Speculation: 2020-2021 Sharks Roster Discussion Part 9

[sharski]

I think the 4 point difference is very deceiving though. For the 4th playoff spot in our division:

Coyotes are 4 points ahead with 1 more game played.
Blues are 3 points ahead with 2 fewer games played.
Kings are 1 point behind with 3 fewer games played.

 

[Le Rosbeef]

If it's in that 7-10 range I would consider it to move Vlassic. No retention and no bad contracts coming back. The other contracts aren't worth it to move.

I think a player taken in that range might easily end up being the best player in the class. There's such a lack of consensus. Definitely not a year to entertain trading our 1st rounder...

 

[OffSydes]

I was working on a project plan at work yesterday and were were mapping out items not expected to be completed till 2022. I feel like this is something that DW has never done he just shows up and decides to do something.

When a team starts to tank or win you can look back and see the moves made that started either process and it seems like Sharks are just not making these moves because they have no plan. Middle of the pack teams with no plan are not fun to watch because there is no hope for the future.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

I was working on a project plan at work yesterday and were were mapping out items not expected to be completed till 2022. I feel like this is something that DW has never done he just shows up and decides to do something.

When a team starts to tank or win you can look back and see the moves made that started either process and it seems like Sharks are just not making these moves because they have no plan. Middle of the pack teams with no plan are not fun to watch because there is no hope for the future.

This past draft, and the one coming up, plus young guys like Balcers, Knyzhov, Leonard and Ferraro provide hope for the future imo.

 

[sharks_dynasty]

I don’t think you can fault DW on not executing yet. He’s known to be a big whale hunter as well as seeks bargains at the same time. With the cap staying steady and Seattle coming into the league, there are going to be many players available to pick up. He probably also wanted to have a full year to evaluate some of the young talent to see what he has that’s worth keeping versus using as trade bait. I’m sure he has a plan. Be patient. I’d rather he take his time with shrewd moves like Donato and Balcers than a dumb move that we all regret.

 

[Used As A Shield]

Hopefully whomever we draft is too good for much time in the ahl.

 

[Juxtaposer]

This past draft, and the one coming up, plus young guys like Balcers, Knyzhov, Leonard and Ferraro provide hope for the future imo.

Not that I don’t like those guys, but man I really don’t think another team in the league has a more depressing U25 list than us.

 

[Gecklund]

Not that I don’t like those guys, but man I really don’t think another team in the league has a more depressing U25 list than us.

Yeah I agree but they also left out Timo, Gregor, Gambrell who are all 24 and then Labanc and Donato are 25. The big issue in our prospect pool is top end talent. I think we have players that will be good second liners or complimentary first liners but no one that will be difference makers. Our only prospect with that potential right now is Merkley. Hopefully we can get Beniers or Lucius this draft who I think both could be top line Cs.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

Not that I don’t like those guys, but man I really don’t think another team in the league has a more depressing U25 list than us.

I guess my reason for optimism is our prospects, historically, seem to have a few gems pan out and those guys i named seem to be on a similar path. Robins, Weisblatt, Gushchin are all guys I could see panning out at different stages. Game changers? Maybe Ozzy? Maybe Merkley.

 

[Gecklund]

Looking at it more closely

Timo-xxx-Chekhovich
Ozzy-Bordeleau-Leonard
Dahlen-Chmelevski-Robins
Balcers-Gambrell-Reedy

(Not listed: Labanc, Donato, Gregor, Gushchin, McGrew, True, Blichfield, Coe, Spiridonov, anyone drafted this season)

Ferraro-Merkley
Kniazev-Paschinuk
Hatakka-Knyzhov

(Not listed: Meloche, Jaros)

Melnichuk
Korenar

(Not listed: Emond, Chronus)

Now obviously not everyone will hit but I think our forwards could be pretty good outside of that top line C spot (very very important spot). Our D is very left heavy with only Merkley being a righty of the ones I posted in the actual lineup. Goalie is a lot of question marks to say the least but those question marks at least have potential.

 

[hohosaregood]

Not that I don’t like those guys, but man I really don’t think another team in the league has a more depressing U25 list than us.

The crappy drafting from 2010-2017 is finally catching up to us

 

[STL Shark]

I guess my reason for optimism is our prospects, historically, seem to have a few gems pan out and those guys i named seem to be on a similar path. Robins, Weisblatt, Gushchin are all guys I could see panning out at different stages. Game changers? Maybe Ozzy? Maybe Merkley.

All going to come down to how does DW acquire a 1C and what is the answer at goalie. Think the outside edges of the roster and organization are stronger than they have ever been in terms of having a system that can field legitimate bottom 6's rather than having to go out and get guys like Burish, Brown, Zubrus, Spaling, etc. I also think that there is a decent group of top 6 wingers there if we could just solve the problem of finding that dynamic center to play between them on the 1st line.

