Are Sharks Better Now Than Last Year? What’s Trade Value of Their Defensemen?

Are Sharks Better Now Than Last Year? What’s Trade Value of Their Defensemen?

Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now podcast. I’m Shang Pang, editor and chief of San Jose Hockey Now. You can also find my work on NBC Sports on Twitter, Shang_pang and Blue Sky Shang Pang. Today you’ll see once again I’m writing solo. Keegan is on vacation. And we have a very very big show today. A lot to talk about. A lot has happened since our last show. Our last show was a bit of a draft recap, free agency pre preview. Obviously, Regency has happened and a lot has happened in the last week like I mentioned. So, some of the things that we are going to touch on today, we are going to talk about some of the big news. William Ecklan’s extension, Thomas Boralo gets traded, a little bit prospect scrimmage, free agent signings obviously, and additions via trade and waiver too. And the main thing we’re going to focus on today though is we’re going to talk about Project Sharks lineup right now, which is I know very very early, July 7th. So too too early really, but still just kind of fun to to play around a little bit. And there are reports that the Sharks are looking for a winger. Actually, Mike Reer said that. And reports that the Sharks are looking to trade a defenseman. And so, we’ll kind of put that together and talk about Sharks possible lineup for next year. And what are the Sharks defenseman worth? But before we get to all that, we have a word from our sponsor. Our sponsor bring hockey back. Bring hockeyback.net. and go to bring hockey back for the best t-shirts, best sharks t-shirts. They have a Mac and celebrity t-shirt, Mac Attack t-shirt. They have a Joe Thornton, director of vibes t-shirt, which I’m sure you’ve seen around. I’m wearing my favorite bring hockey back t-shirt, the short shirt and shorts. Anyway, go to bring hockey back, bring hockeyback.net, coupon code San Jose hockey now for 15% off. They also do custom hockey jerseys there. So, hockey jerseys for your adult league team, for a corporate event, whatever you name it, they do that there, too. They do great hockey jerseys. So, anyway, go to bring hockey back, bring hockeyback.net, coupon code San Jose hockey now for 15% off. All right, so let’s get started. I’m gonna take a breath here, and we have a lot of topics to get to. out. Again, the main thing that we’re going to talk about today is kind of projecting out a Sharks lineup and also two, what are the Sharks defenseman worth? There’s a report out there, multiple reports out there. David Pnoda and Elliot Friedman both said that the Sharks are looking to trade a defenseman, which makes sense. They have a lot of defenseman right now. And so, I canvased a bunch of scouts around the league to kind of get a sense of what the Sharks defenseman are worth. And I will tell you that in a second after I drink some water. Anyway, first though, let’s talk about William Ecklan’s extension. So, William Ecklan, he signed extension 3 years, 5.6 million AAV, which kicks in 2026 27. Now, I think the number that really caught everybody’s attention is that this extension was just for three years. and not the maximum eight that it could have been. And that’s interesting too because with the new CBA coming in too that the maximum contracts will be down to seven years. And so this was actually kind of the last chance for Eklan to sign an eight-year contract. But from everything that I’ve understood, everything that I’ve gathered from both sides, both sides are happy uh with this three-year extension that Mike said they talked they talked about different kind of lengths, right? They talked about seven. He said they talked about two, they talked about five in between and they settled on three. And I think that this is a little bit of both sides kind of waiting to see more from each other. The Sharks are waiting to see if William Mean is a maximum player, a player that they want to give. Well, it’s going to be seven years if it comes up in a when is when his this current contract, his current extension expires. I think that is 2029. So, they’re waiting and see if he’s a maximum player, if he’s a player that they want to sink seven years into. And I think Ekkan, there’s a little bit of a wait and see, too, because I think William wants to win, and the Sharks are not quite there yet. And he wants to see what the front office does. He obviously wants to see how his game improves, too. I think that William understands, too, that there are game things in his game that need to improve. And so I think it’s one of those things where this is a bridge contract that works for everybody. This isn’t one of those things where William badly wanted to sign for eight years and he’s insulted that the Sharks only gave him three years or vice versa that the Sharks really pushed for eight years, but William was like, I’m not sure about you guys. Like I don’t I I don’t want to sign for eight years and I’m not even sure if I want to sign for three. I think three is a good happy number. It’s a bridge number uh for both sides. And what is a a bridge to? Is it a bridge toward William Ecklan retiring as a shark or is it a bridge toward William Akan getting traded or signing elsewhere? Well, that is I think an open question at this point. But anyway, so both sides happy. Let’s see how both sides do. And that means again performance on the ice and the Sharks, the results and the team that my career builds around. Okay, next let’s talk a little bit about Thomas Bordello and his trade. Thomas Bordalo was qualified, which I think some people thought he might not be qualified, but anyway, he is a pending RFA. Obviously, Thomas Bordo Sharks 2020 second round pick much much hyped back in the day. Actually, it is interesting to talk about Bordello and Ekkan extension all together because of course you guys remember the days when Bordello was a clear-cut number two prospect a on the Sharks and I know that there’s a little bit of sort of recency bias to say oh the Shark system was just weak but no Thomas was a very very good prospect. I would just say I would just say overall with this game actually I’ll get to that in a second but let’s just talk about the trade first. So he got traded for Shane Bowers. Got traded to New Jersey Devils for Shane Bower. Shane Bowers is actually a 2017 first round pick. And Shane has become kind of a AHL mainstay kind of guy. He’s not a guy that you necessarily see as having huge NHL potential anymore, even though he was once a first round pick because of course he was picked in the first round in 2017. And so a lot of fans are unhappy that you traded a player like Borderlo that still has a little bit of the halo of that hype that that that he came with and he is a producer at the AHL level. He was the AHL allstar for a guy that isn’t as productive on the AHL level. At the AL level, he is more of a third line center. But I think a lot of things go into this and one of the things is that I believe Bordello wanted a fresh start and I think that this is my career giving it to him and not as a favorite but look there was no spot for Thomas Bordo in the Sharks lineup. I don’t think that he is a Sharks organization favorite anymore, so to speak. It’s not that he did anything wrong in particular, but that they just have other other players in mind for for this for spots for NHL spots now. And so he was going to be lost in the shuffle here. But anyway, that he is a player that well someone someone wanted to take a chance on him. So you qualify him and you get something back for him. And it’s not again is it equivalent value? Is it not? Probably not equivalent value. I mean, Bowers is who he is and he can probably he can fill in pinchion for a few NHL games, but still at a fourth line kind of role, but with Bordello, everyone is kind of thinking, oh, maybe he’s got a little more upside left. Well, the Sharks, I don’t think, think that too much. And the Devils are, well, let’s roll a dice on him because he’s a couple years younger. And if he does hit, then hey, we we got him for Shane Bowers. And at worst, he’s good AHL depth for the Devils organization. And he’s a guy that can swing come in and swing in and play on a uh play higher in the lineup for the Devils if need be. Not for a long stretch, for a couple games here and there. And he has he’s got some offense to him, of course. And so it’s kind of a a a kind of I would say a a a trade for both sides that It’s not it’s it’s not going to be probably it’s not going to be a very memorable trade if if we’re being honest, but the Sharks get a little kind of a little more certainty, I guess, in AHL and even NHL capacity. And the Devils get a smidgen of upside, not a lot, remember, but a smidgen. And they get somebody that can help their AHL team in terms of the scoring part of it. And I think the big part of it is yeah, giving Bordalo a fresh start. And I think if we look about look back at Thomas Bordal’s sort of path with the Sharks that I think that he was a very good prospect, but in my this is my my view that his game just didn’t take leaps from what it was in 2021. Of course, everybody remembers his debut and his shootout goal against Vegas to beat Vegas that year. And I don’t see his game having grown enough from that from that point. He showed a lot of flashes in 202122 and a lot of offensive flashes, but the puck management stuff that that I think has plagued him throughout his time with the Sharks got cleaned up a little bit there in the last couple of years. But if you look back to 2023 24 when he got called up at the beginning of the season and he was still making a lot of those plays that he was trying in 202122 and there just wasn’t a lot of growth in his game overall. And I think that’s that’s a big part of it that sometimes you call up a guy or a guy makes an NHL debut as a 19year-old or whatever and he shows so many flashes and just doesn’t doesn’t grow a lot. the game doesn’t doesn’t grow enough. And so that’s how I kind of saw Thomas’s game overall. And he also had sort of the misfortune of bouncing around between I think three different coaches, right? Bookner, Quinn, and Warski and a couple regimes there too. Obviously drafted by Doug Wilson and then Joe Will and then Mike Greer. And I think too that there was maybe some thought that the 2022 23 season that he was supposed to kind of be up uh up with the Sharks the whole season or I think that’s what he thought after he had a promising debut NHL debut at the end of that end of the previous season but that didn’t happen and maybe that set him back mentally a little bit and so he had to kind of kind of push through that and push through sort of the expectation of, oh, I thought I was going to NHL and whoops, I I’m not there. But anyway, so I think that’s a interesting sort of cautionary tale to some degree for the fans and just the sense of uh sometimes prospects they don’t take that extra leap and whatever you want to assign that to be it the Sharks fumbling Bordello’s development or Bordlo himself just for whatever reason just not taking that taking that leap as as a player, but that that does happen sometimes that a guy can come in guns ablazing as I think Thomas was 19 or maybe he was 20 when he made his debut at the end of the 202122 season. But you can come in and show a lot of promise. I think everybody still kind of remembers