Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast! This week, we have defenseman Henry Thrun to talk all about new San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky. (56:00)Warsofsky ran the defense last year and worked closely with all the defenders, Thrun included. Thrun shares his insights into Warsofsky’s coaching and development style, and how he thinks next year will be different than last year. But first, Sheng and Keegan share their initial reactions to the hiring of Ryan Warsofsky and discuss some of the industry chatter about his reputation and coaching style. (02:15)Why does Warsofsky, now the youngest coach in the NHL, make sense for a rebuilding San Jose Sharks team? (08:50)Will they keep Brian Wiseman as a power play coach for next season? (12:00)Who should they bring in to coach the defense? (15:05)Why Warsofsky despite the Sharks having a terrible defense and penalty kill last season? (19:20)Why not Marco Sturm? (22:30)Lastly, we focus a bit on the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry draft, including adding a few more confirmed names to the Sharks’ Combine interview list. (38:00)Now, it's time for the Henry Thrun interview! (56:00)We start off hot: Ryan's a coach who was part of a staff that led the San Jose Sharks to just 47 points last year. What’s going to be different next season? (56:30)How did Henry think he got better under Warsofsky? (57:32)What makes Warsofsky a strong development coach? (1:00:45)How does his coaching style compare to David Quinn's? (1:02:20)Thrun shares just how direct Ryan's communication can be, and how that's helpful to his development. (1:03:55)Sheng asks about Warsofsky's competitiveness and shares a story about Ryan knocking over former Shark Steven Lorentz in practice in the AHL. (1:08:21)Finally, Henry shares his offseason plans and outlines some plans for late-summer scrimmages with Will Smith and Collin Graf. (1:10:22)Thanks for watching!  ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!We welcome San Jose Sharks' Director of Player Development Todd Marchant back to the show for our 50th episode! Todd was our very first guest on the new San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and we celebrate our 50th episode by getting his thoughts on tons of Sharks prospects, from Quentin Musty to Alex Young. (57:13)But first! It was the NHL Scouting Combine this week and Sheng was on the ground in Buffalo. He shares loads of buzz, rumors and some confirmed prospect interviews. He added a new name to his list from yesterday. (3:25)We cover whether we think Macklin Celebrini is actually going to return to the NCAA or sign with the Sharks, after multiple interviews have come out that Macklin is undecided at this point. (16:00)We have some coaching search updates, including some rumored finalists to share. Also, did the San Jose Sharks ever reach out to David Carle or Joel Ward? (25:05)Are the Sharks going to be active in free agency this summer? Jeff Marek floated the possibility of Jake Guentzel as a FA target, and we give our thoughts on that possibility. Also, will Eetu Makinemi be back? (33:25)Our last topic is the retirement of Joe Pavelski. We share some of our thoughts about his tremendous career, and whether he has enough of a resume for the Hall of Fame. (42:50)And now it's time for Todd Marchant! (57:13)We decided to go through the San Jose Sharks system, from the 2023 Draft to the 2020 with Todd, discussing some well-known and lots of lesser-known prospects as well, focusing on mostly non-Barracuda prospects.First, the 2023 Draft!Quentin Musty (59:10)Kasper Halttunen (1:03:47)Brandon Svoboda (1:05:15)Luca Cagnoni (1:08:03)Axel Landén (1:10:28)Eric Pohlkamp (1:12:10)David Klee (1:14:30)Yegor Rimashevsky (1:16:15)2022:Filip Bystedt (1:19:45)Cam Lund (1:21:45)Mattias Hävelid (1:23:10)Michael Fisher (1:26:35)Mason Beaupit (1:28:45)Jake Furlong (1:30:20)Joey Muldowney, Eli Barnett and Reese Laubach (1:34:02)Who's left from the 2021 Draft, not playing with the Barracuda or the San Jose Sharks?Theo Jacobsson (1:37:19)Yevgeni Kashnikov (1:38:25)2020:Alex Young (1:39:25)Timofei Spitserov (1:40:25)Brandon Coe (1:41:30)We also discuss with Todd some prospects not drafted by the San Jose Sharks, starting with David Edstrom, acquired in the Tomas Hertl trade. (1:43:35)Finally, what does Todd think of Collin Graf? (1:45:10)Todd shares some final thoughts about the direction of the Sharks going forward and who has taken some big steps from last year. (1:47:50)Thanks for watching! ★ Support this podcast ★

Will Smith’s agent, Sean Coffey, joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!Coffey takes us behind the scenes of Smith signing with the San Jose Sharks this past week.But before we get to Coffey (44:15), we talk about what Smith’s arrival means for the Sharks.We’ll talk more to Coffey about this -- he wasn’t one of Sheng’s sources!! -- but Sheng got wind of Smith signing last Friday. (1:50)What was our initial reaction to the news? (4:20)Would it make sense for the San Jose Sharks to send Smith to the AHL? Would the Sharks try to “slide” his contract? How does Smith compare to William Eklund at about the same age? (15:05)Comparing Macklin Celebrini-Smith to Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin and Jonathan Toews-Patrick Kane? Why start the clock on Celebrini and Smith’s contracts at the same time? (24:00)Where does Smith slot positionally, center or wing, in his rookie year? It is more common than Sheng thought to go through a season with two rookie centers in the line-up. (27:20)Sheng shares a conversation that he had with a league source about the lumps that Smith will likely face in his rookie year, his struggles at the World Championships, and