are you yelling so much?” And I was like, “This is how I know it’s over.” And then so they would not have ended my previous No way. No, it wasn’t like the only reason, but that’s how I knew in my mind that that relationship was over because she didn’t understand how happy I was that good scored that goal. So, I love Gdro. I think he’s a So, Barley Gro led you to a better life and absolutely he did and I’m throwing him under the bus, but that’s my like he threw him under the bus last. That’s my point is like I was a little hot takey. It’s hard to say anybody’s the worst player in the NHL. I think what I meant to say is he had a very poor season and I think there are better candidates that are on the Sharks. Well, that was more than one sentence and I it was very long mentioned that. Yeah. So, I’m not I’m not going to rebuttle that anyway because we don’t want to get into the same uh same death spiral as as last week with our our discussion. Um I think one thing I will say though that I think it’s important is that you’re assuming that he’s going to get scratched when he wasn’t last year just for what it’s worth. So, it’s not like that has already started. You know, for whatever reason, supported or not, the Sharks do not deem him as a scratch player. They have, at least they didn’t, right, last year. So, I do want to point that out. Um, but this is for Dan. This is the word for Dan, I think, unless you want to Yeah. Well, let me let me let me interject right now. So, yeah. So, let’s So, let me start. As far as injuries go, anyone’s a game away from an injury, so you can’t um I don’t know, you can’t base your captaincy on who may or may not get hurt. Yes, some guys are, you know, have a knee injury or a history of something, but I I don’t think you can go into that with that mentality. The most important thing that I want people to retain right now is that the four of us, even myself, don’t have a [ __ ] clue what’s going on in the locker room within those four walls. So, to me, that’s the most important thing. Barkley Gudro might be the greatest [ __ ] guy on in the world. Hardest working person in the weight room on the ice. We don’t I mean on the ice, I guess we could technically see, but we don’t know what is actually going on in the locker room. So I know having played for as long as I have, you know, you can get absolutely abused by the media. Oh, he’s having a terrible season. But sometimes there are reasons. Sometimes there’s stuff going on in your personal life. Sometimes there are injuries. Sometimes it’s something as simple as [ __ ] opportunity. Uh who are you playing with? How many minutes are you playing? Are you getting the kind of minutes you need? That’s getting a little more specific, but I still believe that the captain on the San Jose Sharks is not in that locker room. Well, let me actually that’s not true. Currently, I don’t think they should be going with a captain going next year because I don’t partic I I think it’s Mlin’s C to be had, but it’s still a few couple years away. um as for who should get the C in the meantime if there’s not an obvious candidate and only the people in that locker room and obviously staff know who that person is. Um so yes, I don’t think saying Barkley Gudro is the worst player in the HL was okay. I don’t think that’s right. Um obviously you’re basing it on statistics and like you said it was hot takey on your part Keegan, but um I I’m I’m here to defend the players that the players will know who [ __ ] I’m running out of words. Uh the right way to say it. What I’m trying to say is the locker room knows how important guys are and the media and the fans may not have a freaking clue. And so for me, again, what we talked about a couple weeks ago, work ethic to me has to be at the very high end of the the checklist. I I don’t think you can name a captain that’s not going to work his ass off. I think you need a guy that’s going to be a glue guy that’s going to, you know, be able to keep the room fun, keep the guys together, but hold them accountable. I think you need a guy that’s have gonna have a voice with the media. And I need you need to have a guy that’s gonna have a voice between the coaches and the players that needs to tell the coach to [ __ ] off sometimes and needs to tell the players to [ __ ] off sometimes. Meaning he’s got to walk that fine line. So at the end of the day, to summarize everything I just said, I just mumbled for about five minutes here. I don’t think we know the answer of who that person is. I think the guys in that locker room do, and I think the staff does. So, I know you guys talk about Defoley and Mario uh and Barkley, but I guess this at the end of the day, we don’t [ __ ] I don’t actually know because I’m not in that locker room, so I don’t know who that person is. I did mention that too in the that argument was that I’m not in that room, so I don’t have an Yeah, that’s a very that’s a very important thing. We we we can speculate as fans and and as four idiots on the podcast, you know, um I think you have your you have your things that you want. You’re right. You want your guy in the lineup. want your guy to have had played a significant amount of games, have that respect from his teammates, from the referees, from other players. Um, and I look at the roster and I don’t and and you want and you should and you do want a guy that is not going to be on the trade trading block, right? You don’t want to name your captain. He’s going to be uh traded come March. So, I don’t know who that person is. There’s nobody jumps out at me right now. And that’s why I was an advocate for not having a captain for now. Uh, and as the season goes, as next year comes along, who knows? You know, Rob Blake came out of nowhere and became a captain, you know, right away as soon as, you know, we got here in 2008. So, maybe that guy’s not even on the team yet and he comes in next next summer. I don’t really know. So, I I still think they go with no captain this year. Um, throw some A’s on, you know, four guys, you know, let Mlin get a few 80, you know, another year under his belt and then, you know, we have this conversation next year again. Yeah. Let’s let’s not have this conversation again next year actually. But give it to C at that point. But I don’t know. There is there is that potential Dan though that it’s I understand you don’t want to to to rush it. Uh and I’m not speaking for either or advocating for for either anyone here. But like if you don’t name a captain this year and let’s say you don’t have one next year because next year still seems early to name Mlin. I don’t know. I don’t know what what you guys think about that. But that could be basically four years without a captain in effect even though what’s what’s the downside of that? I don’t know. That’s why I guess I I’m I’m checking with you because that’s a long time though regardless, right? I I I think Yeah, I think I But but what’s the downside of not having a captain? Is that Is that the reason they’re not making the playoffs? No, it’s not. If that was the reason they weren’t making the playoffs and let’s throw a captain, let’s throw a C on someone. But yeah, I I I don’t I don’t think that’s the reason, you know. So that’s not the reason. if you don’t have that guy identified, um I I I don’t see the downside of not having one. Uh if as long as, again, as long as you got the voices in the locker room that are pointing the ship in the right direction and you guys watch a lot more Sharks hockey than I do, um that’s what I’m worried about. Is the team trending in the right direction? Yes. Are there is our ship going in the locker room the guys need to be putting a stop to? Are there guys being idiots? Is the work ethic not good enough? Are the are the guys getting are the leaders on that team writing the ship in the right way? Whether there’s a sea on someone or not, I don’t know. I just care more about the culture and are things being done properly. Are the young guys being shown what needs to be done, how to do it? Um, that’s a little more what I’m interested in. I mean, that’s that’s fair enough. I think that it is also to one of those convention things that I don’t know if a team has gone that long without a captain. Um, but who knows? But like it it doesn’t matter though because like just just because you do things just because it was that was that was the way that it’s been done or yeah just because of tradition doesn’t make it the the right thing. So if there is no kind of standout candidate like you said Dan that maybe they just don’t don’t don’t pick one. Um I will say just from my end that I don’t know exactly what’s going on in the room but from everything I understand that is very very respected by by the players in that room. So I want want to make make that part clear of it. One question I do have for Dan, which kind of relates to what what Keegan said last week though, is do you have any thought of a let’s presume that that that Barkley isn’t scratched, which again he wasn’t last year, so let’s presume that he is still every at least for this Sharks team and for Ryan Warski, he is a every night player even if it’s not a lot of minutes. So, should a fourth liner who play limited minutes kind of be your captain or do you ideally want somebody who is a just a more heavily used player? Dan, I I have the perfect Dave Anderchuk and I and I know we’re repeating the same topics here, but Dave I think was on the third or fourth line. Well, I actually I looked this up, Dan, so not to still play he still played 15 minutes a night. Well, he he played he he was a power player. He’s a front that so he got his he probably got his five minutes on the power play but I it was him Tim Taylor and make sure and like what your experience held um and so Tim Taylor was your captain in 20067 he was 37 years old he was an older player and he played eight minutes a night so that speaks to more of of Keegan’s point Tim Taylor was our Yeah Tim Taylor was our shoot I for I mean I just I mean That’s I mean it’s probably up to Andrew Chuck. And Andrew Chuck must have retired because Andrew Chuck was already a late 30s. But but if if we’re speaking about Andy, he played 15 minutes a night. You’re saying as a captain, but five of it was probably on the power play. So I believe he was a fourthline player. But I mean he, you know, he would he would go out to take important faceoffs, right? Uh but he was I mean again I think for me the the voice in the locker room and and and you know u whether a guy’s on the fourth line or not is not a big factor for me. Uh, ideally, yes, you want him in the lineup. Obviously, if he’s going to be a scratch player, you don’t want your captain in the stands, you know, 15, 20 games a year. So, that’s definitely not something that I advocate for, but whether he’s plays 12 minutes or 20 minutes, as long as he’s in the locker room and he’s a voice, um, but yeah, he’s the captain has to be playing on most nights, if not every night. So, that’s that’s something that, you know, you don’t want your captain in the stands. So, that’s that’s an important part. But 12 minutes or 20 or 8 minutes or 20 is to me is not a huge significance. So yes, then that means that basically like if you’re naming a drill captain, you think for the next two years that he will be in the lineup every night, which is fine. Um it’s just that’s kind of the the thinking I have as well. There’s a lot of guys coming up through the Sharks and I I you know again I the but every player has like a time when they’re just not really able to stick in the lineup all the time. But if if they want him there and they want him in the locker room and they feel like his part on the ice is worth it, then that’s on them. You know, like I just I personally see that the like the player is not who he was and he’s now two seasons removed from a pretty significant decline in his play. Can that turn around? Maybe Barkley on his own interview recently said he had the best summer he’s ever had because he hasn’t had to like prepare for the playoffs and like play till June so he could come back out and prove me wrong. He could just like smack me in the face. Actually, I bet you there’s a little dart board with my face on it that they throw darts at every after they get off the ice. Um because of the things I see right beside Shanks. Yes, it’s right next to Shre in support of Barkley Gadril here. I know people that are on the good side, they they aim they aim for you. No, they aim for me. They aim people who are not they aim for you. All right. So, just like a you know, boilers finger gun again. So, at the end of last week’s discussion and I Yeah, by the end of it, I’m just crazy. By the end of it, I was actually for Gudro over to Foley. And and the reason was that I I guess something that I tried to say last week that I didn’t get to was, you know, playing hockey, I could I can’t learn what to Foley does. Like he just has a way of finding soft ice and finishing. Like he’s so deceptive in the way that he finishes. And I can’t as a player like do that. But, you know, if I watch Gudro like lay down and take a shot, like I could do that. Like I can and that’s kind of what I was trying to say was a leader like that like you can get motivated and recreate that. like I can get motivated by fully and try my best and I’m still not going to have finish you know like but but I don’t know if like but like you know what I’m trying to say like if with the right leader and I think that’s the work ethic thing which is by the end of the conversation I was like actually I’m for Gudro talking through this and I didn’t go into the conversation being that way but that can get the team like juiced like so can a goal at the right moment but I can recreate like finishing a check and you know laying down in front of a shot. Uh I mean still skill required in both those things but I don’t know any thoughts there. Well, that actually I want to just jump in. The thing I I thought about I thought afterwards I think could have summarized that point well Zubar is that I think that it’s no it’s no discredit to to Tyler tooly who works hard. He’s a total professional but you you can’t play like Tyler to Foley like not everybody can play like Tyler to Foley but everybody can play like Barkley Cadrell. Everybody can learn to play kind of like that and have that kind of ethos and put your face in front of a shot kind of attitude Dan. So that’s kind the way that I kind of looked at it there. Okay. You know, and and you know, going off of this a little bit, but um you know, tangental the interview with Godette uh like two days ago. Yeah. Yeah. Fantastic leader. Like I kind of excited to see him play this season. Um Shane, you were there for the interview and a part of it, but him going back to the AHL uh for two years, right? getting sent down, coming back up. And the way that he talked about, he was very articulate in the way he discussed owning like that fourthline position. Uh I can see him, you know, if he stays getting an A. Um uh I don’t know yet. I mean, yeah. So So we’ll see after this this season. So yeah. Um, but I wanted to go back to Ando that what is your reaction to just what Zubar and I said about sort of the um that that element of of of GDRO is just sort of the the ethos and that kind of element. Look at it this way in and forget hockey like just in your everyday life like who who are you going to look up to? Who are you going to respect? It’s probably somebody that has worked hard. I would imagine somebody that has done something. Okay. Right. He has to have earned that respect. So that’s why you eliminate celebrini because that’s the only part he doesn’t have. Uh you know, so in your work life or in your everyday life, who are you going to respect? You’re going to respect somebody that works his ass off, somebody that’s done something. And somebody that has a way about has a way about him and how he handles people, how he handles you individually, how he handles your opponents, how there’s there’s there’s that that mojo that you got to have uh along with the work ethic and the respect. And again, I don’t know who that guy is. I’m not in that locker room. So, okay. So, I there was a Yeah, sorry. I I I I I think the work ethic for me is huge. So, you know, you guys talked about he lays sacrifices his body and that’s that’s part of it, but is it it’s not all of it. So, the other stuff is the stuff that happens between those four walls, which none of us are in there. Yeah. The gym, workout, right? Yeah. There was a third part of this whole discussion too which was my argument’s always been for Tafoi because what we’re shown as to the media what the fans are shown is Tofoley is a very vocal very active part of the Sharks locker room right he’s hanging out with CBrini he’s hanging out with Will Smith he’s like there’s a whole like thing about how good of a connection he has with those young guys he’s inviting guys to the house right he has a lot of yeah right this house he and then the other part was he chose to come to San Jose right like he specifically said I want to sign in San as a free agent. Like he didn’t and he says very publicly, I’m coming here because it makes sense for me professionally, personally, and I don’t want to be traded anymore. Like I want to stay in one spot. And he chose San Jose. That was Tofoley. Whereas Gdro was pretty upset that he got waved from the Rangers and got claimed by San Jose. He said, or at least um it was said that he, you know, that wasn’t his preferred destination. So, in my end, if you’re trying to to show an example of, you know, being a shark, and again, you’re right, the four walls, I don’t I don’t [ __ ] know. Yeah. But like, we don’t. But if you’re trying to show from the outside, if you’re Mike Greer, the guy who wanted to come here, the guy who’s still a very productive member, the guy who wants to be a mentor to all of the kids, I don’t know. Versus the guy who didn’t. And that was part of my argument, too. So, just to go off that though, that’s partially why I also respect Gutro. He fought what, like the last 20 games of the season, he was dropping his gloves, sticking up for his teammates. For a guy who didn’t want, and again, I don’t think it’s personal he didn’t want to be in San Jose. It was more so like, hey, I’ve been in the conference finals for the last x amount of years, won two Stanley Cups, playing with the Rangers, and you know what, I want to keep competing at the highest level. And it wasn’t personal against San Jose. like I want to keep competing and you know and in in in a with a playoff team and then but for him to then come here and then still show up to work professionally and then stick up for your teammates and play with that passion I almost have more respect for him for that uh because I don’t think it was personal against the Shark. So for me I see that as like I kind of dig like I respect that. Yeah. I feel like we now we’re kind of relitigating last week maybe too much. We should talk about this on all of our podcast fans. basic point though is I really do is does he want to be here now Gdro and I think he does that’s you know and whenever that that changed in his mind I don’t know exactly when I’m not in his head just like I’m not in the locker room but at some point it’s seemed to well he understood his situation and and and he played he played with it and I don’t think right now that there’s any thought that he doesn’t want to be they’re going to put four A’s on four sweaters no captains this year let’s move on okay it’s a done a matchbox done. We’ll finger it in this up. 41 minutes and 45 seconds in. Yeah, I I I I’m still going to I think it it it will be good. But that’s my finger gun after. Yeah. Anyone else with uh predictions? You’re still going to Foley. Okay. Teams. If they if they have to pick a one coin, I’m going Guo. Like if they have to pick a cap in the season, I’m going Guo. I What do you think they’ll do, though? That’s the That’s the question. No, that’s what we that’s that’s what I think. Yeah, that’s I think I think they’re going to put a C on Asteroth. Be the first goalie to ever be the captain ever. Ever. Let’s go. That’s what I’m going with. I think was he? I forgot that. I think so. I think I think they did make him captain. Huge huge voice in that locker room. We just don’t know it. Needs to see. Yeah. What else we got? Shane, I got to go in about 20 minutes. