Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[Boy Hedican]

They said that about Hertl for years while still playing him on the wing. I fully expect Couture to be back this year. I kind of feel like he just didn’t want to be part of such an epically bad season.

“They” aren’t here anymore.

Different GM, coaches, players.

There’s no reason not to play them at C and let them develop at their natural position.

 

[Juxtaposer]

They said that about Hertl for years while still playing him on the wing. I fully expect Couture to be back this year. I kind of feel like he just didn’t want to be part of such an epically bad season.

I’m sorry, you think Couture faked a debilitating injury just to avoid playing some bad games with the Sharks? You’re joking, right?

 

[CupfortheSharks]

Todd Marchant as well, but by all means folks, keep putting Smith in as a third line wing.

You are right that sharks management clearly sees Smith as a center. That doesn’t mean he won’t start his NHL career as a winger. It’s an easier transition for a young player that needs to work on his game without the puck. Though I agree it’s unlikely that he will be a 3rd line winger.

I would approach creating our lines a bit differently. Whatever line we create to matchup against the other teams best players is going to get caved. Not because we don’t have good enough defensive forwards but because our shut down d pairing will be horrible. I would combat this by creating an old school shut down 3rd line. Something like Couture - Wennberg - Goodrow. Feed them to the wolves and that leaves Granlund, Celebrini, Eklund, Smith, Toffoli, and Zetterlund as a top 6. Mix and match as you like. I would try Smith - Granlund - Zetterlund and Eklund - Celebrini - Toffoli. Smith can move to center after we sell Granlund at the deadline or even before if he is ready.

 

[coooldude]

At the risk of once again upsetting the Klim Kostin fan club, I think he’s obviously the guy you waive or mutually terminate if Musty grabs a top 9 LW spot out of camp.

Ignoring the lame and unnecessary snark (you can do better dude, I've seen it), if Musty grabs a top 9 LW spot out of camp you absolutely figure out how to move Kostin. I don't think it's likely but I'd be ecstatic if it happened.

 

[OversKy]

If sens don’t make it this year they’re gonna do a complete tear down.


My worry is we go for a similarly aging playing like Gaudreau.


I’m in the boat where if we can get askarov for the Vegas first I’d do that in a heartbeat. Another mid to late first prospect isn’t gonna do much for us

I'd like to trust the process but I wouldn't crucify anyone for going in on Askarov. I think we've already seen Johnny Gaudreau's best hockey and it was in a real sheltered role with CGY. He offers nothing but scoring and hasn't been able to do that at an acceptable rate since CGY did a retool and shipped him to Columbus. That scares me and I think he has negative value, give us the first for taking Gaudreau's contract.

 

[Cas]

I’m sorry, you think Couture faked a debilitating injury just to avoid playing some bad games with the Sharks? You’re joking, right?

Maybe he decided to fake the injury so he didn't have to get out of bed.

 

[Lebanezer]

 

[Barrie22]

They said that about Hertl for years while still playing him on the wing. I fully expect Couture to be back this year. I kind of feel like he just didn’t want to be part of such an epically bad season.

If thatvis even a sliver true, then he should be immediately stripped of the captaincy and the next to be fired off into the sun like meier, hertl, karlsson.

 

[TheBeard]

Maybe he decided to fake the injury so he didn't have to get out of bed.

“I’ve lost enough teeth to pull this off.”

 

[SJFanQC]

If we keep the Granlund line intact to shelter the rookies against tougher competition (though there's something to be said about how that'd put a sophomore in a tough spot in Eklund) then I'd try to view Celebrini and Smith's lines are 2A and 2B more than real 2-3. If they can both be slightly over 15:00, with some prime PP time, I think that'd help them tough out the 82 games. Playing 1st line minutes against top NHL players when you just turned 18 sounds like a rough assignment especially.

 

[Star Platinum]

If we keep the Granlund line intact to shelter the rookies against tougher competition (though there's something to be said about how that'd put a sophomore in a tough spot in Eklund) then I'd try to view Celebrini and Smith's lines are 2A and 2B more than real 2-3. If they can both be slightly over 15:00, with some prime PP time, I think that'd help them tough out the 82 games. Playing 1st line minutes against top NHL players when you just turned 18 sounds like a rough assignment especially.

Problem is we don't have enough good forwards to have a 2A and 2B line. If we did, I'd be totally fine with that.

 

[SJFanQC]

Problem is we don't have enough good forwards to have a 2A and 2B line. If we did, I'd be totally fine with that.

Well, 3A and 3B then

 

[jMoneyBrah]

Also, Askarov has very real true bust potential still. So trading a guy who is a for sure thing NHLer for potential seems like a good way to implode the rebuild, even if you think Askarov has a higher ceiling. (I question if that is even true though, because the value of a goalie is clearly pretty limited in the current NHL.)

This may be a silly question, but what exactly is motivating the Preds to trade Askarov? Is it simply to exchange value from one asset class to another asset class (e.g. Goaltending → Defense)?

 

[Erep]

This may be a silly question, but what exactly is motivating the Preds to trade Askarov? Is it simply to exchange value from one asset class to another asset class (e.g. Goaltending → Defense)?

They just signed Saros to a 8 year extension (still 1 year on his contract). Now Askarov wants out, to somewhere with more opportunity.

Their starting goalie position is basically locked in until Askarov is 31, so it makes sense.

 

[TheBeard]

This may be a silly question, but what exactly is motivating the Preds to trade Askarov? Is it simply to exchange value from one asset class to another asset class (e.g. Goaltending → Defense)?

