Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[Hodge]

Smith should start his career on the wing. I think he will get killed playing center in the NHL next season. Most of the time he wasn’t even playing center in college.

 

[SjMilhouse]

I think hes just not used to being asked real questions. Sheng can get a little adventurous and Grier hasnt been in a public facing role before hiring.

Sheng is overall great but he definitely has his moments where I feel like his inexperience in this arena shows and can lead to some weirdness.

 

[gaucholoco3]

Smith should start his career on the wing. I think he will get killed playing center in the NHL next season. Most of the time he wasn’t even playing center in college.

Wasn’t he still the Center when Perreault was hurt and Cutter played with Smith and Leonard?

Everything I have read is that he thrives in the middle of the ice and is a natural Center. Defensively in the NHL the first forward back plays low in the zone so it is not as big of a deal to have him playing C.

Bedard got moved off C because he is a natural scoring winger. He exits the zone early to look for transition plays from Defensemen whereas Smith comes low to initiate breakouts himself. I always thought Bedard had no NHL future at C but will be miscast there since he will be the most talented player in his team.

I would rather have Celebrini over Bedard in any case except for trying to market and sell tickets.

 

[Mattb124]

In Warsofsky presser, Grier contradicted reports that he's looking to trade Couture.

Given the nature of his injury, I cannot imagine a team trading for Couture. The Sharks do not need the cap space and would not want to attach the assets to move him out as an LTIR move for another team.

 

[coooldude]

Given the nature of his injury, I cannot imagine a team trading for Couture. The Sharks do not need the cap space and would not want to attach the assets to move him out as an LTIR move for another team.

Yeah, I honestly think this was purely a public show of loyalty to Cooch and kind of another "I'm a player's GM" stake in the ground for Grier. Could also indicate Cooch is going through it right now.

 

[Gecklund]

Wasn’t he still the Center when Perreault was hurt and Cutter played with Smith and Leonard?

Everything I have read is that he thrives in the middle of the ice and is a natural Center. Defensively in the NHL the first forward back plays low in the zone so it is not as big of a deal to have him playing C.

Bedard got moved off C because he is a natural scoring winger. He exits the zone early to look for transition plays from Defensemen whereas Smith comes low to initiate breakouts himself. I always thought Bedard had no NHL future at C but will be miscast there since he will be the most talented player in his team.

I would rather have Celebrini over Bedard in any case except for trying to market and sell tickets.

Yes Smith played exclusively at C in college

Playing Smith on a line where he’s the only one that can finish seems like a huge mistake to me. I like Sturm but he doesn’t belong on a line with Smith.

I get it and I’d like to get better players for Smith but the point of Sturm would be to take the defensive responsibilities. I’d like to upgrade on Kostin there but oh well. I’d be okay with that line.

 

[coooldude]

Yes Smith played exclusively at C in college


I get it and I’d like to get better players for Smith but the point of Sturm would be to take the defensive responsibilities. I’d like to upgrade on Kostin there but oh well. I’d be okay with that line.

I don't think this is ideal at the start of the season, but Kostin/Smith/Eklund might be interesting as a 2a or 2b line if Kostin still looks like he could put in 20. Depends on how Lund line is doing at 1.

 

[TealManV]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803065509656600736

Sad I would have liked Atkinson

I’ve always liked Atkinson. He’d be a solid addition for next season even though he’s a shell of his former self.

I had a really good conversation with him at the all-star game in SJ. I’ve also followed CBJ for a while and he sounds like a great locker room leader.

This is a great opportunity for the Sharks to potentially move up a few spots.

#14 for #12 & Atkinson (1 year/$5.875m)

This is where Grier trying to be a “player’s GM” is put to the test. Can he convince guys with trade protection to come to SJ? Does the presence of Macklin and Smith do anything to sway opinion?

 

[Star Platinum]

Playing Smith on a line where he’s the only one that can finish seems like a huge mistake to me. I like Sturm but he doesn’t belong on a line with Smith.

Agreed. He needs to be paired with a finisher given how much of his skillset is passing.

 

[Star Platinum]

Sheng is overall great but he definitely has his moments where I feel like his inexperience in this arena shows and can lead to some weirdness.

The Bay Area, as a whole, is very weak when it comes to sports journalism. The guys who cover the Warriors are yes men who get fed stories by the team, cover trade rumors that will never happen, and have no interesting thoughts of their own. The 49ers used to have Ira Miller a long time ago who could give you a good analysis of a game, but their guys are largely the same. David Lombardi may as well have "49ers Public Relations" as his title instead of pretending he's an actual journalist. Susan Slusser is okay, but she's a meat and potatoes kind of beat writer who's not going to give you any great insights.

What I appreciate about Sheng is that for a guy who looks like a guy who wouldn't know anything about hockey, he asks relevant questions. He doesn't dabble in clickbait like a lot of Bay Area reporters do and when he discusses potential moves the Sharks might make, he's not making pie in the sky moves up that have no chance of happening. You will never see the equivalent of "Will Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant come to the Warriors" type of articles from him that have zero chance of happening.

