Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[Jargon]

Grier also said he’d like to possibly find more scoring and get a C. It feels like if we ALSO bring back Zadina and Kunin, we have way too many players?

Then again, I thought that last year and half our team was dead by October

 

[Cas]

Grier also said he’d like to possibly find more scoring and get a C. It feels like if we ALSO bring back Zadina and Kunin, we have way too many players?

Then again, I thought that last year and half our team was dead by October

About half of the forward group are people who we can easily waive. If you can't beat out Filip Zadina or Luke Kunin (and you're not a 20-21 year old prospect), either your management are morons or you're just not worth worrying about.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I would be beyond shocked if Zadina was brought back or if Kunin weren’t qualified… but the transcription of Grier’s presser made it seem like those aren’t set in stone.

Not qualifying Kunin would be the move that would make me forgive Grier for the Goodrow waiver claim.

 

[landshark]

Excited for a time when the Sharks can get middle of the road type players/prospects and pump up their value playing them with Smitty and Celly. I feel like once the dynamic duo get a couple seasons under their belt they could help expedite the Sharks rebuild a bit by inflating the value on a player that gets traded away for a little more than they would have been worth playing with Kunin...

I feel like Bordy/Guschin could fall into this category depending on how camp shakes out etc. I feel like Zadina might also fall into this category as well. If they're gonna shelter Smith and Celebrini, may as well let Zadina/Bordy/Goose ride shotgun with one of them (and a vet not named Luke Kunin) to try to pump up their stats before flipping them to someone for a playoff run. Probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I feel like Duclair playing with one of Celly or Smitty might have put up more goals and they were gonna flip him anyways... At worst perhaps in a year or two Grier could use that as a pitch to FA. Take a one year, cheap deal, we'll get your numbers up then onto a playoff team at the deadline.

I'd feel even more optimistic about that happening this year if the D wasn't a tire fire. Maybe having an actual system in place will help alleviate some of those "can't get it out of the zone" issues.

Jumbo kinda did this with Labanc, if only the Sharks had traded him when his value peaked.

Cheechoo had a great shot, but does he win the Rocket Richard w/o those sweet passes from Jumbo? As another example. I hope Celly and Smitty turn out to be the caliber of player that can elevate the games of those around them.

 

[Jargon]

“We do need some scoring on the wings, most likely, and maybe some center help to take some pressure off of Granny and Will and stuff like that.“

Grier mentioning Will Smith as a center and not wing. He does go on and say that we have centers that are flexible and can play wing but I thought that was interesting.

Sounds like he got a few of his lower line grit guys and is now going to be hunting for a center, a scoring winger and a PMD.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

“We do need some scoring on the wings, most likely, and maybe some center help to take some pressure off of Granny and Will and stuff like that.“

Grier mentioning Will Smith as a center and not wing. He does go on and say that we have centers that are flexible and can play wing but I thought that was interesting.

Sounds like he got a few of his lower line grit guys and is now going to be hunting for a center, a scoring winger and a PMD.

Could he possibly be referring to William Eklund? Either way, I agree with MG’s approach.

 

[matt trick]

The Athletic are doing a NHL teams ranking for positions groups. So far San Jose is 32nd (and in the 0th percentile!) for dmen and wingers. Our team strength is centers coming in at 30th (but giving a lot of credit for Couture...). Felt Eklund and Zetterlund should have gotten a bit more credit, but wingers 3-8 are bottom 6 guys.

I anticipate goaltending will be our strength, I'm estimating we come in around 27-29th.

We're going to be Draggin for Hagens//Shames for James next year.

If Grier gets this team to be better than third worst it'd be a huge accomplishment. Guessing the bottom give will be San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim, Montreal, and Calgary. That said, I'll take another top 5 pick please! Martone, Hensler, Hagens, or one of the other D/Cs would all be good options.

Ottawa (new goalie), New Jersey (new goalie, shouldn't have been bad), Philly (+Michkov), and Columbus (youth improvements+hungry GM) would be my bets for an uptick.

 

[STL Shark]

Could he possibly be referring to William Eklund? Either way, I agree with MG’s approach.

Think it’s Granlund, Goodrow, Smith, and Kunin that he’s probably referencing. Would assume the Eklund center experiment of like a week last year is over for good.

Who knows if he factors “getting” Celebrini this week as adding his center. If it’s not, I’d say it’s someone like a Pageau, though that can add some scoring if deployed differently and also play a lot of shutdown minutes too.

 

[Lebanezer]

 

[one2gamble]

thats just bonkers to me

 

[Hodge]

thats just bonkers to me

It's almost like a $5 million increase to the salary cap fundamentally reconfigured the market.

 

[gaucholoco3]

It's almost like a $5 million increase to the salary cap fundamentally reconfigured the market.

Change is hard for most people.

 

[STL Shark]

thats just bonkers to me

$450k less than the AFP projection. Mittlestadt also less term and AAV than projection. Go ahead and ink the Sean Walker 4 year $5M deal where we overpay by $400k compared to projection and add an additional year for the suck tax.