Honestly, if Nashville could make it work they'd be better off spending on Askarov and having a goaltending situation similar to what Boston had. It's probably not feasible.

 

[ChompChomp]

I'm in the boat where if we can get askarov for the Vegas first I’d do that in a heartbeat. Another mid to late first prospect isn’t gonna do much for us

Vegas 1st is a fair trade, especially now when Nashville can at least hope for a VGK implosion during this upcoming season.

 

[TheBeard]

Vegas 1st is a fair trade, especially now when Nashville can at least hope for a VGK implosion during this upcoming season.

Extra motivation for Marchessault. I'm sure Nashville would want more considering where they drafted him and the work they put in (not to mention he looked pretty solid in his few NHL games). I'd be willing to meet their price so long as it wasn't absurd. Prospects like him at his position rarely become available.

 

[OrrNumber4]

In the modern NHL, the proper approach for goaltending prospects is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Meaning, that the era of appointing top-notch goaltending prospects as GOTFs should be done.

It feels like that would be difficult to do with Askarov given the price he's going to command. So then, I worry that management would miss other opportunities while they've built their shrine to Askarov. If that makes sense...

 

[Juxtaposer]

Maybe he decided to fake the injury so he didn't have to get out of bed.

Quite the conspiracy theory.

 

[tiburon12]

Maybe he decided to fake the injury so he didn't have to get out of bed.

Logan Couture: Extreme Clinomaniac

 

[knu]

Smith has to improve his 2-way game but this should not be at the cost of stagnating his elite playmaking. Please don't pair him with defense first 3rd/4th liners.

If anything play him on wing on the first line and have celebrini center the 2nd. We need to feed the aspects they are good at and be patient with the rest.

 

[67 others]

They said that about Hertl for years while still playing him on the wing. I fully expect Couture to be back this year. I kind of feel like he just didn’t want to be part of such an epically bad season.

When they said that about Hertl, we had a not so old Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski and Couture to play C, not Granlund/Wennberg/Celebrini

 

[Jargon]

What about:

Zetterlund - Granlund - Smith (periodically takes draws and plays center)

Eklund - Celebrini - Toffoli
Kostin - Wennberg - Dellandrea
Goodrow - Sturm - Kunin

That 2nd line feels like a 1st line when everyone reaches their potential and that 1st line feels like a pretty good 2nd line, particularly if Smith can take over center duties full time (and you heavily shelter them).

 

[STL Shark]

Musty’s signed already. At the risk of once again upsetting the Klim Kostin fan club, I think he’s obviously the guy you waive or mutually terminate if Musty grabs a top 9 LW spot out of camp.

Kostin would be a value add player to most teams at his age and contract amount. Per usual, you're taking the all or nothing contrarian stance of he's either the best or he's the worst and shouldn't even have an NHL contract (though you defend Kunin because of his 20 goal pace a few seasons ago).

Kostin was not good and was misused in Detroit. Came to SJ and put up the same points per 60 that he did in Edmonton the year prior at 2.2. His ES points per 60 is on par with Toffoli, Granlund, Hertl, etc. Not saying that he's as good as those guys as a full package, but the "waive/terminate" and "no business playing with Smith" conjecture is statistically false.

He's a big power forward that has some skill (not the most but not the least) and skating. Would be a nice F1 for a line of young forwards that are not the biggest. It's a guy that you plug in as the 3rd forward almost anywhere in the top 9 where you need to add some size and forechecking to a skilled line that might not be the biggest.

Meanwhile you pedal trading 1st rounders for Puljuarvi, Lundkvist, and Holloway because of draft pedigree without any production.

 

[Hodge]

Kostin would be a value add player to most teams at his age and contract amount. Per usual, you're taking the all or nothing contrarian stance of he's either the best or he's the worst and shouldn't even have an NHL contract (though you defend Kunin because of his 20 goal pace a few seasons ago).

Kostin was not good and was misused in Detroit. Came to SJ and put up the same points per 60 that he did in Edmonton the year prior at 2.2. His ES points per 60 is on par with Toffoli, Granlund, Hertl, etc. Not saying that he's as good as those guys as a full package, but the "waive/terminate" and "no business playing with Smith" conjecture is statistically false.

He's a big power forward that has some skill (not the most but not the least) and skating. Would be a nice F1 for a line of young forwards that are not the biggest. It's a guy that you plug in as the 3rd forward almost anywhere in the top 9 where you need to add some size and forechecking to a skilled line that might not be the biggest.

Meanwhile you pedal trading 1st rounders for Puljuarvi, Lundkvist, and Holloway because of draft pedigree without any production.

You're talking about a guy who was dumped for a 7th round pick (with the Wings forced to eat the rest of Simek's salary) a few months ago. He's not getting claimed on waivers at that cap hit.

Bizarre cherrypicking of his ES scoring numbers. Since the start of the 21-22 season, which encompasses 149 of his 155 career NHL games, Kostin has scored 1.65 points per 60. Which happens to be identical to Mathieu Joseph who the Sens just had to attach a 3rd to dump on the Blues.

Kostin is the least useful forward among our one-way contracts (Couture, Toffoli, Granlund, Wennberg, Goodrow, Kunin, Sturm, Grundstrom, Zetterlund, Dellandrea, G. Smith) because he doesn't have a track record of filling a defined role in the NHL. That said, this is a massive credit to Grier considering Kostin is still a huge upgrade over some of the garbage we were trotting out up front last season like Hoffman, Barabanov, Labanc and Zadina.