Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[Zarzh]

Having Zetterlund - Smith - Kovalenko or Zetterlund - Wenberg - Smith be a second line is absolutely not good for developing Smith at all. The reason Smith plays well with Granlund is because he is a legitimate top 6 C.

Also I think it is likely that none of the top 4 in the draft play in the NHL next season. Expecting Misa or Hagens to be the 3C with the leftovers the Sharks would have would also not be good for development.

It is important to try and take advantage of when Celebrini is cost controlled. If he is making $11 mil per year he is not providing as much value as he will in his 3rd year of his ELC. I do think patience is important but at some point winning games needs to be the goal. This should be the last year where losing is the goal. They need to start trying next season.

Smith plays well with Granlund because Granlund prevents the other team from just focusing on shutting down Smith. Wennberg is too passive to create space for the 2nd line.

Misa-Wennberg-Kovalenko/Graf should work fairly well as a 3rd line.

 

[Bizz]

I highly recommend people utilize the ignore function so they don't have to see comments like above^.

Kunin is fine, he's just overpaid for what he brings. But he's absolutely the kind of player you want on a 4th line on a contender.

Smith plays well with Granlund because Granlund prevents the other team from just focusing on shutting down Smith. Wennberg is too passive to create space for the 2nd line.

Misa-Wennberg-Kovalenko/Graf should work fairly well as a 3rd line.

If you're blowing a top 3 overall pick on a player that projects to be a third liner then you're never going to emerge from any sort of rebuild ever.

 

[jMoneyBrah]

…If you're blowing a top 3 overall pick on a player that projects to be a third liner then you're never going to emerge from any sort of rebuild ever.

Not that I necessarily agree with the original assertion, but considering Wennberg is signed for one year after this; starting a Misa/Hagens/Martone on the third line in their rookie season seems entirely reasonable. I’m not sure @Zarzh is suggesting Misa will only ever be a third line winger.

Are we even certain all of the top 3 forwards are shoe-ins to make their teams’ NHL rosters in their D+1 year?

 

[coooldude]

Are we even certain all of the top 3 forwards are shoe-ins to make their teams’ NHL rosters in their D+1 year?

Someone else asked the question and I think the answer is, absolutely not certain.

Hagens probably has the brain to play responsible C, but maybe not the body yet, as he's still very slight.

Misa is probably not quite consistent enough with his two way play.

Martone isn't slow but isn't a burner and is wildly inconsistent.

If they're playing NHL next year, they should be expected to have a year that Smith is having or worse. More likely is that they play NCAA like a normal prospect (there are rumors for Misa in the Boston area with the new CHL-NCAA xfer agreement).

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Someone else asked the question and I think the answer is, absolutely not certain.

Hagens probably has the brain to play responsible C, but maybe not the body yet, as he's still very slight.

Misa is probably not quite consistent enough with his two way play.

Martone isn't slow but isn't a burner and is wildly inconsistent.

If they're playing NHL next year, they should be expected to have a year that Smith is having or worse. More likely is that they play NCAA like a normal prospect (there are rumors for Misa in the Boston area with the new CHL-NCAA xfer agreement).

I think it depends on the situation of each potential pick. In Hagens' case, if he finishes the season as he's going right now, having him go back to BC is fine instead of bringing him in but I wouldn't be upset to bring him in and get him NHL experience now. For guys like Misa and Martone, you have options to either sign them and play in the NHL, sign them and send them back to juniors, or don't sign them and encourage them to join the NCAA. I think Schaefer is pretty much a guarantee that if you draft him, you're signing him to play in the NHL next season. Otherwise, you don't sign him and let him go to NCAA. While none of these kids are locks to be NHL caliber players next year, they aren't going to get better playing in juniors after this season except for Hagens who is already at college. For the Sharks, I'd rather any of them get the Will Smith treatment now while we're still trying to get better but largely focused on developing what we have.

 

[STL Shark]

I think it depends on the situation of each potential pick. In Hagens' case, if he finishes the season as he's going right now, having him go back to BC is fine instead of bringing him in but I wouldn't be upset to bring him in and get him NHL experience now. For guys like Misa and Martone, you have options to either sign them and play in the NHL, sign them and send them back to juniors, or don't sign them and encourage them to join the NCAA. I think Schaefer is pretty much a guarantee that if you draft him, you're signing him to play in the NHL next season. Otherwise, you don't sign him and let him go to NCAA. While none of these kids are locks to be NHL caliber players next year, they aren't going to get better playing in juniors after this season except for Hagens who is already at college. For the Sharks, I'd rather any of them get the Will Smith treatment now while we're still trying to get better but largely focused on developing what we have.

Only thing on Hagens that isn't discussed here is that I think it makes sense to stagger his ELC an additional year compared to that of Celebrini/Smith. Having him on an ELC still while Macklin is in his 5th season would be a nice way to keep cap flexibility at the start of our window to really go for it one time while the core is young.

That said, I prefer just getting Schaefer and getting things moving along sooner than later.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Only thing on Hagens that isn't discussed here is that I think it makes sense to stagger his ELC an additional year compared to that of Celebrini/Smith. Having him on an ELC still while Macklin is in his 5th season would be a nice way to keep cap flexibility at the start of our window to really go for it one time while the core is young.

That said, I prefer just getting Schaefer and getting things moving along sooner than later.

I prefer that as well but I'm also in favor of moving things along with any forward we end up picking if Schaefer is unavailable to us.