2025 NHL Draft: Lose a ton for Porter Martone

[BaileyMacTavish]

 

[Star Platinum]

View attachment 952824

I wish I understood why we've played more games than anyone else.

 

[Shark Finn]

I wish I understood why we've played more games than anyone else.

So we can keep telling people who worry that WE ARE NOT DEAD LAST OMG about points percentage.

 

[anthonyyy]

Lol remember when we won a couple games and some people wanted to be buyers cause we were gonna make the playoffs?

But I get it, winning is like a drug. Let's draft Schaefer and in a few quick years we'll be there.

 

[Forlan]

Lol remember when we won a couple games and some people wanted to be buyers cause we were gonna make the playoffs?

But I get it, winning is like a drug. Let's draft Schaefer and in a few quick years we'll be there.

Yes, I remember. It was actually a good stretch. I even began to doubt that the Sharks would be selected in the top 4, but fortunately everything returned to a good track.

 

[Celly4Celebrini]

its hard to believe weve lost 7 straight, seems like weve been in every game til the very end. Much different than last year where games were 5-1

 

[mogambomoroo]

its hard to believe weve lost 7 straight, seems like weve been in every game til the very end. Much different than last year where games were 5-1

Yep. But at same time being close can frustrate even more since there is chance to win. This year all the outcomes are net positive to be honest. Either a great pick or Celebrini is taking it to another level.

 

[Grinner]

Seems the prevailing thought was the improvement we expected to see wouldn't necessarily be in the W-L column, but in the competitiveness of the games. We haven't been seeing the blowout losses we suffered through last season.

 

[Barrie22]

Seems the prevailing thought was the improvement we expected to see wouldn't necessarily be in the W-L column, but in the competitiveness of the games. We haven't been seeing the blowout losses we suffered through last season.

And last year i would not be surprised to read that we barely ever had a lead at any points in the games.

 

[PattyLafontaine]

its hard to believe weve lost 7 straight, seems like weve been in every game til the very end. Much different than last year where games were 5-1

Well the Sharks held the lead in the 3rd in 5 of the 7 games, so it's not like they were blown out.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Chicago loses, everybody else within striking distance of us wins. Seems more and more like this is going to be a 2-horse race.

 

[vortexy]

Chicago loses, everybody else within striking distance of us wins. Seems more and more like this is going to be a 2-horse race.

Yep I think it will come down to us and Chicago as well just like last season. According to Tankathon's strength of schedule, Chicago has the 5th most difficult schedule while we have the 11th. We have one more game against the Hawks. Either way, guaranteeing a top 4 pick with a bottom two finish will be a success in my books.

In terms of the players that both teams could most likely trade to contenders that would have the biggest impact on making the team worse, for us it would have to be Granlund/Ceci/Kunin the Hawks probably just Hall/Donato

NHL Remaining Schedule Strength | Tankathon

Shows the remaining strength of schedule for NHL teams based on the points per game of the opponents left on their schedule.

www.tankathon.com

 

[The Nemesis]

Yep I think it will come down to us and Chicago as well just like last season. According to Tankathon's strength of schedule, Chicago has the 5th most difficult schedule while we have the 11th. We have one more game against the Hawks. Either way, guaranteeing a top 4 pick with a bottom two finish will be a success in my books.

In terms of the players that both teams could most likely trade to contenders that would have the biggest impact on making the team worse, for us it would have to be Granlund/Ceci/Kunin the Hawks probably just Hall/Donato

NHL Remaining Schedule Strength | Tankathon

Shows the remaining strength of schedule for NHL teams based on the points per game of the opponents left on their schedule.

www.tankathon.com

The nice thing is that even if it ends up Chicago 1, Sharks 2 is that the Hawks probably need a running made for Bedard more than they need more D (they have a fair number of young NHL D or prospects, anchored by Levshunov). So there's every chance they would go for Hagens or Martone and leave Scahefer for us. Though even if they take Schaefer I'd be fine with Misa or I guess Hagens as a consolation prize.

 

[Star Platinum]

The nice thing is that even if it ends up Chicago 1, Sharks 2 is that the Hawks probably need a running made for Bedard more than they need more D (they have a fair number of young NHL D or prospects, anchored by Levshunov). So there's every chance they would go for Hagens or Martone and leave Scahefer for us. Though even if they take Schaefer I'd be fine with Misa or I guess Hagens as a consolation prize.

Would be such a bummer going into the future with Celebrini and Hagens as our Top 2 centers...

 

[The Nemesis]

Would be such a bummer going into the future with Celebrini and Hagens as our Top 2 centers...

I'm not knocking Hagens on talent, he's just a bit of replication of what we already have because he's maybe a teeeeeeeny bit undersized and is kind of like Smith in how skill-focused he is. Misa is a bigger, stronger, capable, responsible two-way C who would add a lot of stability to a second line the way Celebrini does on the first.

Given that all 4 guys are relatively in the same or similar tier of prospects my order of preference is:

1) Schaefer (high-skill two-way D that takes some burden off Dickinson and really shuffles the rest of the pool of blueliners into a more tenable order)

2) Misa (responsible high-floor, mid/high-ceiling 2C type that feels like the kind of guy you win with.)

