Speculation: 2020-2021: Sharks Roster Discussion Part 5

[seroes]

You are right about Gregor not playing C. The only exception was Boughner gave him some time at the end of the year and he looked great. Still, I think he’s a long shot to get the 3C job. I think Suemela is also a long shot. Mainly because he did nothing in his time with the Cuda. He had plenty of time to learn the system and show he really belongs in the NHL. Instead he was mostly a non-factor. Unfortunately, I think the main competition for that job is between Gambrell and Kellman.

I suspect you're right. That 3rd line inspires no confidence in me.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

There's really no strong indication. The way things are right now the top 6 is probably some arrangement of Kane, Hertl, Meier, Couture, Labanc, and Donato.

And the bottom 6 will be made up of 6 of Marleau, Nieto, Gregor, Noesen, Kellman, Gambrell, Sorensen, True, Suomela, Handemark, or maybe Blichfeld or Bergmann.

Personally if there are no more moves to add forwards and this is the group we run with, I would like to see:

Kane - Hertl - Donato (I don't love Donato on the first line but I'd rather not have him and Labanc on the same line)
Labanc - Couture - Meier (Meier probably deserves to be on the first line, but see above)
Gregor - Suomela - Noesen (I irrationally like/have hope that Suomela can bounce back to being the Liiga leading scorer/that guy we saw in his first flashes in San Jose a couple years ago. These aren't ideal linemates to do it, though I think Gregor could be a 15 goal guy, but the Sharks don't really have actual ideal linemates for that.)
Marleau - Handemark - Nieto (Marleau doesn't have his hands anymore and Nieto never really did at all, but at least give Handemark as much skating/hustle as he can get to ease him into the league.
scratches: Kellman (for versatility), whichever of Gambrell or Sorensen doesn't get traded (the former can probably fetch a better return, the latter offers more cap relief. Though neither would garner that much interest)

This leaves True, Blichfeld and Bergmann to log good minutes for the Barracuda. It also leaves the Barracuda with like 16-17 forwards who could/should fight for ice time and probably necessitates some loans or trades to sort things out (Bergmann, Blichfeld, True, Chmelevski, Chekhovich, Gabriel, Gallant, Garreffa, Halbgewachs, Leonard, Letunov, McGrew, S. Pasichnuk, Topping, Viel, Weinger, Wiederer, and Yurtaykin are all under Shark/Cuda contract at forward. Chekhovich is expected to spend the whole year in Russia even if the AHL starts up again, and Garreffa, Pasichnuk, Weinger, Wiederer, and Topping are all non-NHL contracts and likely have lower priority in getting ice time. So...

Leonard - True - Blichfeld
Halbgewachs - Chmelevski - McGrew
Bergmann - Letunov - Gabriel
Viel - Gallant - Garreffa
spares: Pasichnuk, Topping
Chekhovich remains in Russia, Yurtaykin and Wiederer are loaned out, Weinger to the ECHL.

total guesses on my part though.

In terms of prosepcts getting ice time it's probably dicey for most of them. Few are ready for top 6 roles and that's where the Sharks have openings. Blichfeld, Leonard, and maybe Chmelevski could push for a gig there if they get off to a strong start, but it's not a guarantee. I feel like they probably have too many bottom 6 veterans to want to displace them to play a youngster at a role they're not ideally suited for (except chemelvski, who could take the 3C role if he shows himself ready.)

Probably best to take Shovels early success with a huge grain of salt. He was playing with a healthy and motivated Donkey and Kane. He was set up for success and fell off immediately when he got put with lesser players and got demoted. I don't see him making anything more than maybe the taxi squad they're talking about using as insurance for Covid. He didn't really stand out much more than Gambrel in more recent call ups. Not sure how the 2 bottom centers work out but my money is on Handy or Chmelevski at 3c and the other or Patty at 4C. Patty and Noesen are likely 4th liners with Patty maybe playing center depending on how the roster shakes out. Nieto likely plays on the 3rd line at least until a kid unseats him. I think his skating and maturity are going to be valuable to the coaches. Like a Milker 2.0. Gregor could make it but I think a lot is up in the air until we see guys like Leonard in camp. Whoever among the young guys plays is going to have to prove they can play defensively as well as generate offense. Out of the gate my money is on Chmelevski and Leonard. I think Blichfeld will need time to develop still but he's the true wild card. Likely the most talented among them but we don't know yet how bad he wants it. If he devotes himself anywhere near someone like Pavs he's a top 6 winger IMO. Then of course there is Sorenson who likely beats all these guys out early on. He's coming back with a ton of confidence. If he's found some toughness, consistency and scoring touch these kids are going to have a tough time beating him out initially.

