Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[coooldude]

Winning culture can be rebuilt. Has happened before, will happen again. But I don't expect us to be fun to watch for 5 more years and I don't expect us to contend for 7 at least.

We're 5 years behind the canucks, for example. 9-10 behind the Avs, and 5 behind the devils. Hopefully we can do it faster than the sabres, who still look like somehow they might be missing pieces.

 

[mogambomoroo]

The painful part, is that this is what the Sharks should've looked like in 2020 or 2021. We have sucked for 3-4 years, but this is really year 1, maybe 2, of the full on Tank Job.

By the time this gets turned around, youre looking at at least 6-7 years out of the playoffs. Whats the soonest you could realistically project this franchise to compete again? 2026-2027 if every single thing goes absolutely right? Most likely 2028-2029. Thats a full decade after the WCF loss to the Blues. Take a look at the Tank on any given night and see why that just doesn't work in this market.

I dont blame Mike Grier, this is what needs to happen to fix the team, I just hope theyre able to survive as a franchise with 5000 people in the building, getting blown the F out every night, without completely ruining any semblance of winning culture in the organization. Tough times to be a Shark fan.

I will say its annoying watching other fans post about the Sharks like the last 20 years never happened. We were one of the 3 best teams in the NHL from about 2000-2020 sustained, and just never got that cup as payoff. You cant be that good for that long without paying for it, and unfortunately for all of us the bill has come due.

This 100%
We were one of the best teams for a pretty long time, and IT hurts how fast people have forgotten about it.

One thing that I don't really want to admit is that Vegas winning the cup and not having a single regulation loss to begin the season has really tested my all around love for this sport. And all the chirps from their entitled fans, just hurts that they got that leverage.

Hopefully one day I can come back to this message and say we finally did it!
PS. F*** Vegas!

 

[TheBeard]

This 100%
We were one of the best teams for a pretty long time, and IT hurts how fast people have forgotten about it.

One thing that I don't really want to admit is that Vegas winning the cup and not having a single regulation loss to begin the season has really tested my all around love for this sport. And all the chirps from their entitled fans, just hurts that they got that leverage.

Hopefully one day I can come back to this message and say we finally did it!
PS. F*** Vegas!

I was arguing with a Vegas homer last night because he didn’t seem to understand the highs and lows of a franchise and he’s convinced the team is stacked in the prospect pool because they’re really good at scouting and hence they’ll find guys in the later rounds to slide in effortlessly once the Stones and Petro’s are gone. He legit told me they’re so stacked that they purposely keep their prospects in other countries because there’s no room for them here. He also bragged that they have an owner that doesn’t mind spending and bringing in all the marquee free agents. I almost pitied him.

 

[sharks_dynasty]

I was arguing with a Vegas homer last night because he didn’t seem to understand the highs and lows of a franchise and he’s convinced the team is stacked in the prospect pool because they’re really good at scouting and hence they’ll find guys in the later rounds to slide in effortlessly once the Stones and Petro’s are gone. He legit told me they’re so stacked that they purposely keep their prospects in other countries because there’s no room for them here. He also bragged that they have an owner that doesn’t mind spending and bringing in all the marquee free agents. I almost pitied him.

No pity required. Let him wallow in his own misery in 10 years when the Vegas franchise is a dumpster fire. They deserve to understand that life is cyclical and their turn at hopelessness will arrive with a vengeance.

 

[TheBeard]

No pity required. Let him wallow in his own misery in 10 years when the Vegas franchise is a dumpster fire. They deserve to understand that life is cyclical and their turn at hopelessness will arrive with a vengeance.

I guess when your hockey knowledge is so short that you haven’t been watching long enough to see good teams turn bad and vice versa then it makes sense. They probably think TB is gonna be elite forever as well.

 

[gaucholoco3]

How bad the Sharks are this year does not imply they will be this bad for the next 5+ years.

