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What Your Team Is Thankful For: San Jose Sharks

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As the holiday season is upon us, PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the San Jose Sharks.

What are the Sharks most thankful for?

Considering how disappointing San Jose has been this season, it may come as some surprise that they’ve been one of the healthiest teams in the league all things considered.  Defenseman Radim Simek is the only full-time regular that has missed more than five games and while he’s a regular, he’s also on their third defense pairing.  Most of their core forwards haven’t missed a game this year aside from Tomas Hertl (four games due to a lower-body issue).  Things haven’t been pretty for them in 2019-20 but so far, they’ve at least managed to stay healthy.

Who are the Sharks most thankful for?

Going into the season, the duo of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns would have been the logical pick but both of them have underachieved mightily.  One player who isn’t quite in that category is Logan Couture.  The long-time Shark has seen his offensive numbers dip a little bit this season (pretty much everyone has) but he continues to lead the way.  He’s the team leader in scoring, on pace for his second straight 65-point campaign, and is logging nearly 19 minutes a night.  The captain is also signed through 2026-27 at an $8MM price tag and unlike the expensive blueliners, he should be able to provide a decent level of return on that contract for close to its entirety.

What would the Sharks be even more thankful for?

More production from, well, just about everyone.  Their high-priced back end has underachieved considerably so far; Burns and Karlsson have combined for just ten goals in 81 games.  For perspective, Burns alone has averaged more than 20 a year over the past six seasons.  The goaltending duo of Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have a combined .895 save percentage which is among the lowest in the league.  Timo Meier may not reach 50 points after scoring 66 last season.  Joe Thornton has just one goal so far.  Kevin Labanc is well off last year’s pace (and there are others in that situation as well).  Some of them returning to form would be a huge boost for them in the second half.

What should be on the Sharks’ Holiday Wish List?

Barring a turnaround over the next few weeks, it’s looking like San Jose is going to be selling which means picks and prospects will be what GM Doug Wilson is looking for.  Defenseman Brendan Dillion should yield a reasonable return while depth pieces like Melker Karlsson and Marcus Sorenson may draw some interest.  This core is probably going to be given another opportunity as it stands though unless they have to move a key player out for a goalie.  That move, if it happens, seems like more of an offseason deal than one before next month’s trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL All-Star Selections Announced

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Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:

Atlantic Division

G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)

Metropolitan Division

G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Central Division

G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:

Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner

Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie

Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine

Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty

Minor Transactions: 12/30/19

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With just one game on the schedule for this evening, teams are licking their wounds waiting for the New Year and the second half of the NHL season. The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins will be in action, but even those on a rest day will be making minor tweaks. As those come in, we’ll list them here.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Timothy Liljegren and Teemu Kivihalme, two defensemen yet to make their NHL debuts. The Maple Leafs already lost Jake Muzzin to a broken foot and need to replace him on the roster. It seems Kivihalme will get the first shot, as Liljegren has already been returned to the AHL Marlies.
  • With Charlie McAvoy going onto injured reserve, the Boston Bruins have recalled Jeremy Lauzon under emergency conditions. McAvoy hasn’t played since before Christmas, though the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long-term. The Bruins got some good news on the injury front as well, activating forward Karson Kuhlman from the injured reserve and assigning him to AHL Providence.
  • Calvin Pickard has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings once again, giving them another healthy goaltender. Pickard has ended up playing two games for Detroit this season, but has a 5.32 GAA and .818 save percentage.
  • Mathieu Joseph is heading back to the minor leagues once again, something the Tampa Bay Lightning have done several times this month. The young forward has still spent most of his season with the NHL club, but is bouncing back and forth lately.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Joachim Blichfield from the AHL Barracuda, giving the youngster another opportunity after he made his NHL debut early last month. Blichfield has been one San Jose’s best minor league forwards this season and the struggling Sharks could use an offensive boost if he can translate his game to the next level.
  • Daniel Sprong is back in the NHL after a brief layover with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The Anaheim Ducks called up the young forward, who has spent considerable time with the team this year, but has only actually played in one game. Sprong recorded 19 points in 47 games with the Ducks last year and already has 19 points in 25 games with the Gulls, so he has the potential to make an impact in Anaheim if given the chance.
  • With the Minnesota Wild activating captain Mikko Koivu, the team has reassigned rookie forward Nico Sturm to AHL Iowa. Sturm, a highly sought-after college free agent last spring, has 12 points in 25 games wIowa this year and a pair of points in six games with Minnesota as well.

Five Key Stories: 12/23/19 – 12/29/19

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With the holiday week having come and gone as well as an NHL roster freeze, hockey news slows down quite a bit, yet there was plenty of news despite the three-game respite last week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

World Junior Championships Get Underway: Perhaps even bigger than the NHL is the IIHF World Junior Championships that started on Dec. 26 and continues to be ongoing. The leagues top propsects or soon-to-be prospects find themselves competing in Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. All NHL teams have at least one representative at the tournament with several teams possessing a host of prospects. The Los Angeles Kings have nine prospects representing their organization, while the Arizona Coyotes have seven. Five teams have just one prospect at the tournament.