3) Hagens (possibly the most pure skilled player in the draft, he just feels a little bit like Will Smith 2.0 and we already have Will Smith 1.0)

4) Martone (big power wingers are enticing, but he seems like a big boom/bust pick with a low floor due to effort/compete level concerns.)

 

[Star Platinum]

I'm not knocking Hagens on talent, he's just a bit of replication of what we already have because he's maybe a teeeeeeeny bit undersized and is kind of like Smith in how skill-focused he is.

I believe Hagens has already outscored Smith's performance at last year's World Juniors and everything I've read about him says that he's a two-way center who takes his defensive responsibilities seriously.

I would be happy with any of the top 4 prospects, but if we are blessed with the first pick, I'm absolutely wanting Schaefer.

 

[wickedwitch]

I believe Hagens has already outscored Smith's performance at last year's World Juniors and everything I've read about him says that he's a two-way center who takes his defensive responsibilities seriously.

I would be happy with any of the top 4 prospects, but if we are blessed with the first pick, I'm absolutely wanting Schaefer.

Hagens is absolutely a 2 way center. I don't know why people have started assuming he's not. The Smith comparisons?

And while I get why the comparisons are happening, Smith is not a great comparison for him. Besides being a better 2-way player, Hagens is more physical and has a chippiness to his game. Plus, their styles in the offensive zone are different. Smith likes to slow the game down while Hagens is a quicker player.

That's not to say the Sharks should draft Hagens, but we should at least be clear about who he is as a player.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Hagens is absolutely a 2 way center. I don't know why people have started assuming he's not. The Smith comparisons?

And while I get why the comparisons are happening, Smith is not a great comparison for him. Besides being a better 2-way player, Hagens is more physical and has a chippiness to his game. Plus, their styles in the offensive zone are different. Smith likes to slow the game down while Hagens is a quicker player.

That's not to say the Sharks should draft Hagens, but we should at least be clear about who he is as a player.

The "Hagens and Smith are similar" refrain around here is not stating that they are equally as good or the same style of player or anything like that, but rather that their role on the Sharks would be redundant.

Yes, I like Hagens much more than Smith. If he's the pick, then I'm not mad about it, Hagens is great. Hagens is so much faster, pace-ier, and is an above average defensive center. But I am not a "strictly BPA" person, because I believe in not drafting a guy who makes another guy redundant if at all possible. If we did draft Hagens, then what do you do with Smith? He wouldn't be a fit with Hagens himself, and I don't love the idea of Smith on Celebrini's wing at 5v5 while Eklund is the best LW in the system by far.

If I was starting a franchise from scratch, I take Hagens over Misa. But for the Sharks, Hagens is very much a round peg in a square hole, and it would not be optimal to draft him unless you were committed to trading Smith for D or a winger with size, and I don't think that's the best play here.

 

[timorous me]

I was out for a hike today and after my headphones died my mind wandered to this thread and how annoyed I still am by the title.

"Ton" and "Martone"? Insert Michael Scott "Nooo!! Noooo!!!! Noooooo!!!!" gif here (in your mind).

And really, don't we want Schaefer the most anyway? With this losing streak still going, I have a suggestion: Break Like a Wafer for Schaefer.

 

[CHALUPA]

And really, don't we want Schaefer the most anyway? With this losing streak still going, I have a suggestion: Break Like a Wafer for Schaefer.

Fold like paper for Matthew Schaefer

 

[The Nemesis]

Splat for Matt (Schaefer)

 

[Juxtaposer]

I was out for a hike today and after my headphones died my mind wandered to this thread and how annoyed I still am by the title.

"Ton" and "Martone"? Insert Michael Scott "Nooo!! Noooo!!!! Noooooo!!!!" gif here (in your mind).

And really, don't we want Schaefer the most anyway? With this losing streak still going, I have a suggestion: Break Like a Wafer for Schaefer.

Sounds like someone needs a refresher on the HFSharks NHL Draft thread lore from the past two years.

Absolutely no changing the thread name just yet.

 

[timorous me]

Sounds like someone needs a refresher on the HFSharks NHL Draft thread lore from the past two years.

Absolutely no changing the thread name just yet.

I know, I know...but still!

 

[slocal]

Ah, the ego of superstition

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I think Schaefer is the best prospect for the Sharks but if he's not available to us and one of Hagens or Misa is, you have to take them even if it makes Smith somewhat redundant. I don't think Schaefer's injury will change that math any. I think it only makes it slightly more possible that a team like Chicago or Nashville thinks one of the forwards is more of a sure thing than Schaefer. I think at this point, the ideal scenario is to out-tank Chicago, hope Chicago wins the lottery, and wherever they end up picking, pick Schaefer if he's there and one of Hagens or Misa if he isn't. They likely are still bad enough next year to lose their way into the #1 pick anyway like we were last year but at least they can't luck themselves into a better prospect than they deserve later on.