what Smith has to learn about winning NHL hockey. (36:35)Sheng and Keegan predict how many points that Smith will put up next year. (40:23)And now, Sean Coffey! (44:15)How did Coffey become a player agent?When did the San Jose Sharks start signaling to Coffey that they thought Smith was ready to come out? (49:28)When did Smith actually decide to sign with the Sharks? How many meetings did Smith have with Mike Grier or Todd Marchant or the Sharks throughout the season? (51:55)Did Ryan Leonard announcing early that he was going back to Boston College impact Smith in any way? (55:20)Sean shares why he ghosted Sheng via text for a few weeks. (57:25)Coffey reveals when exactly Smith made his decision to come out. (58:10)Between Boston College and the San Jose Sharks, how close of a decision was it for Smith? (1:00:10)For Coffey, from a development standpoint, why did it make sense for Smith to go pro?Coffey confirms that the San Jose Sharks winning the Draft Lottery and getting presumptive No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini had nothing to do with Smith’s decision -- but regardless, it’s great for fellow teenagers Celebrini and Smith to start out together. (1:02:40)Coffey talks about the potential (or lack thereof) of Smith going to the AHL or the Sharks trying to “slide” his contract. (1:05:15)Did the Cutter Gauthier situation change the paradigm of how NHL teams treat their top NCAA prospects? (1:09:00)Coffey explains, even though Smith decided in early May, why Smith held off on the announcement that he was coming out until this past week. (1:13:00)Was it a challenge to keep Smith’s decision a secret? Sean also talks about keeping Sheng’s texts on “Read” when Sheng was looking for confirmation.Sheng shares his process from getting wind of the Smith signing on Friday to publishing a story on it on Sunday, two days before it was officially announced. (1:17:40)Why was Tuesday the day that the Sharks announced Smith’s signing? (1:19:45)Coffey shares some of the details about the bonuses in Smith’s entry-level contract. (1:21:55)https://twitter.com/PuckPedia/status/1795509414990090339 Who is Coffey representing in the 2024 Draft? (1:28:00)Also, Coffey subscribes to San Jose Hockey Now! You should too if you’re not!https://sanjosehockeynow.com/membership-account/membership-levels/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Craig Button joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast this week!The TSN draft guru thinks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith might make a Crosby-Malkin like impact on the San Jose Sharks, who he’d consider for San Jose at No. 14, and an underrated Sharks prospect that he really likes. (1:22:52)But before we get to Craig, Keegan and I talk about the San Jose Sharks coaching search. (2:18)Then, we chat about four positions that the Sharks should target this off-season if they want to be more competitive, and discuss J.G. Pageau, Dakota Joshua, Dylan DeMelo, and Sean Walker as realistic possibilities. Sheng also suggests a couple more intriguing names in this middle class of the free agency market. (15:49)We discuss the San Jose Sharks signing Luca Cagnoni. Are Sharks fans perhaps overrating Cagnoni? And is he better suited to start next season in the AHL or go back to the WHL? (44:24)Have Sheng or Keegan changed their minds about whether Will Smith will sign with the San Jose Sharks for next year? (1:10:18)Finally, before we interview Craig Button, we discuss his recent, perhaps controversial top-64 list (1:12:22) on TSN. By the way, we talked with Craig before he released these rankings:https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/craig-s-list-konsta-helenius-tij-iginla-push-into-top-five-1.2124326And now, Craig Button! (1:22:52)What is Macklin Celebrini’s ceiling? Why is Craig so high on him? (1:23:30)Button draws parallels between Smith getting drafted a year before Celebrini…to the Pittsburgh Penguins getting Evgeni Malkin in 2004 and Sidney Crosby in 2005. Whoa! Button calls Smith a difference-maker. (1:28:40)Button compares Celebrini to Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli. (1:30:12)He discusses the recently-concluded U-18’s. (1:32:00)Who could the San Jose Sharks pick at No. 14?Button gives his thoughts about Trevor Connelly (1:36:35), Tij Iginla, Terik Parascak (1:42:25), Adam Jiricek (1:51:19), EJ Emery (1:54:10), Stian Solberg (1:54:47), Charlie Elick (1:55:10), and Dominik Badinka.Button doesn’t see a big difference between Anton Silayev and Emery!Button discusses the goaltending in the 2024 Draft. There’s only one goalie that he’d considered in the second round.(1:56:10)Button talks about how Will Smith has “wowed” him for a long time and if he’s ready for the NHL. (2:00:37)Button shares his thoughts about Quentin Musty (2:06:55), Kasper Halttunen (2:08:55), and Luca Cagnoni. (2:11:45)Button shouts out a now under-the-radar San Jose Sharks prospect. (2:12:25) ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, we welcome back Nico Sturm! (57:15) We ask Nico all about the David Quinn tenure and his recent firing by GM Mike Grier, what Nico thinks about Quinn's coaching style and the 2023-2024 season in general. We also ask him about his likely future San Jose Sharks teammate Macklin Celebrini!But before that, we cover just a few topics in what was a light few weeks for the Sharks. (01:33)Who has been interviewed, or who has been rumored to be considered for the San Jose Sharks head coaching job so far? (03:20)What do the coaching candidates so far seem to have in common?We enter yet another week of Will Smith Watch! What did Will Smith say about his upcoming decision, stay in Boston College or sign with the San Jose Sharks for next year, at