🎙️ Summer Coolers – San Jose Sharks | A New Era Begins in the Bay Area
We wrap up with the San Jose Sharks. Neil, to me, this club looks a lot like where Anaheim was a year ago. They didn’t lose much, but they pick up the following players via trade in free agency. I’m going to start with goalender Alex and Delulkovich. Trade with Pittsburgh. John Clingberg signs as a UFA from Edmonton as does left-wing Jeff Skinner. Adam Gardet, a little bit of offense coming in from Ottawa. Philip Kuresev was not qualified by the Blackhawks. He signs with the Sharks. Nick Ley claimed off waiverss from St. Louis. Tough guy Ryan Reeves comes in a trade with Toronto. And I think the most significant ad to this club, defenseman Dmitri Orof signed for two years and six and a half million as a UFA from Carolina. Yeah, that is it. Or is a real good offensive defenseman as you said to get Skinner. He’s going he’s a good offensive player. He is he’s still got some gas in the tank and they got Barkley Goodro who’s winding down his career. I still don’t think they have enough though to be a team that’s going to bang on the door for the wild card spots. I think they’re going to be in that last group. You know how we have the teams that are for sure in then we have the bubble teams and then we have the group that’s beneath the bubble teams and I believe they’re going to stay in that group beneath the bubble teams. This club missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season last year. last overall, only 52 points, but I could conceivably see this team escaping the bottom quarter of the NHL and maybe moving up overall into that 22, 23, 24 area in the league standings because there’s a lot of young talent on this club. And we need to start with Mlin Celibbrini, the first overall pick in the 2024 entry draft. 63 points in 70 games. You got to remember that he missed his 12 games right after opening night. Was injured opening night, missed 12 more and then played the rest of the season from that. And we talked in the Central Division summer cooler about his game compared to Connor Baddard. And I like his 200 foot game much better than the Chicago center. Oh, I do too. And but he doesn’t maybe have that high-end offensive skill level that Bard has, but he’s got a more complete game. I believe when I watch the two of them play. And I don’t know, Vic, I don’t really agree with you that this team is going to can move up that high in the National Hockey League ladder. I I think they’re still going to struggle. I their goalending. What do you think of their goalending? Now, we tore apart the the last goalenders. They’ve got Ascarov. Nadulkovich is the mystery inconsistency if there ever was one. And Ascarov, I don’t know him that well to say what he is. He came in last year with a lot of fanfare. He’s got a lot of flare to his game. And he was a guy that came over from Nashville because he wasn’t getting playing time there. who’s going to get playing time here. By the way, I should note also that the goalender that finished in that number one slot for them a year ago, Alexander Gorgv is still without a contract. So, be interested if perhaps he comes back as a number three because the Sharks have a lot of money in terms of salary cap space. So, I think there’s worse goending in the NHL. We just talked about Seattle. I would take Ascarov and Adelkovich over Grubau and Dort. I’ll start there. Okay, that’s fair. That’s fair. I would rather see San Jose with Gorgiev than Nadulkovich, but maybe that’s just I’m pie in the sky dreaming on my part because I Gorggv did have some decent nights with Colorado and was the was pretty good as a young guy in New York. I don’t understand why Gueorgv has game has dropped off the way it has. But anyway, we’re talking about the Sharks. Yeah, I take Nadelovic and Ascar off over the goalending that we saw just now in Seattle. Not to get too far away from the subject of the Sharks, but I could also see a guy like Yorg perhaps signing in Calgary to give them a little bit more depth because they certainly don’t have a lot behind Dustin Wolf. But we digress because I also want to talk about another player that had a really strong second half last year and he slotted in as the number two center behind Celibbrini and that’s Will Smith. Yeah, Will Smith number two on this jersey as a centerman wears it because of Brian Leech. I got to get that in again as they were big fans of Brian Leech’s dad was. And no, he him and Celabbrini are the future of this club. There’s no doubt about that. And how high is how high can they go with their skill level and their offensive production? I think sky’s is the limit for these guys. They’re good players and they’re being surrounded by they’re trying to surround them with the best they can while they develop. Couple of veterans will be playing on Smith’s flank this year. Projected Jeff Skinner on the left side, Adam Goddet on the right. And I like that God that signing a lot. And Celebrity will be joined on the top line with Tyler Tfoley on the right and William Ecklund who resigns as an RFA three years 5.6 million AEV. They got a couple of prospects