Confirmed with Link: Karlsson(1.5 retained), Hamaliuk, 2026 3rd for Granlund, Hoffman, Rutta and Pens 2024 1st(top-10 protected)

[Mattb124]

We don't need to be opening up any slots for young players right now, especially on D

The point of getting these stop gap veterans is to protect our young players from being over exposed on a terrible NHL team

If none of those guys can legitimately steal a spot on this awful D core then they belong on the Barracuda, I don't want to he icing young players just for the sake of doing so

Same goes for any of our forwards, I don't want Bordeleau to be gifted a spot just because "it's time", he needs to earn that roster spot through legit competition

I don't get how people do not understand this.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I don't get how people do not understand this.

They don’t need this much protection from proving they belong in the NHL or not.

 

[LilLeeroy]

I don't get how people do not understand this.

I mean Hertl is the most successful prospect the Sharks have had in recent years, where he did significantly better in the NHL than people expected him to.

Sometimes guys show things when given the opportunity in the NHL that they don't in the AHL. No reason to let these good opportunities be wasted on "veteran stop gaps" who themselves are terrible players at this point in their careers.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

I mean Hertl is the most successful prospect the Sharks have had in recent years, where he did significantly better in the NHL than people expected him to.

Sometimes guys show things when given the opportunity in the NHL that they don't in the AHL. No reason to let these good opportunities be wasted on "veteran stop gaps" who themselves are terrible players at this point in their careers.

Hertl’s first job in the NHL was to F1 for Jumbo and Pavs. Last year, the job playing 3rd wheel for Hertl and Meier was available for anyone to take. This year, there is no reason a young offensive minded player can’t take the job as 3rd wheel for Hertl and probably Duclair. The main competition is probably Zadina. Is it really too much to ask a young player to beat out a player that was given away for nothing from another team? I think the only 2 young players the could legitimately make this team are Eklund and Thrun. If either or both does, the Sharks will have no problem making room for them. Same goes for anyone else that shows up and takes camp by storm.

 

[Mattb124]

I mean Hertl is the most successful prospect the Sharks have had in recent years, where he did significantly better in the NHL than people expected him to.

Sometimes guys show things when given the opportunity in the NHL that they don't in the AHL. No reason to let these good opportunities be wasted on "veteran stop gaps" who themselves are terrible players at this point in their careers.

I think you missed the point. Hertl played with world-class players on a competitive team. The 2023-2024 Sharks will likely be the worst team in the league. One only needs to look at the Buffalo Sabers through the 2010's to see what bringing promising young talent onto a terrible team can do to a player's career.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I think you missed the point. Hertl played with world-class players on a competitive team. The 2023-2024 Sharks will likely be the worst team in the league. One only needs to look at the Buffalo Sabers through the 2010's to see what bringing promising young talent onto a terrible team can do to a player's career.

But you still open spots for rookies like Eichel or Reinhart or whoever you have hope in down the road. Eklund should be on the team regardless of how bad the team will be. So should any other young kid with real NHL potential like a Thrun or Mukhamadullin or Gushchin or even Bordeleau if he rounds out his game.

They’ll still learn and grow with the losses. You just can’t have them lose for years on end but you have to allow the youth to own the team to make any headway otherwise we’re stuck in the hell of mediocrity.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

But you still open spots for rookies like Eichel or Reinhart or whoever you have hope in down the road. Eklund should be on the team regardless of how bad the team will be. So should any other young kid with real NHL potential like a Thrun or Mukhamadullin or Gushchin or even Bordeleau if he rounds out his game.

They’ll still learn and grow with the losses. You just can’t have them lose for years on end but you have to allow the youth to own the team to make any headway otherwise we’re stuck in the hell of mediocrity.

Eklund yes. Thrun maybe. Mukhamadullin, Gushchin, and Bordeleau still have plenty to learn in the AHL.

 

[Alaskanice]

Eklund yes. Thrun maybe. Mukhamadullin, Gushchin, and Bordeleau still have plenty to learn in the AHL.

It sounds as if Muk is expected to do well.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

It sounds as if Muk is expected to do well.

I like Muk as a prospect. You can see the talent both with the puck and without it. He just has too many plays where he looks lost. In the wrong position or not sure what to do with the puck. Unless something changed drastically this summer he should start with the Cuda playing lots of minutes to gain experience.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Eklund yes. Thrun maybe. Mukhamadullin, Gushchin, and Bordeleau still have plenty to learn in the AHL.