the World Championships? (12:17)What can Will Smith learn by leaving the NCAA and breaking away from his long-time linemates? (18:45)Sheng talks about an interesting dynamic that could form if both Celebrini and Smith leave college at the same time. (22:30)We transition to the playoffs of Kasper Halttunen and Luca Cagnoni. Halttunen had 17 goals in 18 playoff games, leading the London Knights in goals in the postseason. (30:35)The ultimate speculation: Leon Draisaitl to the San Jose Sharks in 2025? (35:00)What do Sheng and Keegan think about moving up from the No. 14 pick to take a defenseman in the 2024 NHL Draft? (42:20)Sheng dug deep and contacted local media members from each of the teams at No. 5-12 to get their thoughts on trading down to the Sharks, check out the article here! (43:20)https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-2024-draft-defenseman-trade-up/Finally, we talk about Brodie Brazil's interview with Jason Demers, who also shared his thoughts about firing David Quinn. (53:00)Nico Sturm joins our show for the second time, this time from Czechia and the World Championships! (57:15)Sturm talks about the San Jose Sharks winning the Draft Lottery. (58:20)Sturm discusses Macklin Celebrini as a responsible two-way player and just how rare that is for a 17-year-old. (59:05)Sturm on David Quinn's firing, was it a surprise? (1:02:25)What did Nico think of Quinn as a coach? (1:04:15)Why does Sturm think Quinn was fired? (1:06:00)Does Nico think that Quinn lost the locker room? (1:08:00)Does Sturm think there could have been more structure in the San Jose Sharks' game last year? (1:09:40)Was there a way that this 2023-24 San Jose Sharks team could’ve realistically been better last year? How much better? (1:12:40)Sturm has also played for former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason. He's a potential coaching hire for the Sharks, what does Nico remember from his time with him? (1:15:15)Nico Sturm hasn't played for Marco Sturm, but Marco's name is making the rounds as a coaching candidate for the San Jose Sharks, what does Nico think about his fellow German countryman? (1:19:00)How’s Sturm's summer look after the World Championships? (1:21:10) ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to a post-Draft Lottery victory mailbag!Congratulations, San Jose Sharks fans! You deserved this win.Thanks for all your questions!Sharksmustbealways asked if the Sharks were waiting for the Draft Lottery result to help them lure a better head coach candidate? (3:10)Amorris209 wondered generally how Macklin Celebrini affects the process for the coaching search? (4:20)Jigglz brought up Tim Kawakami’s recent criticism of Sharks owner Hasso Plattner: Would the franchise be better if Plattner was seen or heard from more? (6:10)Jamnjon asked if the Sharks should target smaller prospects like Alexander Zetterberg or Justin Poirier in the mid to later rounds? (17:00)Rob S wondered how Sheng was selected to witness the actual Draft Lottery? Also, who’s the San Jose Sharks’ goalie of the future? And will the Sharks ever host a Sharks game at Tech CU Arena? (22:08)David Gotlieb loves pets! He asked about Mushu's favorites and if Keegan has pets. (37:09) Josh Frojelin wondered if Ethan Cardwell could make the San Jose Sharks out of camp next season? (41:35)Mike suggested perhaps trading the No. 14 pick for a more NHL-ready young defenseman? (45:42)James R wondered what it would take for the San Jose Sharks to land Mitch Marner this summer? (1:01:30)_sharkzilla_ asked when San Jose Hockey Now would get scout opinions on the Sharks’ post-Celebrini prospect pool? (1:10:10) Stephanie K wondered what the last straw for David Quinn was? She also wondered about how Sheng feels about going into the 2024 Draft, getting to cover the No. 1 pick. Finally, how does Celebrini stack up versus other recent top prospects? (1:14:47)Timorous me asked what was Sheng's reaction to the Sharks winning the Draft Lottery? (1:24:02)Nimrod wondered if Luca Cagnoni is better served playing his overage season in the WHL or going to the AHL? (1:33:05)Zeke discussed the possibility of trading the no. 33 pick for a 2025 first-round pick? (1:38:47)Alaskan_ice checked in on Sheng and Keegan’s relationship. (1:44:50)Michael K wondered if we go out of our way to deflate expectations of San Jose Sharks prospects? (1:51:24)Splash114 asked how the Sharks should go about adding a true No. 1 or 2 defensemen to the organization? (2:02:11)Chris Braun wondered if the Sharks should add a veteran center to help mentor Celebrini, especially if Couture is still injured? (2:07:51)KuperKris suggested some theoretical additions to the team: Could the Sharks push for the wild card? (2:12:40) Fin Coe checked in on the Sharks’ Russian scout situation and the Kevin Whitmer investigation. (2:17:43)Alex Genadinik wondered where William Eklund would go in a 2021 re-Draft? (2:19:05)Blue Science asked if the Sharks should go for a defenseman no matter what at No. 14? (2:27:43)Recycle Shark wondered how the Sharks should improve their defense next year and if Thomas Bordeleau or Danil Gushchin are destined to get traded? (2:32:52)Lakshya Jain asked if we think the Sharks will sign both Will Smith and Celebrini this off-season? (2:40:00)Matthias893 wanted our thoughts on how Cagnoni stacks up compared to Olen Zellweger? (2:43:30)Tony asked who Mike Grier should target at UFA forward this summer? (2:44:52) James wondered if Hasso would stomach another tank in 2024-25, this time for James Hagens? (2:46:10)David Rowley asked if the Sharks would target a more offensive defenseman in this year's draft? (2:49:35)Patrick wondered what the Sharks’ greatest positional needs are going into the Draft? (2:50:45)Matt Railo asked, after winning the Draft Lottery, if the San Jose Sharks should have the core of a playoff team soon? (2:53:08) ★ Support this podcast ★