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Um, so Jack Thompson has sort of been discussed a lot this week. And Jack Thompson, he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning a couple years ago for Anthony Duclair. He is still a prospect, but he’s not waiver exempt anymore this year. Last season, he had a kind of an up and down rookie season, but there’s some promise there though. Four goals, 10 points in 31 games. Kind of a puck moving guy with yeah, defensive questions. Well, anyway, for Jack Thompson right now, and I wrote about Jack Thompson yesterday, so you can read that article and talked with a lot of scouts of NHL scouts about what they thought about Jack Thompson. And Jack Thompson is in a weird place because it looks like it looks like there are eight defensemen in front of him for a roster spot with the Sharks right now. Just very quickly, uh, and guys, fill in if I forget anybody, Orof, Ley, Clingberg, Ferraro, Lilligrren, and Dehar. Those are your veterans. and Muk Madulan and Dickinson I think uh are ahead of Thompson. Where’s Ryan Mkeley? Uh honestly was was playing in the KHL. He got booted off the team. I was a joke but I actually he was he was a highly dra touted to the pick. Yeah. Yeah. And then he just disappeared. I remember them talking about him years ago and all he’s playing the KHL for the past two years. Is he who’s he playing with now though? Was he even on? I don’t know. He was Avengard Alms cuz who he played with. He He was He was booted off that team. Did he ever play in the NHL? Did he ever get any He did. He did. He played uh a season with the Sharks. Um like up and down and Yeah. Like he wasn’t Yeah, he wasn’t very good. It was a It was a dark time in Sharks prospect prospect. More mistakes than like good plays. Egregious like x amount of egregious mistakes for like one good. Actually though, it actually fits into what what Jack Thompson a little bit. And Jack Thompson is much better than Ryan Mkeley. So, I don’t mean to compare the two, but um this is something that Dan can speak to though that like my impression of of Jack Thompson, this is speaking with the the the the scouts that I talked to, too, that he’s he’s a good he’s a good player. Uh you know, people like his game, but they don’t necessarily see him though as like I need to I need to um I need to get rid of a player for him. Like, I need this guy in my lineup kind of guy. you know, they see him as like or that’s that’s what the scouts I talked to. I talked with four of them. They kind of had the same opinion that is he going to get picked up in waivers if if he goes through waiverss eh maybe because he is good depth but he’s not a guy that like for sure you’re making space for and how it relates to Mkeley. Mkeley is a way worse player like I said but Jack Thompson is is a offensive kind of player but he doesn’t produce like a ton and he doesn’t necessarily defend well enough to stand alone there either. So, he’s one of those kind of like maybe tweener players in if I were to define it that way, Dan. I’m sure you’ve seen players like that too that like Yeah. Like they don’t produce enough to be there for for their offense and they don’t defend well enough to kind of be there more for that either. Yeah. Well, I uh the reason I’m on this show is to draw from my personal experience and I don’t know Jack Thompson very well, but um I think he should go to this camp uh or they’re in camp now, but like I think it’s one of those I I had that aha moment, if you will, when I got traded to Tampa. It took me four years to get that moment uh where I was trying to fit in, trying to listen to what the coaches wanted me to do. Uh but I was that I was that player. I wasn’t big enough. I wasn’t doing enough on the offensive side and I certainly wasn’t doing enough on the defensive side. So, he I’m going to just compare him to me for a second. He needs to have the mentality of like unless I want to be in the [ __ ] miners or in the AKHL with Merkeley, uh I he should have the weight off of his shoulders and just [ __ ] go. I don’t know what he’s good at. I don’t know enough about him specifically, but unless he wants to be a career minor leaguer, career on waiverss type of guy moving around every two years or land in the KHL, go out there, [ __ ] just go, just do your thing. And back to what you were saying, Zubar, like I had I always eventually I my mentality as a player was uh based on 100%. If I can make seven or eight good plays, 70, call it 75% of the time. Actually, I was more towards 80. If I can make 80% of the time that play and I would [ __ ] up 20% of the time, I’m going to make that play. And eventually, that’s what built my 18-year career because I remember having a talk with Tors. I remember having a talk with Todd. Let’s just call it a backhand sus, okay? probably not very smart play, but if you can do it eight out of 10 times, allow me to [ __ ] up twice because 80% of the time, something good will come out of it. And you talked about the egregious, use a big word. If you’re at a if you’re a 50-50 player and your riskreward is 50/50, then I don’t want that guy on my team. I don’t want that guy on my team. But if somebody’s going to [ __ ] up two out of every 10 times, then let that player go. And so I would like to see Jack Thompson who I don’t know very well. I’ve, you know, seen him a little bit. Obviously with the Sharks, he’s, you know, he’s, you know, decent, but whatever his niche is, he needs to lean into it. And unless he wants to be a career minor leaguer, I think he needs to to step up, I guess, to use a pretty simple term. Um, and do what he does best. Uh, or else he is going to end up being the odd man out. So, you gota when you’re that kind of guy on a bubble on the outside, you got to say, “Fuck it.” And just like this is me. Go out. I remember when I got traded to Tampa, I was like, “Fuck, I’m just going to play my game and if it goes south, so be it. I’ve got half a half a step out. I was half I had half a step out anyways. Um, so why not go out my in my way and that’s what I did.” And I ended up making a huge turn and then playing another 14 years leading the league in minutes. So, not saying that’s the case for him, but I would like to see him play his game. Don’t worry about what they’ve asked you to do. Play your game. and give it your best shot and see where you’re at and see if you’re the type of player that some scouts have said you could be. You don’t want to be that borderline seventh eighth defenseman getting traded every two years being in the minors. You don’t that’s not a very fun way to live. So Dan, to that point and you clarified this a little bit, but just getting into the psyche of getting into like a training camp and you’re on the cusp of making the team and in his regard and the coaching staff’s like, “Hey, defensively, I need to see more consistency. I need to see you work in front of the net defensively.” But he is like a right-handed sort of offensive leaning defenseman. You’re saying the mentality to go into that and then how do you also do that in training camp? Second part of the question which is like you still want to play as a team but in training camp you’re trying to show your skills. That’s so that that’s the hard part and I have to word use my words carefully or else it’ll come off incorrectly. But it’s a team game but there has to be an individual mentality to it. So if I don’t know what it’s like to be Joe Thornton and Patrick Marlo and be a first round pick, first overall pick where you’re going to get I I can’t speak for what it’s like to be Min Cabrini. I was never that guy. I can speak to a Jack Thompson who’s in training camp seeing other players being paired together. You could tell you’re group B or C. You you know you’re not on the radar. You know you’re on the outside looking in. So you have to have that individual mentality within a team game of saying I remember going like, “Yeah, you really? Yeah, you want to put me in the [ __ ] croup? [ __ ] you. This is what I’m going to do. And I remember like doing spinamas and doing backhand set sauce. They they were it was not encouraged. Well, what what are they going to do? Like are they going to cut me? They’re going to cut me anyways. So, you have to find that it it’s a fine line between individual and team. And I think that’s what the really good players do is they play their own game within a team concept. And um going into training camp, you can see who you’re paired with. You can see who you’re on the ice with. You can see if you’re the A group or the B group. If you’re in the [ __ ] B group, then it should be [ __ ] like be yourself. Do what you do best. And if that’s not going to [ __ ] work, then it’s not going to work. But I I would rather go out swinging, being myself, playing my game than go out trying to be or fit into what I’m asked to, and it’s it’s not working. I don’t know if I’m saying this properly. I don’t know if my message is coming ac across correctly, but you have to find yourself uh within a team game and not get lost. That was that was that that’s what happened with me in four years in Florida. I was trying to fit in and I just uh I wasn’t fitting in. I wasn’t being myself. I wasn’t being authentic to who I was and how I was playing because I was trying to fit in. And oddly enough, I fit in by being myself playing my game for the next 14 years. So hopefully that made sense. Or pop a gummy and watch the iPod or watch the podcast again and and it will just rewind 10 milligrams then watch. They just spit the meaning of life. I I think the the reality of it though is that a lot of players can say [ __ ] it and and try to just play their way, but most of them end up though they’re not they’re not capable of making that backhand sauce eight out of 10 times in the NHL and they end up being right and that’s the reality like you were able to do Dan because you ended up being a special player that you know maybe we didn’t know that when you were 20 but right this is a Olympic all-star player. I’m speaking from my experience, not from a a a fourthline player that has to play a certain way, has to be robotic mechanic, go to the boards, get the [ __ ] puck out, fight, you know, that’s a different mentality. He’s got to do him. I’m just speaking of sounds like this check uh Thompson guy is more of an offensive-minded defenseman that is not really fitting in, then he’s going to get lost in the shuffle. He’s not 67. He’s not he’s not 240 pounds. not, you know, and he’s not he’s not dropping 60 points a year. And he’s not dropping 60 points here. So, who is he? Find find your lane. And so, I’m only speaking from my experience as an offensive defenseman that has skill and maybe gets lost in the shuffle. So, that was my reference to him, not to the fourth line winger that’s going to try to crack the team as a fourthline grinder. I I don’t have that experience. Um, Dan, I wanted to close you out. I know you got to get going in in just a few minutes here. So the la the last question I have for you is you you were never on waivers yourself, but you’ve played with many players that they enter training camp, they know this is the training camp. If they don’t take a job right here in this training camp, they’re going on waiverss or or they’re going to get traded or something, right? And just how, you know, you’ve seen a lot of players in this situation. Just how tough is that on a player? How does that affect, you know, how you are? And I I one of the reasons why I asked this is because Ryan Warski did mention that one of the things that he’s looking for Jack Thompson is consistency. And Warski was very clear. He said not just in game, but in practices. And Jack has had good days and he’s had bad days so far in camp. Maybe he didn’t say the word bad, but definitely he didn’t say good though, but good or okay days. And so that speaks to a player that maybe he’s feeling it, right? Filling that weight. And not that you would blame any player for filling that weight. Anyway, can speak to that perspective of players that you played with in that situation? Yeah, I there’s a mentality when you’re on the trading block or you’re on waiver block that you’re there there’s that the the weight on your shoulders of like people in the media just look at as a transaction, right? It’s just it’s just a player going to the miners. It’s it’s just in the newspaper or now online. But as a player, you’re moving, you know, whether you have kids or a family, like there’s a move there. There’s there’s there’s life it’s a life-changing event. And uh it is it is difficult. And I’m going to go back to what I just mentioned a couple minutes ago, which is you have to like at some point look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Is this h how do I want to go out? How do how do I want to handle this possible waiver situation? Do I want to do I want to tippy toe my way and try to make the team or do I want to [ __ ] run through that wall and say [ __ ] it and whatever happens happens?” And that was more my mentality eventually. Not not or not not originally. It took me four years, but eventually I was like, “Fuck it. I’m going to run through that [ __ ] wall and they’re going to like it or they’re not.” Uh, and so man, every [ __ ] movie that that you’re starring in Dan Bull, you’re the guns ablazing. Let’s Let’s go. But push Cassie Sundance Kid. Let’s go out. That’s That’s kind of You go ahead. You were I was going to say Boilers got Shangers up at uh 6 a.m. today. So, someone’s running through a wall for blowers. I mean, look, you know, Shane, Shay is not a boring person. Okay, look. Okay, so listen, listen. I don’t want this to be I’m not going to compare myself to Michael Jordan, but I am going to talk about Michael Jordan. Remember what he said about like taking shots. Like he wanted the ball in his hands. He wanted to take that shot. He’s got some famous quote about like you’re not going to miss a shot if you don’t take it or something like that. You probably No, no. Michael Jordan has a famous quote about taking a shot. I don’t know exactly what it is, but he talks about how he missed a bunch of He’s like, “I’ve missed so many shots.” Let me look it up. I know which one. Whatever it is, I I remember that. Like that’s the kind of attitude that I I I understand and and that’s the way that I think too. Like you have to take the you have to take the shot. You don’t The other analogy is it’s a full count at the plate for the baseball fans out there. Sure. Pitcher throws the [ __ ] ball. Are you gonna sit there and not swing? Not, you know what I mean? Maybe it’s a strike, maybe it’s a ball. We don’t know. Or do you want to go out swinging? And I’m more of the mentality of that you want to swing. A cool example that’s currently happening in the NHL. If anybody was interested for a different training camp because I just I’ve been following a lot of training camps because, you know, I’m obsessed with hockey. So, I was watching Detroit recently and there’s a prospect, his name’s EMTT Finny. Um, has anybody ever heard of Emtt? I don’t really like his name. No, I don’t really know that name because EMTT Finny was a seventh round draft pick two years ago by Detroit. I didn’t even hear about him and I watch a lot of, you know, seventh round draft picks and right now he has basically come into their training camp been like, “Fuck it. I’m making this team as a seventh round 20-year-old player. He’s like playing on their top line with Larkin and Raymond and like every single night you can watch him just doing everything like he can to make this team. He’s blocking shots. He’s playing defensively. He’s playing penalty kill, but he’s also like showing off a bit of his skill. He’s just he’s doing it. And it’s like everybody in the Red Wings camp is super surprised that he came in like this. And like that’s the kind of thing like I want a Sharks prospect to do is like force your way into this lineup. It’s [ __ ] doing it. It’s it’s it’s it’s yes, you have to have the skill, right? You’re you have to have be physically able to do make the plays, but I think in sports there’s it’s very mental. And uh and I don’t know who this kid is. I’m going to watch him now because I’m super interested. But um his name’s Eminny. So there’s a there’s a mental there was a mental switch where he probably just said, “I’m tired of [ __ ] this or this. I’m going to go do this and let’s [ __ ] go. Let’s [ __ ] go.” Yeah. And it also Let me close. Oh, go ahead. I was going to say it’s also, you’ve talked about this, Dan. It’s also being given the opportunity in the staff. Opportunity is huge, right? To be like, “Oh, we see this in EMTT Finny and and let on first line with Larkin.” No, there’s there’s opportunity. Yeah, opportunity for sure is important. And that’s where like you don’t get to where I didn’t get to where I got to by all by myself. It took a trade