Training Camp (9/18): Ryan Warsofsky

Training Camp (9/18): Ryan Warsofsky

How hard did you escape the guys today? Those are his words on record. Um yeah, it’s training camp. It’s hard. You know, that’s what this is all about. Um it was hard last year, too. So, keep pushing. Um I think it was uh Tyler who told us that there’s going to be a little bit more systems focused this year. Obviously, still a lot of skating focus. I know that’s kind of part of your coaching identity. What have you maybe learned or changed us adjusted from year one of training camp for Ryan Rosski to year two? Yeah, I think uh obviously more comfortable going into year two, but um did you know a lot of lot of work in the summer of um how other teams play, systems, details. Um so obviously, excuse me, make a few changes and nothing hu nothing too too drastic, but some you know more so smaller details in our system. Um so we kind of got at that a little bit today. We’ll get at it again tomorrow. Is there going to be a maybe a greater focus on defense or what do you see as sort of the systemic keys toward you know imp improving our place in the standings. Yeah, I think a little bit of both, you know. I think um I think we there’s there’s ways we can score some more goals. Um and there’s also ways we can keep the puck out of our end. So, on both sides of that, offensively and defensively, we’ve made a few little tinkers and and little small detail changes. Um and we think it’s going to help out a lot. Last year, you found some success in the neutral zone with the 113. Do you think you’ll stay with that or go back to what you find out? It’s why you play the games, right? This is why we practice and then we play the games. What changes did you see when last year? It seemed like guys, you know, kind of once they got comfortable with it really seemed to like that Yeah. type of system. What What Yeah, I guess gave us, you know, more opportunity to get pucks out of our own end with more numbers. Um, obviously I think our back ends improve this year and, um, we have some guys that can break out pucks and Clingberg and Lety, uh, or love that have been around for a long time in this league. So, um, it’s something that will probably be, you know, pretty close to what we were doing. And um you know there again there’s a few little small changes that we’ve made but um again I think our back end alone will help us break out pucks better. What’s the challenge with so many new faces here um just to get everybody on the same page and where you want to go before October 9th here. Yeah it’s it’s a challenge right? Um but you know I think 10 or 11 new guys um kind of coming into the into it. So takes some time but you got to build it and you got to start with day one. That’s what we did today and as we get going through the exhibition games, we’ll continue to build and um be ready for for October 9th. Is that right? William Ecklan said that it’s time for you guys to start doing what you’ve been talking about. Is that the message? Is he just taking your words verbatim? Like what what was the message in that regard this year? Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think we were again, we were competitive last year in a lot of our games. Um but now it’s time to finish. It’s time to um you know, not just be competitive, but you know, win the 50/50 puck, win the race to the puck, win the net front, win the offensive zone net front. Um we’re last year we were kind of dipping our toe in it and we were there, but now we got to win those battles and then obviously we’ve talked about third periods and um we got to start winning those and being on the attack of teams, but uh it’s going to be about finish and words only, you know, mean so much. We got to go out now and do it. you guys uh are a lot of the guys are wearing a shirt that says earn it. Why did you guys kind of decide on that being sort of the slogan for this training camp? Yeah, I think you know Mike was a big big factor in that. Um again, you have to earn you earn everything you get here. You earn your ice time, you earn your power play, you earn your pound to kill, you earn your call up, you earn you earn it, you know why what you do on the ice, uh what you do in the video room, uh your attention to detail. So, uh, we’re we’re kind of done handing out opportunities that just because you’re, uh, first round pick or maybe you’re, you know, you deserve a chance because, uh, there’s no one else really. Now, we get depth. We have internal competition up and down our organization. Um, and that’s exactly where, you know, I know Mike wanted to get to and this is a good spot we’re in. We moved to Well, Will told us that he’s going to be primarily playing the wings, still staying ready in some of those faceoff plays. What said some conversations also it sounded like at Worlds too playing one of the Worlds kind of really helped influence that know there was potentially him playing center. What was maybe the reasoning from a coach’s perspective and maybe front office why you guys are going to go forward with him on the wing? Yeah well Mac and him had some chemistry last year as we as we all know and um again I thought world championships he was he was really good. Two of his better games I’ve seen him play towards the end there. Um doesn’t mean his center career is over. I think he’s still going to see him there at times. um we see players around the league do it. So, we think he has extremely high hockey sense that he’s available to do that. Uh he’ll continue