 

[Gecklund]

I hope they can sign Brassard and Rutta for around the league minimum

Kane-Hertl-Labanc
Gregor-Couture-Meier
Nieto-Brassard-Donato
Noesen-Handemark-Marleau
Kellman, True/Bergmann

Vlasic-EK
Simek-Burns
Ferraro-Rutta
Middleton

Jones
Dubnyk

Actually doesn’t look half bad

 

[themelkman]

I hope they can sign Brassard and Rutta for around the league minimum

Kane-Hertl-Labanc
Gregor-Couture-Meier
Nieto-Brassard-Donato
Noesen-Handemark-Marleau
Kellman, True/Bergmann

Vlasic-EK
Simek-Burns
Ferraro-Rutta
Middleton

Jones
Dubnyk

Actually doesn’t look half bad

Brassard apparently has an agreement with the islanders once they sort things out

 

[DG93]

Brassard apparently has an agreement with the islanders once they sort things out

That's too bad. He'd fill the 3C hole nicely...if they could add him and Granlund, that's a passable top-9.

 

[themelkman]

Jfresh is an analytics guy Ive been following alot on twitter. He breaks down Erik Haula here, and also recommends the sharks as a team who should target him.

 

[Erep]

Required Taxi Squad third goalie creates an awkward situation for the Sharks. You would think they want Melnichuk playing games in the AHL rather than just going to practice, but Emond and Korenar are not necessarily guys ready for any amount of role with the team.

 

[themelkman]

Required Taxi Squad third goalie creates an awkward situation for the Sharks. You would think they want Melnichuk playing games in the AHL rather than just going to practice, but Emond and Korenar are not necessarily guys ready for any amount of role with the team.

Well the AHL may not play for a while anyways, and Melni has proven he can play at the KHL level already which is tougher than the AHL, so the team doesnt feel too bad. Id rather have to play Melni than Korenar in an emergency

 

[themelkman]

Doug in his interview talked about the young guys again, but also said hes open to listening and has the cap space to make moves. So pretty much no info as usual on what he plans to do.

Also said "patty marleau can play up and down". If hes playing second line again we are screwed

 

[tiburon12]

Jfresh is an analytics guy Ive been following alot on twitter. He breaks down Erik Haula here, and also recommends the sharks as a team who should target him.

Was casually thinking about some FAs and could only see granlund signing here.

But only because I could find personal beefs between FAs and the sharks lol

Hoffman - karlsson
Haula - whole org (vegas'd)
Hamonic - kane

 

[The Nemesis]

Was casually thinking about some FAs and could only see granlund signing here.

But only because I could find personal beefs between FAs and the sharks lol

Hoffman - karlsson
Haula - whole org (vegas'd)
Hamonic - kane

Sign all 3 of them and hope the number of beefs have a harmonic effect where they just sort of cancel each other out and a fragile equilibrium is reached.

And then one day Matt Nieto puts his own music on the locker room sound system and it all falls to hell.

 

[KirbyDots]

Sign all 3 of them and hope the number of beefs have a harmonic effect where they just sort of cancel each other out and a fragile equilibrium is reached.

And then one day Matt Nieto puts his own music on the locker room sound system and it all falls to hell.

>Matt Nieto puts his own music on

 

[The Nemesis]

>Matt Nieto puts his own music on

View attachment 379728

I'm not saying that Nieto's music is going to cause a Sharks civil war that ends with everyone living like scavenger tribes dotted throughout the wrecked remains of the SAP Center constantly at war with each other for the meager remaining supplies once the outside world has cordoned the building off to stop the spread of the offending sound (and maybe covid).

But I'm also not not saying that.

 

[Pavelski2112]

I volunteer as tribute to teach Nieto how to use Ableton

 

[LadyStanley]

FYI...all the changes to date

 

[tiburon12]

Sign all 3 of them and hope the number of beefs have a harmonic effect where they just sort of cancel each other out and a fragile equilibrium is reached.

And then one day Matt Nieto puts his own music on the locker room sound system and it all falls to hell.