the Bordello no Greger and Rudy Ballsers line that that that that had a pretty nice stretch there at the end of the season. But anyway, that sometimes that just that extra step is extra leap isn’t there. And anyway, I think that dove tales to Denil Guushian. Denil Gushian was also a 2020 draft pick, a third rounder. And Danielle Gushian, I think, is in a similarish position as Bordello in terms of I think a fresh start would be welcome. And so we’ll see what happens with that. I do think that Guushian’s value is a little higher leaguewide than Bordello, so he might get a little more back. I not a lot more back. I’ve said this a few times on the podcast that Guushian when he tore up the preseason, this past preseason, he had nine points, which led the preseason, I think he had a five-point game, too, that there were a couple teams that that checked in with me and just asked, “Do you think the Sharks are going to have on the opening night roster?” Because I think that at that point there were a couple teams that would have put in a claim on it. However, things change and it’s been a year and it’s been a year of, if we’re being honest, and it’s not all the Neil’s fault, but it’s been a year of Guushian being unable to crack uh not a great Sharks lineup and not be able to stay in it. And anyway, I that value that was there uh at the preseason last year isn’t quite there right now. And so it’s not like a deal will be automatic. But I think though that it’s going in that way and it’s probably the best for both sides again that there probably is no future for Guush and Farah or not on this Sharks team and how Mike Reer sees it and in that case then but he’s a player with obvious talent and some skill and so be nice to give him a shot somewhere fresh start new organization and see what he can make of it and hope the best for him just like I hope the best for Thomas Boralum. hope that he can find his footing in New Jersey. Okay, let’s talk prospect scrimmage now. So, let’s move through these topics. So, again, we’re going to get to eventually free agency. A lot has happened the last week. Probably should have recorded uh earlier. So, prospects I just want to touch on really quickly. I wrote a story about sort of uh NHL readiness. uh Michael Misa and impressions on some of the other prospects like Ravensburg Wong McKini and Dickinson and Musty and Hton or not Hton I’m sorry Musty and Chernishoff but as that story notes and as you can guess it’s really hard to tell when you watch a scrimmage well who is Angel ready who is not and because the competition is not close to close to an already. So, I’m really curious more to see if how these guys perform, especially Misa and Dickinson and Musty and Turner in the scrimmages and not even the not even the rookie tournament either because rookie tournament is best of best but at basically the junior level. But when we get to the scrimmages though, that’s when last year I’ve told this story before, but last year that’s when I I could tell that Musty was was a little behind. And not to pick on him, but he’s the he’s the example from last summer of a guy that was pushing to get to the NHL. And he just didn’t seem even though it was not physical, it was still NHL players at the scrimmage, legit AHL players. your Alex Wenbergs, who I’ve joked before, looked like Andre Kopitar in those scrimmages. No one could touch him. And anyway, Mlin looked like he was a cut above in his scrimmages. His pace, his skating, he looked a cut above. His decision-making looked a cut above. But I’m curious to see how Michael Misa will look, how Dickinson will look, how Musty will look this time around. and Chernishoff. So that’s kind of when I think I’ll have a better sense myself of who is ANHL ready and who is not quite NHL ready. And so very curious of course yeah very very curious about Miy to see how much his game has grown because he is the oldest of this group that I mentioned and a little bit about Misa just a quick quick aside about him. Still getting a sense of well what’s going to happen with his his contract and and that sort of thing. Right. So, I’m just going to guess it right now. This is just a speculative guess, but it sounds like educated guess. I guess I guess I can say that the entire messaging has been he’s going to ch get a chance during training camp. And so I think that that leads probably to if he doesn’t make the team, he maybe gets that nineame trial, see if he’s ready or not that then he probably just goes back to goes goes back to the OHO. I that’s that would be that would be my guess because I’m trying still trying to figure out if he can try out for the team during training camp and try out but still retain his NCAA eligibility. And so he may not be able to. If you guys don’t know, once you sign your ELC, you can’t go to college basically. And that’s Stam Dickinson’s problem right now. So, that’s still kind of to be to be announced TBD. But, I think though that that’s that’s probably how it’s going to go, though, that Misa is going to get his shot during training camp to show that he belongs and then we’ll take it from there and see how good he is. A couple notes about just the other other high Sharks high 2025 picks and how they perform during during scrimmages or what is said about them. Josh Ra Ravensburg in the number 30 pick the goalie. Todd Marshot mentioned that he’s a guy that if getting the Boff and Ryan Miller really really wanted really really bang the table for and so we’ll see how he pans out. But I think that’s always good to hear about the guys that are really banging the table for this guy, any of these any of these kids, any any of the scouts or whatnot who is really pushing the Sharks to draft these guys with Wong predictably very very raw out there. Skating was at times breathtaking for Gaida is 6’6 and so young but decision making just actual hockey there is some work to be done there obviously but we all know this so this is not a really criticism of him so I think he as we know is is going to be a project and if he hits hopefully he is more valuable than any of the defenseman that go behind him but it’s going to be a lot of patience with him though, so just have patience with him and see how he’s definitely a guy that you could see starting really, really slow with Austra this year, but compare his play in November, compare that to how it grows in March. And if you see a lot of growth, then that’s what you want to see. And if you don’t see a lot of growth, then okay. Uh oh. So, let’s see. Let’s give let’s give him this year for sure to see what he can do with with Ashawa. And finally, the kind of the forgotten second round pick, Cole McKini. So Cole McKini got a lot of praise during camp. John McCarthy said a lot of kind of kind of the the buzzwords for one, a coach just likes a player, just kind of like he does the right thing. I like him. And so that does sound like like Cole McKini and kind of maybe why the sharks drafted him where they did. They took swings with Ravensburg and Wong at 30 and 33. And with McKenna, they went with sort of, well, this guy’s gonna make the league. He may not be uh he may not have a chance to be a first or second line guy. Wong has a shot to be maybe a middle pairing defenseman. Ravensburg has a shot to be a star goalie. And McKini may not have quite that kind of upside, but he’s going to make the NHL kind of guy. And so, yeah. So I just wanted to kind of shout him out a little bit because he’s kind of lost in the shuffle of the Sharks 25 the kind of the top picks because everyone focuses on Misa obviously and Wong is such an interesting story and Ravensburgen is a goalie the highest goalie the Sharks have ever drafted and so little little mention of Cole McKini. Now let’s talk about free agency. free agency and Sharks did a lot and didn’t do a lot that that day and just kind of a quick recap of it though. So, the Sharks signed Dimmitri Orof to a 2-year. I think the AEV is 6.5. And I know that there are other conditions, trade clauses, that sort of thing. But I don’t think we had to get too much into that right here. Just want to give you kind of a quick rundown of stuff that you already know. They signed John defenseman John Clingberg to a one-year one year four four mill 4 million AEV and they signed or let’s stick with the fence. They claim Nick Lety Nick Lety is also one year four million. They claimed him from the St. Louis Blues and up front they signed Adam God debt Adam God debt from the senators two years four 4 million so that’s a 2 million a AAV and finally they took a shot on Philip Kurishv and Kurishv uh one year 1.25 25 million. Sorry, I’m just pulling up my my Puck Pedia to make sure my my Oraloft number is is right. And yeah, it is 6.5 AV. And also they traded uh 2028 third round pick for I’m going try to say this Alex Nadel Nadelovic Nadulkovich and he is going to be Uruslav Ascarov’s backup or sort of his 1B. So that kind of sum wraps up what the Sharks have done so far as of July 7th in free agency and just adding to the team in general. And so I’m going to talk about each of these players as we talk about sort of the the lineup here, the projected lineup. And we are going to get to the rumors out there or not just rumors but number one that Mike is still looking to add a winger to this team. A top nine winger he said and also two the report that the Sharks will probably trade a defenseman. And so let’s uh start with that. Actually let let me put up my projected lineup first. Let’s see if I know how to do this properly. So bear with me. So Keegan is usually the the brains behind the operation. I just talk and talk too much usually. Okay. Let’s see. I am trying to Oh, here you go. Okay. Okay. This is going to work. This is going to work, guys. I tried this yesterday and it worked. All right. This is my projected forward group. Oh, there you go. You think? Yeah. Okay. Technology. yeah. All right. All right. So, this is this is my Monday, July 7th Sharks lineup. And actually reminds you that I should check my phone to make sure that nothing has happened because you never know what can happen while you are talking your head off on an afternoon. And what? Yeah. Something could have transpired. nothing nothing has transpired at this moment but anyway so this is how I kind of see the forward group um you’ll notice a couple interesting things here that I will get to but okay so let it let’s start with kind of my first line here and I want to make this very very clear that first line doesn’t mean necessarily the loading up the shark’s best players on a line I try to kind of balance a group out a little bit just to tell just so I tell you about each of these players a little bit. Uh they’re Sharks new players here and what they kind of prefer. A little bit about their history. So anyway, so so once again, this is a balanced lineup. This isn’t meant to be just loading up the Sharks first line. So if we were loading up the Sharks first line, obviously it would be Akllin, Celabbrini, and Tofo and not Curish Chef. But anyway, so Ekkin and and and Mlin I probably won’t need to talk too much about you know them well and I do think that is really important for the Sharks to get better. If you look at the overall I mean you can just take a look at this right this is not a strong forward group yet and it could use like my career said another top nine winger and I don’t know if it’s going to be one of those guys that’s