Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[weastern bias]

Comparing Laine to Labanc is f***ing disgraceful.

Disgraceful to Labanc, maybe

 

[Sharksfan66]

I think those comparisons oversell Laine, he's legitimately terrible

He's huge but doesn't hit, he's slow but doesn't have good positioning, he has puck carrying skills but doesn't distribute well, he plays NO defense, and he isn't engaged enough in the play to be a consistent goal scoring threat

Laine has scored 40 goals once and hasn't scored 30 goals since 2019, before Covid, before the Sharks playoff drought, all of his value and reputation is built on accomplishments from half a decade ago

He's Brandon Pirri with draft pedigree, legitimately has an otherworldly shot and it is absolutely tantalizing, but he has ZERO other NHL caliber skills which prevents him from being able to capitalize on his shot and he's such a defensive liability that he can't play in your bottom 6, he's an absolute tank commander

I'm not saying he's Cheechoo or anything like that, but if you took the names out, I'd swear you were talking about Heatley (minus the lack of passing ability).

Again, I haven't really watched Laine outside of games vs SJ really, so if the effort issue really is as extreme as you say, I'd probably pass. But I'm not sure how seriously to take your analysis, since Laine has been basically a PPG player the last few seasons last year's early end notwithstanding (something neither Pirri nor Lebanon nor Hoffman ever even sniffed), so...

I think it's at least worth a phone call for GMMG to see where his head is at.

 

[weastern bias]

I'm not saying he's Cheechoo or anything like that, but if you took the names out, I'd swear you were talking about Heatley (minus the lack of passing ability).

Again, I haven't really watched Laine outside of games vs SJ really, so if the effort issue really is as extreme as you say, I'd probably pass. But I'm not sure how seriously to take your analysis, since Laine has been basically a PPG player the last few seasons last year's early end notwithstanding (something neither Pirri nor Lebanon nor Hoffman ever even sniffed), so...

I think it's at least worth a phone call for GMMG to see where his head is at.

I'm no Heatley fan, they are similar profiles of "big body but doesn't use it, all offense goal suck", but the difference is that Heatley has/had a history of actually producing at a high level

You give an incomplete player who provides nothing but offense a bit of leeway if they can produce at a high level, but Laine just doesn't do that

At age 20 Laine had scored 36, 44 and 30 goals in a season, now at age 25 he's never scored 30 goals ever again

Heatley didn't make the league until age 21 but at 25 he had scored 41 and 50 goals in a season and proceeded to score 50, 41, 39 and 39 in the next four years before he started to slow down

In Heatley's 6 big scoring seasons the league averaged 2.65, 3.08, 2.95, 2.78, 2.91 and 2.84 goals per game

In Laines's 3 big seasons the league goals per game averages were 2.77, 2.97, 3.01, and the league has only dipped below 3.00 once in all of the years that have followed

So, in a scoring environment either similar to or more advantageous than Heatley played in, outside of a legitimately impressive rookie campaign, a crazy sophomore season (seasons in which he shot 17.6% and 18.3%, his career average is 14.7%), and one more for the road as league scoring continued to climb with the rule changes taking place, Laine has simply failed to produce at a level to be compared to Dany Heatley as a goal scorer, and as a player who provides nothing but goal scoring if you can't actually put numbers on the board you aren't useful when you're on the ice

He's a hard pass for me

 

[OrrNumber4]

Heatley was talented but old and injured

Laine is talented but lazy.

Plus, I dislike the comparison because Heatley was slow in a slower league, and much smarter. Laine is dumb and slow in a league where there's more of a premium in both.

 

[jMoneyBrah]

I think those comparisons oversell Laine, he's legitimately terrible

He's huge but doesn't hit, he's slow but doesn't have good positioning, he has puck carrying skills but doesn't distribute well, he plays NO defense, and he isn't engaged enough in the play to be a consistent goal scoring threat

Laine has scored 40 goals once and hasn't scored 30 goals since 2019, before Covid, before the Sharks playoff drought, all of his value and reputation is built on accomplishments from half a decade ago

He's Brandon Pirri with draft pedigree, legitimately has an otherworldly shot and it is absolutely tantalizing, but he has ZERO other NHL caliber skills which prevents him from being able to capitalize on his shot and he's such a defensive liability that he can't play in your bottom 6, he's an absolute tank commander

Do not want Laine. Heatley, for all his production drop off as a Shark/Wild (how do you singularize Wild?) had 2x 50G, 2x 40G, 2x 30G seasons over his first 7 seasons, prior to joining the Sharks. More than scoring goals he also was over a point per game 4 times, including two 100 point seasons.