Here's our too-early San Jose Sharks' off-season plan!***Quick aside, Keegan's microphone is muffled a bit this episode. We're sorry, everyone! One day, we'll have pristine audio every single time. But not this day. This is kind of like those workplace accident signs where they knock off 100 days since the last accident and replace it with zero. Again. Sigh.***This week, Sheng and Keegan outline some potential off-season moves that could help make the 2024-2025 version of the Sharks be less embarrassing than this year's. (53:45)But before all that, we have a few quick-hitting topics this week (1:15). We start with Will Smith watch: Is he signing or not? (2:30)Sheng and Keegan preview the upcoming May 7th Draft Lottery odds and each run a simulation at Tankathon. Do the Sharks win? (6:10)We highlight what Sheng has heard about some potential candidates for Sharks head coach. (13:15)John McCarthy and the rest of the San Jose Barracuda coaching staff will be returning next season, despite some poor on-ice results. Why do Sheng and Keegan support their return? (29:30)The Sharks want goaltending coach Thomas Speer back, even after David Quinn was let go. (37:21)Finally, we revisit our pre-season bold predictions...how did Sheng and Keegan do? (42:20)Finally, our off-season plan! Which of their free agents should the Sharks keep or let go? Who should they target in the free agency market? Can they make a good trade? (53:45)How much cap and roster space could the San Jose Sharks have? (54:45)Which of the Sharks’ UFAs and RFAs will they keep? Who should they allow to walk? (57:45)What’s the order of positional need for San Jose this summer? (1:14:33)Let’s talk to free agents first -- Sheng has a couple intriguing longshot UFA targets. (1:22:14)Keegan offers a longshot UFA signing at defense. (1:35:55)Then, Keegan shares his favorite lower-end UFA targets. (1:39:00)Sheng has a former Sharks defenseman in mind. (1:41:30)Finally, Keegan offers some forward UFAs with some upside. (1:46:10)That’s free agency, how can the San Jose Sharks improve via trade? (1:58:24)Keegan proposes a Mikael Granlund trade. (1:58:44)Going back, Sheng discusses why the Mikey Eyssimont trade was such a mistake, and how the thinking behind the deal helped pave the way for a disastrous 2023-24. (2:03:30)What should Grier’s trade philosophy be this summer? (2:16:25)Sheng is prioritizing distressed assets – who are a couple defenseman that the Sharks could target via trade? (2:17:55)How about a trio of center candidates? (2:20:51)Are the San Jose Sharks a better team with a couple of these realistic additions? (2:32:05) ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s an emergency episode of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier has fired head coach David Quinn.When did Sheng first get wind that Quinn’s job might be in jeopardy? He had an idea on Monday. (1:10)What’s our first reaction? Sheng argues that the Sharks’ ill-constructed roster wasn’t on Quinn, but more on Grier. (4:33)So if not the roster, did Quinn get fired because he didn’t develop the young San Jose Sharks players? (23:00)Were Grier and Quinn on the same page about what they wanted out of the Sharks, their identity?Keegan wonders if player perception of Quinn doomed him. (26:40)Sheng and Keegan speculate on other reasons why Grier fired Quinn. Is Grier feeling the heat from above (read: Hasso Plattner) after back-to-back disappointing seasons? (34:40)Keegan argues there isn’t much downside to letting Quinn go right now.Was Quinn a fall guy for Grier?What type of coach should the San Jose Sharks target in this stage of their rebuild? What about David Carle? (43:30)What are our thoughts about Grier keeping John McCarthy behind the San Jose Barracuda bench? (47:05)Finally, a note about the San Jose Sharks hoping to sign Will Smith. (53:20) ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, we welcome ESPN senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski! Greg recently made the case for Mike Grier for GM of the Year, and we had to dive into that, given some of the criticism we've heard recently about Grier (48:15). But before we get to Greg, we start our show with just how important it is that the San Jose Sharks have finished dead-last in the NHL, securing the best odds at the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft (2:27).We cover some of the Will Smith ELC signing scenarios (7:40).Sheng and Keegan discuss some of the San Jose Sharks games this past week, including a shellacking by the Oilers, a win for Devin Cooley, and much more (14:18). We also go into why Danil Gushchin, Jack Thompson, and Georgi Romanov were able to get call-ups this late in the year.Luke Kunin has been maligned by the analytics folks all year, but Sheng wanted to share some of the league-wide sentiment regarding Kunin's analytics (23:45).The San Jose Sharks and Barracuda came out with their 2023-24 awards. Who did Sheng choose for the Sharks/Cuda, and who does Keegan think should have won? (34:30)Finally, Sheng shares some of his observations from watching Filip Bystedt live. (43:05)And now, Greg Wyshynski! (48:15)We recorded this in early April, by the way, before everything happened with the Arizona Coyotes and their move to Salt Lake City.Greg's praise for Mike Grier as GM of Year on the Mar. 27 episode of “The Jeff Marek Show” really turned some heads around the NHL (49:00). https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-grier-gm-year-links/So what happens if the San Jose Sharks don’t win No. 1? Would Greg still think of Grier as GM of the Year? (54:20)Keegan asks the question, what is Sharks’ deserve-o-meter for the No. 1 pick? (57:13)There's lots of Arizona Coyotes' talk here that is outdated...so listen if you want, but understand that the speculation did not end up correct.Sheng wonders about the national perception of the San Jose Sharks' rebuild and the Tomas Hertl trade. (1:06:10)Greg is a famous New Jersey Devils fan, so what does he think of the Timo Meier trade, and Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek in goal? (1:13:35)How can the San Jose Sharks avoid protracted rebuilds like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are dealing with now, and the Edmonton Oilers dealt with before 2015? (1:19:10)When does Greg think the Sharks will make the playoffs again? (1:24:15) ★ Support this podcast ★