That doesn’t mean they can’t learn in the NHL though and in the case of someone like Gushchin who is certainly a scoring winger type, you want him up now during his prime years. Bordeleau could hypothetically be a center if he rounds out his game. When you’re a losing and rebuilding club you still need to get kids in your lineup and not block all spots with dead end vets.

 

[weastern bias]

But you still open spots for rookies like Eichel or Reinhart or whoever you have hope in down the road. Eklund should be on the team regardless of how bad the team will be. So should any other young kid with real NHL potential like a Thrun or Mukhamadullin or Gushchin or even Bordeleau if he rounds out his game.

They’ll still learn and grow with the losses. You just can’t have them lose for years on end but you have to allow the youth to own the team to make any headway otherwise we’re stuck in the hell of mediocrity.

We don't have a single prospect in the organization on the level of a Jack Eichel, and only Smith on the level of a Sam Reinhart, and he's not playing this year

We're not blocking any bluechippers from playing NHL minutes they deserve, all our prospects are borderline NHL players at this point of their development

Eklund has an opportunity to win a legitimate spot out of camp, and he will likely claim it

Bordeleau, Muk, Thrun, Gushnin and the like? If they earn it, fine, but if they don't it won't hurt them to play in the AHL, if anything it's more likely to hurt them playing on a last place NHL squad if they aren't quite ready for the league

 

[weastern bias]

I mean Hertl is the most successful prospect the Sharks have had in recent years, where he did significantly better in the NHL than people expected him to.

Sometimes guys show things when given the opportunity in the NHL that they don't in the AHL. No reason to let these good opportunities be wasted on "veteran stop gaps" who themselves are terrible players at this point in their careers.

Hertl legitimately won a job out of camp on a team with cup aspirations in his draft+1 year and was immediately a 1st line talent

Rookies forcing the issue on a good team is a great thing, rookies being gifted roster spots on a basement dweller is a recipe for stunted growth

 

[Sharkz4Fun]

They don’t need this much protection from proving they belong in the NHL or not.

Exactly. Guys like Eklund or Gushchin should not have players blocking them. 2 years ago they had Weatherby, Reedy, Gregor, Viel, Leonard, Pederson, and a few other stragglers play a combined close to 200 games and not a single one of them is even close to an NHL player even though at the time they were mostly thought to be, at least by staff.

Competing is one thing. Bringing so many NHL bodies in that there isn't really even a spot to compete for is another. But I don't think its Grier wanting to shield the players, I think it's him thinking about potential (probably very low tier) draft capital and not really even thinking about the future prospect implications. There is really no reason at all to have someone like Hoffman play a game over Eklund or Gushchin in hopes that he might get a 6th rounder in 5 months.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

We don't have a single prospect in the organization on the level of a Jack Eichel, and only Smith on the level of a Sam Reinhart, and he's not playing this year

We're not blocking any bluechippers from playing NHL minutes they deserve, all our prospects are borderline NHL players at this point of their development

Eklund has an opportunity to win a legitimate spot out of camp, and he will likely claim it

Bordeleau, Muk, Thrun, Gushnin and the like? If they earn it, fine, but if they don't it won't hurt them to play in the AHL, if anything it's more likely to hurt them playing on a last place NHL squad if they aren't quite ready for the league

Those weren’t the only prospects Buffalo went with and had success. If you fill a lineup with all vets, you’re preventing growth from someone younger even if all they will be is a depth piece. I don’t see a good argument for any individual prospect to be more hurt by playing for a bad NHL team. It’s when it’s with a perennial losing club where the team makes no progress that it becomes an issue. Never giving them the chance to fail only ensures failure to rebuild.

 

[weastern bias]

Those weren’t the only prospects Buffalo went with and had success. If you fill a lineup with all vets, you’re preventing growth from someone younger even if all they will be is a depth piece. I don’t see a good argument for any individual prospect to be more hurt by playing for a bad NHL team. It’s when it’s with a perennial losing club where the team makes no progress that it becomes an issue. Never giving them the chance to fail only ensures failure to rebuild.

We ARE a perennial losing club that isn't making any progress, we're still on the downswing of our rebuild, we're finishing last this year after being bottom 5 for 3 of the last 4 seasons

Next year's team isn't an environment to foster development, it's a sacrificial pyre to the lottery Gods

 

[DG93]

We ARE a perennial losing club that isn't making any progress, we're still on the downswing of our rebuild, we're finishing last this year after being bottom 5 for 3 of the last 4 seasons

Next year's team isn't an environment to foster development, it's a sacrificial pyre to the lottery Gods

Yep, then next summer a bunch of bad deals come off the books (Labanc, Kunin, Simek, Lindblom, Hoffman) so hopefully Gushchin, Bords, Thrun, and Muk are ready for a promotion at that point so the team is more fun to follow.

