Speculation: 2020-2021 Sharks Roster Discussion Part 9

[DG93]

I agree, I imagine he figures the D is more or less set, maybe get a 7th veteran D to step in. I’m sure he’ll try to grab a scoring winger to make the kids compete and try and roll 4 pretty good lines.

Something like:

Kane - Hertl - Barabanov
Meier - Couture - Labanc/scoring winger
Balcers - 3C - Labanc/Leonard/Scoring winger
Nieto - Gambrell/True - Gregor

I mean, it’s not horrible, particularly if the 2nd line can get chemistry and Barabanov and Balcers keep playing well. Not a Stanley Cup team but a potentially fun team.

That is barely a playoff team and only because the Sharks are in the Pacific division. It would be monumentally stupid, but that's exactly what I think DW will do, unfortunately.

 

[Coily]

I like how Donato can't make the team over Nieto LOL

 

[tiburon12]

I like how Donato can't make the team over Nieto LOL

IDK, he was pretty meh this year. I wanted more from him every night

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

IDK, he was pretty meh this year. I wanted more from him every night

Thats what she said.

 

[STL Shark]

I like how Donato can't make the team over Nieto LOL

I like how Donato is going to cost $1.2 million more per year than Nieto too.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

I agree, I imagine he figures the D is more or less set, maybe get a 7th veteran D to step in. I’m sure he’ll try to grab a scoring winger to make the kids compete and try and roll 4 pretty good lines.

Something like:

Kane - Hertl - Barabanov
Meier - Couture - Labanc/scoring winger
Balcers - 3C - Labanc/Leonard/Scoring winger
Nieto - Gambrell/True - Gregor

I mean, it’s not horrible, particularly if the 2nd line can get chemistry and Barabanov and Balcers keep playing well. Not a Stanley Cup team but a potentially fun team.

I wish DW would commit to a rebuild but it’s clear that’s not the direction he’s going. So, theses are the kind of discussions we should be having.

Pretty certain that Kane - Hertl - Barabanov start together.
Which 2 of Meier, Labanc, and Balcers plays with Couture against top competition?
Who is the new 3C?
Does Leonard play on the 3rd line with Meier/Labanc/Balcers or can someone else challenge for that spot?
Are Nieto and/or Marleau resigned for 4th line duty?
Does DW bring in some sandpaper?
Are Ferraro- Burns still the shutdown pair or does Karlsson get another shot against top competition?
If Simek goes in the expansion draft, who is the 6th D?
Who is the new starting goaltender?
Which B is Jones? Backup, Bought out, or Buried?
How do we fix the power play?

 

[CanadienShark]

Ideally Couture should either be playing wing in the top six or third line center.

Kane-Hertl-Barabanov
Balcers-Danault-Meier
Donato-Couture-Labanc

Couture is much better than Danualt.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I’d like to take a flyer on Dylan Strome. He had a really bad year but I don’t think he’s as bad as he played this season. He’s on his way out from Chicago and he could be had for quite cheap. I think if we’re serious about getting a 3C, we should get one who has potential to be more.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

I’d like to take a flyer on Dylan Strome. He had a really bad year but I don’t think he’s as bad as he played this season. He’s on his way out from Chicago and he could be had for quite cheap. I think if we’re serious about getting a 3C, we should get one who has potential to be more.

Stromes a guy I've always wished the Sharks would acquire. Almost seems like a pipe dream as he'll probably sign with a Boston or NY or somethin typical like that. Would love to see him turn things around in Teal. Feels like at 24 he still has an opportunity to salvage his career.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Stromes a guy I've always wished the Sharks would acquire. Almost seems like a pipe dream as he'll probably sign with a Boston or NY or somethin typical like that. Would love to see him turn things around in Teal. Feels like at 24 he still has an opportunity to salvage his career.

I think part of it is that I’m just blinded by love of prospects who say they idolized Joe Thornton (of which Strome is one). Strome’s huge weakness is his skating. He should hire whoever Justin Braun hired in 2013 that completely transformed his skating. If Strome can even become an average skater, I think he could be a real player.