to Tampa. It took a coach that allowed me to play that way. Um so you definitely need backing and opportunity as well. I’ve got the uh Michael Jordan quote pulled up. It’s I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and I’ve missed. I failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed. It was something like that. I don’t remember all of those things, but I remember him like it was probably on that Netflix uh Last Dance or something or you just you’re going to [ __ ] miss some shots. You are going to fail, but like if you don’t [ __ ] try, you’ll never know. The lesson of our Jack Thompson is he’s got to take this personally. Yeah, let’s [ __ ] Thompson. Let’s go, Jack. So, here’s here, you know, you were talking about the psychology part and changing to even what you your joke just now. One of the craziest parts about that documentary, it was called The Last Dance, right? Yeah, Last Dance. Yeah, it’s Last Dance. Yeah. The craziest part was that moment where Michael knows that for him to get in the zone, he has to take it personally. And he would lie to himself about things that didn’t happen. Like fabric. I love that about him. He He’s psychotic, dude. Do you guys My favorite scene is like he’s just always sitting there with his whiskey and his cigar like they show him the iPad. They’re like, “Did the coach really talk to you that night?” It was like a It was like in the finals and he said the opposing coach he saw a restaurant and talked [ __ ] to him or something and then didn’t didn’t and didn’t say hi or something like that. Yeah. didn’t say hi to me and then he’s like and he told he got the boys riled up the next day he’s like yeah like he disrespected me and he brought it I don’t know how many points he potted that game then in the documentary they like they’re like so what did he actually say and he just looks the iPad and it’s like ah you didn’t say anything to me dude man I I was you have to be a little psychotic to be good I I I would I would talk to myself all the time I would yeah it wasn’t always pretty to you know but like I had to do what I had to do to get my myself there and sometimes I would belittle myself and talk [ __ ] to myself um create like you said I create in my head story lines like oh yeah you yeah you and no you didn’t say anything you shank so you got to do what you got to do if you want to take it to the next level and uh sh I’m getting all right now uh did you have a sports psychologist we had one in New York but uh no there wasn’t it wasn’t a thing growing up but I did go to I did go to Miami Ohio wanting to be a sports psychologist so I did read a lot about psychology and I was always very interested in power of the mind. Um, but no, we I never had one, never saw one, but uh I think there’s there’s something to there’s something to that because I think uh the mental part of a game is is is huge is huge. Yeah. So, that started to grow a lot. Forget who the sports psychologist was. Uh he has a book too for the Bulls. Uh the Oilers hired him. Um and he was during the Bulls like heyday with Jordan and Pippen. Yeah. and I think his last name is Mumford. And two years ago, the Oilers hired him because they were like, “We got two stars.” And that season is the season they made it to the cup finals two years in a row. The power of the mind is is is probably more important in my opinion. People like, “No, that’s not true.” But like you can get in the weight room, you’re obviously going to get stronger off the ice physically, but um this there’s you can’t measure that. There’s no you can’t bench with your mind, but like there’s it’s very [ __ ] powerful. Yeah. His name is George Mumford. He’s got a book, too. I highly recommend it. And yeah, he was the sports psychologist for the Bulls during their heyday and also the Oilers last couple years. All right. I I have to run. I want to thank you guys for listening to me. I’ll be back next week with a microphone. Jabar is going to set me up with a really nice setup. No more PlayStation mic. No, this is uh my old Bose. Uh okay. But I want to Yeah, we’ll uh you guys can talk [ __ ] while I’m gone. Get yourselves in trouble. Uh, talk [ __ ] with the players. We’re not We’re not anymore. Don’t worry. Sucks. Will Smith isn’t ready to take the next step. Ask’s not ready to take the net. Or is a shitty coach. Uh, horrible golfer. Horrible golfer. What else we got? Uh, yeah. Like San Jose hockey now after after you know. Mario Ferrar is a horrible parallel parker. Zubar is a terrible dancer. Horrible. That partly true. And uh Shangpang, we want to talk about your Taiwan uh dessert that you had this morning. I want to talk about that. Sure. Beautiful. I have a cake. Thank you, Joyce. So, let’s now move on to let’s talk about the latest from camp and a couple things that stand out. We’ll also talk about the first preseason game. But before we get to that though, a couple of note noteworthy noteworthy things. Minelbrini is back on the ice. He was off for a couple of days. They say illness. Uh the reason why I keep saying they say they are working him very they are working him back very slowly. Uh not very slowly but they are working him back. He has not been he’s been on the ice the last couple days in practice with everybody. But he’s clearly not uh a 100% participant. And it’s not like he’s taking no contact. He’s not wearing a a no contact jersey, but he’s not taking as much contact as as anybody as everybody else. Um, so Warsoski says that they are working him back. So I don’t know what his illness was. Let the man have diarrhea in peace. All right. You know, it’s I have no idea. I don’t want to even go down that road. I literally have no no idea. But it is it is it is a a peculiarity. We we’ll put it that way at the very least. And that we’ll keep tracking. And he seems fine. He’s been, like you said, he’s been back in in regular practice and has participated in most things uh in the last couple of days. So, let’s not let’s not red alert it, but it’s he’s still not again 100% doing everything everybody else is doing yet, though. So, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens with that. Also, too, the noteworthy injury, John Clingberg, a day-to-day upper body injury, suffered it in the first preseason game. in place of Clingberg on the power play. They started doing power play drills on Tuesday and Sam Dickinson took took Clingberg’s place on the PP1 which was interesting. And so anyway, Clingberg is supposedly getting better. He was on the ice yesterday, Wednesday, and he is doubtful for Friday’s game, but obviously a very important piece for the Sharks this off season. If Clingberg isn’t your PP1 quarterback, which is what he was sign, one of the reasons why he was signed, then that really kind of throws that into into a jumbo, uh, is Orlof is one of the reasons why Or signed in San Jose was to be on the power play, but not necessarily. I don’t know the Sharks have him earmarked at PP1. Could it be Sam Dickinson? Could that be his role? That would be exciting if he’s able to take on the PP1 role immediately. But anyway, so those are a couple of things to to watch uh as as Cap moves forward. And just to that point, uh I mean, Clingberg looked pretty great in that first preseason game on the power play. The way he walked the blue line and found that lane, it’s beautiful. And I I don’t know if Dickinson’s role in the power play, I saw quite a bit of him on the power play, uh with London. Just move on and talk about the first game then. Uh um yeah. Okay. Yeah, I was talking about Dickinson on the power play. Also to your point about if Clingberg’s not there and Dickinson’s filling in, Dickinson sort of has a a different style in the power play from what I’ve seen. Obviously, the system’s different uh with London Knights, but you know, he he tends to to to move a little shift a little over to the side a little more and not always be high so he can get that one-time off. So, I’ll see. It’s going to be fun to see how they integrate him into the power play. Did you see anything from from when he was playing there in training camp that was a little different? Okay. No, I I I I haven’t I haven’t watched uh I didn’t watch that that closely. I I’m curious to see if it it makes it to a game. That’s when it becomes more relevant. And so that depends on Clingberg’s health. I don’t think that Dickinson is earmarked to take PP1 this year. I think it’s is it No, I guess Walman was probably up there as like one of the better um more productive offensive defenseman, but it is cool to see just another, you know, we’ve had a issue with getting an offensive defenseman who could run a power play and Clingberg can when he’s healthy. So that’s kind of cool. Um, yeah, it might be a little bit under the radar as like a pretty important aspect of this team is somebody like Clingberg if he’s healthy um to to hopefully get a few more wins. I did not watch the game on Sunday. I was dancing to the princess of power so I could not uh I could not see the game. I did watch the highlights though and few clips and stuff. I’m very sorry. Did you see the replay on like uh ESPN Plus or Unlimited? I thought that it was it it aired um or the sharks.com. I don’t know if is it there? if it is there. Sure. I didn’t I looked a little bit. I couldn’t see it there. I caught most of it, but kind of in the background. I was doing some house work sadly. Okay. Didn’t watch it. And also, I’m sad they like waited five more days from the preseason game. I was like, “Oh, cool. I’ll watch it another one two days and it’s Friday. Game anyway, but been watching a lot of other preseason, you know, at Finny.” So, but um yeah, it was cool to see guys like Tickson make an impact in the preseason, right? like cuz you could come in and he’s like completely lost. Like we’ve talked about this step right between like even rookie camp, dev camp, all that and and then preseason. Um guy like Musty last year kind of got lost in that transition. Um Dickson making an impact first game. So no, he absolutely hasn’t isn’t lost in that kind of way. I don’t think that he has made that transition in uh oh, he absolutely is going to be able to take a spot on the Sharks opening night and be there a whole year. At least in my opinion, he hasn’t done that. But I see a lot of good uh from him actually if you watch the highlight of course the the pass to Jeff Skinner. Granted that I give a lot of that to Will Smith for identifying the late man in Dickinson. I also actually underrated if you watch that play and this is a Jeff Skinner thing. Guy who scored almost 400 goals. You see him roll off his guy like that just get open like that. That is that’s just a guy who knows how to get open right to Jeff Skinner I think similar as players in that way. But anyway though, credit for Sam Sam for jumping up like that and recognizing that was the moment to jump up and so go ahead. Yeah. No, to your point, I think the whole play you kind of it kind of just you see what you’re getting in Dickinson. His skating ability to lead the rush. He’s very good on the rush. Uh we saw tons of that last year in the OHL. Like for his ability to to step up, his skating ability, the way he caught that pass to me was very impressive. Like that’s a high skill play. He did not dust it off. He catches it, uses his edgework to get around the guy. One pass. If you guys watch that play, he does not dust off that puck. That is like a high-end skill play. Obviously, Will Smith had a great game. One of my favorite things was that setup, that one touch backand pass to Musty in the slot. Will Smith looked really good, but Dickinson on that play, I think, you’re like, “Okay, can he do this at NHL speed?” Obviously preseason Vegas coming out with like not their best lineup. That’s what I was putting it. Yeah, that’s that was definitely the Vegas B team. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. That was Henderson. The the Sharks were playing. Yeah, exactly. And and but you know, you saw it. You saw everything and you kind of saw a little bit of a glimpse of the excitement of the season, right? Like Will Smith looking much more comfortable. You’re looking at Will Smith at the end of his NCAA season, like the way he looked just in confidence, his ability to find people, like one-touch passes, making plays, Dickinson on the rush, and obviously Skinner backhand, you know, in front of the slot knowing how to score goals. So, I I got it got me really excited just for the season. Will Smith at this level versus basically Henderson. You see Will Smith control it like he was it’s like he was back at BC versus like Marramac. Exactly. he knew that he didn’t maybe have to go 110% and that he owned the ice when he had the puck, which was most of the time when when he had the pucks. Um, Michael Misa was was impressive too. Didn’t do a ton offensively, but actually what stood out about Misa was and a lot of people talked about it at the end of the game how he basically won that that faceoff that led to the Tyler tool emptying that goal that basically sealed the game. Made a two0 game three nothing. But if you watch the replay of that that you watch him just get in the way of Cole Schwit. Cole Schwint’s 63. So not a small player. And Misa willed his way to win the faceoff. There was an earlier play that I think I’m not sure if if you guys caught, but also impressed me in a similar way with about five minutes ago or so. The Sharks were on the penalty kill and Nissa was the last man back. I don’t know who threw the puck at. It wasn’t a great high low. I’m sorry, low to high kind kind of kind of kind of pass or whatever that was. But anyway though, that Misa skated with and prevented Yonas Rangberg um 6’2 player, older player too, much older player and didn’t take a penalty, prevented Rangleberg from from going in on a short-handed breakaway, which two, five minutes left. Ronda Burke breakaway goal. That sounds like the Sharks in the third period last year, right? So anyway, I want to give Misa credit for that uh for that play too. And I asked Ryan Moroski about it yesterday about what those two plays signified about Misa. And obviously he signifies a compete and uh grit, which matters because we know Michael Misa is skilled, but you need to have those elements to be a winning player. Michael Misa is talented enough that if he grows just on his skill, he’s going to put up points. He’s going to be a whatever point per game guy, 60 point guy just on his pure skill. That’s how talented he is. But the elements that he showed were the elements of a winner. And other thing that subtly it showed, this is what I asked Worski, is we know that that shows Michael Misa’s will, but does it also show that he is underrated in his strength as 18-year-old? Yes. Granted, he was kind of hanging on to these guys a little bit. Like it wasn’t exactly like he was blowing these guys up, but these are again 6’3, 6’2 players who are mature professional men’s players. and he is he’s he is hanging with him though as a 18-year-old as a teenager and Warasi said yeah that Michael has surprised him with his strength with uh with being underrated how how how strong he is on the puck how strong he is with the puck and so I think that’s one of those elements of of of Misa that will help him translate this year to the NHL which is why uh I’ve I’ve been consistent as I think that he will stick with the Sharks all year skill is there but it’s not just about the skill it’s about the strength it’s about just enough quickness. He’s not fast enough to dominate the NHL yet, but is he quick enough fast enough to hang? Is he strong enough to hang? I think he is. He’s not strong enough to dominate yet, but to to hang and put up whatever. Uh I don’t know. I don’t think he’s going to necessarily win the CER. I don’t think he’s going to have that kind of impact Michael Misa, but I think that he’s he’s going to be a useful player for for the Sharks uh because of these non-skll elements. CBrini light, right? Yeah. And useful center, I think. A little bit of that. Yeah, that’s Yeah, right. Yeah. Yeah, they keep using him in the center. Seems like the um Zar at the end of the season might be right here as a Miser 2C prediction. It could be opening night opening night. Bear’s too early. Also used, sorry, they also use God and Kurishv at center a lot too. It sounds like God’s kind of earmarked for 4C. So Kurishv, I’m not sure if that’s just a they center right now, but eventually he’s going to go to the wing or who knows. But anyway, yeah, I want to also mention the um and they changed them up, right? The groups there was I think on Tuesday the groups were group A and group B that um right now group and Musty was part of group A. That was the big guy who stood out in in that group. Yes. So the and then Worski basically said it will change tomorrow and it did. It changed back to kind of a jumbled up group but is it’s interesting that that group A involves 15 forwards including Musty and Graph. Um which one you mean Tuesday’s group A? Tuesdays. Yeah, Tuesday. because that seemed to be the more NHL ready group, but obviously Warzo kind of put water on that and said, “Oh, that’s just because of the power play.” I don’t know. But but the power play is group. Yeah. I mean, he’s correct in the fact that you need NHL players to be on your power play. So, a lot of these guys are going to be Let’s not forget what what Dan Bole said about the first uh what he said last week about the the the first day training camp lines and how the coach is always like, “Oh, they don’t mean anything.” They do because again, the coaches to think about their lines. So, I thought it was cool that Musty made that group, right? He wasn’t put in in group B um when a guy like Shernes was put in group B. And I think that’s something at least mention. A sea is another guy who’s actually had a good camp for what I understand, but he is what you would consider also like a borderline AHL AHL guy. Um guy like Hardwell who I haven’t talked about a lot, but obviously he has AHL experience and he was also in that B group. So, no, I think it does say a lot about Musty’s camp so far. And granted, they may want to see Musty a little more with top players, too. So, there’s a little bit of, hey, he’s been good. And so, it’s not to say that Musty is going to make the opening night roster, which I would still predict that he won’t, but yeah. Uh, but he certainly has has like taken a step from a very clear step from last year. And there’s a consistency to it that that that um that’s really important for for any player. I mean, we’ve talked about Jack Thompson. It could be even a Ryan Mkeley, any of