They have only 6 current NHL forwards under contract next season (I’m considering Eklund as a prospect even though he will stay in the NHL). That leaves a lot of room to make changes either prospects or FA/Trades. On D there are 6 players under contract next season but 3 of those contracts can be buried which still allows for some flexibility especially when buy outs for Ferraro and Vlassic aren’t too painful.

With the projected cap increase they will have $35.5 million in space. They have zero RFAs who deserve a substantial raise.

My point is next years team will at most include half of the players on this current team. With an expected top 3 pick and prospects improving there is a wide range of outcomes for next season.

This also doesn’t include that only 6 total players are on NHL contracts for the 25-26 season.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

How bad the Sharks are this year does not imply they will be this bad for the next 5+ years.

They have only 6 current NHL forwards under contract next season (I’m considering Eklund as a prospect even though he will stay in the NHL). That leaves a lot of room to make changes either prospects or FA/Trades. On D there are 6 players under contract next season but 3 of those contracts can be buried which still allows for some flexibility especially when buy outs for Ferraro and Vlassic aren’t too painful.

With the projected cap increase they will have $35.5 million in space. They have zero RFAs who deserve a substantial raise.

My point is next years team will at most include half of the players on this current team. With an expected top 3 pick and prospects improving there is a wide range of outcomes for next season.

This also doesn’t include that only 6 total players are on NHL contracts for the 25-26 season.

I would lean more into putting kids into the lineup next year over holding them down with more vets.

Eklund-Hertl-Zetterlund
Gushchin-Couture-Celebrini
Peterson-Bystedt-Granlund
Smith-Sturm-Sabourin

Knyzhov-Benning
Thrun-Rutta
Mukhamadullin-Burroughs

Yeah that team still sucks a great deal but a lot more hope for the future and experience gained for the kids in there.

 

[TheBeard]

I would lean more into putting kids into the lineup next year over holding them down with more vets.

Eklund-Hertl-Zetterlund
Gushchin-Couture-Celebrini
Peterson-Bystedt-Granlund
Smith-Sturm-Sabourin

Knyzhov-Benning
Thrun-Rutta
Mukhamadullin-Burroughs

Yeah that team still sucks a great deal but a lot more hope for the future and experience gained for the kids in there.

Offense is significantly better, but they need to make a major move on the backend. f*** it, Hanifin or Gryzlyck.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Offense is significantly better, but they need to make a major move on the backend. f*** it, Hanifin or Gryzlyck.

If the intent is to compete, sure. I don't think that lineup is ready to do that. They're ready to learn the grind and get experience. Even with a Hanifin or Grzelcyk, that team is going to be wildly inconsistent while they learn.

 

[TheBeard]

If the intent is to compete, sure. I don't think that lineup is ready to do that. They're ready to learn the grind and get experience. Even with a Hanifin or Grzelcyk, that team is going to be wildly inconsistent while they learn.

You can’t keep the defense as is. It’s virtually impossible to evaluate the forwards when they’re constantly playing in their own zone, playing deep to help out the ineffective blue liners. At a certain point you need at least capable d-men to help out the forwards, not only the other way around. This projection is just absolutely putrid and it’s pretty much impossible to expect the forwards to do anything with this grouping.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

You can’t keep the defense as is. It’s virtually impossible to evaluate the forwards when they’re constantly playing in their own zone, playing deep to help out the ineffective blue liners. At a certain point you need at least capable d-men to help out the forwards, not only the other way around. This projection is just absolutely putrid and it’s pretty much impossible to expect the forwards to do anything with this grouping.

Honestly, moving from Vlasic and Ferraro to Thrun and Muk would do a lot on its own. If you wanted to bury Burroughs for say Havelid then I could get on board with that too but I'm not really trying to do anything to this team but get younger where it can be done. If you're trying to make a more competitive team, they need puck-movers on the blue line. Hanifin won't be enough.

 

[TheBeard]

Honestly, moving from Vlasic and Ferraro to Thrun and Muk would do a lot on its own. If you wanted to bury Burroughs for say Havelid then I could get on board with that too but I'm not really trying to do anything to this team but get younger where it can be done. If you're trying to make a more competitive team, they need puck-movers on the blue line. Hanifin won't be enough.