As someone who hadn't really thought about the Sharks in a long time until they won the draft lottery, I've been frankly impressed at the quality of the interviews that he has done. My only nit to pick is that the podcasts could stand to be tightened up as it's hard for me to listen to anything for two hours unless I'm looking for something to distract my brain while I settle in for a nap.

Keep doing what you're doing Sheng.

 

[LadyStanley]

Re click bait.... Sheng does quote various folks about rumors and such. Sometimes he has a "sources say" tidbit.

 

[coooldude]

Wasn’t he still the Center when Perreault was hurt and Cutter played with Smith and Leonard?

Everything I have read is that he thrives in the middle of the ice and is a natural Center. Defensively in the NHL the first forward back plays low in the zone so it is not as big of a deal to have him playing C.

Bedard got moved off C because he is a natural scoring winger. He exits the zone early to look for transition plays from Defensemen whereas Smith comes low to initiate breakouts himself. I always thought Bedard had no NHL future at C but will be miscast there since he will be the most talented player in his team.

I would rather have Celebrini over Bedard in any case except for trying to market and sell tickets.

Smith played C the entire year, so I disagree with Hodge on that one. He definitely played C for Cutter and Leonard.

However, Hodge is kind of right in that he didn't play C defensively in a very structured manner. "Bedard exits the zone early to look for transition plays from Defensemen whereas Smith comes low to initiate breakouts himself" I did not find to be consistently true when I watched BC. He definitely still fled the zone looking for the transition game, and sometimes he did it and sometimes Leonard or Perreault did it. Not a heavily structured breakout game. I am sure he can do it, but there's some uncertainty there at the NHL level vs. Celebrini who excelled at creating turnovers in the D zone (Smith's turnovers were mostly from forechecking) and then breaking out to attack, either carrying the puck himself or passing out of the zone.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I’ve always liked Atkinson. He’d be a solid addition for next season even though he’s a shell of his former self.

I had a really good conversation with him at the all-star game in SJ. I’ve also followed CBJ for a while and he sounds like a great locker room leader.

This is a great opportunity for the Sharks to potentially move up a few spots.

#14 for #12 & Atkinson (1 year/$5.875m)

This is where Grier trying to be a “player’s GM” is put to the test. Can he convince guys with trade protection to come to SJ? Does the presence of Macklin and Smith do anything to sway opinion?

Atkinson is a Boston boy, maybe Grier can work some magic?

 

[STL Shark]

Agreed. He needs to be paired with a finisher given how much of his skillset is passing.

Kostin/Joshua-Smith-Granlund is the type of line that makes sense for me. F1 with size, physicality, and some finish paired with another playmaker that can share some center duty and also play RW. Would sort of be shocked if Smith is not with Granlund to start next season.

 

[Hodge]

However, Hodge is kind of right in that he didn't play C defensively in a very structured manner. "Bedard exits the zone early to look for transition plays from Defensemen whereas Smith comes low to initiate breakouts himself" I did not find to be consistently true when I watched BC. He definitely still fled the zone looking for the transition game, and sometimes he did it and sometimes Leonard or Perreault did it. Not a heavily structured breakout game. I am sure he can do it, but there's some uncertainty there at the NHL level vs. Celebrini who excelled at creating turnovers in the D zone (Smith's turnovers were mostly from forechecking) and then breaking out to attack, either carrying the puck himself or passing out of the zone.

This is all I was getting at. Regardless of what the lineup card said or who took the faceoffs, every time I watched BC Smith functioned like a winger without the puck.

 

[LadyStanley]

Vancouver Canucks expected to make strong play for Jake Guentzel in free agency

Guentzel sits No. 2 on Daily Faceoff’s latest Top 75 UFA board.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

Top 75 UFAs, one man's opinion.

69/70 for Lebanc and Hoffman

 

[Jargon]

I really hope Couture is healthy because I think Smith should be glued to him the entire season.

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803127866575794204

 

[Gecklund]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803126852300550305

Mutual contract termination?

Doubt it probably a buyout. Actually you might be right cause buyout window isn’t open.

UNLESS THE NHL RIGGED THE FINAL GAME AND NYR KNOWS!

I’d love him so much. Please come back.

 

[Cas]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803126852300550305

Mutual contract termination?

He'd be throwing away more than $11 million, so I can't see that.

 

[LadyStanley]

Edited post. Friedman says it's a cap move

 

[gaucholoco3]

NY is just seeing if they can give away Goodrow for free which no team will fall for.

 

[TheBeard]

f*** it. I'd claim him. Contract is big and we're not getting any sweeteners to take him, but man he'd be a good fit for the rookies. Him and Kunin will keep teams honest around our future stars.

 

[Juxtaposer]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803127866575794204

The Rangers waiving a guy who scored 6 goals in 16 playoff games shows that no one believes it’s sustainable in the least.

I’d be surprised if anyone claimed him.

 

[spintops]

Now way am I taking a bad contract for free. Make them pay.