these players, right? like when they’re at their best, of course they have angel talent, but they’ve got to do it like well, let’s go to what Dan Butle said, eight times, eight days out of 10, eight games out of 10. That’s not exactly what Dan said, but it’s got to be a lot more a lot more consistent. I want to add with Musty that Worski did say very interestingly that Musty’s game in the in in the preseason debut or I’m sorry, the Sharks preseason debut was a little up and down. He was very honest, candid about Musty’s game. He he said if I if I remember correctly that but didn’t really love Musty second period. I think he said he had a good first period. Second period he kind of went back to the things that that we we’ve talked with him about like kind of soft plays in the neutral zone that turn into counterattack turnovers. I noted one of those plays in my notes. I think it might have happened in third period though that I saw it. Anyway, a play like that where Musty is is trying to exit and he’s trying to make a play through the neutral zone instead of kind of just making the the the next play, maybe the safe next play, and he’s he’s going for I’m not sure exactly who’s trying to hit, but he turns it over trying to make the the the big play due to neutral zone. It is a counterattack for Vegas, which you can’t have. Um anyway though, then he said that Musty bounced back in the third period. But what was interesting about that is I asked Wars I think it was yesterday I asked him did what uh between the second and third period you mentioned that Musty kind of uh turned his game around and so did did one of the coaches talk with him and Wars Worski said I I talked with him so I think that kind of shows maybe you know the the the coaching that’s going on in game but also Warsoski it’s not something he’s delegating to his assistants there um kind of working with this prospect that is important into the Shark’s future. So, I thought that was kind of a cool note that Warzoski said I was the only talked with him about a second period and kind of got him back on track. And that’s something that’s like kind of followed Musty even through, you know, scouting reports is that there’s times where he’s on and then sometimes, especially coming back defensively or laxidasal goal plays like that, he just kind of checks out. Um, and to see like coach Warsovski see it in an entire period, I mean a little concerning and obviously you want to see him continue to develop, but that has been the critiques even when we had our OHL experts on about him. Gonna step up though for for Musty here though that he’s been pretty consistent in in this camp and not everybody’s you’re not going to have perfect periods um every every time or or perfect practices just based on what Warasi has said and what I’ve seen. He’s been pretty consistent though and so I’m not going to dock him for whatever an off period or an off. Like look, I I watched Mussy in the scrimmages. He made plays I I didn’t like. Uh but um by and large though, he was making a lot more good plays than bad though. And so where I was going with that was that I see him in the AHL and that’s where he’s going to develop this season and learn those things and get that consistency and those details of the game that he needs to compete in the NHL. So I love that he’s getting this experience and even to have a good period. I think it’s a positive. But I do think that that still is something that needs to get flushed out and developed where he gets consistency in the details. Yeah. So, so that’s the uh thing I want to bring up is that it’s maybe a little too early for for roster predictions, but both graph and must early for a rosteration. Never too early, but some rosteration. Yeah, the Graph and Musty are the two guys that are um able to go down on waiverss without um uh being claimed. So, um, are able to go down to the AHL without being claimed on waiverss. So, are they the two guys? Because you picture 13 forwards, 8D if we keep Dehar and Dickinson up. So, that’s 23man roster with two goalies. So, probably two forwards getting sent down. Or do we keep one of the waiverss um exempt guys like Graph or Musty? For most of the summer, I I thought that Graph would be the guy just because it’s the path to least resistance. It’s the easiest thing for the Sharks to do to send somebody who’s waver exempt and who will also help your AL team immensely. Graph was a point per game player in the AHL last year. But at once camp started and I wrote a story a couple actually even before that I just watching Graph in the captain scrimmages a little bit and um just kind of things I’m hearing. I I think that graph is having a very good camp and I would be surprised if graph is the is is sent down and I know that’s if you if you guys know how how I look at these prospects that’s it is because typically I just lean toward for for an angel team it just it’s just how teams usually operate that if they had to choose between risking losing an asset uh that doesn’t doesn’t matter who it is or just sending down the prospect chances are that they’re going to send down the prospect unless the prospect really defines himself as he’s got to be here and I think that Graph and granted it’s still two weeks from opening night, but so far I think Graph is defining himself as a player that needs to be here so far at this camp. So I I right now I would say that they they keep Graph. I’m with you on that, Shank. Um, and I I Keegan, I was with uh I was having that same thought where I was like, they’re going to do what’s contractionally here beneficial to the team. But even in the preseason game, everything that he’s done so far, he just seems so professional. And I think he’s really gotten a lot of trust and and we hear it all the time that coaches are looking just for the trust in the player. I feel like you can trust him out on the ice now. He seems very reliable and defensively sound. PK. Yep. Yes to that. And I think he’s quicker, too. That’s that’s what I I saw the first preseason game and I wasn’t sure if that was just because he was playing Vegas B team, you know. I I I I might look like I don’t know. No, I wouldn’t look maybe Zubar because you play a bit. Maybe you would look like, hey, that that that that Zuber kid can skate against the Vegas B team, but I I I I’ve checked around though on that and I think I think there I I think I may have saw that right though with with with Raph, I guess. Um, so if he’s added a little bit of quickness to along with the already like ability to to penalty kill and a sort of a trustworthy, reliable game, consistent. Yeah. With a bit of a little bit of flare, a little bit of skill that I I think right Yeah. Again, right now I think he’s going to make it. I also like his game in the boards. I feel like that’s not discussed enough, but he’s he puck battles and and and again, most hockeyy’s played on the boards in the NHL. He’s really good on the boards. He shakes checkers well. He actually pucked protects well and he wins those battles more often. I got to watch him more carefully. I think he’s okay. I don’t know if I would consider that like a strength of his. But he’s not he’s not bad though. He’s not bad at all and something for a 23y old. And if he’s stronger this year, then I definitely see that as an advantage. His skating, he does have a little bit of a hitch in his stride. He’s always had that. Yeah, he’s always had that. I know something he’s been working on, but uh to see him gain quickness even with his stride. If he finds a way to get there, that’s all that matters, right? Exactly. The other option obviously is somebody like Clingberg is injured too much that they just can put him on like season IR. Right. Right. Right. But the fact that Clingberg’s already on the ice already, I I don’t know if that’s that that would be the ticket for obviously to keep Jack Thompson if Jack Thompson is the guy who’s who’s on uh in the balance. Yeah. Um I think obviously the other guy that people ask about is Canon, but Canyon to me from what I’ve seen so far, he hasn’t again I think you’re asking for a guy to take a job, right? A young guy, right? And I think Graph is doing that. I don’t know if Must uh Musty is doing that to some degree, but I don’t know enough that he’s actually going to take it. But he is he is taking it though. So I shouldn’t say he isn’t, but I don’t know if it’s going to be strong enough that you must put him in the lineup. We’ll see. He’s still still two weeks of cap left. Um so yeah, I I I that’s what you want to see going to what what Dan was saying, that’s what you want to see out of Thompson or Canon. Some that we we’ve got to put him in the lineup. You know, what are we doing if we don’t put him in the lineup? and forces a trade of whatever one of the veterans or whatever. I still think the physical play with Canon needs to improve like that to the point where he probably has to to spend another year um and and obviously call ups and everything, but there’s still a definite he loses too many board battles and and cannot retrieve in the way that he needs to to be an everyday NHL defenseman. I think that the offense is so great again that you you can you can live with it, right? It’s not right. And so yeah, this was the Sharks from two years ago where we had nobody who could move a puck. Maybe I mean likely even got a shot then. Exactly. That’s what I mean. But right now we’ve got like guys who can actually like move pucks veteran guys or love you know clingberg and Dickson guys that can actually move the puck. Can right now has to um be above those guys. Does not mean that the the future’s not bright for him but don’t be upset if he is in the AHL to start the year because it seems like he’s gone. Yeah. I think Kenyon is one of those path of least resistance like waiver exempt still needs to get you know like you mentioned the battles and that sort of thing. So, just better better to do that in in the AHL for sure. But the other person that stood out to me in the preseason game was Kurishv. Kersev looked really good um I thought and and on both sides of the puck had some great plays. There’s one where he put this puck through the defenseman and got a good scoring chance, but uh a lot more skill than I was expecting actually. Um just like raw skill. Again, we’ll see how that translates to an actual NHL game. Yeah. I don’t know. Usually these games and I probably mentioned this to to you guys. I mean everyone listening too. Like I I watch specific players and they’re the players that are trying to break onto the sharks. Guys like Misa and Dickinson and Kangi and guys like that. I’m not watching Kurishv because he’s an angel veteran. And so if Kurishv is dummy the again literally the Henderson Silver Knights that’s cool but you know let’s let’s see that against against against against real competition before we start anointing him anything. out. Yeah. I mean, the last thing to talk about probably is the goalending though. Shane, would you see great goalending obviously like I expect to I expected the the Sharks to hold the Henderson Silver Knights to a lesser number of chances, which they did. And you expect Indulkovic to stop the shots and they did a pretty good job. I don’t think Vegas I don’t think Vegas had that many great chances. The one thing that stood out though um oftentimes when I do kind of have this focus watching games, if you stand out to me and you’re a veteran, either you did something really great or you did something really awful. And in the Delkovich’s case, he Nid Delulkovich’s case, he does something really great actually. And there’s a lot of talk about his puck moving. And so there was a there was a play, I don’t remember what period, it’s also in my in my game notes, but uh Nugovich goes back to get the puck. His closest man is Canoni, but Canyon has some pressure on him, and recognizes that and he doesn’t force the puck to Canyon or into Canyon’s area, which I think a lot of goalenders would do. are not as adept at moving the puck and of course that puts Canon in a bad position because Canon’s got a poor checker on top of him and Dovich rims it really hard past Canoni and to Musty who is open up high and it’s easy it’s it’s it’s an easy exit and that that is that’s that is sort of 101 of the value of if you have a goalender who can move the puck and they’ll make some mistakes too. I think Ngovovic later in the game tried to clear it up the middle. Maybe he shouldn’t have, but that’s going to happen, right? Like it’s actually one of those things where I think if a goalie can actually I wonder what what what what bo uh Boil’s number is for a goalie, but if a goalie can make up the right play nine out of 10, maybe eight of 10 is a little low, but nine of 10. Nine out of 10. There you go. Yeah. Then then then you feel pretty good about it. And so the Delvich is a guy I think who should be able to do that. I really love that play because that is just again that’s everything you need from there and the Sharks have obviously had a lot of issues breaking out the puck at their defense but uh if you have a goalender that can that can move the puck uh really really well like in the like like Ascarov is capable of Ascarov is more of a seven of 10 eight of 10 he makes the right play. You don’t like his dangles? Yeah. Oh he does. He does. He does. I love it. I think I I think I could tell the story. Um, I once asked Blackwood about last year about Ascaros puck handling or stick handling and Blackwood was just like, “Yeah, you know, like like I like Blackwood was how do how do you say how do you how do I phrase this right?” Uh, Blackwood was just saying that like yeah, like I could I could do some of that too, but I’m too afraid to do that. And he was just making a point that like goalies that’s that’s kind of like beat all of you, right? That kind of uh ability to move the puck. So if you make it to the NHL and you can still move it like like Nugovich can or another guy who who made it to the NHL was actually very underrated Erin Dell was a really excellent puck mover. Um then it’s a real genuine skill and so it hasn’t been it’s with with Escarov it’s going to go one of two ways. Either going to get beat out of him where they don’t let him let him do it anymore or he gets more consistent at it and and he can make that right play nine out of 10 times. And so either way, right? So uh so we we’ll see what happens there. But if it goes in a positive way with with with a scar off this year in that in the in the in the puck handling sense that is going to be a real asset for the Sharks to have two guys that are aggressive handling the puck and who are hopefully good uh good with it and it’ll be good for their development that they could talk about it and make those reads together and I think that’s really important for Ascarov’s development too to have a goalender that he could talk to about these plays and when they go bad when they get rod what are they reading what are they looking for right so right right no absolutely I think that’s an underrated part part of the signing we talked a lot about the chemistry part, but also too that specifically in the in the puck handling area and Nelkovich is really good at that. That’s kind of like kind of like um yeah like like Sam Dickinson can learn from a a like defenseman like a John Clingberg about puck moving, right? Or Shakir and Or be a lot of this direct tandemss going on with the Sharks right now. That’s kind of right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. you don’t think about the stick hand or the puck handling with a goalie and that’s something that you need to kind of uh uh a pair with with with Escar off but actually yeah it can be so that that is actually a good a good thing. I’m super excited. Like just I It’s a good It feels better this this training camp than most. Like last year felt good. Um but I just feel like the the team is a little bit better constructed it seems like um than the past few years. We’ll see, right? But it just feels more cohesive. Feels like we’re constructed for winning. Yeah. More constructed for winning. How’s that? finally were going before. It was constructed before, but for celebr I I thought last year’s team was constructed logically too, and we’ve talked a lot about this, but this year I would say it’s a better construction. I like the emphasis that Mike Greer did make in the summer with more puck movers. Whereas last summer, he added Jake Walman, but then after that, I was like, well, we’re still going to go with the glass and out guys, which were were fine. And the Sharks were more competitive. We hear Cody CC’s and we saw Yon Ruda. But um this this summer I like we have a little more skill. Mlin, we know Mlin’s really good. Will Smith is emerging, etc., etc. Willie Meckllin’s emerging too. So let’s let’s get them guys that can get get the puck into their hands. And so I think we should see an improve improvement there. And they haven’t lost too much of just the defending like competently because they saw De Harrenade there. Ferrar they they did keep Ferrar. So, I think that and Orlof Orof obviously is is a very two-way capable. Yeah. Can right like now that Ferraro doesn’t have to um eat every single minute. You have a guy like Orof who can eat a lot of tough minutes, too. That’s that’s huge for the Sharks. It hasn’t been that way. It should be. Yeah, it should be. If he’s able to kind of uh Yeah, Carolina wasn’t the best experience for him, but he still was playing close to 20 minutes a night on a top team. So, even if it wasn’t uh wasn’t a seamless fit there, he was, you know, he’s still okay there at least. So hopefully here uh gets more even more playing time that it’s going to be good for Warlock. Yeah, they really need him though. If he if he can kind of turn back the clock a little bit to his Washington days, like even close to that, that would be huge for the Sharks to have like a guy that is like would be top four on every single team in the league kind of kind of player, which they haven’t had really. Um you know, uh I guess unless you count a Wman or CC barely, but yeah. Yeah. Anyway, Orlof can be very good for sure. Just wanted to while you mentioned Mike Greer, just wanted to pass uh our condolences on to Bobby Greer. Uh passed away on September 22nd. Uh dad Mike Greer. Yeah. Coach, professional football executive. That’s where you know Mike and and Chris I learned a lot of their sports management. Heavily involved with uh drafting Tom Brady and JJ Watt. So yeah, fantastic career and uh just uh passed our condolences from Santa Hockey now. All right. Um so from there um we wanted to get into