John McCarthy Retiring Due To Health Concerns: He only appeared in 88 career NHL games, but San Jose Sharks forward and a long-time minor league player for them, John McCarthy, announced his retirement due to health concerns. While he played in 18 games for the Barracuda this year, his season and career came to a halt after suffering an Ischemic stroke earlier this month. While he has made a complete recovery, those health concerns have ended his playing career. He was drafted by the Sharks back in 2006 and played for the Sharks’ organization his entire career and the Barracudas’ captain immediately took a coaching role with the team.

Brent Seabrook, Calvin De Haan Out For The Season: Just before play was supposed to resume after the Christmas hiatus, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they are losing one-third of their defense. Two of their defensemen, Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan, will miss the season due to surgeries. Seabrook is expected to have surgery on both his hips, while de Haan will have shoulder surgery. De Haan has been a consistent part of the team’s defense, leading the team in hits and blocked shots. Seabrook has similar strengths, but has seen his playing time cut and has even been scratched three times so far this season. Regardless, these are tough losses for a franchise hoping to get back into the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin To Skip NHL All-Star Game: For the second time in as many years, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has announced that he will be skipping the NHL All-Star Game. Ovechkin was voted in as Metropolitan Division captain, but he told media Friday that he will skip the all-star festivities to rest up for the second half of the season. Of course, Ovechkin will be suspended one game for skipping the league event. He must miss either the game before the all-star break or the game after. The team faces the rival New York Islanders, suggesting that Ovechkin will likely opt to miss the game after the break against the Montreal Canadiens.

Multiple Toronto Maple Leafs Players Injured: The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered three injuries upon their return from break. The team first revealed that forward Trevor Moore would be out indefinitely due to a concussion. Moore had been out with a shoulder injury and had only appeared in one game before getting injured once again. The team then lost winger Ilya Mikheyev who suffered a lacerated wrist after New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt ran sliced it with his skate. He is expected to miss a minimum of three months as he heals from the injury. Only hours after that, the Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Jake Muzzin would be considered week-to-week after suffering a fractured foot in that same game against the Devils. With all those injuries, it should make the team’s challenging of working their way up the Atlantic Division standings just a bit more difficult.

John McCarthy Retiring Due To Health Concerns

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After a decade of professional hockey, San Jose Barracuda captain John McCarthy has announced his retirement. The forward experienced an Ischemic stroke earlier this month and though he has made a complete recovery from that incident, health concerns will end his playing career. McCarthy will immediately join Barracuda coaching staff, starting a new chapter behind the bench. McCarthy released a lengthy statement, explaining that even before the year started he was considering making it his final season:

I went into this year thinking I’m 33-years-old, I’ve been playing for a long time, this could be my last year playing,” said McCarthy. “The Sharks and Barracuda have been great, Joe (Will) and Doug (Wilson) have both been unbelievable to me as far as giving me a chance to play so when I suffered the stroke that decision kind of accelerated for me. It’s not something you can prepare for or see coming so I took some time. I spoke to some people whose opinions I value and, although it’s not out of the question that I could return after an extended period of time, I think it’s a good time for me to step away from playing.

Though he hasn’t played a game in the NHL since the 2015-16 season, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t an important part of the San Jose Sharks organization. A seventh-round pick in 2006, he became the captain of Boston University as a senior in 2008 and made his NHL debut the following season. An extremely hard worker, McCarthy has overcome a lack of real elite skill by polishing his game at both ends of the rink.

In 2018, McCarthy was part of Team USA at the Olympic Games when the NHL decided not to attend the tournament. An NCAA champion, he has served as captain of the Barracuda for the last four seasons and set a strong example for many of the organization’s prospects. He’ll now do the same as part of the coaching staff.

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

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The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

Minor Transactions: 12/23/19

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Even though the NHL roster freeze is in effect, there are still a handful of transactions that will happen today. These are moves that are still allowed to maintain roster levels, as a huge chunk of the league will play today. Things kick off with an afternoon tilt between the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs, with Jake Gardiner returning to play his former team after signing a four-year deal in the offseason. As those few moves take place, we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Mathieu Joseph is back with the Tampa Bay Lightning, recalled today after just a few days in the minor leagues. Joseph was a regular in the Lightning lineup for the last year and a half, but was struggling to really find his game of late and needed a reset in the AHL.
  • The San Jose Sharks, who don’t play again until Friday, returned three players to the minor leagues today. Noah Gregor, Joel Kellman and Jacob Middleton will all spend the break as part of the San Jose Barracuda, though it would come as no surprise to see at least one of them recalled again later in the week.
  • Jayce Hawryluk has been recalled by the Florida Panthers ahead of their game against the Lightning tonight. Hawryluk has three points in eight games with the Panthers this season but was injured earlier in the year. His conditioning stint has now come to an end, after six games with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Filip Zadina, Brian Lashoff and Calvin Pickard down to the minor leagues. With the Red Wings off until Saturday, they’ll have plenty of time to make the decision on who to bring back up after Christmas.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Jeremy Bracco from the minor leagues, while giving an ominous update on Trevor Moore. Moore will be out of today’s game with a mysterious injury, likely related to the issue he was dealing with recently after getting bumped in practice.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have returned Jalen Chatfield to the AHL over the break. Chatfield has been recalled several times by the Canucks this season, but has yet to actually play in an NHL game.