to work on faceoffs and give us an option to play uh take faceoffs on the right side. So, um we’ll see. We’ll start him on the wing and we’ll see how it goes. How much does that influence maybe Michael Misa and just what you see from him? Obviously, maybe as a draft profile maybe projects a little better as an NHL centerman. What did you see from him today and how does maybe moving Smith to the wing maybe change maybe some potential for him to start down the middle rather than maybe taking the Will Smith? Yeah, you could say a little bit. Um, but I thought Mis has been looked really good. You know, even coming from the rookie tournament. Uh, he doesn’t look overwhelmed in practices. He’s looks comfortable with the puck. Uh, he’s paying attention in the meetings and his attention to detail is really good. And again, it’s one day, but I thought he was good. Is it fun then with Michael to have him at center uh kind of throughout the preseason kind of? Yeah, we’ll start him in Yeah, we’ll keep him in the middle and that’s where he’s been most comfortable. So, that’s what it be. You’ve had somewhat of a busy summer, lots like to do and think about. So, what have you been doing other than hockey this summer just to kind of like relax? Uh, a little bit of golf. Um, and a lot of time with my kids. Uh, in this business, you just don’t get to see them very often. Um, so I had to I had to be a dad a lot this summer and my wife reminded me of that every day. And just coming back here, I mean, there is a lot to think about, especially after seeing today, but was there any one or anything that like stuck out to you today more so than anything? What’s has stucking out to me and even going back to watching those the rookie tournament is we have some some legit talent coming. Uh we have internal competition like I was saying u we see guys improving Musty Altunin Chernishov Dickinson you know Luca Kagnoli like I mean two years ago um this could he would struggle in training camp and he was a deer in the headlights and now he looks um so much more comfortable. So I think guys are getting, you know, are developing um from the development staff to the American League. Um and then on top of that, now that drives our internal competition. We want one of these young kids to surprise us and take away a spot from someone. Uh so the competition is there and now it’s time to to make it happen. What do you want to see in M from Melbourne in year two? I think game management will be a big big thing. Obviously learning how to play with the lead. um learning to play six on five, five on six, different situations. Um you know, and you know, him and I talked about hitting the net a little bit more. You know, I think he can score some more goals by hitting the net and um he came in in great great shape, great condition, uh looks bigger, looks stronger. Um so obviously very excited. Most guys, you know, this is the last year fitness testing I think. Uh was this how everybody kind of was good guys did a really good job. I got to give them credit. Um, we made it even a little bit harder this year. Um, but guys did a really good job with the testing and I guess it’s the last one, but little do they know a goal line. What do you uh what’s going to allow Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson, you know, guys who want to be, you know, start their pro careers here. What’s going to allow them to make this team? Yeah, I think it’s a little bit different for both of them. I think, you know, with me, it’s going to be the pace of the pace of the game in the national as we saw with Will and Mack. It’s extremely fast. It’s heavy. Um, so you have to think at a high high speed and and make decisions quickly and with and without the puck. So the pace of it with Sam, it’s it’s going to be, you know, defending without the puck. Obviously, we know what he can do with the puck. It’s we’ve watched it. We’ve seen it in London. Um, he can create offense. Um, but can he go and play against the big boys defensively? That will be the question. So, we’ll have to see in training camp. It’s just one day of scrimmages, but what did you see uh Michael handle the pace well today? And also Sam, both of them I thought did really well. you know, I thought uh and Sam’s it’s tough. You go through a hard practice and then you got to jump right into a scrimmage. So, um I thought both of them did a really good job. For yourself, maybe a little less Sharks focused, but right, the the USA coaching staff at the Olympics just came out. There was some speculation, especially after winning gold for USA at Worlds, your relationship with with David and Mike, that you might you might be in consideration. Was there any conversations with Soleie about that or just business as usual for you and and would have what would it have been to maybe kind of join that staff with you know Sullie and David? Yeah, I mean I mean that’s a really good coaching staff. Um so I mean obviously I talked to Sully quite a bit and all those guys really. So um we’ll keep those conversations between me and Mike, but um you know I was very proud to you know one day hopefully do that but right now I’m focused on the Sharks. My wife happy that it’ll be a couple weeks at home with the kids. Right. That is true. I want to ask you about the health of a couple guys. Uh Muk Madillan obviously shoulder injury last year. I’m just uh is he fully healthy? How how has he looked to you? You watched him go against Reeves. No, we weren’t here. We weren’t here. You guys went to the wrong wrong ice. Pretty healthy to me. He’s ready to go. Okay. And also Cam L. He had an upper body injury at rookie faceoff. What is his sort of timeline? I would say it’s dayto-day. He’s trending in the right direction. See around the team still obviously not on the ice today. didn’t see. But, you know, would you say, you know, we shouldn’t miss too much at camp because we know Cam. Camp. Yeah. Cam. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, all these guys, all the guys that you didn’t see today are in the meetings. Um, so yeah, I don’t see it being a long-term thing whatsoever. How much is Musty maybe impressed you from this offseason? I mean, his body looks different, right? He looks like he really slimmed down, but kept a lot of the muscle and the defensive efforts that he had in rookie face off. Is that a guy that really you’re really hoping to kind of see take one of those spots or really push for one of those spots? Uh it was the best I’ve seen him play in those games in the rookie tournament and even today he looks like a man on a mission. So that’s really good to see and uh he’s doing the things that you know Tommy Wingles and and the American League guys and Johnny Mack and his staff are asking him to do myself as well in our staff. So uh he’s taken the coaching um he’s taken the video in the meetings and and now really putting it into into the into the games early in practices. Could some of that frustration from him, I mean, do you are you happy to see his response maybe after a frustrating year with the trade stuff with Sudbury and the injury and maybe not being closer to the team and playing with the Coupore? Is it nice to see a guy respond in the way that he has rather than maybe kind of continue that frustration? For sure. He’s grown up. He’s matured. It’s just like any young man. And um so he’s definitely taken some big strides. For sure. Well, how much do you want to read? How much should we read into the lines today and have a scanner up with Celebrity and Smith? Yeah, I wouldn’t read into it too much. It’s just trying to look get a look at some guys. There’s not a lot of rush. There’s not a lot of things we’re doing, you know, with the lines together, but um again, we’ll look at it a little bit with a couple guys, but for the most part, I wouldn’t look into it too much. You mentioned that Misa Dickinson and Musty, those guys really haven’t, you know, starting to starting off right here. I mean, how much should veterans kind of be looking over their shoulder here and saying maybe maybe my job’s not so safe? Yeah, I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket science to figure that out. I think these guys know and that’s the nature of this business, right? Um, we saw it with guys over here last year in Vassic and the guys, you know, that we’ve moved on that there’s guys coming. Uh, and that’s what, you know, the great teams do is you bring in the next guy and the inner competition that you get, um, really is what kind of creates that culture that you want as a as an organization. And um we’re starting to see that right now. The additions to the back end give you confidence that you can start to close out some of these third periods and you have more options now in those situations to veterans guy you can trust to Yeah, absolutely. Um just watching it today, you know, you see how Orlov, you know, he practices hard come from a really good organization in Carolina. Um Clingberg going on a Stanley Cup final run. He’s been in Dallas. He’s moving probably the best I’ve seen him move in a couple years now. Um, obviously Nick Lety, you can he’s, you know, been around a long time and you just see the poise. They they there’s no panic. They know how to play in certain situations. So, yeah, we feel pretty confident with that. If we presume uh Mlin and Wenberg and and Misa as as your centers, uh, top three centers, um, how do you see the 4C kind of role shaking out? You obviously have, uh, you know, Patty, you have, um, uh, maybe Dandra, maybe I’ll stop Chuck, but just how do you see that shaking out? Yeah, it’s it’s really a competition. Let’s see who who shows us what they can do. Uh it’s Adam Goodets in that. You know, he’s a a guy that played a little bit of center there in Ottawa. We think he can with his faceoff numbers are pretty good. We think he’s a guy that can play the middle. So, um he’s kind of came into himself last year in Ottawa of who he is as a player. So, we’ll give him a look. Um but yeah, there’s some competition there for sure. Do you prefer Adam on the center or wing or is it just kind of up to kind of him? Yeah, we’re going to start him in the middle right now and through training camp and see how it goes. I know it’s day one, but is there anybody maybe that you haven’t had your eye on either whether from last year to this year or just a new guy that maybe caught you by surprise with how how well they played or impressed you anyway? Uh, you know, I thought again going to the rookies, I would say Musty has been impressive. Um, obviously Mack and Will look a lot more comfortable. Um, again the back end, the new additions. Uh, I think Goody Goody looks really good. You know, I thought he had a good practice today. Looks a little bit quicker. Um, again, we’re we’re uh we’re excited for the group that, you know, we’ve added and guys that are coming. So, it’s exciting times here.

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky answers questions from the media at training camp on September 18, 2025