Hertl is a very good to elite 2C on a good team and Couture could be better served dropping down to winger or being a mismatch 3C if you can find a 1C. Imagine how much better this team currently is if the money was being used on Karlsson was used on a 1C like Tavares (This is not a post to litigate the Sharks chances on Tavares again and the thread does not need to be derailed for that purpose as many others have been in the past. Simply showing what a 1C does to the overall construction of the group).

Kane-Tavares-Labanc
Meier-Hertl-Balcers
Leonard-Couture-Donato
Gregor-Gambrell-Marleau

Ferraro-Burns
Knyzhov-Demelo
Simek-Vlasic

That lineup now can matchup with just about anyone. Not as dynamic on the back end, but when you have a legitimate 1C, you don't need tons of points being generated on the backend because you have a deeper forward group. The point of this is not to imagine what we look like the past few years with Tavares, but more to emphasize that we're a 1C away from being back to fielding a very good perennial contender again as the side pieces of this group are better than they've probably ever been in terms of bottom of the lineup depth. Now obviously it is easy to fantasize and hard to impossible to acquire a 1C outside of hitting on a draft pick. Just have to find a way to get that guy somehow.

 

[Gecklund]

All going to come down to how does DW acquire a 1C and what is the answer at goalie. Think the outside edges of the roster and organization are stronger than they have ever been in terms of having a system that can field legitimate bottom 6's rather than having to go out and get guys like Burish, Brown, Zubrus, Spaling, etc. I also think that there is a decent group of top 6 wingers there if we could just solve the problem of finding that dynamic center to play between them on the 1st line.

Hertl is a very good to elite 2C on a good team and Couture could be better served dropping down to winger or being a mismatch 3C if you can find a 1C. Imagine how much better this team currently is if the money was being used on Karlsson was used on a 1C like Tavares (This is not a post to litigate the Sharks chances on Tavares again and the thread does not need to be derailed for that purpose as many others have been in the past. Simply showing what a 1C does to the overall construction of the group).

Kane-Tavares-Labanc
Meier-Hertl-Balcers
Leonard-Couture-Donato
Gregor-Gambrell-Marleau

Ferraro-Burns
Knyzhov-Demelo
Simek-Vlasic

That lineup now can matchup with just about anyone. Not as dynamic on the back end, but when you have a legitimate 1C, you don't need tons of points being generated on the backend because you have a deeper forward group. The point of this is not to imagine what we look like the past few years with Tavares, but more to emphasize that we're a 1C away from being back to fielding a very good perennial contender again as the side pieces of this group are better than they've probably ever been in terms of bottom of the lineup depth. Now obviously it is easy to fantasize and hard to impossible to acquire a 1C outside of hitting on a draft pick. Just have to find a way to get that guy somehow.

That defense is bad. Really really bad.

 

[hohosaregood]

All going to come down to how does DW acquire a 1C and what is the answer at goalie. Think the outside edges of the roster and organization are stronger than they have ever been in terms of having a system that can field legitimate bottom 6's rather than having to go out and get guys like Burish, Brown, Zubrus, Spaling, etc. I also think that there is a decent group of top 6 wingers there if we could just solve the problem of finding that dynamic center to play between them on the 1st line.

Hertl is a very good to elite 2C on a good team and Couture could be better served dropping down to winger or being a mismatch 3C if you can find a 1C. Imagine how much better this team currently is if the money was being used on Karlsson was used on a 1C like Tavares (This is not a post to litigate the Sharks chances on Tavares again and the thread does not need to be derailed for that purpose as many others have been in the past. Simply showing what a 1C does to the overall construction of the group).

Kane-Tavares-Labanc
Meier-Hertl-Balcers
Leonard-Couture-Donato
Gregor-Gambrell-Marleau

Ferraro-Burns
Knyzhov-Demelo
Simek-Vlasic

That lineup now can matchup with just about anyone. Not as dynamic on the back end, but when you have a legitimate 1C, you don't need tons of points being generated on the backend because you have a deeper forward group. The point of this is not to imagine what we look like the past few years with Tavares, but more to emphasize that we're a 1C away from being back to fielding a very good perennial contender again as the side pieces of this group are better than they've probably ever been in terms of bottom of the lineup depth. Now obviously it is easy to fantasize and hard to impossible to acquire a 1C outside of hitting on a draft pick. Just have to find a way to get that guy somehow.

I would assume that we'd still Josh Norris in this scenario so maybe we never grabbed Donato or we do grab Donato and Leonard would have played in the AHL. Either way, that would seemingly be a solid top 9.

 

[STL Shark]

That defense is bad. Really really bad.

Demelo has turned himself into a decent top 4 D-Man. Think you're way off base in the "really really bad" assessement. Not a dynamic defense, but it is hardly a horrific group given what their role would be with a legitimately great forward group. That also assumes that no other moves were made to get an upgrade for Knyzhov in the top 4 as well, which probably would have taken place in real life if that was the core group we were building around up front.