The Frozen Four starts on Thursday!Top San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith will be part of it with Boston College.So we got Cam Robinson from Elite Prospects to talk about Smith. (53:06)Back during the World Juniors, Robinson tweeted:https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/status/1742237537999945804Does Robinson still think that?Before Cam, we talk about the San Jose Sharks’ week that was, touching on William Eklund’s hat trick, Devin Cooley’s first win, Collin Graf’s NHL debut, and the Luke Kunin conundrum. We also touch on the Danil Gushchin to KHL rumor. (2:50)We chat a little about Filip Bystedt’s AHL debut. (26:05)Keegan shares his takes on what the scouts are saying about the San Jose Sharks’ top-10 prospects. (27:55)https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-graf-cagnoni-musty-mukhamadullin-scouts-prospects/And now, Cam! (53:06)Does Robinson still think that Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault are better than Smith? (54:00)We talk about Smith’s strengths and weaknesses. (57:48)Which San Jose Sharks prospect does Robinson think might be better than Smith? (1:01:45)What does Robinson think the Sharks see in Smith? (1:04:45)Who was your pick at #4 if you’re San Jose in 2023? Matvei Michkov and non-Michkov category? (1:09:32)Why is Cam so high on Quentin Musty? (1:10:57)Going into the 2024 Draft, if the San Jose Sharks don’t get Macklin Celebrini at No. 1, who should they target at No. 2 or 3? (1:13:55)Who does Cam like as his top defenseman in this Draft? (1:19:06)Using Ivan Demidov as the barometer, how would Robinson compare the 2024 and 2023 Drafts?Robinson also shares prospects who he likes in the potential Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2024 first-round area. (1:23:11)Does Cam like any other San Jose Sharks prospects a lot? What are his thoughts about Collin Graf? (1:25:50)Make sure to check out the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, their flagship product, coming out soon! ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!Joining us this week are long-time broadcaster and hockey executive Pierre McGuire and Bruins insider Jimmy Murphy, hosts of The Eye Test Podcast! (50:40) They're joining us to talk all about their recent Mar. 20th episode of their podcast where they shared some less-than-optimistic views of the current state of the San Jose Sharks.But before we get to the interview, what do we want from the Sharks before the end of the season? Can we get Devin Cooley a win in San Jose? (1:55)Klim Kostin has taken advantage of his ice-time after his trade to the Sharks, what's behind his recent success? (6:05)Another bright spot lately has been the play of Mackenzie Blackwood, who posted a rare San Jose Sharks shutout this week. (13:30)We turn our discussion to the NCAA tourney, and the play of Will Smith and 2024 prospect Artyom Levshunov in the NCAA Tournament. (17:30) Filip Bystedt, San Jose's 2022 first-rounder is coming to San Jose! (29:10)Lastly, Sheng and Keegan discuss the Jack Studnicka recall to the San Jose Sharks, why it happened, and what this means for Danil Gushchin. (36:35)Finally, we have Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy to get some perspective on the Sharks from outside San Jose (50:40). Setting the stage, Sheng outlines some of the statements by Jimmy and Pierre on the Sharks' rebuild, made of the Mar. 20 episode of "The Eye Test" podcast. He also lays out what Grier has done differently since being hired in the summer of 2022. (52:30) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be784-b3JOIPierre admits Mike inherited a bad situation, but asks the question about how the Sharks are planning on being better next year? (1:00:00)Jimmy jumps in and shares his thoughts about the perception of the Sharks' lack of a positive environment around the younger players in the locker room. (1:04:13)Sheng thinks Grier is going to reset this offseason and sign more "character" guys to help mentor the young guys. (1:07:10)Pierre has spoken with other hockey executives and he thinks it's another 5-7 years to "fix" the San Jose Sharks. (1:08:40)Pierre also talks about the art of team-building and why it may be difficult to attract free agents to San Jose. (1:10:20)Pierre mentions an upcoming 2024 Draft prospect (not Macklin Celebrini) that he thinks the Sharks may target in they don't land the No. 1 pick. (1:11:20)Jimmy would put a focus on veteran depth to improve the culture heading into the offseason. (1:14:30)Pierre thinks the goal-differential (the San Jose Sharks are -133 currently) is the most important thing to correct next year by changing the defense. (1:17:00)Pierre doesn't put stock into the idea of Noah Hanifin coming to San Jose in the off-season, and Jimmy brings up that taxes in California may be a real issue. (1:26:00)Sheng defends Erik Karlsson's Norris Trophy, specifically how his plus/minus was affected by a ton of empty net goals. (1:30:05)Keegan brings up a misstep by Doug Wilson extending veteran players in hopes of winning a Stanley Cup, after they never won a Stanley Cup in the first place. (1:31:05)Jimmy points out that almost every Sharks defender is at best a third-pairing defender, aside from Mario Ferraro. (1:33:35)Finally Keegan asks Sheng, Pierre, and Jimmy, would they have traded Tomas Hertl? (1:39:15)Sheng defends the trade!Thanks so much for watching, listening and subscribing on YouTube! ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome back to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast! This week, Keegan is going to reveal his current top-16 of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft! (23:50) But before that, we talk about the week that was for the San Jose Sharks. (00:30)We cover the recent improved play of Thomas Bordeleau, and we talk about a shift in his playing style and his mindset with the Sharks during this call-up. (1:30) Sheng and Keegan discuss William Eklund's demotion to the fourth line, and how a change was needed to spark Eklund. (9:00)Will Smith made some waves this weekend during the Hockey East tournament. Sheng and Keegan discuss his chances at the Hobey Baker award after his performance. (14:55)Sheng has a quick note on the possibility of Barracuda call-ups in the last dozen games of the season. He was told that the San Jose Sharks have just one regular call-up left, but that they could also use emergency call-ups to play some Cuda prospects in the NHL. (18:30)Finally, we touch on the recent signing of Akim Aliu to a PTO with the San Jose Barracuda. (19:50)Now, Keegan reveals his current 2024 Top-16 ranking, broken down by tiers! (23:50)Is there anybody besides Macklin Celebrini in Tier 1? (26:10)In Tier 2, who does Keegan rank behind Celebrini...Ivan Demidov, Berkly Catton, Cayden Lindstrom, Artyom Levshunov, Anton Silayev, or Cole Eiserman? (29:30)Keegan has a bunch of defensemen in Tier 3, will the San Jose Sharks grab any of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins' pick? Where does he rank Levshunov, Silayev, Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, and Carter Yakemchuk? (39:27)Where do forwards Konsta Helenius, Tij Iginla, Andrew Basha, Terik Parascak, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård fit in?How far into the first round does Keegan's Tier 4 go? Who just missed the top-16 cut? (56:40)Finally, what is Keegan's perfect 2024 San Jose Sharks' first round?Thanks for listening and watching! Subscribe on YouTube!  ★ Support this podcast ★

Who are our top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects, post-Trade Deadline?Before we share our rankings, we talk about the San Jose Sharks’ week that was, and the performances of Klim Kostin, Magnus Chrona, Devin Cooley, Thomas Bordeleau, and William Eklund. (3:05)What do we think about the Tomas Hertl trade, one week later? (30:08)We make sense of reassigning Ozzy Wiesblatt to the Milwaukee Admirals. What about Sasha Chmelevski’s NHL future? What was the hidden message from GM Mike Grier’s candid comments about the San Jose Sharks firing Igor Eronko? (40:22)Also, thanks to all those who have helped Sheng travel this year! (1:08:30)Finally, who are our top-10 San Jose Sharks prospects? Where do new additions David Edstrom and Jack Thompson fit in?From No. 10 to No. 6, where do Luca Cagnoni, Ethan Cardwell, Kasper Halttunen, Jack Thompson, Cam Lund, Henry Thrun, Thomas Bordeleau, and Danil Gushchin fit in? (1:15:26)Between David Edstrom and Filip Bystedt, who ranked higher? (1:37:32)How did our top-three of Shakir Mukhamadullin, Quentin Musty, and Will Smith shake out? (1:45:00)We also touched on some honorable mentions like Eric Pohlkamp, Jake Furlong, Mattias Havelid, and more. (1:55:42) ★ Support this podcast ★

Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights?!?We react to all of the San Jose Sharks’ Trade Deadline moves, and talk about why we like the Hertl trade for the Golden Knights.But before we get there, we talk about Logan Couture ruling himself out for the rest of the season, a perfect way to cap off perhaps the worst day in San Jose Sharks history. (1:12)Sheng describes a surreal day around Sharks Ice.We get in deep about the Hertl trade, both the on and off the ice implications and emotions. (13:43)The Hertl trade, obviously, was the star of the show, but we also talked about all of the Sharks’ moves today and yesterday.Why we had “no notes” for the Anthony Duclair trade? (51:45)Keegan really liked the Kaapo Kahkonen trade: Why was it a sensible swap for Vitek Vanecek? (57:05)Sheng’s favorite San Jose Sharks’ Trade Deadline move was Radim Simek for Klim Kostin. (1:08:15)Why didn’t Nikita Okhotiuk pan out for the San Jose Sharks? (1:15:45)Finally, we end with a thought about Devin Cooley. (1:20:45)We grade the San Jose Sharks’ 2024 Trade Deadline. (1:24:25) ★ Support this podcast ★

