Speculation: 2022-23 Sharks Roster Discussion Part 1

[PacificOceanPotion]

Kunin, 2 yrs, 2.75

 

[Jargon]

I think that's a bit hyperbolic, but it does seem like he's more intent on going out and solidifying the bottom of the roster for cheap in the offseason rather than waiting until the TDL and having to overpay for depth with assets when the internal options are floundering a bit and not ready for the bright lights of the playoffs.

That said, key will be what he does over the next 18 months to address the top half of the lineup. Role players seem to be in place, but role players only work whenever they're in the appropriate role rather than thrust up too high in the lineup because of other roster shortcomings.

If he wants to do that (get a top 6 and top 4 d player) he’s going to have to find a way to jettison Labanc, Simek and even then I’m not sure that’s enough to get two players.

I did have a dream that we got Klingberg inexplicably though.

 

[one2gamble]

Kunin, 2 yrs, 2.75

that seems steep

 

[Gecklund]

Kunin, 2 yrs, 2.75

I get why he signed for that but I was hoping closer to 2. Hopefully he can prove last season was a fluke.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

that seems steep

Pashelka confirmed it about 10 mins ago

 

[one2gamble]

Pashelka confirmed it about 10 mins ago

i believe it, im just saying its steep

 

[seroes]

Sigh. Another deal that's just a little too much

 

[hohosaregood]

What was his QO price at?

 

[themelkman]

I think that's a bit hyperbolic, but it does seem like he's more intent on going out and solidifying the bottom of the roster for cheap in the offseason rather than waiting until the TDL and having to overpay for depth with assets when the internal options are floundering a bit and not ready for the bright lights of the playoffs.

That said, key will be what he does over the next 18 months to address the top half of the lineup. Role players seem to be in place, but role players only work whenever they're in the appropriate role rather than thrust up too high in the lineup because of other roster shortcomings.

You cannot upgrade the top of the lineup with no cap room. What he has done is effectively ate up all possible cap space we would gain.

The best case scenario would be Meier resigning, but that’s all the room we would have left becuase 5 of our bottom sixers next year are making a combined 10 million.

 

[fasterthanlight]

What was his QO price at?

2.3 I think

 

[hohosaregood]

2.3 I think

Yea would rather have him at the QO.

 

[Cas]

If he wants to do that (get a top 6 and top 4 d player) he’s going to have to find a way to jettison Labanc, Simek and even then I’m not sure that’s enough to get two players.

With our cap situation, that's pretty much impossible unless you just totally fleece someone for an ELC player.

...

I currently have the waiver-eligible players assigned to the Sharks (save for Dell, Suess, Viel, and Agozzino in the AHL) and all of the waiver-exempt players on the Barracuda.

The Sharks currently have $68,200,000 committed to ten forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders, with four forwards, one defenseman, and one goaltender remaining to sign, and $5,145,001 in dead cap space.

I'm expecting the remaining RFAs (Ferraro, Kahkonen, Gregor, Lorentz, Chmelevski, Gadjovich) to come in at around $8 million in cap hit. That would leave the Sharks with $1,187,499 in cap space available.

You can move some players between the Sharks and Barracuda, but replacing Chmelevski, Gadjovich, or Megna with anyone is either cap-neutral or costs cap against my predictions. You could bury guys like Benning or Gregor and wind up saving a little bit of cap, but it's always marginal. As the roster is currently constructed, the Sharks have no more than $1.5 million to spend, no matter what you do.

...

The Sharks can move Labanc, Simek, and a goalie for cap savings, assuming they can avoid taking back any cap hits. Labanc, Simek, and Reimer together save you $9,225,000. That should be enough to add one good player and maybe a decent depth player - for example, that's enough cap space to add Mark Scheifele and Dylan Demelo (by way of example - not necessarily a serious proposal).

Obviously the Sharks need to move a goalie, so that should save about $2 million regardless of who goes. You can add a decent depth player for that and our current cap underage, but probably not someone who really moves the needle.

...

Ultimately, I think upgrading the lineup with a legitimate top six/top four player and a good depth player is going to be very difficult.

 

[hohosaregood]

You cannot upgrade the top of the lineup with no cap room. What he has done is effectively ate up all possible cap space we would gain.

The best case scenario would be Meier resigning, but that’s all the room we would have left becuase 5 of our bottom sixers next year are making a combined 10 million.

Bonino and Nutivaara coming off the books next season basically covers Meier if they keep him.

 

[landshark]

What was his QO price at?

googs says 2.3:

 

[STL Shark]

You cannot upgrade the top of the lineup with no cap room. What he has done is effectively ate up all possible cap space we would gain.

The best case scenario would be Meier resigning, but that’s all the room we would have left becuase 5 of our bottom sixers next year are making a combined 10 million.