left in free agency. I was told that they passed on Jeff Skinner. That’s one guy that’s possibility. I don’t know if they’re they’re trying to sign Ross Levik or Victor Olivesson. I have a feeling they’re not. That’s the sense that I get, but I could be wrong though. So, I don’t I don’t want to kind of say either way on on on those two. Now, we do do know that I reported that the Sharks were very interested in Brock Besser and Nikolai Elers. And I don’t think either of those guys took the Sharks seriously because it’s hard to sell a last place team to to a top free agent. But I think that gives you a sense though of kind of what they’re looking for. And I Rosovvic seems like a decent kind of plan B if you miss out on a Besser or a Eers, but you can also say that well let’s see what is open in a trade market. And so that that’d be my sense that they pass on Roselovic who probably makes the most sense in this group of the remaining UFAS that you try to swing a trade. And so there is some chatter that if you look at some of the insider stock like Chris Johnson or whatnot that it could be a pretty active trade market this summer because a lot of teams have cap space and there weren’t a lot of high-end free agents available. So a lot of teams uh did not add to their team add to their lineup through free free agency as much as they’d like. And so it could be pretty active, a lot of movements. And there are also some teams too that are still trying to shed some some teams are trying to shed salary. And so the Sharks may be able to swoop in on somebody there too. And so I think that I’m never a big fan of putting these kind of projected lineups out there because these are just so in the sand. Like literally like if you’re putting out a Shark Projected lineup on July 1st, literally two days later, the the the Mike Greer wave comes crashing in and Olaf and Levy are are in your lineup and okay, well there goes that, right? So I do I do want to make that make that very clear that this is not a final lineup in any sort of sense. And I think that when you look at this as a whole that yeah, you can see that the Sharks still need some top nine help. I think um I would say on both center and wing, but I I’ll get to that in a second. So, okay though, so let’s talk about though this this first line a little bit more though and that it is going to be really really critical obviously for Ekkan and for Celibbrini here to take that next step. Curishev I think is an interesting one and I put Kurichev here. I look back at some of the lines and lineups. He’s a guy that actually can play the left side, he can play center, and he can play right wing. So kind of a nice addition that way that he is so versatile. But I looked at his breakout season which 2023 24 looked at Ben Pope’s lines Ben Pope CST. So great beat rider for the Blackhawks and looked like for most of that season or more of that season that Kurishv was on Bard’s right wing. That’s where he had kind of the the most success. And so that’s why I’ve kind of slotted Kurishv right here. Now, Kurichev is a really interesting case of a guy that had a nice season a couple years ago, 54 points, but it was on a terrible Blackhawks team. And sure, plus minus is not an important stat, but he had a minus 44 that year. So, I think he probably was neck with Eklan actually that year for the worst plus minus in the league. I think Ekkan won that plus minus title, the minus part of that title that that season. But anyway though, he he is a a very nice sort of lowrisk, highreward opportunity right here. And even if he is not doesn’t put up 50 points or whatever, if he can put up half a point uh this season and be responsible at both ends and he’s got some open ice ability to make moves from what I understand little bit maybe though not the hardest player, but look, you’re not gonna you’re not going to find a perfect player at 1.25 million for one year. So it is it is what it is. So but he’s a guy with some skill, some versatility. So he is definitely a good buy low opportunity uh buy low kind of uh kind of kind of gamble here and so that’s why I kind of have him slotted there. Give him the best chance possible to succeed. Now the second line here I’m very curious about and it’s graph Will Smith and Tyler Tofo. Obviously again like I said Tyl is the clear best right winger on the Sharks but I’m putting Tofo here to kind of add balance to these tops this top six right here. So Ekkan gets to play with Celabbrini, Smith gets to Foley, Smith gets a shooter with him. And so I think one of the questions about Will Smith uh starting with him on his line is well, how long is he going to be a center? But for now though, the Sharks have already said that they want to give him they want to put him back at center to start next season. And I did find it very interesting. the Sharks kind of they’re big fish free reagent targets best and Eers these guys are clear wingers these guys are not center wingers now I don’t agree with that strategy I have talked heads off about should have just resigned ML granland and ML granland gives you that insurance that if Smith is still not quite ready for for that center that you have a guy that can slide right in there in a top six center role and put Smith back on the wing so he’s a good grain would have been a good security blanket as a equally versatile top six center or equally able top six center or winger. The Sharks though clearly are thinking something different though in terms of they want to get uh winger scoring winger support for the likes of Will Smith, for Celibbrini, for Wenberg. And that’s again that’s just that that’s that’s just what what they’re what they’re really focused on. And so, okay, so if that’s what they’re trying to do, that’s what they’re trying to do. So, for be it for me to say anything more. And I also understand too that Granland’s a little bit older, etc. So, there’s not it’s not a one for one signing mau Granland instead of chasing Besser or Eers, though Granland might have come back as opposed to Besser and Eers. We didn’t I don’t think took the Sharks bids seriously. But anyway, though, that’s neither here nor there though. So, that’s all in the past now. So, okay. So, let’s put Smith back on at center. So, best chance to succeed there. I think Graph Graph can play the left or right side, but I think he played a lot of the left last year. And Tofoley Tyler is a natural right winger. And so, I think this is kind of a sensible kind of of of sort of different skills here. Obviously, Graph can play a little bit more of the defensive role, maybe dig out pucks a little bit. Will is obviously the playmaker and Defoley is the shooter. So this could be a this could be a functional line I think for the the lynchpin will obviously obviously be Will Smith’s growth and how much better he is as a center now as opposed to October of last year. Now let’s look at the third line now and you see a very interesting name there as your left winger Michael Mises. I have a line of Misa Wenberg and Godette. So Misa um obviously played center this past year and he is earmarked to be a center in the NHL. But I think for his first year here that it makes sense to insulate him just like the Sharks insulated Smith last year just like the Sharks in the past have insulated like a Tomas Hurdle or a Willie Mecclin when the plan was to bring him back or put him back to to center and put him on left wing and left wing appears to be his primary position the last couple of years before his draft year. So leftwing is sounds like he is probably more comfortable there on the right wing and for a guy who’s 18 rookie season NHL you want to make him as comfortable as possible and so left it is and Wenberg I think is an excellent kind of duel with him because obviously the veteran the kind of guy that you want to staple a youngster with and one kind of cover for some of the defensive deficiencies that that Misa is obviously going to have in his rookie season. And so I think I think I think that’s that’s a good good blend of sort of abilities there. And if Misa shows throughout the season that he is ready to take on a center load, then okay, great. Put Misa up on second line, center, and put Smith on the wing. Who knows? But anyway, right now though, I want to protect Michael Misa and I think this is the best way to do it on a third line. while also giving him still pretty good sort of playing time on the third line. So, I don’t want to put him on a fourth line. I think as long as you’re in the top nine, you’re getting pretty good playing time. And also, too, he’ll obviously be a power play, too. Now, God, I think, is a nice fit for for if he wasn’t playing center in Ottawa, it looked like he was playing right wing. And he’s a bit of a shooter, right? He’s got a good shot. He had 19 goals last year. And so, this is actually a pretty good mix with Wenberg, who obviously we know doesn’t like to shoot that much. uh one can try can try to feed uh feed Godette and Misa can help out there. Now again we look at this top nine. This top nine needs help. Let’s be honest here because we don’t know what Misa is going to give you. We don’t know how how ready he is. We don’t know what Smith’s going to give you yet at center. Graph is a big question mark and God is really a stretch as a third liner if we’re being honest. Oh, Kurishv too. Kersev is also well we don’t know what this guy’s gonna gonna going to bring you. So it would make sense if the Sharks kind of blow up my top nine and add a legitimate top nine winger. You look at this now Eers or Besser in this group is not going to take the Sharks to the playoffs. But it’ll be a way way better looking top nine if either of those names were in there. So we’ll see what the Sharks can kind of pull off for a trade. Who’s available? That’s another podcast. I’m not really sure about that that part of it, that end of it, who they could be targeting right now. I haven’t thought about it that is. But anyway though, that that is sort of if you want the Sharks to kind of move out from where they were last year, be be better. And I guess that’s a question that we should talk about a little later because people are curious. Does the Sharks seem better than last year’s team? And by last year’s team, we’re talking about the team that started the season, not the team that ended the season. And I’m not really sure about that. I’m not really really sure about that. So last year you had Walman, you had Blackwood, you had Cece, you had Granlin. So I do think the defense overall is better. I like the overall def. We’ll talk about that in a second. I guess I should just wait on that. But anyway though, is the Sharks team better? I don’t know. But they will be better if they add they add a legitimate winger. I’m just adding that as a as a as a topic for us to to get to here. So, okay. Yeah, too many question marks in this top. Now, I’m looking at this and I’m not feeling good. I feel good about Ekkan and Ekan taking a step. I feel good about Celibbrini. I feel good about Tofoley. I feel good about Wenberg. And that about covers it. I like Will Smith’s game a lot, but his success was on the wing last year. That’s why I don’t feel as great about him being your your your 2C at this moment. Anyway, let’s move down to the fourth line here. And so we got Carl Grundstrom, Zack Otopchuk, and Barkley Cadrill, and Ty Danger as sort of your 13th forward. And I think Gruntstrom