Low risk, high reward IMHO. If he doesn’t turn out, then oh well.

 

[Hodge]

Couture is much better than Danualt.

Not defensively. Couture's offense has also really fallen off the last two years. People like to bag on Meier but guess who has ten more points between him and Couture over the last two seasons.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

Not defensively. Couture's offense has also really fallen off the last two years. People like to bag on Meier but guess who has ten more points between him and Couture over the last two seasons.

His offense has fallen off? He was on pace to score close to 30 goals this year if it was a 82 game season. Maybe the expectation was 30 goals, 30 assists in 53 games but that just didn't happen. Practically everyone's offense on this team has fallen off. Kane was really the lone exception.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

Delete

 

[Hodge]

His offense has fallen off? He was on pace to score close to 30 goals this year if it was a 82 game season. Maybe the expectation was 30 goals, 30 assists in 53 games but that just didn't happen. Practically everyone's offense on this team has fallen off. Kane was really the lone exception.

He was on pace for 26 goals and 48 points if it was an 82 game season.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

He was on pace for 26 goals and 48 points if it was an 82 game season.

Thats close to 30 goals at the very least. Not eye popping numbers but pretty much on par for the last time he played a shortened season before last year. Had 36 pts in 52 games in 15-16. Point I'm making is Couture seems to improve in a full length season with highs and lows. In condensed campaigns his numbers seem to shrivel.

15-16
19-20
20-21 seasons, almost identical number of games in each season, almost identical numbers across the board.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

If you're continuing with Couture as a center, you have to have three centers who can be top six centers because you have to account for the reality that Couture and Hertl are likely to get injured at times during a full season. Hell, you'd like to have four forwards capable of being a center in the top six so that you have the depth to cover injuries because the team has a lot of wingers to fill out the lineup and you don't want the first injury to kill your 3rd line.

 

[STL Shark]

Not defensively. Couture's offense has also really fallen off the last two years. People like to bag on Meier but guess who has ten more points between him and Couture over the last two seasons.

Couture was at almost a PPG pace through the first two months of the season (22 points in 24 games). We know he got injured from the Carter hit on 3/24 and was not right the rest of the season (was brought up a few times in pressers and then was why he sat out the final 3 games). So when healthy, he had 14-9-23 in 30 games. Would have put him on pace for 63 points over an 82 game schedule. For a second line center on a team that had no sort of power play to speak of, I will take that 10/10 times. Just have to find a way to keep him healthier. A 3C probably helps that as he can reduce his minutes a bit (especially the SH minutes).

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

Couture was at almost a PPG pace through the first two months of the season (22 points in 24 games). We know he got injured from the Carter hit on 3/24 and was not right the rest of the season (was brought up a few times in pressers and then was why he sat out the final 3 games). So when healthy, he had 14-9-23 in 30 games. Would have put him on pace for 63 points over an 82 game schedule. For a second line center on a team that had no sort of power play to speak of, I will take that 10/10 times. Just have to find a way to keep him healthier. A 3C probably helps that as he can reduce his minutes a bit (especially the SH minutes).

This

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Couture was at almost a PPG pace through the first two months of the season (22 points in 24 games). We know he got injured from the Carter hit on 3/24 and was not right the rest of the season (was brought up a few times in pressers and then was why he sat out the final 3 games). So when healthy, he had 14-9-23 in 30 games. Would have put him on pace for 63 points over an 82 game schedule. For a second line center on a team that had no sort of power play to speak of, I will take that 10/10 times. Just have to find a way to keep him healthier. A 3C probably helps that as he can reduce his minutes a bit (especially the SH minutes).