You couldn't have upgraded the Top 6 or Top 4 for this year with the cap space we had to begin with. Hence the easiest path to making the team more complete being to beef up the bottom 6 with NHL players instead of fringe guys making up 30% of the NHL roster.

Move out Labanc (or even just buy him out next offseason if he doesn't have a good year this year or is not traded), bury Simek, sign Meier to an 8x8, and assume that Eklund/Bordeleau are ready for 2023-24. Even if you don't do anything with Vlasic's contract you're left with ~$9.2 million to add a 2nd line winger, 2nd pair D-Man and backup goalie. If you buyout Vlasic or jettison him off with something attached whenever his NMC turns into a 3 team M-NTC next offseason, that turns into $14M to accomplish those same tasks.

There is cap space to make some moves next summer, just going to have to be creative in how you get there. Grier has shown thus far that he's willing to be creative to create cap space.

 

[STL Shark]

1) Appears that Sturm was not merely just scratched for the playoffs, but rather was injured.

2) That injury sucks as I tore my UCL my freshman year of college in my non-throwing arm and still deal with lingering effects 10 years later with certain movements. Doctors are hesitant to do Tommy John for non-throwing arm UCL tears so you just live with a partial tear forever.

 

[boredatwork]

If the Sharks run a Minnesota or Boston defensive system, these roster acquisitions could make them a bubble team. I’m guessing that’s Grier’s plan given that Kunin and Sturm found some success in the system before and that Sacco is a coaching candidate. The players acquired, besides Kanin, arguably have decent advanced metrics depending on what models you look at.

I thought the Benning signing was stupid. However, models and scouts say he is a defensive stud who moves the puck. Him and Sturm also faced a ridiculous amount of defensive zone starts. I want the Sharks to use Sturm’s line and Benning’s pairing in a shut down role buried in the d-zone. Take some pressure off the “Top lines.”

I think the Sharks live and die with Bourdeleau’s development. If he makes the team and creates a legitimate scoring line, the team will be in the playoff race.

 

[hohosaregood]

If the Sharks run a Minnesota or Boston defensive system, these roster acquisitions could make them a bubble team. I’m guessing that’s Grier’s plan given that Kunin and Sturm found some success in the system before and that Sacco is a coaching candidate. The players acquired, besides Kanin, arguably have decent advanced metrics depending on what models you look at.

I thought the Benning signing was stupid. However, models and scouts say he is a defensive stud who moves the puck. Him and Sturm also faced a ridiculous amount of defensive zone starts. I want the Sharks to use Sturm’s line and Benning’s pairing in a shut down role buried in the d-zone. Take some pressure off the “Top lines.”

I think the Sharks live and die with Bourdeleau’s development. If he makes the team and creates a legitimate scoring line, the team will be in the playoff race.

I'd say realistic expectations is that all the signings and vets play at the start of the year and the kids start in the AHL for about 30-40 games. Around January when the kids establish themselves and Gushchin-Bordeleau-Eklund are the best shorty line in the AHL, they get called up and replace Bonino and Nieto, who then get shipped out to a contender looking for cheap depth guys. Kids play in the NHL until the end and then they go back down and win the Calder Cup.

All very very realistic expectations

 

[mogambomoroo]

Kahkonen signed for 2 years, don't know the cap hit yet

 

[hohosaregood]

Kahkonen signed for 2 years, don't know the cap hit yet

The Twitter link

Give me more of that Big Kahk

 

[STL Shark]

Kahkonen signed for 2 years, don't know the cap hit yet

$2.75M

 

[LadyStanley]

Changes.

 

[WTFetus]

Changes.

Weird of him to use a cut-off of two seasons ago and not the 21-22 season opener.

 

[STL Shark]

Weird of him to use a cut-off of two seasons ago and not the 21-22 season opener.

Go back an additional year (the first year of the playoff drought) and you have Bergmann, Burns, Dillon, Gambrell, Goodrow, Heed, Melker, Prout, Radil, Sorensen, Thornton, Yurtaykin, and Jones all gone from the organization now. Granted, Heed only dressed that game because Karlsson's wife was having their child and Radil was in because Kane was suspended, but still. From what would have been the opening night roster plus backup goalie and scratches, that is 15 of 23 spots on the roster that have since been vacated from the 2019-20 season. Only guys left are Karlsson, Hertl, Couture, Meier, Labanc, Vlasic, Ferraro, and Simek. And even then, two of those have a decent shot at being moved before the season begins.

 

[Dicdonya]

Weird of him to use a cut-off of two seasons ago and not the 21-22 season opener.

Weird, but also who cares?

Is it some sort of revelation that fringe players, and non core players, shift and change over the course of a couple seasons?

I fail to see the point of that tweet, or is that my fault for thinking there is a point when its merely just stating something for the sake of it.