It's our San Jose Sharks' Trade Deadline predictions! We dive deep into 12 potential players that could be traded this week from the Sharks and try to predict potential returns (32:30)But first, we talk this past week of Sharks' action.Four losses since the last podcast, who stood out for the San Jose Sharks in these losing efforts? (2:22)Sheng answers the question that many people had on Twitter; why did David Quinn call a timeout down 7-1 to the New Jersey Devils in the third period? Quinn explains. (2:55)We discuss the quality start that Magnus Chrona put up this week against the Dallas Stars, and we do a little reminiscing about the 2021 Trade Deadline when Doug Wilson acquired Alexander Barabanov and Chrona for very little. (14:50)After the San Jose Sharks' loss to the Minnesota Wild this week, we revisited the Kaapo Kahkonen/Jake Middleton deal from the 2022 Trade Deadline. (21:02)Finally, here are the official San Jose Hockey Now Trade Deadline predictions! (32:30) What do Sheng's sources think the Sharks will get for their players? Read this article as a reference for our discussion:https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-trade-deadline-scouts-value-scouts/Do Sheng and Keegan think that these players will get traded...and for what? Mikael Granlund (37:30) Kevin Labanc (42:15)Mike Hoffman (44:28)Mario Ferraro (46:45)Anthony Duclair (51:00) (plus what young player does Keegan think Duclair could get traded for?)Kaapo Kahkonen (58:25)Luke Kunin (1:00:15)Jan Rutta (1:04:10)Alex Barabanov (1:06:55)Nico Sturm (1:10:02)Ryan Carpenter + Justin Bailey (1:11:30)Catch us later this week for our Trade Deadline wrap-up show and to see how many predictions we got right! ★ Support this podcast ★

Why are the San Jose Sharks so easy to play against? And how unhappy are the players?But before the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast digs into that, Keegan and Sheng discuss Anthony Duclair’s recent play (2:22) and touch on David Quinn and Kevin Labanc not seeing eye to eye (4:50).What is Sheng hearing about the Sharks’ top Trade Deadline targets (8:30)?Last week, Frank Seravalli said on the DFO Rundown Podcast that Sharks players “feel like they aren’t even playing on an NHL franchise” -- his podcast co-host Jason Gregor agreed, “I’ve heard some ridiculous stories about lack of preparation.” (18:00)Sheng investigates, talking to Sharks players and people closely associated with them. What did he find?Finally, we dig into why the San Jose Sharks are so easy to play against (41:12).SPORTLOGiQ stats from last year to this season give a stark contrast (43:00).There are the things that Mike Grier couldn’t control (46:35) -- and something that he could control (50:00).How could all this shape the San Jose Sharks’ coming off-season (1:00:05)? ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast we have an interview with Mike Santos from Team 33, an independent scouting service that consults for NHL teams around the league. He joins Sheng and Keegan to discuss the relative value of many of the Sharks' players that may be available at the trade deadline. (39:20)Before that though, we have our news of the week. (02:00) This week, it was announced that both Hertl and Couture would be out somewhat long-term with injuries. We break down some expected timelines (or lack thereof) for both players. (02:45)We cover the two games this week, a 1-0 loss to Winnipeg and a 6-3 win against Calgary, while touching on the play of Kaapo Kähkönen and Filip Zadina, who shined in those two games. (10:40)Our final topic before the interview with Mike Santos, we take a dive into some of the recent comments made by Kevin Labanc. We go into the comments and why a change of scenery needs to happen for Labanc to find his game. (23:40)Now the Mike Santos interview!  (39:20)People have been asking, what exactly is Team 33? Mike covers the structure of their scouting service and highlights some of the teams that use their services. (39:50)Sheng and Keegan ask Mike Santos about possible trade candidates for the Sharks, and how the Team 33 scouts are rating these players, and their trade values. (45:34)How much are the following players worth? Anthony Duclair (47:00)Alexander Barabanov (53:05)Mike Hoffman (1:00:40)Kevin Labanc (1:03:55)Mikael Granlund (1:07:20)Nico Sturm (1:13:40)Mario Ferraro (1:20:30)Kaapo Kahkonen (1:28:24)Lastly Mike shares some of his general thoughts on who he would keep going forward from this Sharks roster and who is most likely to be traded. (1:36:25)Thank you all for watching, listening, and subscribing to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast! ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s mailbag time!What are San Jose Sharks fans curious about right now?Here’s what San Jose Hockey Now subscribers asked.Gary To asked if we think Tomas Hertl is staying or going this summer, and what GM Mike Grier would have to do to convince Hertl to stay (6:27).James R. wondered what Kaapo Kahkonen’s next contract, if he re-signs with the San Jose Sharks, will be (14:35). Also, have Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood’s success taken the heat off Evgeni Nabokov?Jake went all the way back to 2019 to get our recollections about Peter DeBoer playing Micheal Haley over Joonas Donskoi (22:50), and what we were thinking during Sharks-Golden Knights’ Game Seven.Matthias893 wonders what Hertl could get in a trade with half-retention (35:30)? Jenna B asked if there are any European/NCAA/CHL free agents that the San Jose Sharks could be interested in (38:25)? Also, props to Jenna for inspiring my Sharks dogs stories from Christmas.Stephanie wondered if the media could influence management/player decisions and performance (45:50)?Fin Coe thinks maybe William Eklund could have a Joe Pavelski path in his career (56:15)? Dylan Smallwood inquired about the asset management when it came to trading for Calen Addison with Leon Gawanke waiting in the wings (59:00). Also, he doesn’t think a Hertl trade should require retention.Chris Braun wonders if a Hertl trade is worth it, if you can find a team to take on the whole salary (1:16:35). He also wondered which defensemen will remain on the roster after the break?Jigglz checked in on the type of players that Grier could be looking for this off-season via trade or free agency (1:23:15). Alex Genadinik wonders what it would take for the Sharks to get a first or second-round pick this Trade Deadline (1:28:50)?Stefan Schwartz dug into the San Jose Sharks locker room dynamic this season (1:36:35).Zeke thinks that Kevin Labanc, for his own good, should be assigned to the San Jose Barracuda (1:41:40). ★ Support this podcast ★