is a guy that has some has some game. I like his elements. He has a good shot. He’s physical. He’s a willing for checker. just hasn’t it just didn’t come together last year. So hopefully it comes together this year and I anyway I there’s a place for him in a good lineup. He was a good player for the Kings, a playoff team for a number of years. So hopefully he can find his footing with the Sharks. I again I like what he brings. Oops kind of the most natural center kind of left over and this is kind of the role that the Sharks traded for him to be and also hopefully to step into the third line role eventually. But for next year though, I think a 4C is is solid for him. And while Gdro and Dandro have played center in the past that I think that wing is probably a little more natural, especially for Gdro now, who I think is not quite the skater that he was. So, so Wing is a little better for Goodrell right now. And anyway, so you’ve got you’ve got uh Gdro, sorry, you have Gdro on on your right side and we’ll see what what Barkley can can bring this year. So last year was kind of a I think a transition year for him obviously, right? But he was he was up. I don’t think he was as bad as people like to make it out, but he wasn’t he didn’t have a great season by any stretch either. And so let’s see let’s see what what what Barkley’s got got left in in the tank here. And anyway, if he’s if he doesn’t have a lot left, well, you have that’s why you have a younger Tai Dandre here. Dandre is another guy that like Brunstrom, I thought that these two additions were would work out better for the Sharks. But both guys just lack consistency. When you saw them at their best that there is something there, but they just couldn’t bring it every night. And with a guy like Ty Deandre, you look at the game, I think it’s a game at Pittsburgh, which I wrote about it. He was incredible that game. And that’s kind of thing, well, why can’t he do that a little more often? And with Gruntram, I mentioned sort of the elements I like about his game. And so if that can come together and O stop is a guy, too, going going back to him that needs some growth. Obviously, last year, last year actually, I liked a lot of his defensive details. He was really tough to beat one-on-one in battles and so I liked actually a lot about his game with the Sharks. I was watching him very very closely the last you can follow my game notes right I was think I was watching him and Kovaleenko like exclusively for the last like five to 10 games or something like that and he’s a guy stop check that I still need to write about I have tape I have interviews with him I have I have micro stats on him that I think are interesting but that once you kind of get get into his radius it’s hard to it’s hard to escape And that’s really really valuable for a center. And obviously though, you need to see a little more offense though. You need to see other other elements to his game. But there were promising elements, things that again that don’t show up on the scoreboard. Like I mentioned, sort of that that defensive ability to erase and shadow a little bit that don’t they don’t show up in don’t even really show up in the micro stats so much either. They don’t show up in accounting stats. So, I think he’s a guy that does have value. I know a lot of fans weren’t thrilled about how he played last year when he came over for Fabian Zetterland, but there’s a player there, though. There’s a player there, I think. Okay, so that is our forward group, which Cle needs help. Let us Let’s see. Okay, I’m gonna Okay, remove this. Oh, oops. I took up the whole screen. Okay, let’s uh No, no, no. gonna add that to stage. Okay, I gotta I gotta I gotta put in my my defense now. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. So, okay. Sorry. Once again, Keegan is the is the brains of the operation. So, so all right. Let’s see. I’m just going to delete the scene. Let’s try that. Okay. And okay, new media presentation. Okay. Show on stage. Okay. Nope. The same thing. Oh, okay. I got it. I’m a genius at this. Ah, there you go. Also want to thank Puckedia for these kind of these nice looking graphics. So, so it’s not just it’s not just me, not just my lines on a word doc with the misspelling the red squiggly lines underneath for for for misspellings. But anyway, okay. So, this is projecting the Sharks keep all eight defensemen, which is I think possible. And some of these guys you can you can send down. There’s gonna be injuries in camp. So, there’s all all kinds of things, right? So anyway though, so this is this is how how I have it lined up. And right now I’ve got Orlof as a Shark Summer and defenseman. And Orlof is a guy that his game isn’t quite what it was in Washington in his prime, but he’s still he’s still a good effective player by most accounts. And he’s a good two-way player. He is going to play a hard physical game, but he’s also has puck moving ability. and he is 5’11, but he’s a very stout 5’11. So, I think that I think that if all six under six foot defense sub six foot defenseman were built like him, they wouldn’t have any problem making the NHL. So, let’s let’s put it that way. I think he’s he’s a nice sort of nice sort of bridge guy. I was under impression that he was going to be a guy that wanted to go to a contender and I think that that was the case but I’m not sure if the contracts were quite there for him and in San Jose he’s going to have he’s going to have a lot of playing time and so playing time to prove his value if he does go back to market a couple years from now or at the deadline. And he’s a good room guy too. So that’s going to be just he’s just going to be a valuable pro for the Sharks to learn from. but with the cautionary of he’s not what he was. If he was what he was, then the Sharks wouldn’t be getting him for even two years. So, that’s one of the things where just just remember that. So, but hopefully he can kind of find a little bit of a fountain of youth with the Sharks, too. Maybe all this playing time, maybe playing with with with Mlin and and and and Will and all that stuff’s gonna gonna gonna help him out. So, we’ll see, though. But he’s a good bridge guy. He’s the best defenseman that the Sharks have had. overall since probably Carlson I think he is better than WMAN that’s my opinion at least some people may disagree but anyway so I think I think this is a good good addition or here and I have Clingberg with him as his as his partner Klingberg is a natural right-hander and Klingberg obviously you may have seen the story I just put out a story about just all the injury troubles that Klingberg has had talked about having double hip surgery when he was 19 and then at 21 again and the hips got increasingly worse and worse throughout his career even though he was able to finish in in the top six in the Norris voting twice before he was 26. Very very impressive. he was on track for maybe a Hall of Fame career, but then the the hip pain just was too great for him really to really to bear. And he had a hip reser resurfacing surgery in 2023 and he’s been feeling better from it. But this is a huge huge gamble by the Sharks though. Like I wrote, high risk, high reward. So if you get the if you get a healthiest Climberg, even at 32, yeah, this is uh this is still a great talent. This is a guy that can really play with the best players in the league still if he’s healthy. But I don’t know. I don’t know if the Sharks will get that guy. Hope I hope they do. There are cautionary tales of hip resurfing surgery of guys that do well for a minute like Patrick Kane. But then there are guys that their career doesn’t last too much longer after they have the surgery like Nicholas Backstrom. And so we’ll see which way goes. He says he’s feeling great right now. So that’s awesome. Hopefully he he continues that. I think that looking back at free agency, I still wonder the Sharks maybe should have just signed Matt Grizzlick because I think a little bit safer than Clingberg doesn’t have the injury history and could also help the power play. But the ceiling of Clingberg though is higher than the Grizzlig. So I recognize that part of it. Also too, Clingberg is bigger and a natural right-hander. Even though Clingberg isn’t necessarily going to be the most defensive defenseman, that’s not his MO, but he does he does have size and he can definitely use that defensively, whereas Grizzlick comes in at 5’11. So, if you’re comparing the two that that there’s definitely it’s not clear-cut either way, but I think Grizzlick’s sort of floor is definitely a lot safer than Dan Clingberg. and Clingberg just with his injury history. But anyway though, I understand the move for Clingberg and if he hits then Mike Greer is going to look like a genius and if he doesn’t well it’s not I guess a surprise but then it will leave the Sharks kind of reeling in terms of well who are they going to add for their power play. But for now though I like the idea of John Clingberg and so let’s hope it works out. So, I have Mario Ferraro still on my my defense. So, I know that there are a lot of trade rumors out there right now about the Sharks trading a defenseman. I’ll get to that in a second and sort of the trade value that the possible guys that might get moved, what what they could be worth out there in the open market. But anyway, so I have I have I have Ferraro. There I have him with Shakir Mukuman. And granted, Mukum Madulan is a left-hander, but I thought that pairing did pretty well last year together. And so maybe you give give it a chance and see if Mukuman is as kind of comfortable on the right side that he looked at times last year at the end of that season. And I think Ferraro played pretty well too at the end of season two. So kind of like to see see that together and see it between Orlof, Clingberg, Ferraro and Mugmadulan that you have kind of a functionalish top four there finally. Um you might one of the things if you want to talk about is this team better than last year. You had the pairing of top pairing of Wman and Cece which wasn’t too bad. It was a it was a it was a fine bridge pairing. Obviously not a top pairing on a playoff team, but Sharks started off 10, 15, and five before they traded McKenzie Blackwood. Uh, respectable numbers for the Sharks. And that’s a lot of it was because of Blackwood, sure, but also because of Wman and Cece. WMAN obviously got off to a torid start last year, but the Sharks were really lacking on their second pairing. if you remember last year because last year the hope was I think Mukum Madulan could step in and take that job immediately but Mukum Madulan had a groin injury I think during camp he just wasn’t wasn’t up to speed yet and so last year we had to see Ferraro and Yon Ruda play together and I think both defenseman are fine on their own but not together you have two guys who don’t really move a puck well together that was that was really an ugly pairing to watch and maybe one of the reasons why Mike Ger consistently when he talked about the defense this year is or this off season hasn’t been about defending. It’s about getting the puck out. Getting the puck out. Defending, yes, but defending to get the puck out. And not just off the glass, but move it to a forward. And so that’s something that Muk Madullan can do. That’s something that Clingberg obviously can do. And that’s something that Orof can still do. And so Sharks are going to have a should have a