Again, the point of that post was not to re-litigate the team with Tavares, it is simply to show how much better the team looks with a 1C slotting players into positions to create mismatches. The peripheral parts of the roster are good. Just depends what DW does to find a 1C and a Goalie that will determine if there is any sort of a future for this group.

 

[Kcoyote3]

Let’s offersheet Samsonov at like 4.3 million

 

[tealzamboni]

Not that I don’t like those guys, but man I really don’t think another team in the league has a more depressing U25 list than us.

It's like a classic Sharks HF prospect list, except they're all somehow on the big club.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Not that I don’t like those guys, but man I really don’t think another team in the league has a more depressing U25 list than us.

Goes to show how much that one franchise-caliber pick can really shift how you look at a prospect pool.

The crappy drafting from 2010-2017 is finally catching up to us

The timeline seems a bit unfair, but yes.

All going to come down to how does DW acquire a 1C and what is the answer at goalie. Think the outside edges of the roster and organization are stronger than they have ever been in terms of having a system that can field legitimate bottom 6's rather than having to go out and get guys like Burish, Brown, Zubrus, Spaling, etc. I also think that there is a decent group of top 6 wingers there if we could just solve the problem of finding that dynamic center to play between them on the 1st line.

Hertl is a very good to elite 2C on a good team and Couture could be better served dropping down to winger or being a mismatch 3C if you can find a 1C. Imagine how much better this team currently is if the money was being used on Karlsson was used on a 1C like Tavares (This is not a post to litigate the Sharks chances on Tavares again and the thread does not need to be derailed for that purpose as many others have been in the past. Simply showing what a 1C does to the overall construction of the group).

Kane-Tavares-Labanc
Meier-Hertl-Balcers
Leonard-Couture-Donato
Gregor-Gambrell-Marleau

Ferraro-Burns
Knyzhov-Demelo
Simek-Vlasic

That lineup now can matchup with just about anyone. Not as dynamic on the back end, but when you have a legitimate 1C, you don't need tons of points being generated on the backend because you have a deeper forward group. The point of this is not to imagine what we look like the past few years with Tavares, but more to emphasize that we're a 1C away from being back to fielding a very good perennial contender again as the side pieces of this group are better than they've probably ever been in terms of bottom of the lineup depth. Now obviously it is easy to fantasize and hard to impossible to acquire a 1C outside of hitting on a draft pick. Just have to find a way to get that guy somehow.

You have to think that with that lineup, the Sharks move a winger or a center for help on the backend. Almost assuredly, Tierney is the third-line center and Couture gets moved to the wings.

 

[tealzamboni]

I was working on a project plan at work yesterday and were were mapping out items not expected to be completed till 2022. I feel like this is something that DW has never done he just shows up and decides to do something.

When a team starts to tank or win you can look back and see the moves made that started either process and it seems like Sharks are just not making these moves because they have no plan. Middle of the pack teams with no plan are not fun to watch because there is no hope for the future.

Either that or the total opposite: They have models and projections for everything. And apparently the numbers would say that Wilson's statistically doing it right.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

I don't know how I forgot about Bordeleau.

 

[STL Shark]

Let’s offersheet Samsonov at like 4.3 million

The same Samsonov with a .904 save percentage? Hard pass. I’d deal for him maybe in a trade, but hell no paying him that money.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

The same Samsonov with a .904 save percentage? Hard pass. I’d deal for him maybe in a trade, but hell no paying him that money.

I don't get why anyone wants to pay assets or term to any goalie right now. This team isn't good defensively and only an elite goalie is going to help cover for that and I don't see that available. They need to bide their time in net until someone develops or you take a value bet in UFA/trade for a cap dump goalie that gets the team an extra asset. I'd move any roster player to get rid of Jones just about.

 

[sharkbyte]

It might be worth it to pursue a guy like Driedger right? He's sitting at a cool .924 SV% this year in 21 games after a .938 in 11 games last year. Not a huge sample size, but still pretty solid.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

It might be worth it to pursue a guy like Driedger right? He's sitting at a cool .924 SV% this year in 21 games after a .938 in 11 games last year. Not a huge sample size, but still pretty solid.

If you can sign him for three years yeah but if he's looking for term, we have to look elsewhere. There's no sense in committing to a goalie while they are transitioning from numerous big contracts to younger players. They will be lucky to move one of Burns, Couture, Jones, Kane, Karlsson, Meier, or Vlasic. But they need to start moving that group out and it's not going to happen in one season and they don't have the resources to acquire all that they need, starting with a legit 1C, to turn this around.

 

[OrrNumber4]

It might be worth it to pursue a guy like Driedger right? He's sitting at a cool .924 SV% this year in 21 games after a .938 in 11 games last year. Not a huge sample size, but still pretty solid.

Andrew Hammond syndrome?