Waaaaay too many unknowns in that lineup. Thrun didn’t show anything and Muk and Havelid are complete unknowns at the nhl level. If they all falter then what? You absolutely need to bring in some steady presence or else you’re basically destroying your goaltenders and not giving your forwards a chance to produce.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Waaaaay too many unknowns in that lineup. Thrun didn’t show anything and Muk and Havelid are complete unknowns at the nhl level. If they all falter then what? You absolutely need to bring in some steady presence or else you’re basically destroying your goaltenders and not giving your forwards a chance to produce.

Of course there is. Young unknowns to me is better than known fringe players when you're rebuilding. Going out and getting anyone beyond a depth level seems like a longshot. Thrun showed enough that he warrants being out there over anyone in the lineup last night. If they falter, ride them out and let them go through the adversity. It is valuable experience for them as kids. There's no reason to suspect anyone good would want to come here so we have to make due with what we got.

 

[Friday]

Of course there is. Young unknowns to me is better than known fringe players when you're rebuilding. Going out and getting anyone beyond a depth level seems like a longshot. Thrun showed enough that he warrants being out there over anyone in the lineup last night. If they falter, ride them out and let them go through the adversity. It is valuable experience for them as kids. There's no reason to suspect anyone good would want to come here so we have to make due with what we got.

I was hoping Duclair, Hoffman, Banc + could build a little worth for the deadline but looks like thats not happening. Might as well play the kids

 

[TheBeard]

Thrun showed enough that he warrants being out there over anyone in the lineup last night.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I was hoping Duclair, Hoffman, Banc + could build a little worth for the deadline but looks like thats not happening. Might as well play the kids

Nope. There's nobody to get them the puck.

 

[Friday]

This is pretty much the funniest this boards ever been. A lot of bonding over misery here

 

[Pinkfloyd]

View attachment 762537

Yeah, I'm absolutely sure about that. Who on the blue line was actually better than anything Thrun put out there in his games? The answer is nobody. He can stand to learn still in the AHL which is why I don't mind him being there but on merit, he's as good as anyone we've iced on the blue line.

 

[Pavelski2112]

Yeah, I'm absolutely sure about that. Who on the blue line was actually better than anything Thrun put out there in his games? The answer is nobody. He can stand to learn still in the AHL which is why I don't mind him being there but on merit, he's as good as anyone we've iced on the blue line.

Not a particularly high bar at this point

 

[TheBeard]

Not a particularly high bar at this point

I was just coming to say that.

 

[TheBeard]

This is pretty much the funniest this boards ever been. A lot of bonding over misery here

I mean it’s all trial and error right now. Not every team’s picks, high or low, nor significant pieces they get back are going to pan out. Some will and some won’t.

 

[Mafoofoo]

I could be wrong but I mean is there any harm in signing the following?

Jake Gardiner
Ryan Murray
Phil Kessel

It’s not like they’d suddenly make us awesome but they’d at least help the team not look completely as terrible?

 

[Pavelski2112]

I could be wrong but I mean is there any harm in signing the following?

Jake Gardiner
Ryan Murray
Phil Kessel

It’s not like they’d suddenly make us awesome but they’d at least help the team not look completely as terrible?

Kessel would honestly make us worse at this point

Because of that, I say go for it. I'm fully on the Sharks accelerationist train

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I was just coming to say that.

Which means you agree with the point so I don't know why you're arguing about it. Thrun has a future that none of the guys in the lineup yesterday have. He's not going to be any worse than them even if he struggles.

 

[TheBeard]

Which means you agree with the point so I don't know why you're arguing about it. Thrun has a future that none of the guys in the lineup yesterday have. He's not going to be any worse than them even if he struggles.

No, but he may be worse off. This is the absolute worst time to throw someone into that fire. There’s obviously no trust, no confidence and no team cohesiveness and I highly doubt anyone would be willing to take him under their wing and help him understand the mental toughness of the game. At this point I wouldn’t trust any of these guys to give the proper tutelage any of our young d-men need.