much better just sort of much better much better sort of way about getting the puck out. It won’t be as much of a much of a grind to get the get the puck out of the zone this year. That’s how Mike has projected it or that’s how my career has built it. And meanwhile though they’ve added some credible defenders here in Orlof and so my third pairing here of Nick Lety and Timothy Loigrin. And it is worth noting that Ley and Orlof can play the right side. I think Letty has played a lot of right side in his career. So if you want to slide in, if you want to switch around, put Muk Madulan as your left and Lety on the right and move Ferraro down and Lagrin. Um, that’s Furlotran actually is not the worst looking bottom pairing in the league. I guess that’s not saying a lot, but that’s actually that’s actually could be a valid third pairing in this league. And so that’s that’s another thought too of flipping Muk Madillan and Lety and putting Ferrar down Ligrin. So anyway though, so this gives the Sharks probably their most credible looking top six that they have had. Definitely better than last year, definitely better than 2023, 24, even probably better than 2022 23 because that year was obviously topheavy with Eric Carlson. But anyway, so so this this is actually not uh not a top six that is horrifying me. Now Orof should not be your number one defenseman. I know this, but but I don’t mind Ferraro LoRin or Lenny Loerrin bottom pairing. And I think we’ll talk about this in a second in terms of the trade values some of these defenseman, but I would like to see Ferraro kind of on a better Sharks team, better Sharks defense, and not being asked to play 23 minutes a night and see how he does on a lower pairing. I am a little bit of a obviously over the years a bit of a Ferrarologist. I like I like Mario. I want to see him on a better team. I want to see him make the playoffs with the Sharks. He’s a guy that obviously has been through it with the Sharks and it’d be nice that moment for him to experience that when the Sharks really turn it around and he’s a part of it. But I do understand that in this sort of this roster and also just the NHL landscape that that that Ferraro is probably he’s the most valuable trade chip here, which we’ll get to in a second. And also too, but he’s not quite good enough that you need to keep him for the next five years. I mean, you can make a case for it, but it’s not clear-cut, right? I I I get that. I get that. So, but you keep Ferrar though and Logan even too. And you have a again you have a credible looking top six here. Not I mean if Cleanberg hits I guess and then Mukmadulan takes another step. So, a lot of big ifs here still. But I I I can see this. I can see this. So, I like this this six I’m looking at more than the overall forward composition right now. So, I I’ll say that. And that leaves Henry Thrun and Vinnie Darnne as your your your set your number seven guys. Um which they’re perfectly I think capable of doing. there. I think Vinnie obviously very experienced and can definitely play has played that number seven role for a lot of teams and when he comes in though he can provide a steady sort of steady steady pking steady physicality obviously a great team guy Henry we still don’t know what he’s going to become he’s still just 24 but yeah we he is looking more like a bottom pairing defenseman obviously now he’s had up and uh he’s been very very up and down with the Sharks over the years still hasn’t found his consistency. So anyway, so that’s why in this grouping that he is left out of it. Obviously, if there’s a trade of somebody depending on handedness, like if it’s loin, then right-handed Vinnie Arn becomes a little bit more valuable or if you trade uh if you trade throff, then then yeah, then it that kind of makes things a little how do you say it? it makes things a little easier to figure out in this in this group of eight defensemen. But anyway though, that we’ll we’ll have to see. We’ll have to see. But okay, quick aside about the goalending and then we’ll get to we’ll get to our kind of our final topic here, I think. So, okay. So, in goal we have Ascarov and Nadulkovich. And I am a very very big fan of this Nadel Nadulkovich trade. And I know some people might say, “Oh, well, there’s still guys out in free agency. Why don’t you sign Ladar? Why’ you sign uh I think Sam Sonoff is still out there.” But I think that everything with Ascarov is finding the sort of the right the right personality fit with Ascarov, the guy who’s going to push him, guy who’s going to get along with him, guys like that, right? And I don’t know about Samson Sonoff either way on that. I don’t know enough about him, but I do know Nadulkovich has glowing reports as a teammate, as a guy that obviously wants to play as much as he can, but is happy to take a step back for his partner. I think that’s really, really important. I think this is why Gergev didn’t work for the Sharks last year because Gerv was focused on just being the guy, which you expect him. That’s his job really, right? It’s not his job to be best buddies with his partner or whatever. But anyway, that that doesn’t work though when there is another the guy Ascarov on the Sharks. That wouldn’t work. And so you need somebody that’s a really really good mentor and that kind of good room presence, all those kind of things, right? That’s why I advocated for months that the Sharks should just give stupid money to Mark Andre Flurry to come out of retirement, give stupid money to Jake Allen to to to come over here. I think that’s worth it. Um Sharks have plenty of cap space. It’s it’d be all short-term commitments. Obviously, I think Jake Allen for five years with the Devils. I would not advocate that. But for um excuse me for the Sharks to sign though actually for the dollar figure Allen signed for it probably would be fine actually. But anyway though that that is so important. The stuff that we don’t see on the ice really between Ascarov and his partner is so important. That’s why he and Blackwood actually worked really well together because Blackwood was for whatever reason as talented as he was and deserves to be a number one goalie in this league. But he is a guy that would have been fine taking a step back for Ascarov if Ascarov was better for him, better than him. And so that’s that’s really really really important in in in all this. And so anyway, so this is why I like that trade. And yeah, he traded a third round pick, but it’s in 2028. And what do we talk about on this show so much? And the third round pick is like the $20 bill. Like, yeah, you know, you notice it, right? Like you you give it up. You’re not going to give uh you’re not going to give like $20 to like the the Salvation Army Santa, you know, uh ringing the bell outside of Safe Boy necessarily, right? $20 like that’s a bit much to to to to give to that Santa. You notice it, but if you did give it though, you’re going to get it back, too. And so it’s worth something, but it’s really you’re gonna you’re gonna get get that pick back. It’s not that it’s not that much in the end is all I’m saying that we talk about the premium picks for the NHL draft. They really seem to be obviously the first and then the second, the third. Nah. Yeah, it’s it’s a premium of the nonpremium picks. It’s a economy plus of of draft picks. So you you’ll get that back. So don’t don’t worry about it. Yeah, you don’t you’d rather not give it up, but it’s okay. So, that’s how I feel about the Nidalovich. That’s actually my favorite move that the Sharks made. Well, that was my favorite move before Orof. I do like the Orof signing. So, anyway, so okay. So, Nadelovich and Orlof are my favorite moves that the Sharks made at D agency. Clangberg, very wait and see. If he hits, then he’s going to make the Sharks look like geniuses. If he doesn’t, okay, Godet I think is kind of a nice sort of not a lot of ceiling there. Just a nice like h okay this is a good signing, a good player, good ad, not a great player, but he’s he’s he’s good. Nothing to complain about for a reasonable value. Kurishv is a question mark. Obviously, he is like Plainberg. It’s kind of a bet for something. I kind of feel I have a better feeling for Clingberg just because I we know Clingberg’s natural talent and how really incredible it is. And so even a Clingberg at 90% of what he was is still a pretty incredible player. It just all of that is just how willing whereas Kurishv Kurishv was putting up points for a pretty bad team. It’s one year so I’m just like well it’s a good gamble but I’m not sure how excited I am by that. And then with Nick Ley finally just kind of do a we’re just doing a little round table of the Sharks new additions. He’s a guy that I think I I wrote this in a story. I talked with a bunch of scouts on what Orlock, Clingberg, and Lety are right now. And if you had added these guys five years ago, like these guys could win you the cup legitimately. Clingberg was the best Swedish offensive defenseman this side of Eric Carlson. One of the best offensive defenseman in the league. Orlof was a true two-way monster, a top pairing defenseman. Maybe not a number one defenseman on a Stanley Cup winner, but I think he was number two on the Capitals team that won the cup. So, just a true sort of just two-way impacts the ice were just great defenseman. Great defenseman and Lety about the same way too. Not as physical as Orl, but just what one of the arguably the best skater in the league. and using that skating on both the offensive and defensive end to make a make an impact. Now, Lety is not quite the player he was. Obviously, none of these guys are, but Lety can still skate. That’s my understanding. He did not have a great playoff. That’s that’s what a scout told me. But he was dealing with with a lot of injuries last year. So, you get a healthier Lety. Maybe you have something here. Maybe he’s a guy again. So these are guys that kind of focus on the downside of them because their age and the clear decline that they have shown in their games whether be it through age or injuries. But there is also upside too to these guys too just in the sense that these are guys that have all been top four even top pairing defenseman in Orloof and Clingber’s case they’ve been top pairing defenseman in over their careers. And so they could tap back a little bit into that that these could be nice, really nice, nice ads for the Sharks. Anyway, it just makes an entire defensive group a more professional unit, which is all all I’ve asked for the last couple of years after seeing some of the defense that I’ve seen the last couple of years. But, okay. So, before we get to the value of the defense and are the Sharks a better team than last year, and I’m talking again last year at their best when they had Granland, Wman, CC, and Blackwood. I think that they need one more forward addition before we talk about them being better. Their defense is better. their goalending. Well, Blockwood is is a more known quantity than Ascarov right now, but we know Ascarov’s potential. So, would give the goalending of Blockwood and Vaneka edge over Ascarov and and the Delovic, but that can easily be be made up. So, I’m not too worried about that part of it. The defense one to six down is definitely better than it was the than than the Sharks at their best last year. And once again, let’s not forget that Fro and Ruda was an early season pairing because they just didn’t have