Therein lies the rub. Keeping Couture healthier is just unlikely to happen. He's not going to change how he plays his game unless we take him out of the pivot. Considering the Sharks don't really have that option, the only thing to do is to find a 3C that maybe takes away his PK time. Wennberg from Florida would be a great fit if the team can afford him and convince him to come here. I'd expect him to be near the 4 mil range. Considering the stated offseason goals, signing Driedger to a three year deal and Wennberg to a four year deal would be ideal for addressing those particular things but I wouldn't consider it enough.

 

[Jargon]

I think part of it is that I’m just blinded by love of prospects who say they idolized Joe Thornton (of which Strome is one). Strome’s huge weakness is his skating. He should hire whoever Justin Braun hired in 2013 that completely transformed his skating. If Strome can even become an average skater, I think he could be a real player.

Low risk, high reward IMHO. If he doesn’t turn out, then oh well.

I feel like these are exactly the players DW is going to try and get - lower cost, out of favor but maybe they can turn it around-type of guys.

 

[Jargon]

That is barely a playoff team and only because the Sharks are in the Pacific division. It would be monumentally stupid, but that's exactly what I think DW will do, unfortunately.

yeah I mean, I prefer @Juxtaposer’s rebuild proposal at this point but from everything both DW and the players said, I don’t think they’re doing that at all. This team might work out if magically Burns, Karlsson, Meier and Couture play up to their potential and Hertl stays uninjured for more than 20 games at a time.

It’s a lot of unrealistic hopes. Maybe DW snags a star though, who knows.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

I feel like these are exactly the players DW is going to try and get - lower cost, out of favor but maybe they can turn it around-type of guys.

I hope so. Id take Strome over Gambrell on that 3rd line.

 

[themelkman]

Nolan Patrick would be an interesting get. Risky move but could payoff big if he finds his groove

 

[OrrNumber4]

Couture was at almost a PPG pace through the first two months of the season (22 points in 24 games). We know he got injured from the Carter hit on 3/24 and was not right the rest of the season (was brought up a few times in pressers and then was why he sat out the final 3 games). So when healthy, he had 14-9-23 in 30 games. Would have put him on pace for 63 points over an 82 game schedule. For a second line center on a team that had no sort of power play to speak of, I will take that 10/10 times. Just have to find a way to keep him healthier. A 3C probably helps that as he can reduce his minutes a bit (especially the SH minutes).

True, but this is the kind of what-if math that can get funky. Couture's a player who probably isn't going to be fully healthy over an 82-game season.

I’d like to take a flyer on Dylan Strome. He had a really bad year but I don’t think he’s as bad as he played this season. He’s on his way out from Chicago and he could be had for quite cheap. I think if we’re serious about getting a 3C, we should get one who has potential to be more.

Strome has intrigued me for a while; part of this is when you look around the league all these reclamation projects seem to be working well (most recently, look at Sam Bennett in Florida).

But...I'd like the Sharks to get some speed down the middle. Strome is slow-as-mollasses. Getting him could be a one-step-forward two-steps-back move.

Nolan Patrick would be an interesting get. Risky move but could payoff big if he finds his groove

What happened to him this season?

 

[Hodge]

Couture was at almost a PPG pace through the first two months of the season (22 points in 24 games). We know he got injured from the Carter hit on 3/24 and was not right the rest of the season (was brought up a few times in pressers and then was why he sat out the final 3 games). So when healthy, he had 14-9-23 in 30 games. Would have put him on pace for 63 points over an 82 game schedule. For a second line center on a team that had no sort of power play to speak of, I will take that 10/10 times. Just have to find a way to keep him healthier. A 3C probably helps that as he can reduce his minutes a bit (especially the SH minutes).

IMO he was being carried by Kane early on in the season and stopped producing when Kane was taken off his line. Same thing happened with Labanc when he was taken off Kane's line. Also Couture never seems to stay healthy for a full season and as he gets into his mid-30s I don't see that changing for the better. I hope I'm wrong but I think we're looking at the start of a serious decline for Couture. He was never as good as Pavelski, Marleau or Thornton even in his prime so it would make sense he starts falling off sooner and steeper.