top 10 prospects. So, we had to say goodbye to Zubar for the time being. So, we’ve cut our show from four people to three people, now it’s two people. Spoon it will be either one of us just talking. Slowly, the true leader of the human centipede is emerging. Yes. Whoever’s left is the head or the butt. I don’t know. Whoever Whoever wins the captaincy, good to Yeah, they’re the head. Well, I guess if Dan left first, he’s the head, right? He’s like, I’m out, you know? So, Sar gets to be the the second there. Anyway, Chang, we’re going to do our top 10 uh Sharks prospects as well as some honorable mentions because people love the honorable mentions. If they don’t get in the top 10, they want to hear about them regardless. I think it’s been I don’t know maybe after the draft that we did this or was it No, we do it the post trade deadline and a preseason. Yeah. So, it’s every six months or so. So, there’s been some changes, right? We’ve got some new additions. We’ve got some hot takes, some uh changes that have occurred in the summer, even though there’s not a lot of hockey to be played, but just some changes. So I think we’ll have an interesting discussion. Let’s start with our uh with our couple of our honorable mentions guys that didn’t make it in the door top 10. And just so you guys know our cuto off for number of AHL games is 50 games which eliminates Otopchuk. He’s the main one that might have been considered but he’s not in this one because I think he’s at 63 or something like that. We have left Graph and Mukuman in which is debatable but they are well under well well under 50 games. I think Graph is at 40. Mukuman’s at like 33 or something like that. And also too, Escaroff is also part of it too. Yeah. And those guys, even though we expect them to be big contributors or contributors to the Sharks this year in some fashion, still not there yet because it’s preseason, so it counts. Gives us more people to talk about. Next six months will be interesting with a lot of graduations probably, but we’ll see. I have like a tier of guys in that last little segment that encompasses eight through 13. I don’t know if you got like a similar kind of thing, but there’s three names I want to talk about other than whole bunch of other guys that are still important, but three three guys that could have made the top 10, I think, realistically on my board. Yeah. Before you do that, uh, for me, the way I think I have it tiered is I basically sent a top 10 and honorable mentions to five league people. And the last two I got my mind changed on on them or at least I had a lot of like, yeah, I don’t think so. So, a lot of kind of push back. And so that kind of made me kind of rethink things. So for me, I would say that there are probably I would say that there are also five people that could have been in the top 10. So it’s similar to yours, but I think what might be different though is that it’s maybe maybe it’s similar to yours actually. Well, I’m curious to hear your names. But before we do that though, do you want to go with sort of the guys that really not in the top 10 but are obviously still good prospects? Yeah, like the even not even the honorable mentions. These are just like the guys that I still think have some some um degree of possibly getting the top 10 eventually, but probably aren’t there right now in my opinion. They’re so honorable mentions. Let’s let’s not dishonor them, but they’re not the they’re not the most honorable mentions. Yeah, they’re the uh if you’re getting Magnaum La Cumlaude, they’re the [ __ ] How’s that? They got they got no top 10 votes, I guess, from the five people that I reached out to. So that maybe for me that’s how I’ll define it. though. I don’t know about you, but yeah, guys like so this is my guys like McKini. Okay, Carson Wedge. Yep. Reese Lobach, Mus Havl, Colton Roberts, MSI, Lond, and Wang were not in my Lok and Madi, but they’re still kind of got to figure out what they are after college. So, those are guys that are in like the past that I really consider the top 10, but still good prospects. Okay, I would say that, excuse me, that actually uh Wong and and Lun got some interesting feedback and so I think that they were top 10 range. I think Lun is very interesting one. I had very very interesting feedback about Lun. So I think that’s going to be a surprising one. And you mentioned a few names I think are not even kind of in the in this range. So I would say that the five that stood out and maybe we can include I’ll include West in there because I think he is he is in there. Yeah, for sure. So there’s six names that kind of stood out that they are not top 10. They weren’t necessarily considered for that, but they’re close enough though that basically they are like if you consider like the there’s the elite tier, there’s the, you know, obviously Michael Misa tier. There is the kind of top 10 tier guys that would be considered for that maybe if they didn’t even make it, but they would be considered for it. And then there’s, let’s say, a third tier, right? And so there’s six names that stood out for me or that uh that I sent to people and they are Eric Pole Camp and I do want to mention uh this is a shout out to Zubar who could not be on the show and I think he’d like to be on the show because he is a big Eric PCAM fan. He has been for a year and a half and one scout told me that that that guy’s going to play in the NHL. May not be at the sort of top four whatever, right? But but that guy’s going to play. That’s that’s what he said. I didn’t follow up and ask if it is making the NHL like 300 games or is it just making the NHL as a shark because in past years that’s been a recent or that’s been a different qualification. But that is that is what what one person that I do very much trust said though and so I think that’s that’s worth noting will surprise people but oh gohead let’s talk about what happened. So Pamp ended up being 12th on my list. So these are the guys that part of the honorable mention. Okay, fair. The three guys that I think were were pretty close. B camp was 12th. Okay, next guy is Haltonin, which will surprise people because obviously he’s got a big shot, but as we always talk about, there’s a lot more to his game that needs rounding out and not quite seeing it. Granted, training camp’s been just a week, but still got has to get quicker, use the body more. We’ll see what happens to HL. He is a guy obviously talented with that shot. So he can shut me up, shut us up very quickly this AHL season. Yep. Halton ended up being 13th. So he was that number three young because I have 13 13 ahead of camp in Hton. So Oh wow. Okay. Yeah. All right. Yeah, that makes makes sense. I think the he’s still kind of holding on to that there’s the NHL quality shot and then the rest of the game. Yeah. And the size. Yeah, exactly. And there’s it’s like you just you really hope that it starts to kind of click in a more manageable more consistent way for him. Yeah. Yeah. I do really love that he Sorry for interrupting, but I just love that he and L and Musty are all living together. It just like very similar. They’re just missing Chernot, but go ahead. I’m sorry I jumped in. No, it’s true. Like they’re all the like if you had like characterize them, it’s like the the non elite elite guys and they’re like, “We’re all going to make this team, man. We’re going to get there. We’re going to, you know, they all got stuff to work on. They all got some flaws, but that’s why they were drafted where they are. So, just all different kinds of tanks. Yeah. Yep. The next guy is Selen Winius that didn’t receive any top 10 love uh that from from people that I talked to. So, it sounds like you you might I know you’ve always liked him. Yeah, we’ll talk about them. Okay. Yeah. Again, these I I so all the names I I’ve mentioned here the are my top 13 and these five names I’m going to mention. I didn’t include Wes on my list and no one said, “Oh, you got to include W.” But I’m going to put them put them up here. Also Zub Bear’s favorite, so we got to shout that out for Zar. Yeah. Yeah, it is a Zubar favorite. But next is Cardwell. Yeah, but again, no one’s like, “Hey, you got to put Carwell in your top 10.” So, okay. So, he’s not. And he wasn’t in my original top 10 either. And finally, McKenna. Same kind of thing where good prospect for sure. And one of the things that this exercise does show is that the shark system is really really deep. Uh obvious even without Mlin and Will including Will Smith in these kind of lists. So that it is kind of indicative of that. But anything to say about Cardwell and McKenna or WC too. That’s Yeah. Yeah. So WC and Cardwell is similar like in my eyes. Wet has a little bit more bite to his game, a little bit um probably a better shooter overall, but Carwell’s got a little bit more playmaking. So I like both their games. I think they have qualities that can make them into like bottom six NHL players. It’s that’s the that’s kind of their ceiling. And you really hope for Cardwell that this year is the step that he starts to get those more regular call-ups into the NHL, but it is looking tough with how many guys are around that are kind of filling those roles for the Sharks right now. So, but he he was 19th on my thing. So, in that top 20, he’s in the top 20. Yeah, for sure. But um I think this kind of hasn’t really taken that jump. Even though he was a good player for the barracuda last year and like there’s still could be a jump there for Cardwell. He’s he’s proven a lot of people wrong as as he’s gone on. So there’s things to like about his game for sure. I just think the ceiling isn’t super super high. I think he ends up as kind of probably more of a tweener if anything else. He made a kind of a big jump in 2023 24 when I think he popped in 20 goals or whatever. Last year was a good year for him, but it didn’t feel like like you said that he got better, but I don’t know if he got much much better. Yeah. So, that that’s why he’s kind of a little outside looking in. Anybody else that you think kind of fits into the let’s say the top 20 then? That’s that’s a way that I didn’t mention. Um, I have uh 15th on my list. I really like McKini. Like um I think it’s such a smart pick. So, McKenna and Wang are both second round picks, right? like this this exercise if you switch their positions I think a lot of less a lot less people would be other people are mad about the Wang pick or the Wong pick um I can’t say if it’s Wong or Wang I can never remember but um it’s it it’s say it the way that it’s not spelled Wong but so if you flip the positions right like Wong is a late second and Mckenn’s early second honestly I think you’re getting like in into the weeds there I think it’s a really good pick where they got I think he he could have possibly been in that 30 to 40 range really solid player looks like that prototypical third line forward that that micro does love to target and draft and try to develop and and I really uh he he looked he looked really good throughout the year last year and I think this is going to be a big year for him. I think he’s going to have a a progression up these charts. He’s just a very smart solid player who doesn’t uh doesn’t shy away from contact, plays in the middle of the ice. I like him a lot. So I think he’s got a chance to as a um a bottom sixer but more in that like third line role. It’s just going to take time. Oh and I I actually miscounted. So I have two that I was debating two other names I was debating in the top 10. So that’s maybe different than yours. So anyway though, so anybody else you think are top 20 caliber though? Like I don’t really know if Hav belongs in there, you know, guys like that. Anyone else you want to mention? Yeah, my list has ordered like 1 to 20 and then honorable mentions after it even though we’re doing one. Okay. I I did one through 10 and then uh Yeah. Yeah. I didn’t really do like the the the 13 through 20. I didn’t I’m with the names I just said pole camp Hton Selen Willinius Cardwell McKini and WC aren’t in order for me. It just they just didn’t make the top 10. Yeah, I think um Colton Roberts it looks pretty good. Um a lot of games that I’ve watched of his prototypical size proving play. I think it’s a long-term bet but he has enough smarts and enough uh skill um that I think that there’s something there and that’s what they were betting on way back then in the day as well. So I would put him at 20 for me. Okay. Um, but other than that, I don’t think so. Sabota is a great I think he had a great year. It’s kind of underrated how good his year was, but like he wasn’t amazing in in college in terms of production, but if you’re looking for that fourthline player, I really there’s a there’s probably a future versus Fabota in the league in that in that regard because he’s got great defensive stick, he’s faceoffs, I think he can be that kind of guy. Your Nico Sterns, your, you know, Luke Glenn Dennings, you’re those kind of guys. I feel like there’s a future for Shabota in there, too. So, doesn’t mean he’s top 10 worthy because like his ultimate ceiling is probably fourth line, but still a good bet. We’d be remiss and not mention Mo Downey, too, who had incredible season in with Connecticut last year, but granted his size, does that translate? You can score as much as you want in the NCAA. Doesn’t mean that that’ll translate to pro hockey, but he did have an incredible season. And Reese Lavok might be centering the best player in the country next year or best. Is that what they’re doing? Um he he played up and down between their first and second line last year in terms of center. He might be on you know with have you know Gavin McKenna on his wing. It’s very possible. Crazy. Okay. Him and Charlie Sorado I think are the other one. Charlie Sado is a second round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes last year. So he might get the first crack at it just because he was a a higher drafted player. But Lok’s also more senior than Sorado. So I don’t know. Could be. I boost his point totals for sure. I bet he’s super excited about that to get his contract out of college if he can if he can keep it up. He’s had a good season. Good bets from the Sharks. Honestly, when they drafted them, everybody’s like, “Who the hell is Joey Maldoni and Reese Labok and Brandon Sabot,” including myself, not Brandon Savota, but the other two. And like they’re still progressing. A lot of these players don’t progress like these six, seventh round picks. So, right, still some progression there. Great work. Richard Golant was a good pickup, too, in the seventh. I think he’ll have similar progression even if he is very tiny. And then Nate Ms Key was another one, but he’s more of an honorable mention pick for me. Okay. Honorable mention of the top 20. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like in the 20. Okay. So, let’s then move on to the just missed the top 10. And there’s going to be more discussion here because I think this is an interesting I have just a couple names obviously and so do you, but I think there are very interesting names. So, I’ll start first. Then Wong just missed my top 10. I actually had him in my top 10, but a couple people, not everybody, but a couple people that I talked to were like, “No, he’s not quite there yet. He’s too raw.” Obviously, everybody sees the the raw the skating, the size, and all that kind of stuff, but he’s still got to learn how to play hockey. And he may be a guy that’s easily in the top 10 by the end of this coming season, but he hasn’t done it yet. Whereas the names ahead of him have a more pro kind of more proof that they are pro players along with having pretty good upside, too. And so, Wong is a guy that that just missed for me. One quote that the scout mentioned is just basically he’s fine, he’s talented, and he will improve, but he is a long long way away. So there’s two two longs there, so it’s not too bad. It’s not a long long long long way away. Yeah. Long long way away. Completely agree with that that statement. I have Wong at Wong at 16th, which is probably too low for myself, but it because ahead of him is guys like McKenna and Lond Halton, who we talked about pole camp, and then we’ll get to the rest of the guys. So, like those guys just seem like they’re closer and the Sharks prospect pool is so deep right now that like I don’t know. I think the ceiling with with Wong is there, but there’s a long way to go. So, you’re right. Maybe in a year or two years he’s inching into that top 10, but right now we got a bunch of dudes up there that are close to the NHL. And with Wong, it’s like there’s like an all or nothing kind of bet here. Like, yeah. So, I would put him down a bit lower, but I do see the upside. I think um even between the two games that he got in the um rookie faceoff, I think between one and two, I think he improved a lot. The first game was really rough in my eyes. is the second game was a lot better. So yeah, I I think that’s that’s not unfair for you to put Wong so low because he’s one of those guys where if you put him high, you’re just kind of thinking, well, he’s a second round pick and he has a couple of outstanding tools. But if you put him lower, you’re thinking, well, this guy just doesn’t know how to play pro hockey yet, which is they’re both true. And so I think I think that’s that’s legitimate. I probably was aggressive even putting him in the top 10. So, and I probably mention this every time we do this, that the reason why I want to my list vetted is I want people to to say, “Nah, this guy is not there or to tell me like, hey, you missed this guy. This guy definitely should be in your top five or top 10.” Anyway, so, yep. So, okay. So, I think we agree on on Wong. The one that’s Okay, so next thing I’m going to bring up is actually this surprised me and I think it’s um it’s Cam Lun and I think that we in the media and that includes you Keegan like that we’ve kind of slept on him a little bit because he didn’t dominate on Nor Eastern which you kind of expect a college player to do so but you can argue his team wasn’t that strong right but anyway that like he it’s not like he was a Hobie Baker like one of the the final 10 or whatever right that kind of that kind of deal right but as I was reminded I had two of the five people and again people I very much trust in the in in in this realm of of judging prospects. Two of the five put L in in the top 10. And that might surprise a lot of you it might surprise you. It might just surprise a lot of Sharks fans because I think that we’ve been we’ve heard so much about similarish profile players but who are more recent like Musty like even Hton more because Hton