 

[exchequer]

I don’t see a good argument for any individual prospect to be more hurt by playing for a bad NHL team. It’s when it’s with a perennial losing club where the team makes no progress that it becomes an issue. Never giving them the chance to fail only ensures failure to rebuild.

Unless this all fits into the "this is not a rebuild" (who exactly are they kidding at this point) the Sharks keep trying to sell the public on.

I agree prospects should get better playing against better competition. Positive results against lower quality competition does not guarantee the same results or confidence at the top level.

 

[one2gamble]

I don't know about perennial losing club but it's definitely a rebuild

 

[Saskatoon]

Unless this all fits into the "this is not a rebuild" (who exactly are they kidding at this point) the Sharks keep trying to sell the public on.

I agree prospects should get better playing against better competition. Positive results against lower quality competition does not guarantee the same results or confidence at the top level.

No but being completely caved in because you are nowhere near good enough for the NHL doesn't help either

You see people argue both sides of it - but some players do get their confidence shot by rushing them

 

[hohosaregood]

No but being completely caved in because you are nowhere near good enough for the NHL doesn't help either

You see people argue both sides of it - but some players do get their confidence shot by rushing them

Agreed. We just spent 3 years throwing random ass rookies into the lineup and Gregor is maybe the only one that came out of that experiment and he's a UFA that nobody wants. There's still minimum level of quality needed or else it's a waste of everybody's time

 

[Pinkfloyd]

We ARE a perennial losing club that isn't making any progress, we're still on the downswing of our rebuild, we're finishing last this year after being bottom 5 for 3 of the last 4 seasons

Next year's team isn't an environment to foster development, it's a sacrificial pyre to the lottery Gods

I disagree. Next year is an excellent environment for fostering development because they need to know what they’re up against moving forward as young players. Integrating young players is a requirement to go anywhere and if you use the logic that it isn’t, you’ll never get the rebuild started because it will always be a veteran filled team that will lose a lot and you’ll waste the prime years of a lot of forwards like Eklund and Gushchin types that are more scorers than anything else.

 

[Blackbear]

I still think the successful 5-on-1 stick PK was my best moment.

Magic! And it was almost 4 min of 5 on 1, I think. Like you say, best night at the Tank, ever.

 

[weastern bias]

I disagree. Next year is an excellent environment for fostering development because they need to know what they’re up against moving forward as young players. Integrating young players is a requirement to go anywhere and if you use the logic that it isn’t, you’ll never get the rebuild started because it will always be a veteran filled team that will lose a lot and you’ll waste the prime years of a lot of forwards like Eklund and Gushchin types that are more scorers than anything else.

I look to Toronto as the model to successfully transition out of a rebuild

They finished last place in the 2016 season and won the lottery, that year had had half a roster worth stop-gap veterans that they jettisoned into the sea at the end of the year and replaced them with an entire crop of young talent that had been incubating in lower leagues rather than hitting the roster on their tank team (as well as importing an actual NHL caliber goaltender through trade)

I know they haven't had any real playoff success since, but I attribute that to mistakes in roster building they made AFRER this successful transition, by shielding their youth from playing on truly terrible teams they managed to succefully transition from their place as a bottom feeder to being a mainstay in the playoffs in a very competitive division

Teams like Edmonton and Buffalo would consistently launch their high picks directly into the NHL with nothing to support them other than the terrible roster that allowed them to pick so high in the first place, and it kills any opportunity for them to develop players in a winning environment, Edmonton only managed to become a playoff team because they won the lottery that gifted them the best player to join the league in a decade yet they STILL can't build a real team round him

Every player on the 2024 Sharks is fundamentally disposable, we need to accrue an army of talented prospects that can develop in lower leagues who can all graduate to the NHL together to support one another and at that point we need to provide a fresh group of veterans to play with them who haven't been ruined by half a decade of satisfaction with losing

 

[Pinkfloyd]

No but being completely caved in because you are nowhere near good enough for the NHL doesn't help either

You see people argue both sides of it - but some players do get their confidence shot by rushing them

But it does even if they suck because they gain experience with the speed that they need to get better where the AHL simply won’t provide.

 

[Mattb124]

We ARE a perennial losing club…

The word “perennial” has a meaning. You should check it out.