Laine has 1 40G, 2x 30G seasons, has 1 point per game season (in 56 games), and a bunch of injury shortened campaigns in his 9 seasons. Laine has already peaked and is on a heavy downswing, not to mention competitive and mental health concerns (on a human level I’m sympathetic, but as a fan I’d prefer to avoid).

While it’s preferable for the Sharks to add guys with high-end offense and a solid two way game; I’m not opposed to an offense only guy or two; but they should be locks to have solid offensive seasons. Laine is pretty far from a lock to skate in more than 40 games a season, let alone bring exceptional offensive production at this point in his career. Pass.

I'm no Heatley fan, they are similar profiles of "big body but doesn't use it, all offense goal suck", but the difference is that Heatley has/had a history of actually producing at a high level

You give an incomplete player who provides nothing but offense a bit of leeway if they can produce at a high level, but Laine just doesn't do that

At age 20 Laine had scored 36, 44 and 30 goals in a season, now at age 25 he's never scored 30 goals ever again

Heatley didn't make the league until age 21 but at 25 he had scored 41 and 50 goals in a season and proceeded to score 50, 41, 39 and 39 in the next four years before he started to slow down

In Heatley's 6 big scoring seasons the league averaged 2.65, 3.08, 2.95, 2.78, 2.91 and 2.84 goals per game

In Laines's 3 big seasons the league goals per game averages were 2.77, 2.97, 3.01, and the league has only dipped below 3.00 once in all of the years that have followed

So, in a scoring environment either similar to or more advantageous than Heatley played in, outside of a legitimately impressive rookie campaign, a crazy sophomore season (seasons in which he shot 17.6% and 18.3%, his career average is 14.7%), and one more for the road as league scoring continued to climb with the rule changes taking place, Laine has simply failed to produce at a level to be compared to Dany Heatley as a goal scorer, and as a player who provides nothing but goal scoring if you can't actually put numbers on the board you aren't useful when you're on the ice

He's a hard pass for me

I should have kept on reading before I posted; you said it better than I did.

 

[Eggdoh]

Kylington is L shot, but I'd be down with taking a flyer on him as well

D'oh! For some reason I thought he was a righty. That makes him less appealing.

 

[WSS11]

Heatley was talented but old and injured

Laine is talented but lazy.

Plus, I dislike the comparison because Heatley was slow in a slower league, and much smarter. Laine is dumb and slow in a league where there's more of a premium in both.

Nailed it. For as much as people like to bag on Heatley, he had a very high hockey IQ and did hustle. He’s knees were just completely shot by ‘11.

 

[rideaucrusher21]

Marchenko just signed with Columbus for 3x3.85. Probably a pretty good comp for Zetterlund’s next contract

 

[gaucholoco3]

I’ll take Laine if it comes with Jiricek.

 

[67 others]

Either way, he's been largely unavailable for 4 years, missed games are missed games


He shoots left, but I think he can play both sides

I'd definitely take a flyer on Kylington

Kylington can skate like the wind. One of the best in the league at skating TBH.

He had a great year with Tanev as his partner with almost no PP time. I'd take a chance here too despite him being a left shot

 

[timorous me]

Kylington can skate like the wind. One of the best in the league at skating TBH.

He had a great year with Tanev as his partner with almost no PP time. I'd take a chance here too despite him being a left shot

I like the idea of Kylington, I just don't like the idea of pushing Mukhamadullin farther down the depth chart, especially for another left-shot guy.

So if you can send someone else out, okay, but I think Shak is deserving on some decent NHL time this season--maybe not starting the season in the lineup, but maybe the first call-up whenever anyone is injured for more than a game or two at a time (Vlasic can fill in on those nights).

 

[Bizz]

I’ll take Laine if it comes with Jiricek.

I'll take Laine if he comes with Fantilli.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Laine has a 10 team no-trade list. We're almost certainly on it. I'd claim him off waivers but I wouldn't pay anything more than a 3rd round pick for him and I suspect Columbus can get a 2nd rounder from someone not on his no-trade list.