anybody else to really put out there. I think it was Thrun. I forget who the forget who the other defenseman was for the Sharks last year down there, but it was Thrun and somebody. It was not it was not great. That’s why they traded for Loinrren. Uh even though that trade didn’t quite blossom the way they hoped, but anyway though. So, okay. So, the defense I think is is better one through six. actually significantly better and the boro group though obviously needs needs help there now you didn’t sign you didn’t resign grandlin so okay so you got to add somebody though of a real impact a real import to that wing group to make it comparable or better last year so we talked about that for group too many question marks too many question marks so that’s kind of where where I’m at right now so I would say that definitely better if they add another credible top nine forward. Right now though, I give last year’s forward group and last year’s goalending group a slight edge. Granted, I’m not building in leaps that Will Smith could take, leaps that Mlin Celebr could make. So that’s true. But even with maybe not huge leaps from them, I still again still still still tending to favor last year’s forward group, last year’s goalending group. Definitely this year’s defensive group is better. So anyway, okay. So final topic of our free agency roundup and recap of the last week and hopefully the last time I go solo just just me talking. I get I get tired. I need I need a foil. I need some some some some some comic anything. Anyway, I need a straight man. I need someone to tell me to shut up. I need a lot of things here. So, okay, let’s see. Let’s remove the Okay, that’s not good. Uh, too much of me. There you go. Okay. Always got to have our sponsor. Bring hockey this way. No, this way. Bring hockeyback.net. Okay, so the value of the Sharks defenseman and I checked with actually I just was interested in this. I just wanted to get a sense of of what these defensemen are worth around the league. So I canvased and I didn’t canvas GMs. So you can take it for a grain of salt, but I canvas an scouts and these are the scouts that report to the GMs. And so this is how they see the Sharks defense. At least the guys that are mentioned to be available. I think Pegnota mentioned Ferraro, Loigrin, and Thrun. Elliot Freeman also added Jack Thompson in there. So poor Jack catching strays there. But anyway, so I’m also going to mention Dehar, too. He wasn’t mentioned, but I I I would think that he would be available, too. I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be available. Um, all right. Let’s see. Let’s take a look at this. And also mention their their cap hits, too, because that matters. All right. One more drink until the breach for the last topic here. So, okay. So I think it’s it’s clear that the most valuable available sharks defenseman here is still Maro Ferraro and I don’t I didn’t need to check too much in Ferrar because boy having talked about Ferraro being a trade bait for the last two three years right so I think we have a pretty good sense of his value his value is not a firstrounder doesn’t look like it even though the Sharks keep trying to make fetch happen and it hasn’t happened for the last couple of years here so I think it’s a comfortable we’re talking second round and from what I understand last year the Sharks Ferraro was available and I think I put out that they were looking for like a first maybe a first and a prospect and it’s not that the Sharks thought they were going to get that but it’s like hey if you really want him we don’t really want to trade him at this time because we’ve already traded Jake Wman but if you really want him here it is they didn’t get that because he’s not worth that my understanding is that Colorado also kind of internally kind of chose Lingren over Ferrar. I think Lingren went for a second rounder and so that gives you a sense of his of his value that he is valuable but he is not this free agency class what Lingren went for four years 4.5 million so when Farrell hits free agency I wonder if that’s sort of a good kind of comp for him. So I think that we’re talking again second val second round pick here. Now the thing about Farrell though is that it could be worth holding him because Trey Denline there is always a need for a defenseman and I think Farrell is liked around the league because he has a lot of battle. He’s the kind of guy that even though he hasn’t played a playoff game yet that you can see flourishing in the playoffs because he just has that kind of that kind of game. He has a game that that fits the playoffs. He’s not afraid of bigger players. He is deceptively strong. He is good one-on-one. That’s Mariel’s always been Mariel’s greatest defensive strength, I think, one-on-one defending. And maybe you you can see it. You pair him with a better puck mover, which Sharks have been trying to do for for years, and then you see something that kind of works there. And he could be a really, I think, big addition for a playoff team on their bottom pairing. And I wonder if with the right partner if he still can be a middle pairing guy, but I don’t know. I’ve been banging that drum for a long time. It just isn’t. I’m trying to make that happen there. It hasn’t been happening. So, so I I maybe I got to admit to myself that he is what he is. But consensus around the league though is that he is an excellent bottom pairing defender, playoff caliber bottom pairing defender. And that’s so that has value. That has value for sure. Does it have first round value? I don’t know. But it has value. and his cap hit 3.25 million AAV before he becomes a free agent. It’s a little high for a bottom pairing guy, even a good one, but you can it’s a one you can stomach though. It’s not it’s not ridiculous. It’s he’s not making too much or much too much at least. So anyway, so that’s where I have talking with people. That’s kind of if you were to trade Farl straight up for a pick this summer that that’s about what it would come to a second round pick. And if you hold for a deadline, you can still hope for that late first or maybe I don’t know if all plays well this year in my sort of reconfigured Sharks top six. Hey, then maybe he can raise his value still. So that I do I do leave that possibility out there. I do like also too, you know, I I as this is the best Sharks defense that I think I’ve seen right before any trades at least the best Sharks defense I’ve seen over the last last number of years. It’s not a great Sharks defense by any stretch. I’m not trying to oversell it. This defense isn’t taking it to the playoffs, but it’s the most credible looking one through six I’ve seen. I like to see Far because he is without a doubt one of the Sharks best six defensements still. So that’s faint praise, I know, but but I like to I like to see him in a role that is more befitting to him and maybe he’ll really flourish there. I can see a Ferrar Login pairing really actually being very very good together. I know that they weren’t great together last year, but they were basically the Sharks first pairing or the middle pairing by the middle of the season and maybe that was a little high for them. I don’t know. But a bottom pairing 16, 17, 18 minutes a night. I could really see them actually kicking some ass there. So maybe I’m a little over optimistic there, but I like to see it. So, okay. So, the next question is the next most valuable and next most valuable uh sharks defenseman. Oh, I got an interesting text here. Let me add that to what I am going to talk about. Hold on. Okay. Okay. So, Lil Timothy Ligrim I think. So, this was canvasing. I talked with like four four scouts and chemisting them. The login is the next most valuable by a hair. So, not this isn’t this isn’t a huge win for Timothy Lorren, but anyway though, uh Timothy Loinrren has one year left on his contract and he is at 3 point is he 3.25? I think he’s a little high. Yeah. Oh, no, no, I’m sorry. Farrell’s at 3.25. Loin’s at three. And both are going to be UFA. So, okay. So what I asked people actually was who is more valuable not Lagrin and Ferrar because FAL is clearly more valuable than Loigrin but who’s more valuable Loigrin or Henry Thrun and actually I I thought it would be clearly Loigrin because Lorren is also a right-hander and logrren can does have proven ability to move the puck and LoRin did play. There’s there’s a how do you say it? Little bit of a curve there. But he did play 19 minutes a night for a play Maple Leaf playoff team a couple years ago, which Thrun hasn’t done anything like that. But nonetheless though, that a couple people actually said Thrun. But anyway though, so what is Lergrin’s value? More people said Logrin. So Loigrin is ahead here. And also LoRan is a right-hander. So people were kind of like, well, I I I I I got a he’s worth a third rounder. Maybe I got a he’s worth a fourth rounder. A couple of those more worth a fourth rounder. And so that reminds me that Loads of Grin the Sharks traded a third round pick in 2025. Not their third round pick. They traded a six round pick and Matt Benning for Logrin last season. So, okay. Sounds like you’re gonna trade Loinrren at a little bit of a loss, but not a huge loss. He’s still playable. He is right-handed and he can move a puck, so there’s value in all that. A lot of defensive shortcomings, which is why he hasn’t quite found his his game yet, and he’s not good enough offensively to great enough offensively to make up for that. But that’s kind of how the league seems to see his value. Okay, so next Henry Thun. Henry Thun. And what does Henry Thun have on his side? Well, Henry Thun is young, a little younger. He’s 24 Lrin Lrin’s 26. So he’s got that on his side. And general value though, people were saying maybe a fourth, but maybe more like a fifth. terms of draft pick value. And one source did suggest a interesting interesting kind of trade for a for a thrun. Thrun could be part of those older prospect for prospect swaps that we see a lot of like when the sharks traded a wise bot for a fantasy or whatever the gooen trade is going to be like. I think that’s the kind of trade that I could see with Thrron that maybe the Sharks can move Thrron for a forward that is about the same age and also out of options. And that that could that could make sense because Henry great dude but his career hasn’t it’s not his fault. Sharks have been really bad team. It’s been a really really tough environment for a young defenseman to become better in develop in. And I think Henry has tried his best at it. And I think Henry is better than what he was, but not quite. He has not quite reached the level yet though where there is a clearly defined NHL spot for him. And that’s all that’s also just the style of play too. A lot of people talk about with Henry like well just what is he? Is he a shutdown guy? Is he a puck mover? and he has not defined himself as any of those any of those things yet, which is fine. You know, he could be decent at a lot of things. That’s fine. But the overall impact though hasn’t manifested itself that this is a guy that oh is a top six angel defenseman for sure on any team in the league. But there might be a team out there that likes him and likes his demeanor and thinks that hey maybe in a better environment that he’s gonna blossom into a very very solid bot pairing guy. I can I can see that with him still. So in that case then again so older prospect for prospect