Speculation: 2023-24-25 Sharks Roster Discussion

[Juxtaposer]

Not many since few players fit that profile. Brind'Amour and Bergeron come to mind. Barkov and O'Reilly could be solid counterexamples in that they peaked later despite being very well-rounded players.

'That profile' being "guys who are emotionally and physically mature and have good two-way games" and you can only come up with two more examples? Bergeron's best statistical seasons were 2017-2020, anyway. And I don't think Brind'Amour is a reasonable comparison.

You're essentially saying that Macklin is as good as he'll ever be right now if not for being before his physical prime. As though he's not going to keep improving his skills and improving his game. Seems like a crazy, crazy thing to say.

 

[OrrNumber4]

'That profile' being "guys who are emotionally and physically mature and have good two-way games" and you can only come up with two more examples?

Very talented, as well.

Bergeron's best statistical seasons were 2017-2020, anyway. And I don't think Brind'Amour is a reasonable comparison.

Bergeron's best seasons were his 2005-2007 run, though he did get injured afterward. I realize he won a bunch of trophies after that, but at least to me, he was at his absolute best those two seasons.

You're essentially saying that Macklin is as good as he'll ever be right now if not for being before his physical prime. As though he's not going to keep improving his skills and improving his game. Seems like a crazy, crazy thing to say.

I'm saying that like most players, Macklin's physical prime will be around ages 20-22, and that he has less room to grow in the other facets of the game because he's already so proficient there. Experience will help, etc. but he's not going to have that light-bulb moment where he starts contributing defensively and improves his diet.

 

[Wedontneedroads]

Some absolutely wild takes in here regarding when professional athletes peak and when the Sharks will/should go all in to compete for a Cup.

Most humans don’t reach physical prime until 22+ unless you are a genetic freak like LeBron James.

There is so much work to be done building this roster, and I hope management is patient when it comes to team building.

 

[spintops]

Even if Macklin was about to enter his short prime years (I disagree 100%) - you can't rush the rest of the rebuild. Look at where this roster was like 18 months ago. As much as we want to compete now because he looks that good, it's going to take time to build out a real contending roster.

I prefer to be patient for another 1-2 years waiting for some of the prospects to develop into core pieces. I'm on board with improving the roster or trading less premium assets. But I don't think it's time to trade big pieces to chase being a fringe playoff team yet

 

[STL Shark]

Penguins got Crosby in 2006 and were Cup Champions in 09. It's perfectly realistic to expect us to be a playoff team by next year and Cup Favorites by Celebrini's third year.

Crosby's rookie year was the first time the NHL implemented a salary cap. That completely changed the sport as teams had not been preparing their cap sheets for years like they do now. Gave Pittsburgh a more dramatic advantage over others. Not really a representative expectation to have in modern NHL.

 

[Hodge]

None of our current prospects are going to develop into core pieces. The only potential core pieces are Celebrini, Smith, Askarov and whoever we draft with the 2025 1st rounder. Every other asset should be on the table to improve the NHL roster.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

None of our current prospects are going to develop into core pieces. The only potential core pieces are Celebrini, Smith, Askarov and whoever we draft with the 2025 1st rounder. Every other asset should be on the table to improve the NHL roster.

Seems like a pretty restrictive definition of core. Who would you say was Florida’s core last year? Just Barkov/Tkachuk/Reinhart/Forsling/Bob?

 

[Hodge]

Seems like a pretty restrictive definition of core. Who would you say was Florida’s core last year? Just Barkov/Tkachuk/Reinhart/Forsling/Bob?

I'm not even sure I would consider Forsling and Bob part of their core. More like secondary core players who elevated their games to insane levels during that playoff run which every Cup winner needs some non-core players to do. Trading for or signing known quantities seems like a better strategy for acquiring those sorts of secondary core players than banking on prospects drafted in the late 1st and beyond.

 

[spintops]

None of our current prospects are going to develop into core pieces. The only potential core pieces are Celebrini, Smith, Askarov and whoever we draft with the 2025 1st rounder. Every other asset should be on the table to improve the NHL roster.

Finally lowered your expectations of Dickinson?

 

[one2gamble]

None of our current prospects are going to develop into core pieces. The only potential core pieces are Celebrini, Smith, Askarov and whoever we draft with the 2025 1st rounder. Every other asset should be on the table to improve the NHL roster.

premature statement of fact

You need to wait at least one more year before you make a call on three or four of them.

 

[Hodge]

Finally lowered your expectations of Dickinson?

I've always expected him to become a Noah Hanifin-tier #2D if everything goes right in his development. That's not a core player.