State of the Sharks: 2024-25 Barracuda Breakdown

State of the Sharks: 2024-25 Barracuda Breakdown

In a 72game regular season schedule, the San Jose Barracuda finished with 36 wins and 81 points. It led them to a first Calder Cup playoff birth since 2019. Now, as you know, the Cuda were eliminated recently in round two while facing Colorado. And while nobody’s ever satisfied when their run ends, head coach John McCarthy can now start to see things a little bit more clearly as the dust has settled. after taking a step back um taking a look at the season as a whole there are a lot of positives to pull you know from the season from the body of work that a lot of the guys put together from an individual standpoint and a team standpoint. Um we had said that our goal from the beginning was to um get our younger players playoff experience and uh put them in those high pressure situations and we accomplished that. we, you know, won a round, moved on to another round, and unfortunately, um, we weren’t able to move on from that round. We were playing a good team. Um, you know, and we had some, uh, injuries that, you know, we got to be honest, they they affected our our team. Uh, but, you know, at the same time, as you referenced, we we we we took a positive step as a as a group. One of those positive steps which can’t necessarily be quantified in numbers is just getting back to a culture of winning. Cuda general manager Joe Will sees this Barracuda season as a big step forward and not just for the AHL team, but also for its NHL counterpart. with so many so many years with the Barracuda and the Sharks of of uh you know that we not only got in but we you know we did some damage in a lot of playoff series and and and and uh uh you know move got through some rounds um and then and then we didn’t for a while you know and and took a step backwards uh and you know and it’s and it’s hard to get that back and now again getting that the guys feel that they they felt that it hurt it stung and that’s a good thing and they they want to continue that in the future. Leadership alone was a huge part of what made the Barracuda different and improved in 2024-25. The addition of veterans Andrew Podarolski and team captain Jimmy Schultz not only gave this group the depth of Calder Cups and scoring titles to its name, but also the ability to set examples for the group’s youngest players. I think they really helped. Yep, I do. I think they really helped. And I think Colin White, Lucas Carlson, Scott Stabin, the other members of our leadership group um also helped. And um I think being a better team helped. You know, winning helps. It’s a lot easier to come around the rink. It’s a lot easier to be positive. Um you know, I I think having a more successful team also helped. Speaking of success, the team’s second leading point getter was Luca Canyone. The puckmoving defenseman turned just 20 this past season, notching 52 points in 64 AHL games. He also had that six-game run with the Sharks starting in March. The BC native gets great reviews for his body of work this past season. What I love about Luca is he wants to get better. He’s a sponge. Uh he’ll take hard coaching. Uh he’ll take any suggestions and and it doesn’t phase him. He just wants he’s curious. He wants to learn. He wants to get better. He’s always smiling coming in. Uh, you know, he’s got got an energy to him and he’s got to compete to him. So, Lucas got a lot of really good things going and uh and just knowing his character is he’s going to work very hard this summer to keep it going. As far as what was expected going into this season, I I would the biggest surprise for me was Luca Kagnoni. I think you know he was coming in uh out of junior. We knew he he was a high offensive guy out of junior. Looking at his size, you know, I had my doubts out of camp to be completely honest, but he basically squashed those in the first, you know, five games. He’s such a dynamic offensive player, sees the ice so well. Grabbed a hold of that first power play quarterback spot um right away and never gave it up. And you know, that’s a uh that’s a positive thing. So, if we’re looking at the bigger picture here for both the Sharks and Barracuda, this AHL success, it can’t be a one-off. It just can’t be a blip on the radar alone. It has to be the beginning of something that continues season after season until the Sharks are competitive year after year. It’s a group that found their bar this year, but has also now set that bar for next year in terms of expectation. Over the course of the season, I thought we towards the end of the year and in the playoffs for sure, we kind of bought into playing the right way. And that’s kind of a vague term, but thought we took care of the puck. We established a forch check. We played a a more risk averse game uh late in the season and down in in the playoffs. And I think it that’s what we have to build off. I think, you know, we uh realize that’s what gave us success. And I think that’s what we really have to lean into. uh starting starting camp next

Brodie Brazil sits down with San Jose Barracuda GM Joe Will and Head Coach John McCarthy to recap the 2024–25 ’Cuda season.