swap that could that could make sense for for Henry. Okay. So next up we have uh Jack Thompson. though I laugh again because I I was surprised that LA even mentioned Thompson. So that just seemed like But I guess it makes sense though of the Sharks prospect defensive pool, right? They’re not going to trade Mukuman. Elliot mentioned that, but also too they think a lot of of Mukuman. They’re obviously not going to trade Sam Dickinson. I think Luka Canyone maybe he can be had in a trade, but they like him though and they want to see if Canyon can become a true power play answer for them. And so in terms of sort of that runway and whatnot that Thrun is obviously out of it. Thrun is not waiver exempt and Thompson is getting there. Thompson is I think he’s what 23 2019 draft I believe. Yeah he’s 23. So he’s he’s getting there where where he doesn’t have that runway anymore. Believe he’s he is still waiver exempt this coming year though. So anyway, my question to the scouts was who’s more valuable, Thompson or Thrun? I think that’s a kind of logical kind of kind of uh comparison there. And the what I got back was a little less than threat. which kind of shows you that Thompson as much as it’s always hard to evaluate defenseman, but that’s why I like talking with these scouts because I think they give you a real sense of what these defensemen are worth around the league and what they’re worth sort of even in the chaos around them of the Sharks team and team defense and their inexperienced forwards and their older older forwards and just it’s a mess out there for them to deal with and everybody who watches Sharks understands that that it’s a mess to try to judge judge and assess what Maryl Ferraro, what Henry Thrun, what Jack Thompson is worth, but you do your best and I think that by and large the league has pegged the Sharks defense right overall over the years. So anyway, Thrun is more angel proven than Thompson. So that’s what Thron’s got. But Thompson is right-handed. And also too, someone mentioned to me that Thompson is a right-handed defenseman with an identity. You know what Thompson is, what he’s supposed to be in NHL. He moves pucks. And so that kind of gives Thompson a little bit of value that way, too. But nonetheless, we’re talking about draft pick value. We’re still talking about the same range. So fourth, fifth, maybe more likely a fifth for Thompson. So just want to give uh give you a sense of what what Jack could be worth in open market right now. So, finally, the last guy, class defenseman here is Vincent Dehar. And Vinnie is a veteran. Uh, he is making 1.2. Oh, he’s making two million. Okay, that’s a little high. I thought he was in the ones. I didn’t mention with Thrron and Thompson, they’re not making a lot. Thrun is making 1 million. Thompson is um he’s RFA, but he’ll sign for something maybe more to the minimum. So anyway though, Dehar is making two. Okay, so that also makes him another reason why he’s the most the least valuable of these five defenseman that I mentioned here. And so again, we know the the pluses with Dear size, meanness, good in the room, has some playoff experience. So he is a guy that that you can throw out there and yeah, he he can do okay for you in a bottom pairing. He he he shouldn’t hurt you too much. Um so there are there are there are things to like in his game, but it’s a very kind of his game is not a game with a lot of a lot of sort of flash to it, right? It’s a very simple defensive game. And so I think the what the Sharks got for him a couple years ago or I’m sorry at this at the deadline they traded a 2028 fifth round pick. I think that’s what his value is. So, he’s slightly overpaid for a bottom pairing number seven defenseman, but he brings a lot of intangibles. You know what you’re getting with with Vinnie when you put him in a lineup. So, there there is a sort of security with that. Whereas, I think with Henry Thun, Thrun and Thompson need to go somewhere where they can develop still, where they can get chances to make mistakes and whatnot. Whereas Vinnie, you know, yeah, he’s going to make some mistakes, but he’s also gonna do some good things for you. And so there is sort of a value to that. So anyway, overall I think once again, yeah, when when I do this exercise, I’m still of the sense of it’ll be nice to keep Ferraro. I’d like to see what he does on a better Sharks team. And he’s a guy that value can increase during the deadline because he’s the kind of guy that I can see teams there. Again, they may not give that first round pick that the Sharks have been longing for all these years for him, but but they’ll they’ll give a valuable piece for him because he is a guy that fits into a good team’s should fit into a good team’s bottom pair. And so, yeah, I think otherwise though I all these other guys again, I wouldn’t mind seeing Far Fro and Loigrin together to start the season. I think that that could be a decent pairing. So I’m probably more inclined to to trade to trade a Thrun, a Thompson or a Day RNA. And a Thrun makes sense in terms of the prospect for prospect swap. Thompson you can still you can still put in the miners, let them develop another year. And also he’s great depth too that you can kind of you can kind of uh shuffle back and forth between the barracuda and the sharks. So he has a value to the sharks. He in a sense has more value to the Sharks in that way than than traded. So Thrun might be the the logical Oh, wait. Maybe I’m wrong. I think Thompson might be out of options, too. Okay. I I’m wrong about that. Okay. Well, there you go. Yeah. No, I think Yeah. Okay. Sorry about that. Yeah. I thought I thought Thompson was still exempt, but he is not, I think. So, okay. Well, that changes things things for me a little bit. So, you might have what what may end up happening here is you have you trade you trade a Thompson. Sorry, I’m trying to find my You trade a Thompson. I’m sorry. You trade a Thr. You wave a Thompson. Think Thompson probably passes through waiverss. That That’d be That’d be my guess here. Maybe not, but I think he probably does. And that’s probably then you end up with seven defenseman. And in terms of Okay, so last question to kind of tackle here where we sign off here. Sam Dickinson, obviously, where does Sam Dickson fit into all this? And Sam just has to take a job, right? I personally don’t I never I’m always of the sense of of make him take somebody’s job. make him take somebody. The Sharks do not have the most intimidating group, right, of defense. So, I think that it’s fair to ask Sam Dixon to take I’m just reading off left-handed defenseman for the Sharks here. So, it’s fair to ask Sam Dixon to take a job from an oral, Ferraro, Ley, Mukadullan, right? like in that in that thereabouts of of player like these are not premier angel players anymore or they aren’t they weren’t to to to begin with here. So also too, I think it’s also important to note too that that there’s a lot of again handiness flexibility here that while there’s the current eight defenseman that the Sharks have, Clingberg, Loinrren, and Day Har, there’s only true right-handers, but that Lety and Orof can play the right side, too. So that could open up a flexibility for Sam. But anyway, though, I want Sam to take that job, though. I don’t want it to be given to him, especially a defenseman. I always, again, I’m overconervative about these things. I know I don’t like to graduate prospects too quickly. I don’t like to give them jobs and especially on defense and especially for a rough sharks team that I do believe in protecting uh defenseman. Uh that said though, love to see Sam have a good to great camp and love to see him get his nine games and see what he can do in that. I have recommended for a while, right? The idea of just keeping Sam around for two months and and working him in and out of games. In that case though, you do need a trade uh you do need to trade a defenseman here. You are going to carry eight defenseman probably, but Sam’s going to be in and out. And so in that case then yeah then then you do have to move somebody. And so again once once I think about this like Henry Thutton unfortunately seems like the kind of the logical guy because you might be able to swing that prospect for prospect trade and right now the clear top six for the Sharks the six best defenseman on the Sharks are Orloff Clework Ferraro Mcmillan Ley and Loigrin and kind of see what what what what that group can do. Again, not going to take you to the playoffs, but it’s going to be the most sort of NHL competent group one through six. Once you remove somebody from that list, then there’s more question marks. Like if you had to put Henry Thorn in there, how much has Henry Thornne’s game grown? If you put a Vinnie Dear, well, Dear’s kind of sailing game is limited, right? Not much of a puck mover there. And so, like, for example, like if you did Ferraro and Dear together, that’s going to look to me first first thought, it’s going to look a lot like like the Ferraro Ruda pairing. from last year. So, I don’t don’t don’t I don’t I don’t I don’t love giving or penciling in Thrron or Dehar for my top six right now, I guess, is what I’m saying. And I don’t want to pencil in Sam Dickinson for that, too, until I see what he can do at scrimmages when it’s not that physical, when it’s preseason, which is a good kind of AHL action is good approximation of preseason. See how he does there. And finally in his nine game nine game sample there. Let’s see see what he does there. So so I again um you know going through this exercise of value um I don’t think you’re going to lose it with Ferraro. So I know he’s the most valuable but I’m in no rush to trade him. And otherwise everybody else is sort of of a similarish value. Loigrin, Thrron, Thompson, Day Rene, you know, Loan’s got more value than than a Day Renee, but kind of in the same ballpark thereabouts. But yeah, so wait to see. I think wait to see on Sam. I still think keep the keep the defense as strong as you can and make Sam take a job, basically. So, I see no reason to just give him give him a job. And I don’t see any, you know, people talk about don’t block your prospects. Who’s blocking Sam Dickinson right now? Maybe Orof is blocking Sam Dickson. That’s it. So, if he can’t take the jobs from the guys above him here, then give him another year to to to to incubate and maybe next year he’ll be able to do it. So, all right. I think That’s it for for me talking at you for an hour and a half. Hopefully I did an okay job of it. This is again I I I prefer I I prefer having having a co-host. So Keegan, wherever you are on vacation, please come back. Hopefully this wasn’t too exhausting for you guys to hear me talking for an hour and a half by myself and all my stutters and stops and all that stuff. Sorry about that guys. I try my best, but that’s why I usually have a co-host and I don’t do this myself. So anyway guys, okay, thanks for listening. Uh I think we covered I do think we covered a lot of ground here. So I don’t know if we missed anything over the last week or so. and hope you’re back next week and hopefully you we’re going to get get rolling again with guests, get Keegan back, get get the whole get get the whole machine going once again. All right, guys. So, thanks for listening. Let’s see what the Sharks do in the next week or so, rest of offseason. Interested in that? And I’ll talk to you guys soon. Okay, bye. [Music]