plays for London Chernishoff obviously so can kind of used to hearing about these other guys more but you forget with London this is what I was reminded of talking to one of these sources that you look at him and you see him skate you see him shoot you see his size and There isn’t anything that he like in like at least in the that very basic sense, there isn’t anything that he can’t do as a hockey player. He’s not like he’s he’s faster than than than than Hton and and Chernishoff. He’s got their size. This one scout insists to me and this this was again this will maybe surprise you. He says that he thinks L shot is basically as good as Hton. And we just don’t Yeah. Yeah. We just don’t think about it because obviously Hton there’s more profile blasting it away in London Memorial Cup just there’s a lot more profile than doing it in Nor Eastern and you’re not going anywhere in in the tournament and Lond is older too so you know want to give Halton that sort of uh that sort of grace or credit but but an interesting an interesting comparable about Lond style-wise and I think that’s kind of always been the biggest issue is his pace of play sometimes isn’t that pacey like he’s not he doesn’t really seem to be pushing play which was always kind of like the the hold back from him being like a top 10 guy. Yeah, it’ be interesting to see what happens when he gets into the pro leagues, but yeah, maybe even like Tyler Tofoley camp, right? Like sometimes he does make things look pretty like simple on the like pretty easy on the ice. Like he’s got a great shot and sometimes he’s just in the right spot to use it. He has good speed. I just think there is still more to do with the physical game, the defensive side of the game that that needs to improve. Sure. But uh yeah, it’s not like he’s you’re right like an NHL scout, he he does have most of the things that you need to make it and he’s got good size and he also is a early second rounder too. So it’s not like he doesn’t have pedigree in that regard. So reminded of this too that this is what what what I was told to me is that he’s he’s a really good athlete too. And you know what what that what that means just in general is just he’s he’s a guy that maybe because of his just his overall as an athlete that he might be able to improve very quickly too. and was mentioned to me, yeah, he’s a better athlete in this scout’s opinion than I think he mentioned Hton. Yeah, faster and more athletic. Yeah, that’s been a concern with Halton in the past, too, is just like his athleticism and and his um his shape basically, right? I have them both like 13, 14, Halton and Lond. They’re kind of similar. I feel like I feel like Lond might be sleeping on though. And that’s why he’s so high because previously in previous kind of iterations of this list, L was more of a maybe he’s 13, maybe he’s 14, but I’m not thinking about him in the top 10. And I very very nearly put him in in the top 10. I was I just say the the the the people that are saying he should be in the top 10, I’m like, you know what, maybe, you know, like you you know, you know your stuff. You you’ve you’ve made your your picks, you know, in in your life and so your your successful picks, you know, more than I do, for sure. So, I thought really hard about it and then I didn’t because my Yeah, I can explain that in a little bit. But he is way closer to the top 10 than when I started this exercise, he was closer to 15 than 10 for me. I’ll put it that way. He’s the guy that’s moved the most besides maybe Wong. But Wong I understand though because Wong is just sort of a bundle of tools with like nothing tying it together right now. But L is the one that since I I I sent all these lists to people that again I thought of him more as closer to 15 and now I think yeah closer to to to the 10 and 15. Did you think the the Beast versus Lond as well? You know that’s a actually I’m going to get get to that one in a little bit but I just want to add just one more note from this scout about Lond if if if things work out maybe you have a guy um maybe like a like a poor man’s Chris Krider. I don’t know if he’s not gonna score 40 goals like Chris Crider, but in terms of just the style and the package of of of tools because you mentioned Tofoley, but I don’t think L fits in that just because of his I don’t know if L is as smart as the Foley. So that’s to to Foley’s credit, but then obviously the L skates better than than Defo. Yes, he does. And so yeah, so I think I think kind of like that Crideresque type, but maybe topping out at 20 25 goals would be a huge win for the Sharks. And that would be that’s that’s a really good player. That’s a very useful player with his power game and and whatnot. Anyway, so I didn’t really again I didn’t expect the Cam L takeover. You honestly once once a lot of people these on this list graduate too, he’s going to make it into this top 10 like at some point probably if he has a good year. He has to have a good year in the Barracuda. Build on like had a pretty good NHL debut. He had a better I would say better NHL debut than Graph did. He might be Yeah. The way that these people are talking to me about him, he might he might be in the NHL sooner than we expect. He is a year older than Musty. He’s two years older than Chernishoff. So that might kind of help him out a core because he’s just a little more mature, too. Yeah, I think um it’s gonna be super telling. It’s going to be very fun Barracuda. So I always say that, but it’s got a lot of lot of interesting guys that are trying on the cusp it looks like of making terms of skills, especially on the wing, right? They they are not deep at center and that’s going to be a problem. But at wing though they because even besides the young guys like Lun and Musty and Hton and Chernishop being there they have if Walstrom is there Walstrom is a guy that should be able to score a lot in the AHL if graph ends up there which I don’t think he will but obviously Graph has had a lot of AHL success people forget of and he has had has had a lot of success in the AHL too. I might be missing another name or two, but they actually could be I I I may have underrated their depth at wing because it seems like they have a lot of potential potentially strong wings if obviously all the young guys or if most of the young guys have strong pro debuts, which is of course uh not no guarantee. Yeah, for sure. Moved out guys like Bordello and Gushin as well. So there’s like a a definite turnover there, too. So Cargo, they’re adding five inches. Yeah, they added a whole bunch of big guys. Yeah. Oh, man. All right. So, who’s your So, that’s any other names outside the top 10? No. I So, I guess our top 10 our top 10 are the same again. No, don’t because I had I have I have uh Phil Oh, don’t tell. Oh, no. No. Well, oh, okay. Okay, then we have one difference then. Okay. All right, then. I’ll start with my number 10 then. Uh and then and then you you can you can go with yours. And my number 10 is Colin Graph. And Colin Graph is a guy that I originally thought maybe he’s not in my top 10. I like Holland’s game as we as I discussed earlier on this show, but that the ceiling though maybe is not so high. He’s a winger, not a center. He’s a little older. I know he’s a very smart player. I do like him a lot, but maybe not top 10, but um someone pushed him into their top 10. Someone I trust what he was like, “Yeah, no, he’s he should be in your top 10.” And took out I think uh took out Wong and took out my number nine. Um, and so yeah, so Grath is is in in the top 10. Anyway, I think I mentioned early in the show he’s had a good camp and even though he is waver exempt, I think he’s going to he’s going to make the team based on his smarts and it looks like his skating has improved a little bit. Yeah, for sure. And he’s he’s going to be he’s he’s he yeah, he has a immediate future with the Sharks. We’ll talk about Graph in a little bit. He’s not my number 10. Okay. I think I mentioned 11 was Philip Beastat. So that was the uh the guy that was super close. That might be on your list. But yeah, I’m gonna talk you said next my 10 with uh Leo Salinius. So okay, I know spicy. I gotta keep sticking. That is spicy. That actually is quite spicy. That’s well okay. So I watched World Junior Summer Showcase and he was one of the most if not the most impressive defender for Sweden and like that’s not like what I expected from Leo Salomius to be. He he does everything not everything correct, right? But he does so many little things correct defensively. He has enough skill offensively that there is some deception there. he can, you know, make plays from the point. I think there’s enough there that given that he’s already a plus skater plus a good defender and he’s playing big SHL minutes right now. I think this isn’t and he’s not huge, right? He’s like six foot or so. So, but he he fits into this mold of like a good bottom pairing defender, I think, that can also move pucks for you. And I I really like his smarts as well. I think if he kind of takes the reigns in the SHL and then has a great World Juniors, I think he also has a chance to um move higher up on this lineup. It just kind of opened my eyes a little bit. I’ve been following him for a long time, but seems like he’s steadily improving and and he’s a second round pick as well. So, all these dudes, just so many seconds that, you know, I’ve liked him since they drafted him and I think he’s just been improving and improving. I like him significantly more than I did Havlid at the same age and even when Hav was drafted. I think if we’re really struggling for defenders, which we are, I think he comes in at number 10 for me. Although I can see how again Betat Pole Camp, Halton, and Lond all kind of and LSW all like in that 10 spot. It’s all sort of very close. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um Okay, that’s that’s good though. I I like that. I like a little bit of difference because I’ll start saying a lot of the same names. I just wonder if our river is any different. But number nine for me is Philip Beastad. And Beaststead actually was tossed off by a couple people out of the the top 10. Mhm. And I I will say that from eight on all these all the rest of the guys were like, “Oh, now these are this is your top 10.” But B said was a guy that maybe people thought and but obviously because you’re he’s not in your top 10. So you’re you’re you’re seeing something that is well that that got him pushed out of there. Hey, I I still like the package and I think obviously consistency is a problem when he’s on his game and he can make plays and at his size and his his skating that he looks absolutely the part of he’s going to be a solid NHL 3C. But though I will grant though that that consistency hasn’t quite been reached and so I think this year is a big year. If he has a year like last year where he’s good, but he’s not like the guy on the Barracuda, then then you question sort of his his long-term sort of ceiling in the NHL. If you take that step, though, because that 1C role in the Barracuda is is pretty wide open, I think. I don’t I don’t really know who else would be really competing for for that with him. Anyway, so so that that job is basically it’s like a little bit like like Escar off as the starter. I feel like unless I’m misjudging some of the talent that they brought in and most of the like higher end talent AL talent they brought in is more on the wing like like I mentioned this is his job to take to be the guy and if he embraces that and he he he he does that then then you kind of put him back in that top 10 conversation and so this is a bet that he he he does that but I can I do understand why again he’s on the older side 2022 so he is a guy who may not be long for this list either. Yeah, really. Well, you’re right. Hey, he’s got this great opportunity ahead of him. I think he still could play with a little more physicality for somebody who’s so big. That’s the the big knock that been on him for a long and consistency, but when he is, you’re right. When he’s on, he looks like a different player. He looks like a good um ferocious like scorer. He can make plays um with the puck. So, I I like him. It’s just not always there. And I He’s got to do it. Um he did have a decent year in in the AHL. I don’t want to put that as like a He did he did he he made some strides. It’s just there’s more to come. Been a longterm project and I’m an 11. So I think the again super close to the top 10 this whole You’re right. Eight on eight to 14 was like the hardest I think to order um for me. But one a couple people had Lond ahead of him. Yeah. And and Graph too. So for me. So just uh just FYI for you guys to know. So is that your number nine? That’s my number nine. Oh, it’s your your turn for number nine. Who’s your number? Number nine. Yes. Boy, Luca Canyone is number nine. Okay. So, I um still want to see more. Like I said earlier on the podcast, want to see more physicality. Specifically, he cannot like he has to get better at retrievalss on the boards behind his own net. He has to get he has to figure out a way to leverage his size to get underneath people because it still is missing. every single small forward defenseman in the NHL that is good at board battles, they know how to use their size to get under and like around people rather than like just losing the puck. Guys like Gen, they just lose the puck because they can’t part of the physicality never develops in a way. And that’s the like one of the biggest things for a defender. How do you retrieve the puck? And Bole talked about it the other other week is like you would send Douglas Murray to go retrieve the puck. That’s what I was going to say. Or if you play that kind of guy, it makes sense. But the problem is if you’re not and even Bole could still retrieve a puck. He’s underelling it, you know. But like you have to learn how to leverage your size in a way that will get you to win some battles. If you don’t really really hard to make the NHL. So I love Canon. I think offensively on the power play, super smooth, super calm, just gets it offensively in a way. Even like guys like Mkeley never really did. Like Merkeley understood some things and had a lot of talent like physic or like raw talent. But Kenyon just understands the game offensively a heck of a lot better than Mkeley ever did. But it’s just the size. You got to figure out a way. And I think this is something he’s going to work on. He’s still very young for playing in a men’s league right now. So number nine, I don’t have him like top five, you know, not going to be like a well cuz he put up a bajillion points. He’s going to make the NHL. I think there’s still more to grow, but he either needs the right position, the right partner, or he needs to just develop in those those areas a little bit better, right? And actually, this reminds me of somebody we talked about earlier on the show that we didn’t mention Jack Thompson, who I Jack Thompson could very much fit into, well, the top 20 at least. And I will say that I sent my list to everybody. I didn’t mention Thompson, but no one was like, “Hey, you forgot Thompson.” So, yeah, just for I honestly forgot that we could include him because I think he’s under 50 games, but he’s under 50. I think he’s at 30 something. He had 31 with the Sharks last year and I think one with the Lightning. Yeah, I thought he had like maybe a couple with the Sharks the one they traded for him. So, he’s under 50, I’m pretty sure. Anyway, somewhere for me, but yeah, I think with Kenyon though, yeah, maybe maybe there. But Kenyon though, is he going to be good enough defensively to live off that? Of course not. Is he going to be good enough offensively that we don’t need him to play much defense? Of course that’s not he’s not that either. And so he’s got to find that sort of that that balance. Agree. Actually, I’ll just mention he’s my number eight, Luca Canon. So I don’t have him super high either. Um I think it’s about the right place for him because you want to bet on his offensive sense. You want to bet on what he does do well in skating, which is his edge work and things like that. But you question though obviously the size and ability to defend. You you question the first step the first step to kill plays, the first step to beat the first forward checker when he’s when he’s lugging the puck up, things like that. So there are questions, but I mean credible season as a first year AHLer, so he definitely deserves to be in the top 10. Yeah, hard to leave him out with after that season for sure. Yeah, for sure. And um there still is a the potential is there. He’s very young. he could take more time to just develop that that aspect of the game and he needs the right situation too. So when he gets closer to the NHL, that’s the other thing of we’ll just throw him in the power play and play him four minutes even strength. It’s like coaches don’t do that generally. They they want you to be able to play even strength and power play. So unless you’re amazing on a power play. That’s the thing, right? There’s always these levels of things. So if you’re amazing on a power play, then sure, maybe they’ll make some space for you in that way, but you’ve got to be really amazing. And there’s there’s like three guys. There’s Tony D’Angelo, Ericson, who else? Right. That’s basically right. And that’s like when we talked about Ryan Mkeley, I think we we might you and I may have talked about him and I was like, “Yeah, at best he’s Eric Gustoson.” And he wasn’t even that, but you’ve got to be that good at that as aspect to and he’s not even a guy D’Angelo Gustoson. These aren’t guys who are like every lineup they’re going to make either. Maybe like twothirds of the league they could make with just their offensive abilities. But yeah, if you really want to be a serious player, then you got to be wellrounded. Yeah. And I and you know, every year he’s going to get bigger, got to get stronger. I just uh we got time. Everybody don’t don’t rush the Kenyon trips just yet. But you got time or I’m wrong. He’s going to make the team. I don’t know. Uh I don’t think so this time around. Actually, let me ask you. I didn’t get to ask you this since we’re talking about mentioned Jack Thompson a little bit and I did an exercise with the scouts. Do you think he gets claimed on waiverss? Oo, that’s a great question. I don’t know how to answer it until I go through like who could be wavered. I think these are the type of guys like that do get claimed though, right? Tai Emerson was one defenders that are on this border that that have some good size that are right-handed that are like could be something. These are the guys that do get claimed. So, there’s a definite possibility. I just haven’t seen who’s like I need to go through the lists of who could be on waiverss to see, but it’s possible. I’m kind of 30 about it because most of the scouts that or the scouts I talked to were unconvinced of it. I talked with four of them and I think they have a general sense of who’s going to be available. Yeah. near the end of camp. Yeah. I need to look through the list and see who’s been who’s probably lurking in the waiver wire, but it’s possible. 