 

[WSS11]

$450k less than the AFP projection. Mittlestadt also less term and AAV than projection. Go ahead and ink the Sean Walker 4 year $5M deal where we overpay by $400k compared to projection and add an additional year for the suck tax.

Would consider that a great deal for the sharks with that term

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

gut feeling sais MG is in on Mcgroarty

 

[ChompChomp]

gut feeling sais MG is in on Mcgroarty

For sure, I have that gut feeling too. Doesn't mean he'll land him, but I think he's interested.

I just hope he's smart about it and if another team wants to overpay, let them overpay. I said before, I don't want the Sharks to trade any first or second round pick for McG. A pick beyond that is fair game. I had mentioned Ozzy, but he's gone. Bords is someone I'd consider for trade package. Like Tampa 3rd Round Pick + Bordeleau. And again, if another team wants to pay a higher price, let them pay that price.

 

[Alaskanice]

For sure, I have that gut feeling too. Doesn't mean he'll land him, but I think he's interested.

I just hope he's smart about it and if another team wants to overpay, let them overpay. I said before, I don't want the Sharks to trade any first or second round pick for McG. A pick beyond that is fair game. I had mentioned Ozzy, but he's gone. Bords is someone I'd consider for trade package. Like Tampa 3rd Round Pick + Bordeleau. And again, if another team wants to pay a higher price, let them pay that price.

It’s a good thing that we have the draft capital to make a good offer.

 

[gaucholoco3]

The more I think about it, I come to the conclusion that Ferraro will be dealt at the draft. The Sharks need to revamp their blue line and open spots in both the NHL and AHL. He has more value to a club wanting to compete than he does to the Sharks. I think they could get a 1st for Ferraro + 3rd which I would take all day long. I also think he could be moved with either 14 to move up into the top 7 or with 33 to move into the teens.

His contract with the cap going up is now a positive for a #5 defenseman.

 

[Jargon]

The more I think about it, I come to the conclusion that Ferraro will be dealt at the draft. The Sharks need to revamp their blue line and open spots in both the NHL and AHL. He has more value to a club wanting to compete than he does to the Sharks. I think they could get a 1st for Ferraro + 3rd which I would take all day long. I also think he could be moved with either 14 to move up into the top 7 or with 33 to move into the teens.

His contract with the cap going up is now a positive for a #5 defenseman.

While I agree, I do wonder if there’s a point to trading Ferraro for a 1st in the 20s (I doubt we get a high high pick for him) when we’ll likely be drafting a guy who probably has a similar ceiling to Ferraro? I don’t know, it’s tricky.

 

[Cas]

While I agree, I do wonder if there’s a point to trading Ferraro for a 1st in the 20s (I doubt we get a high high pick for him) when we’ll likely be drafting a guy who probably has a similar ceiling to Ferraro? I don’t know, it’s tricky.

The point would be to have a 23-year-old Ferraro in 2029, rather than either a 30-year-old Ferraro or nothing when he leaves in free agency.

 

[TealManV]

Personally, I’d be interested in McGroarty if the return was built around Ferraro.

Ferraro would be a solid Dillon replacement for Winnipeg.

It would give Mario a chance to play for a more competitive team. I like that fit on both sides.

Package up a few other sweeteners like:
- Pick #42 or TB’s 3rd
- B level prospect like Bords or Gush
- Replacement level NHL roster player like Sturm, Kostin, Rutta, Burroughs, etc.

 

[STL Shark]

While I agree, I do wonder if there’s a point to trading Ferraro for a 1st in the 20s (I doubt we get a high high pick for him) when we’ll likely be drafting a guy who probably has a similar ceiling to Ferraro? I don’t know, it’s tricky.

It would be with the hope of packaging that and a 2nd to jump into the top 20 for a faller or packaging with 14 to move into the top 10.

 

[ChompChomp]

Personally, I’d be interested in McGroarty if the return was built around Ferraro.

Ferraro would be a solid Dillon replacement for Winnipeg.

It would give Mario a chance to play for a more competitive team. I like that fit on both sides.

Package up a few other sweeteners like:
- Pick #42 or TB’s 3rd
- B level prospect like Bords or Gush
- Replacement level NHL roster player like Sturm, Kostin, Rutta, Burroughs, etc.

Ooohhh I like the idea of Ferraro for McG, maybe with sweeteners. Makes sense for both sides.

 

[STL Shark]

Personally, I’d be interested in McGroarty if the return was built around Ferraro.

Ferraro would be a solid Dillon replacement for Winnipeg.

It would give Mario a chance to play for a more competitive team. I like that fit on both sides.

Package up a few other sweeteners like:
- Pick #42 or TB’s 3rd
- B level prospect like Bords or Gush
- Replacement level NHL roster player like Sturm, Kostin, Rutta, Burroughs, etc.

I also don’t think that Winnipeg will be able to bring in UFAs to that market where not many guys want to play. All but 2 of their skaters were drafted or traded for rather than signings. Speaks a lot to how they need to acquire guys.

 

[TealManV]

I also don’t think that Winnipeg will be able to bring in UFAs to that market where not many guys want to play. All but 2 of their skaters were drafted or traded for rather than signings. Speaks a lot to how they need to acquire guys.

Really great and important point!