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Are the San Jose Sharks better now than they were last year? (22:10) What’s the trade value of their defensemen? (1:07:16)

But before we talk about the state of the line-up, let’s talk about other big Sharks news. 

William Eklund and the San Jose Sharks agreed to an extension, why do both sides seem content with a shorter deal? (3:11)

Let’s talk about the Thomas Bordeleau trade, a potential Danil Gushchin trade, and fresh starts for both.

Prospects Scrimmage impressions: When will we know if Michael Misa is NHL-ready? How about Sam Dickinson? (15:16)

The San Jose Sharks signed Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, Philipp Kurashev, and Adam Gaudette. They also traded for Alex Nedeljkovic and claimed Nick Leddy off waivers. Are they a better team now than last year before the Mackenzie Blackwood deal? (22:10)

What’s Sheng’s projected forward group right? (25:06)

GM Mike Grier says the Sharks are still looking for top-nine winger help too.

How about Sheng’s projected defense? (44:01)

So are the Sharks better than last year? (1:00:14)

It looks like the San Jose Sharks are trading a defenseman. Sheng spoke with multiple NHL scouts to get a sense of how they value San Jose’s perhaps more expendable blueliners. (1:07:16)

Mario Ferraro

Timothy Liljegren (1:13:29)

Henry Thrun (1:16:39)

Jack Thompson

Vincent Desharnais