370 sounds right. Yeah. Anyway, okay. Who’s your number eight? Colin Graph. Oh, right. Yeah. So, Colin Graph, what’s that meme you do? Look at this. The meme you do with Colin Gra, the Nickelback one. Oh, yeah. Look at this Colin Graph. Look at this Colin Graph. Look at this Colin Gra. Um, been super impressed. And you talked about it already. His skating improvements since he came into the NHL and it was the end of the season. So, I don’t know how much of it was just like dead like when he came in the NHL for those like cup of coffee games [Music] or whatever, but I remember watching him being like, “Oh my gosh, this guy is slow.” And it could also just be NHL speed, how you play. I was like, “This guy is like not have the legs.” And then next summer, this year, even now, just lots of improvements there. And I think that has added to his overall game. Watching him at the rookie face off felt like watching an NHLer amongst the people who are not NHLers. And it was pretty pretty obvious. Even like simple things like how he back checked, how he moved defensively through the the the neutral zone. He just knew. I wish I would have saved the time segment because it’s such a good encapsulation of what makes graph like special. He just knew where a the puck was going to go to and then where that guy was going to pass it before he the first guy even passed to him. So he moved into that space and to and picked off a pass like beautifully. It was like two steps ahead. He knew exactly where he needed to be on the ice and then picked it and moved the other way. He’s just he’s got a smart smart brain on that Colin Graph. So, I like him overall. I wanted to mention that I believe after he he came out and he played those couple of games and then we did our preseason top 10, I’m pretty sure Graph was not on my top 10 and I don’t think that he deserved to be at that point because like you mentioned his skating was rough and that exact version of Colin Graph who doesn’t get much better is not cracking this top 10 either. But he’s a guy that has gotten leaps and bounds better and last from two years ago to last year and possibly like I said from last year to this year. I’m hearing some good things. Mhm. Doesn’t necessarily mean he’s has again the highest ceiling. So that’s why he ends up 10 for me. But still though that he’s even here though is a testament to his growth. Absolutely. And what a pickup. Like what a great free agent signing. Some of these don’t always like he’s got to make it right and be a regular in the NHL lineup, but if that’s that’s it, then he’s one of the better free agent pickups from college. So, good work. Mike Greer knows what he’s doing with that. Mike Greer. The emails in the inbox, Mike. Mike, you just got to check it. Like, I I would say too that very quickly about Graph 2. It’s that I know a lot of fans, they want to get rid of Gadro and Reeves and oh, wave those guys. I don’t think the Sharks are going to wave those guys. Those guys have a role and a kind of variety of things that that that they do that are important to the Sharks. And I’m not trying to relitigate the GDRO argument with you, uh, Keegan, but but I think you can you would guess too that those guys aren’t going to get waved. Those guys aren’t they’re not cutting those guys whether you like it or not, right? So I think Yeah, but I think there’s an argument though for Gratho now over arguably Grundstrom or over Dandria and that that set because that’s that’s the group that I think might might be the sort of um if Dickinson stays up and they carry eight defenseman, they only carry 13 forwards. You assume Gdro and Ree in there then the vulnerable one if if you keep graft is vulnerable ones are I think going to be Grundstrom or Delandria especially after you add in God and Kurishv who are just kind of like I think they’re an upgrade on those two positions from a little more skill at least right without losing too much of you know Kurishv is not like the firmst player like physical but he’s he’s adept defensively God is a little firmer a little heavier as a player and obviously Misa too is here too so Yeah. So, I think that’s I think you’re right in the sense that Gdro and Reeves both have a spot in the lineup just for who they are and what they bring, whereas Dandria and Grunstrom don’t have a specific calling card. Gruntstrom does have some physicality. I would I guess. Yeah. So does Alandrea, too, but not as much as Reeves and not as sort of the PK. Yeah. Alternate captain. Let’s not use captain, but alternate captain that Gdro is. And yeah, I think even then Gdro was a good PKer last year more than anything. So, it’s hard to be the worst player in the NHL if you’re a good PUK carrier. So, way to walk that back, Egan. Number seven for me is Josh Ravensburgen. And goalies, of course, are always really hard to sort of peg for, especially very young ones because you’re really projecting out. It’s not that much different than actually even like a guy like Wong. You’re really projecting out. But though, the people that I sent the list to, one of them was like, “Hey, Ravensburg should be higher on your list.” So, that’s how much he likes Ravensburg’s talent. So, he’s obviously a guy that can really move move high on this list very quickly. But right now though, because for the Sharks at least, he’s a little bit of an unknown quantity. I’m a little more conservative with him. I assume you’ll be too, but anyway, I have Ravensburg at number seven. I have Ravensburg in number seven. Okay. Okay. Um, yeah, same same thoughts. I really have enjoyed watching him throughout preseason and and everything. I think there’s tons and tons to work with there. I thought he looked good in the World Junior Summer Showcase, too. There’s a lot lot there. athletically super gifted, ideal sized, has some issues with seeing through traffic and reading plays just yet, but the rest of it’s all there. You’re like, you know, this five years out Ravensburg and could be really really good. He’s going to need to take some steps, but yeah, Sebastian Koso is a good comparable, I think. And then, um, he’s still like many, well, he’s still probably not even going to crack the roster this year, and he’s four years out from his draft year. So, take some time with Ravensburg. It’s going to be a while, but if you eventually get it when Ascarov is 28 and Ravensburg is um just coming into his own, you’ve got a good tandem there. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Okay. So, number six then I have Shakir Mukumadulan. Man, we’re going to have the same lid, aren’t we? Okay. Well, I’ll just talk about Shak here. So, you have you have Shakir number six then. We might be very close. I know we all have the same names and yeah, I don’t know if our order how different it’ll be, but so Shakar number six, which is a little lower. I’ve had him ahead of Musty before. Mhm. We’ll talk we’re going to talk about Quentas in a little bit, but I did talk with with one of these scouts. Uh he’s not as he thinks Mukaduan is an angel defenseman, but he’s not as high on his ceiling. And I still like his ceiling. I still think of him as he’s got a chance to be a top four guy. But I have to admit though that I was holding out sort of that hope for Henry Thun a long time ago and also even Mario Ferraro and those guys didn’t pan out. So maybe maybe Ravensburgen would have been would have been I don’t think I would have put Ravensburg in my top five here, but Ravensburg over Mukmadulan was a thought on my mind, but I’m going to go Mukuman because I’m going to stick for for the last time. The last time and he’s going to graduate in front of this list. Yeah, that’s the reason, right? Deadline, but that the last time I’m going to put I’m going to put out that torch that there’s a top four defenseman here and we’re going to see it this year. And last year was very up and down for him and he did rescue it in at in the end with a month of pretty good play. But still though it was up and down. It wasn’t the huge leap forward that we’re hoping from him last year. And so that has to happen this year because I think that again waiverss plays a part. I mean he probably isn’t actually he probably can be not the Sharks would would wave him but like anyway he’s getting older basically is the point that he’s graduating. So kind of put up put up or shut up for him. Yeah for sure. He’s got to hack it in a meaningful way for the Sharks. And I think they think he will. Um, most of the reports out of training camp say that they think he’s an NHL, right? Who said that? Was it right or somebody said? Well, yeah, or but that’s his teammate saying it. But it’s also the way they’ve used him though, like they’re pairing him with Orof. So look, this is the Sharks de facto number one defenseman. So that’s there’s a statement there. So if he doesn’t last there, if he lasts like two weeks, they’re like, “Yeah, you’re not cutting it, Shakir.” Then that’s that’s problematic, right? But they’re they’re trying to give him that runway. They also put Mukumadulan back on his left side and they put Orlof on they’re both lefties. They put Orlof on the right side. And granted, Russian defenseman are often adept at playing both sides, but they’re they’re not handing it to Shakir, but they’re saying, “Hey, this is it. This is you may never get sort of a better chance at big angel minutes than what we’re trying to do for you now.” So, yeah. So, so, so this is this is his time. And if he doesn’t do it, then yeah, I think I think he will make it in some capacity, too. Like, I think this After this year, I think he’s going to solidify as an NHL. It’s just going to continue to be questions of whether or not he is a top four. Yeah. And with him, I think the ability is clearly there. I mean, just that skating, that reach, he’s good with the puck. But again, a lot of is just going to be consistency. Consistency of defending, consistency of puck moving, the things that for any NHL defenseman. So, that’s at that he obviously has not has not really achieved yet that consistency. If we just look at last year, which granted a lot of injuries were part of it, but yeah, I like that. I do like that they’re pairing him with somebody like Warlov. I think that’s a interesting dynamic there that hopefully puts a lot less goals in the back of the Sharks net. Him and them and Ascarov. Um it’s going to be interesting because you do find consistency on a very inconsistent or what’s been an inconsistent team. So there has been some interesting balance in the in the exhibition pairings. Yeah. Yeah. Or I’m sorry, the preseason pairings. I’m super excited. Guys that can move the proc. Very excited. Who’s your number five? I can’t say I’m super excited, but yeah. This is a better group than yours. I’m excited that I’ve been I’ve been very grouchy this whole training camp, so I want to just be I’m super excited now. Okay. I want to be less grouchy. Okay. I’ve been watching a lot of Parks and Rex, so I’m very Ron Ron Swanson. So I see I I am I am wellelmed by the defense so far. All right. So number five, I have Quentyn Musty. Oh my god. We got the same list. Yeah, it looks like I wonder if top two and three we might have flip-flopped maybe, but we’ll see. So Quentyn Musty and Quentyn really, we talked a lot about him earlier in the show and even last week. Like Quentyn has done a lot in these couple weeks here to really put his name back in. Hey, I’m one of the Sharks very best prospects. Don’t you dare drop me out of the top five, Shank Pank. Yeah. Which I’m sure is exactly what’s on his mind, but at the same time. Exactly. Yeah. But so credit credit to Quentin. Uh I think that he has shown a maturity in his game so far in camp. And while the offense hasn’t been like over overwhelming in anybody, he’s 20 in AHL camp. I’m not expecting that. And he’s not Minelbrini or whatever, right? So, you don’t expect that. But if he can be a good pro player first, you know that that skill is going to come out. And then the question is just how much of that skill will come out the NHL level. Is this a 20 goal score? Is this a 30 goal score? Or does he just maybe he’s more of a third liner? Who knows? But he’s shown that capability though to even be that that kind of third fourth liner which is I to me I think his real growth because I I know the skill is there. He knows the skill is there. Really have enjoyed watching his his more his more mature game this camp and a good testament to once again not giving up on on on guys too fast. Yeah, it was honestly the hard between four and five for me and I thought it would be before this before this training camp I was like, you know, pretty clearly on one way or the other. Yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure. So, I think four through seven to me kind of fit into a tier. Eight through 14 for me fit into a tier and five five is musty for me as well. Um really liked his growth. I think they’re the Sharks see it too. They’re I like that they rewarded him for that and put him in that like main group and have given him some good line mates to showcase his skill with instead of just being like, “Yeah, check around with the fourth line. See if you make it kind of thing.” Yeah. I think today he was with Cabbrini and Smith, I think, for for a bit. So that’s that’s nice. Yeah. Yeah. And he’s he’s deserved it too. Still has the skill. Maybe all he needed was some coaching. Maybe he was, you know, maybe I mean Yeah. Maybe once heralded by Cam Robinson is better than Will Smith. Yeah. A long time ago, right? But yeah, but maybe may maybe we were hard. I was hard on on Clinton because maybe the situation was was really tough on him last year and he’s he’s he’s uh the point though is that he had some adversity and it appears that he’s grown from it instead of still kind of being bogged down by it, which he maybe was last year at points, but that he he has made sort of a fresh start of it and and looks it looks like it can like he’s back on track basically. And like you said, I think there is a legitimate argument that he could be ahead of our number four. I assume we have the same number four, Eager Turnot. There you are. Yeah. And Turner, I think, holds his position because he is a year younger than Musty or were we still ahead of Musty, but he is a year younger and we were sort of we we both had Turner clearly ahead of Musty before this camp. Musty has definitely caught up, but again, there is that year difference. Maybe Turner is going through a little bit of of not exactly what Musty went through last year, but a little bit of the you know the that exposure to camp in show camp and it’s hitting him a little hard to some degree. I think his consistency has been up and down. That’s what Warski has has said. Worski has clearly said that Musty has been more consistent in camp in practices dayto-day than Chernishoff. But let’s not forget that Chernov is a 2024 which is easy to forget because we lump in Shanhov Musty and Hton kind of into you know big power forwardish types. Yeah, absolutely. What I like about Chernob and what I kept him at four for me is you’re right that that he’s a year younger. So this is kind of like musty had to take an extra year to kind of get that adjustment. Yeah, take his lumps a little bit. So that Yeah, take the take the lumps. The training camp performance hasn’t been amazing in terms of or the rookie face off performance, but what kept him at four was I think the ceiling is still a little higher. I when he carries the puck, there’s like shades of really good power forwards in the game and power playmakers kind of guys, guys like Mark Stone, guys like Randon, guys that like there’s shades of that. Not that he’s going to be any of those guys, but you can see it in a way that in how he plays and how he thinks the game that gets you really excited because there’s not a lot of prospects that kind of look like that. I still think the feet need to improve a touch and I think consistency obviously is going to be and he’s going to play away from Misa this whole year probably. So that’ll be interesting to see what he does with a different center in a different uh different environment. So I think ceiling’s still there. It’s just he’s going to need more time than we thought. Maybe he’d like walk straight into camp and you skyrocketed straight in. Yeah. Right. Right. It’s possible, right? But yeah, with his size and you think maybe maybe he’d be that guy that just steps right in and is great from day one at camp. It’s like, oh wow, we can’t send this guy down. We got to we got to open camp or open the season with him, but he hasn’t done done that. But I would say to your point though that he does still track to me as a more cerebral player than say a musty, which I know is the easy comparison. And guys like that when they figure it out, they figure it out. And Will Smith is a great example. Not to say they’re exactly the same player, but Will Smith, if you just judge Will Smith on the physical aspect of it from the first 30, 40 games, which a lot of people did, right? A lot of his detractors did judge Will Smith like, “Oh, this guy is too slow, he’s too small. Um, he’s smart, but he’s not smart enough for the NHL.” But once it clicked for Will, then you could see why the Sharks thought it was okay for him to start season with the Sharks. You can see why the Sharks picked the number four. There’s at least right now at this moment like Smith and Mechov, like there’s still an argument, but it’s not as clear-cut as it’s I think most fans thought 2023. So yeah. So anyway, so once it clicked for once that light bulb went off for Smith, and I can see that with Turner Shop. Maybe he might struggle the first month or two, but once that light bulb clicks, then then you start to see some impressive games strummed together. Yeah, this four through seven tier I have it as like basically the upsized top six orers top four or starting goalender, right? That’s kind of like and that’s super awesome for your four through seven prospects. It’s like possible that Turner, Musty, Moo, and Ravensburg could be top four, top six or And with Chernaf and Musty, you can kind