If his personal goal song is a Niet's Beats track I'm gonna quit the sharks

I volunteer as tribute to teach Nieto how to use Ableton

I thought you just turn it on and the software does the rest for you lol

 

[Coily]

Doug in his interview talked about the young guys again, but also said hes open to listening and has the cap space to make moves. So pretty much no info as usual on what he plans to do.

Also said "patty marleau can play up and down". If hes playing second line again we are screwed

Marleau will play a little mid-line backer for the 9ers as well. He's basically the Air Bud of humans.

 

[The Nemesis]

Marleau will play a little mid-line backer for the 9ers as well. He's basically the Air Bud of humans.

Plot Twist: Patrick Marleau has secretly been 2 golden retrievers in a trench coat this whole time (experimental golden retrievers escaped from a shadowy government lab. That's how they've lived for more than 2 decades). This is inadvertently revealed during a game this season and immediately afterwards "Patty" and "Marleau" are adopted by Vlasic, who promptly retires and starts up a second career of doing nothing but posting about them on instagram.

 

[Pavelski2112]

If his personal goal song is a Niet's Beats track I'm gonna quit the sharks


I thought you just turn it on and the software does the rest for you lol

No that's FL Studio

 

[OrrNumber4]

Sign all 3 of them and hope the number of beefs have a harmonic effect where they just sort of cancel each other out and a fragile equilibrium is reached.

And then one day Matt Nieto puts his own music on the locker room sound system and it all falls to hell.

Hated over Nieto's music is what binds the team together. Karlsson and Hoffman, Hamonic and Kane, etc. put aside their differences, coming together in a Last Alliance to defeat the One True Evil.

 

[Kegsey]

Was casually thinking about some FAs and could only see granlund signing here.

But only because I could find personal beefs between FAs and the sharks lol

Hoffman - karlsson
Haula - whole org (vegas'd)
Hamonic - kane

Why would Haula have allegiance to VGK after playing 1.5 seasons there? By that logic PDB shouldn’t have even answered the phone.

 

[Harbessix]

With a smaller than usual training camp roster, I’m curious if any of the 2020 draft picks will get an invite. I’d assume they’d want the few players that have yet to play this season (Wiesblatt, Robins, Coe) there just for a chance to get some reps in. Then again, if they don’t have a real shot at making the opening night roster they could be wasted spots.

 

[Cas]

With a smaller than usual training camp roster, I’m curious if any of the 2020 draft picks will get an invite. I’d assume they’d want the few players that have yet to play this season (Wiesblatt, Robins, Coe) there just for a chance to get some reps in. Then again, if they don’t have a real shot at making the opening night roster they could be wasted spots.

I think I read somewhere that training camps will be limited to around 36 players?

• Forwards (23) - Couture, Kane, Meier, Hertl, Labanc, Donato, Sorensen, Noesen, Gambrell, Marleau, Nieto, Leonard, Bergmann, Händemark, Chmelevski, Gregor, True, Kellman, Blichfeld, Gabriel, Suomela, Letunov, Halbgewachs
  
• Defensemen (9) - Karlsson, Burns, Vlasic, Simek, Ferraro, Merkley, Middleton, Pasuchnuk, Knyzhov
  
• Goalies (4) - Jones, Dubnyk, Melnichuk, Korenar

There really isn't a lot of room for the juniors who have yet to play, especially since this already leaves out two players who appeared with the Sharks last year (Carrick and Yurtaikin), plus half a dozen other Barracuda players.

 

[Pavelski2112]

I think I read somewhere that training camps will be limited to around 36 players?

• Forwards (23) - Couture, Kane, Meier, Hertl, Labanc, Donato, Sorensen, Noesen, Gambrell, Marleau, Nieto, Leonard, Bergmann, Händemark, Chmelevski, Gregor, True, Kellman, Blichfeld, Gabriel, Suomela, Letunov, Halbgewachs
  
• Defensemen (9) - Karlsson, Burns, Vlasic, Simek, Ferraro, Merkley, Middleton, Pasuchnuk, Knyzhov
  
• Goalies (4) - Jones, Dubnyk, Melnichuk, Korenar

There really isn't a lot of room for the juniors who have yet to play, especially since this already leaves out two players who appeared with the Sharks last year (Carrick and Yurtaikin), plus half a dozen other Barracuda players.

If I remember correctly, it was 36 skaters and unlimited goalies.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

If I remember correctly, it was 36 skaters and unlimited goalies.

Yes, this is correct.