Five Key Stories: 12/16/19 – 12/22/19

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The days leading up to the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze are always full of potential for big moves by teams looking to make a change before a stretch of mandatory inactivity. This year did not disappoint, as the biggest target on the rental market was dealt, highlighting a busy week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

Taylor Hall Traded To Arizona: The week started with a bang, as the Taylor Hall saga came to an end with a trade to Arizona. The Coyotes sent a 2020 first-round pick, a conditional 2021 third-round pick, and prospects Nate Schnarr, Nick Merkley and Kevin Bahl to the Devils. New Jersey retained half of Hall’s $6MM cap as well. Hall was the top name in the rental market this season, but many were left underwhelmed by the trade return. The asking price may have been affected by Hall’s reluctance to negotiate an extension in-season, which he has maintained since arriving in the desert. Nevertheless, the Coyotes’ acquisition could make them the favorite to win the Pacific Division this year as they pursue the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Kings: Veteran Ilya Kovalchuk is on the move as well, but his destination is yet to be determined. He and the Los Angeles Kings came to a mutual agreement on a contract termination on Monday, with Kovalchuk clearing unconditional waivers on Tuesday. The former superstar never fit with the Kings after returning from the KHL and could be tempted to return to Russia after this failure. However, he is reportedly willing to sign a minimum deal to remain in the NHL as he too is pursuing his first Stanley Cup, without much time left in his lengthy career.

Eric Comrie, Stefan Noesen Claimed: Three players entered the waiver wire on Wednesday and two emerged on new teams. Both goaltender Eric Comrie and forward Stefan Noesen were claimed on waivers. For Comrie, he returns to the Winnipeg Jets, the team with which he began the season, after making stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Noesen only signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks ago, but is already on the move to the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most accomplished player waived on Wednesday, but also the most expensive, was not claimed and remains with the Calgary Flames.

The Injury Bug Bites: Injuries are not exactly an uncommon occurrence in the NHL, but this week in particular took a heavy toll across the league. Just how bad was it? Here is the list of players who were announced this week as being out long-term: Josh Anderson, Danny DeKeyser, Troy Terry, Derek Grant, Andrew Peeke, Ryan Murray, Darcy Kuemper, Jason Zucker, Josh Leivo, Brandon Saad, Cal Clutterbuck, Anthony Mantha, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 

Chris Snow Diagnosed With ALS: Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager Chris Snow has been diagnosed with ALS, as disclosed by his wife in a public letter. As Snow begins this difficult battle, we here at PHR wish he and his family the best this holiday season.

 

Kevin Labanc Could Miss San Jose's Weekend Games

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  • Sharks winger Kevin Labanc is dealing with an upper-body injury that could cause him to miss both games this weekend, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The injury was sustained on Tuesday against Arizona and while he came back for a couple of shifts, he was eventually shut down for the rest of the game.  His absence should create an opportunity for the recently-claimed Stefan Noesen to enter the lineup.  Pashelka adds that defenseman Mario Ferraro is also listed as day-to-day with an upper-body issue.

Comrie, Noesen Claimed Off Waivers

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The Winnipeg Jets have brought back their former goaltending prospect Eric Comrie, claiming him off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings today. Stefan Noesen is also about to get on a flight, after being claimed by the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most expensive of the three, cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues by the Calgary Flames.

Comrie returns to the Jets following stints with Detroit and the Arizona Coyotes. The 24-year old goaltender was originally claimed by the Coyotes on October 1st and spent nearly two months on their roster without playing in a single NHL game. A conditioning loan did get him into four minor league games, but it took a trade to Detroit before he saw any action at the highest level.

Unfortunately, backstopping Detroit is a difficult task these days and Comrie ended up going 0-2 with an .864 save percentage in three appearances for the Red Wings. His return to Winnipeg comes as Jimmy Howard is expected to suit up for the Red Wings this weekend after dealing with injury for the last while.

Noesen meanwhile only signed an NHL contract a few weeks ago, after starting the year on a minor league deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After inking his new contract he played in six games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored a goal, but will now travel to San Jose to try and give the Sharks a little more depth. Noesen has plenty of NHL experience and was actually a quietly effective option for the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 when he had 13 goals and 27 points in 72 games.

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