of see maybe they can be top line if it all if all hits, which is why I had him ahead of Mukuman and I’ve had Mukum Madun ahead of we both had Mukum ahead of Musty before. But yeah, I will say too, Go ahead. He’s showing a lot this camp. Musty is Yes, he has. He has for sure. My I think I mentioned my top eight here actually. Uh just recapping my uh Kayone, Ravens, Bergen, Madullan, Musty, Churnishoff, and the top three guys I’m going to mention. There was no contention from any of the five people I said that listed. No one was like maybe maybe that those your top eight should be a little lower or they shouldn’t even be in your top 10. So, I just want to mention that. So, there was a there’s a bit more agreement on the top eight, though. I think that some of the order of these guys they they didn’t agree with. But anyway, my number three, and this is where we’ll see if we’re different or not, but my number three is Sam Dickinson. Sam Jose. Sam Jose Dickinson is my number three as well. That’s your number three, too. Okay. It was kind of between the two and three. It was close. It was close, but I put three as Dickson as well. It was close. It was close. I’m not yet bought in that that Dickinson is is going to be a top ring defenseman, but he keeps pushing in terms of his ceiling. And you see more reports and people keep pushing him as like he’s going to be that guy. And maybe he will be that guy. I may have sort of as I tend to do which is yeah like which which is so I know I tend to do it and usually it works out but that I do tend to uh underrate prospects generally and so but he keeps kind of pushing up against sort of what what I projected for him and what people told me um last year or whatever that maybe he’s a little more of a top four guy that uh they didn’t know if he was going to be PP1 and so we’re starting to see that maybe he will be. But um anyway though, so if he is a top pairing guy, then then for sure then there’s an argument that he’s he’s number two on our list. Not number one, but number two at least. And that that is higher than I initially projected for him. Yeah. If if he really reaches that like number one defenseman kind of stage, then he he’s all the way up there. Well, even number two really. Yeah. If he’s like honestly Demetri Orof in his prime, different kind of player obviously than a Dickinson, but I think you’re pretty happy if he ends up as that. Yeah. Um really and again just credit to the the Sharks needed this defenseman. If you look at this list without him it’s really rough in terms of what what the Sharks defense could be. Yeah. So really needed that pick in 202. My brain is missing years. Um but yeah, I I agree. I think there’s this between top four and top pairing. That’s going to be the question, but you know that the tools are all there. He’s going to play in be a huge part of San Jose’s future in all likelihood. So I think the absolute ceiling is in the top pairing. So that’s why I got him up above guys like Duke and everybody. But yeah. Yeah, they’re still for sure. Yeah. The reason why I question a little bit is for me players that are super cerebral those are ones that like that’s that’s one of the reasons why with Celabbrini and even me we’re talking about I felt very comfortable or even Smith I felt very comfortable with them in the NHL because I could see just enough physical obviously Cell Breen’s got a little more than enough physical ability but that the brains were were clearly NHL clearly to me even when I saw him as 18-year-old I saw I saw NHLer a very good NHL not just a guy who just made it So Dickinson is a kind of the reverse of that where all the physical tools are there, right? Like he’s bigger than all those forwards that I mentioned. He is faster probably in a in a race. Well, maybe not Celerini, but he’s faster than Ekkan and and Smith in a in in a race. But that processing, processing, I still wonder I question some people push back against it. I had actually I was talking in the rookie face off with one scout. One scout was like, you’re ridiculous. He’s going to be fine. He’s going to be really good. No, but there’s this this middle there’s this little there’s something that you’re you’re that people keep mentioning and seeing where there is some issues with processing and and issues with advanced play reading I think that still need to be worked out and you hope that he’s he’s gotten better and he’s going to continue to get better at that. I think I think that’s a good way to put it though. Yeah. No, for sure. For sure. There’s something there that you’re you’re talking about. For sure. And I wonder if that scout that really likes him and and and the the writers or pundits who really like him, maybe they’re a little more because some scouts are are like this. They don’t all all like the same player and some scouts are a little more they fall in love with the tools a little bit more. It doesn’t mean that they’re wrong because if those tools hit with just like a a moldicum of of of like of of cerebral play they don’t need to be like the smartest player but if they are like 65 70 like they’re like B-level hockey sense but like a tools that’s an incredible player right? Yep. And it could be a better player than a brain and b tools. Look at Philip Broberg, right? Like drafted for all the tools, stuck around bouncing around levels forever until a team was like, “No, we want to try this guy out in a higher role and he did it.” But the knock on him has been, you know, some of that same thing that has been questioning Dickinson, right? If you can even achieve even like a seale mastery of the NHL, at least the cerebral side of it with if you have a lot of tools, then that’s more than good enough to, you know, maybe put you in a top four for a long time, right? So yeah. So anyway, that’s that’s sort of the my internal debate about Dickinson, but so I’m really curious to see how because obviously he’s slated to to start the season with the Sharks and so really want to see how he does. Not going to judge him obviously on just his first month with the Sharks, but really curious to see how he processes it processes it. And if he does do well with it, then I’ll have to throw up my hands like, hey, what else can I say? like he’s big, he’s fast, he’s got charisma, great personality, and the brain is processing it. So, yeah, that maybe that’s a number one, number two defenseman. Yeah, his builds. He’s just so built for some. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Again. No, like phenomenal off. I mean, I I’ve used that as in solid players before, but like off the bus, like him and guys like L like, you know, phenomenal, you know, it looks like it’s catching up for them besides the the the physical tools. All right. Who’s number two? I know who it is. Yuruslav Ascarov. a guy who will graduate from this list too likely. But same same uh just all the tools are there. It’s just um it’s put up or shut up time for him and he’s been a parent apparent for a long time even in Nashville and obviously the Sharks they’ve set him up. Not to say again they did not hand it to him just like I mentioned with Muk Madun they’re not handing him the the top job but they pretty much cleared a path for him though to take it and so with they signed a guy in the Delovich who profiles more as a 1B. They didn’t insist on keeping Blackwood, which they could have. It would have been expensive, but they they could have they could have kept Blackwood. Like I reported before, McKenzie liked it here. He would have stayed for the right contract. So, if they wanted to like super insure themselves in gold, they could have just signed Blackwood to a 5-year contract, which you I understand. I’m not criticizing them for not doing. I’m just saying that that option was there for them to do something like that. the deal that Blackwood signed with Colorado and you could have, you know, had Blockwood and Ascarov for the next it would have been a pretty intimidating pairing, but the Sharks instead are and understandably so clearing the path for for Ascarov to take that number one job. There are no UC sorrows like obstacles here. The talent is all there. question of course is sort of the mental side of being a starter in the league and being counted on to play 50 games and also having to be the Sharks best player on most nights because even though the Sharks have made a lot of improvements defensively it still is a I don’t know I I got to look at all our defenses but it may not be the worst defense in the league anymore but it’s not I don’t let’s be honest with the defenseman that they added are guys I mentioned many times before five years ago you’re going to go to the playoffs with these with these guys that you added on defense lety Clingberg and Oralof now. I don’t know. And so it’s a defense that still probably is going to be bottom 10, I guess, but maybe I’m wrong about that. So hopefully so. But anyway, though, so Ascarov is going to be counting on to do a lot as in in his rookie season. And so we’ll see if he can do Dustin Wolf, if he can do what what what he can do is uh in his first year as the likely starter. Big B to clear or big B to at least try to reach as that Dustin Wolf rookie season. Got a lot of You’re right. that that’s the only concern I think that we all should have about the Sharks rebuild is a lot lot of these guys have been set up in a way that feels really good like that like very clearly is made from some very smart hockey decisions right Cabbrini and Smith and Ascarov and Dickson but it seems like all they all got to get they all got to get in line you know like it’s got to at least for this level a rebuild right for it to really work in terms of creating a Stanley Cup contender so I I think it will because all these guys have shown multiple multiple levels that it will work. They’re mentally talented. All All these guys are talking off and the Yeah. So, it’s just you really hope that that is the that’s the way you do not become the Buffalo Sabers 2.0 is that all these pieces work and um this is where we are. So, I love Ascarov. He’s my number two as well. Our number one is Michael Misa, I imagine. Michael Misa. Michael, he beat me to it. Yeah, I stole the number one spot. Who would have guessed? Honestly, boy, he’s done better than I expected him to do so far in That’s a good good thing to talk about. Yeah, I expected there to be a little bit more hesitancy, a little bit more struggles because I think even during World Junior Summer Showcase, I think there wasn’t that level of like calmness. Not calm is not the right word, cerebralness, like you mentioned to his game that was like as present. So, I just every time I see him now, it’s like, yep, that’s Michael Misa doing the smart play. The Misa you’re seeing now is more reminiscent of the Misa you saw in Sagenol, right? Because I know I know that summer showcase you weren’t you weren’t over you were overwhelmed by him. You overwhelmed. Yeah. Yeah. No, the more you’re used to seeing in Sageno where everything looks easy, where everything is coming to him super easy in a way that and he can take over games and take over shifts and like it’s not going to be there’s going to be a lot of struggles, but I think he looks like an NHL out there and to the point where we’re not even talking about the fact that yes, the there’s those forwards. He seems locked into the lineup, right? Like we we’re talking about Musty and Graph as like the inbetweeners with Grunstrom and Dandrea, but Misa could theoretically be shipped to Sagenon, but he’s not cuz Yeah. Right. You know, he seems locked in. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I would say that because I didn’t watch summer showcase that I really started watching Nissa at rookie faceoff and I like I reported then I liked his performance quite a bit and it’s carried over to scrimmages. It’s carried over so far to training camp and his one preseason game. Now the levels are going to get harder now because like I mentioned the game his first preseason game he played against the the Henderson Silver Knights basically which is still very high level of play by the way for an 18-year-old. But now, as we get closer to opening night, he’s going to be playing against better players, the guys that are going to be there in the NHL for other teams. And so, let’s see how he does against Mark Stone or against the Ducks, right? I think they played at the Ducks a couple times there. So, against Mauy Granlin, a guy like that who’s super clever like that or guys of that ilk. So, still more levels to pass for for Misa. But again that so far though that he he has made that transition and a lot of it again with for my opinion of him is his smarts and he seems like a very very smart player. But I also do love what what I mentioned earlier in the podcast in regards to Misa that his strength is underrated as we saw against the Golden Knights. And that’s going to be important too that he isn’t uh he’s stronger than Will Smith. I think he’s stronger than Will Smith was last year as a 19-year-old uh and Misa is 18. So, so I think that that transition is going to be going to be there. He may not be as like sort of a may never be as high-end a playmaker as Will Smith, but still very close though and with a little more physicality and a little more quickness than than Will is should make for I think a productive rookie season. Yeah, super excited. I don’t have much more to say about Misa. I agree. He looks more NHL ready than I think even Will Smith did at the beginning of last year, but it’s only been one preseason game, so who knows? still going to be struggles, but his speed is also going to help him out so much. Like he’s just a faster player. So that’s Yeah, write him in, pencil him in. I think he’s he’s sticking around. I feel like it because last year, if we’re gonna be honest, if you listen to the podcast last year, you read I even said it a couple times, I think, and and you did too probably that felt like the Sharks were carrying Will Smith a little bit like it was like the very beginning. Yeah. Yeah. Like we talked about Guushian, right? Guushian was incredible last preseason. We got to do a top 10 prospects. We got to mention Guushian a couple times here. Yeah. He’s not in this list. Where is he? for for Goose, but preseason goal that Goose did with with Colorado. Everybody tagged me in it. They were all like, “Watch the I’m like goose in preseason’s always awesome. What are you talking about?” Best preseason player in the NHL. NHL in the world. But anyway though, that in in a complete meritocracy that probably that Guian should have had that spot and had sort of those opportunities and that wasn’t the case necessarily. But then we saw after mid-season that Smith proved why he was there and why he was there ahead of Guushian and why you sort of sometimes you do kind of treat your like kind of your elite elite prospects that you believe will pick it up. We’ll figure it out sooner than later. You treat them a little better to be honest, you know. So that’s fair. So yeah. All right. Shall we get out of here? I think it’s a long podcast for everybody. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it’s going to be under three hours in total, I think, so it’s not bad. Yep. Also, we are using a uh new streaming software. So, people who are wondering about like if there’s hopefully it’s better, leave some comments. If you’re like the audio is better, the whatever is better or it’s worse, just let us know because we are using a new streaming. So, says that we look uh much clearer, which may not be a bad things or it may be a bad thing. I got to shave his beard. You got to shave. Yeah, you got to take a shower for once. I got to shower. All right. Hope you guys have a good week. We’ll see you next week. Yeah. Hope you guys enjoy this throwback episode of the Sounds Like Hawking Out. Yeah, we got at least an hour and a half and just us. I love it. Yep. Exactly. All right, see you guys. All right, guys. Bye. [Music]

Who are our 2025-26 pre-season top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects?

In a throwback San Jose Hockey Now Podcast segment, it’s just Sheng and Keegan together again to reveal their top-10. How much are Quentin Musty, Cam Lund, and Eric Pohlkamp trending up? Who’s No. 2, Yaroslav Askarov or Sam Dickinson? Where do 2025 Draft picks Michael Misa, Josh Ravensbergen, and Haoxi (Simon) Wang rank?

The general cut-off for prospects for this ranking, by the way, is 50 NHL games.

Before our top-10 prospects talk, San Jose Sharks legend Dan Boyle, Sharks Ice beer league champ Zubair Jeewanjee, insider Sheng Peng, and prospects guru Keegan McNally discuss all the hot Sharks training camp topics.

18-year NHL veteran Boyle weighs in on the idea of a fourth-liner like Barclay Goodrow being named Sharks captain. We discuss Jack Thompson perhaps being at a crossroads in his Sharks’ career. From Misa to Will Smith to Alex Nedeljkovic to Philipp Kurashev, who impressed in the Sharks’ pre-season debut?

(10:45) Dan Boyle weighs in on the idea of Barclay Goodrow being the San Jose Sharks’ captain

(32:37) Jack Thompson is at a crossroads in his Sharks’ career?

(52:01) Thoughts on Michael Misa and the Sharks’ opening pre-season game?

(1:21:17) Sheng and Keegan’s top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects?

10 comments

  1. I love that Boyle is sticking up for a fellow player and I agree with almost everything, but the eye test AND the advanced analytics showed he was legitimately one of the worst players in the entire NHL last year. And that's with him actually getting opportunity in the middle/top 6. He had a great playoffs with NY just before he got waived so you know that he still has the ability SOMEWHERE but it's unacceptable to name someone the captain who's played that poorly.

  8. Is there some sort of weird editing in this podcast? Like all empty air is edited out, and it's sometimes cutting off parts of words too. Not a fan personally, I think there's no issue the way it was.

  10. mcdavid was named captain going into year 2. By your guys logic you wouldve rather seen Mark letestu named captain over mcdavid and then give it to him later. Idk to me that just seems pointless bc everyone knew it was gonna be mcdavids team anyways. I dont think age will be a factor in the decision I think its more probable that dont run a captain again if they feel celebrini isnt ready. I personally dont think the pressure will be anything hes not already recieving and they should name him captain. being called the future face of the league but were arguing captaincy will be too much pressure LMAO

Leave a Reply