 

[Barrie22]

Laine has a 10 team no-trade list. We're almost certainly on it. I'd claim him off waivers but I wouldn't pay anything more than a 3rd round pick for him and I suspect Columbus can get a 2nd rounder from someone not on his no-trade list.

A 4th will have to do, we don't have a 3rd for the next 3 drafts

 

[mogambomoroo]

Nice look at our prospects enjoying life! Celebrini and Smith are already building chemistry.

 

[weastern bias]

Nice look at our prospects enjoying life! Celebrini and Smith are already building chemistry.

"You kids are probably too young for The Sandlot" is so upsetting to hear

Where has all the time gone?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

A 4th will have to do, we don't have a 3rd for the next 3 drafts

There are plenty of assets I'd be open to moving for Laine. Ferraro for Laine is something I'd do. There's plenty of forwards looking like they're going to make the roster that I'd move for him like Kostin or Kunin or Goodrow or Grundstrom or Sturm or Dellandrea. I'd move any prospect that was drafted in the 3rd round or later or even Bordeleau. They just need to not toss around any 1st or their own 2nd rounders for now.

 

[Friday]

This off topic haha but ive been following this and might get one. Y'all might like it too

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818082281342554441

 

[Star Platinum]

"You kids are probably too young for The Sandlot" is so upsetting to hear

Where has all the time gone?

Celebrini and Smith need to tame The Beast.

 

[weastern bias]

Celebrini and Smith need to tame The Beast.

 

[Cas]

This off topic haha but ive been following this and might get one. Y'all might like it too

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818082281342554441

I totally saw a car in Carmel this weekend whose license plate was "SHORKS."

 

[OrrNumber4]

Looks like no Draisaitl...

 

[Lebanezer]

Looks like no Draisaitl...

Fine by me.

 

[OrrNumber4]

That's a lot of money for Faber after one season.

 

[Sharksfan66]

I'm no Heatley fan, they are similar profiles of "big body but doesn't use it, all offense goal suck", but the difference is that Heatley has/had a history of actually producing at a high level

You give an incomplete player who provides nothing but offense a bit of leeway if they can produce at a high level, but Laine just doesn't do that

At age 20 Laine had scored 36, 44 and 30 goals in a season, now at age 25 he's never scored 30 goals ever again

Heatley didn't make the league until age 21 but at 25 he had scored 41 and 50 goals in a season and proceeded to score 50, 41, 39 and 39 in the next four years before he started to slow down

In Heatley's 6 big scoring seasons the league averaged 2.65, 3.08, 2.95, 2.78, 2.91 and 2.84 goals per game

In Laines's 3 big seasons the league goals per game averages were 2.77, 2.97, 3.01, and the league has only dipped below 3.00 once in all of the years that have followed

So, in a scoring environment either similar to or more advantageous than Heatley played in, outside of a legitimately impressive rookie campaign, a crazy sophomore season (seasons in which he shot 17.6% and 18.3%, his career average is 14.7%), and one more for the road as league scoring continued to climb with the rule changes taking place, Laine has simply failed to produce at a level to be compared to Dany Heatley as a goal scorer, and as a player who provides nothing but goal scoring if you can't actually put numbers on the board you aren't useful when you're on the ice

He's a hard pass for me

Do not want Laine. Heatley, for all his production drop off as a Shark/Wild (how do you singularize Wild?) had 2x 50G, 2x 40G, 2x 30G seasons over his first 7 seasons, prior to joining the Sharks. More than scoring goals he also was over a point per game 4 times, including two 100 point seasons.

Laine has 1 40G, 2x 30G seasons, has 1 point per game season (in 56 games), and a bunch of injury shortened campaigns in his 9 seasons. Laine has already peaked and is on a heavy downswing, not to mention competitive and mental health concerns (on a human level I’m sympathetic, but as a fan I’d prefer to avoid).

While it’s preferable for the Sharks to add guys with high-end offense and a solid two way game; I’m not opposed to an offense only guy or two; but they should be locks to have solid offensive seasons. Laine is pretty far from a lock to skate in more than 40 games a season, let alone bring exceptional offensive production at this point in his career. Pass.



I should have kept on reading before I posted; you said it better than I did.

Just going to drop this here for you guys.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1817321659650515187

I’m not arguing he hasn’t already peaked, but IMO he seems like a reasonable bet for a 30-30 season on Smith’s wing if he’s in a good spot personally. Gosh, I think he’s going to be motivated as hell to have a big season this coming year…