What's the problem with the last-place San Jose Barracuda?We have a special guest, Patrick Williams from AHL.com and NHL.com, who knows all things AHL, to shed some light on why the San Jose Barracuda are struggling this season. (43:30)Williams has a good handle on realistic expectations for the last-place Cuda.But before we get to that interview, we have a few San Jose Sharks topics to cover.First, William Eklund has been playing...center!. (03:30) We talk all about his play and what his change to center might mean for the rebuild if this is a permanent or semi-permanent change.The Sharks have another young prospect making waves in the NHL as Shakir Mukhamadullin was called up this week. (13:20) We dive into his play and speculate whether he stays up with the Sharks after the break or not.Sheng and Keegan discuss the addition of Mukhamadullin to the AHL All-star game, and the injury to Danil Gushchin that's going to keep him out of the All-Star lineup. (23:50)Finally, before we get to Patrick Williams, we discuss Tomas Hertl (27:18). News came out this week that a conversation might take place this offseason to discuss Hertl's future on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks club. Let the speculation commence on his future, and what the Sharks might get for Hertl in a trade.Alright, it's time for the Patrick Williams interview! We ask loads of questions and get his opinion on how the Barracuda are performing relative to the other teams in the AHL. (43:30)First we ask the big question: Is it okay to be disappointed in the Barracuda this season? (45:00)Just how many high-end players (for this league) does the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate have right now? (47:30)We ask about John McCarthy and whether he deserves to be fired. (53:25)McCarthy is one of the AHL's youngest coaches. Did he miss out on having an experienced mentor by his side to start his head coaching career? (56:50)Just how much was expected from this Barracuda roster, and how much of the failure can really be put on McCarthy? (1:05:20)What does Patrick think of Danil Gushchin? (1:09:30)Despite some defensive additions to the Barracuda this season, they still sit last in goals allowed in the AHL. What's going wrong defensively for them? (1:12:45)We dive into the curious decision to roll with three young netminders, one with injury concerns, to start the year for the Barracuda. (1:18:27)The defense has been a mess, but the offense is actually decent for the Barracuda. What's gone right so far there this year? (1:23:45)What does Patrick think about the compete level for the Barracuda overall? (1:26:35)Who is Patrick's favorite Barracuda player to watch? (1:28:44)Who does Patrick think has the potential to reach the NHL from the AHL roster? (1:29:45)To end the interview, how much of the team's losing can be put on Cuda GM Joe Will? (1:31:30)After the interview, Sheng and Keegan react to Patrick's interview and discuss some of the rumblings in the hockey world, related to how the Barracuda are perceived. (1:35:40) This includes lots of insights from scouts and executives on how the Barracuda and the San Jose Sharks are seen, and some of the limitations involved with running these teams.Thanks all for watching, listening and subscribing! ★ Support this podcast ★

What’s a realistic path for the San Jose Sharks to be competitive by 2025-26 or 2026-27 (54:40)?We’re asking this question because that seems to be GM Mike Grier’s hope.“In two or three years, hopefully we can be a team that is pushing for the playoffs, if not hopefully grabbing a spot,” he said in his media availability on Thursday.https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-mike-grier-all-star-availability/Before we get to that discussion, Keegan and Sheng talk about the San Jose Sharks’ recent play, including signs of life from William Eklund. (03:00)What did Sheng think of Shakir Mukhamadullin’s mixed bag NHL debut? (12:08)Sheng has a lot of thoughts about the new Cali Fin jersey, including the controversial usage of the Fin logo as the primary crest. (21:25)We also touched on assorted Sharks' injuries and other thoughts about Grier’s availability. (37:05)So what has to happen for the San Jose Sharks to be in the playoff discussion in a couple years? (54:40)Before we get into that, why might 2025-26 be the target season to be competitive? (55:25)We break down what has to go right for each position to be competitive in two to three years. (1:02:50)Who might the goalie of the 2025-26 Sharks be? Why is Sheng not too worried about this position? (1:03:05)The Sharks don’t have a future No. 1 defenseman yet. Why might quality depth be the workaround? Could Mario Ferraro, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Henry Thrun be the start of a credible top-four? And where does the Noah Hanifin trade rumor fit in? (1:07:05)If the Sharks need to look toward the 2024 Draft to find their No. 1 defenseman of the future, who does Keegan like best in a deep pool of defensive prospects? (1:11:25)Also, why doesn’t it make sense to buy out Marc-Edouard Vlasic, even in the summer of 2025? (1:17:00)The San Jose Sharks are also lacking a 1C of the future. Obviously, if the Jonathan Toews comp is accurate, Macklin Celebrini could be the answer here. (1:21:52)How about Tomas Hertl as your 2C and Logan Couture as your 3C? And where could Will Smith, William Eklund, and Fabian Zetterlund fit in up the middle or along the wing? (1:22:40)What does this forward group lack and how could the 2025 free agency class possibly provide an answer? (1:29:30) ★ Support this podcast ★