in the system also Sam Dickinson and Quinton Musty. So this is one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. And there is promise here. I think there’s light at the end of this tunnel for Mike Greer and the Sharks franchise. I thought Ryan Worsovski did a really commendable job behind the bench as a rookie head coach. I think he’s going to grow well with this club. And are they a playoff team? No. Are they going to be the worst team in the NHL? I think certainly not this year. I think they’re going to be much improved. maybe get to that 70 point area and I do think there is finally reasons for optimism in the Bay Area. I think that there is a should be a lot of optimism for the Sharks while they try to build this thing up. As we just said, Cabbrini and Will Smith are two of the finest young NHLers in the league. And as you said too about Ascarov, he asked his way out of Nashville because he said, “If I’m if I’m not going to be on the team, I don’t want to wait to be on be in the NHL. I think I should be in the NHL now.” And Ascarov and you shall receive, he asked. And here he is starting in San Jose. How much of a cover charge to see you perform tonight? I’m here all week. That wraps up the 2025 NHL wraparound summer coolers. Neil, we have gone through 32 teams and as you had said at the beginning, we hope that we are educating, we’re informing everybody of everything that took place in terms of player movement, what we expect. We try to be objective as possible with every club. We try to look at the positives. We try to look at the negatives and we give our honest assessment. And I believe that we have accomplished that this year. I think so. Last year, no. I think we have and I don’t look at anybody through rosecolored glasses. And I don’t have any bias against any teams in the league. I just try to look at factually what’s gone on with them. How much have the teams either improved or not improved? Are they getting closer to their goal? Everybody, as we just said, if you look at the league, you’ve got the upper echelon in every division, and those are the teams that are hoping that somehow they can get to the Stanley Cup. Then you’ve got the bubble teams that are trying just to get into the playoffs and displace a playoff team. And then you’ve got the lower group that are just going to see how good they can be, but they know they’re not a playoff team or they don’t think they will be, but they’re going to see how much they’ve improved, how much closer they are to being a playoff Okay.
In the final episode of NHL Wraparound’s Summer Coolers, Neil Smith and Vic Morren close out the series with the San Jose Sharks — a team that might just be entering its most hopeful rebuild phase in years.
After finishing dead last in 2024–25 with only 52 points, the Sharks are beginning to turn the corner. They’ve added key veterans like Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg, and Dmitry Orlov, while ushering in a promising new era led by Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.
From goaltending uncertainty to an emerging forward group, the Sharks’ 2025–26 season might not be playoff-bound — but it’s shaping up to be a big leap forward for the franchise.
🧊 IN THIS EPISODE:
[00:00] San Jose’s rebuild year begins
[00:35] Offseason pickups: Nedeljkovic, Orlov, Skinner, Klingberg, Kurashev, Godette, Reaves
[01:00] Prospect infusion: Celebrini + Smith headline youth movement
[01:45] Orlov’s signing gives credibility to blue line
[02:30] Net concerns: Can Nedeljkovic and Askarov steady the crease?
[03:30] Celebrini vs. Bedard debate: A more complete 200-ft game?
[04:45] Jeff Skinner and Godette provide veteran help for Smith
[05:30] Celebrini’s top-line outlook with Eklund and Toffoli
[06:00] Prospect pipeline: Dickinson, Musty, more on the rise
[06:45] Ryan Warsofsky praised for his first year behind the bench
[07:30] Will San Jose escape the NHL basement?
[08:00] Final reflections on all 32 teams: Optimism vs. reality
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith offer one of the most exciting 1–2 rookie punches in the league.
The Sharks’ rebuild may not yield a playoff berth yet, but the structure is finally taking shape.
Dmitry Orlov’s 2-year deal brings stability and leadership to a defense corps that needed both.
Goaltending remains the biggest wildcard — but Askarov and Nedeljkovic may be better than some other tandems in the West.
GM Mike Grier and coach Ryan Warsofsky appear to be aligned in building this young, fast, and fun roster the right way.
🎯 FINAL WORD:
For the first time in years, hope feels real in San Jose.
With two elite forward prospects, solid veteran adds, and an improving defensive structure, the Sharks are on the rise — even if the scoreboard doesn’t show it quite yet. They’re not playoff-ready, but they’re no longer a guaranteed bottom-feeder either.
Call it a step forward. Finally.
🔗 RESOURCE LINKS:
🎥 YouTube: NHL Wraparound Channel
🐦 X (Twitter): @NHLWraparound
🎤 Neil Smith: @NYCNeil
📘 Vic Morren: Vic on LinkedIn
📸 Instagram: @NHLWraparound
🎵 TikTok: @NHLWraparound
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