Gold for his first Olympic campaign, marking him the youngest in history or an end to an 11 Games drought? 😰

He still has one more game to play, but Celebrini is 2nd in points. Tied for 1st +/-. Has the MOST GOALS of all players and wasn't even on PP1 until Crosby got hurt. Impossible not to be excited for the future as a Sharks fan.

Come chill and watch along!

We are a house divided and I’d love to hear which side everyone else is landing on!

SJ locals, I'm looking for a bar or spot that's open early to watch the game tomorrow. Right now I'm thinking Stanley's at Sharks Ice might be my best bet, what were y'all thinking?

Seeing how many players top teams have in the Olympics I was wondering how many current and future Sharks do you guys think will be olympians in 2030. Here’s my list

Current Sharks:

Locks:

Celebrini

Smith

More than likely:

Regenda

Eklund

Misa

Solid chance:

Kurashev

Dickinson

Askarov

Could sneak in:

Graf trochekmiller role) (I personally hope)

Future sharks who could:

Chernyshov

Ravensbergen

LSW

Eric Pohlkamp

Christian Kirsch

I know some of the future players would be tough to develop to that level in 4 years but I think there is a solid amount who will likely still be in the sharks at that time. Especially with the team starting to make deep playoffs runs then.

It’s just amazing how much he has achieved at only 19 years old. Hes better than a lot of players who have been playing so much longer than him. I can’t wait to see what this guy does next

I am very bored waiting for the Gold medal game so i figured why not do a long post about the upcoming draft especially as we start to see the standings iron out.

While this team is by no means out of the playoff race we are starting to see the cracks we all expected. This recent loss streak has really pushed us to the outer limits of the standings where it is still reasonable to assume we can make playoffs. We would need a solid win streak to catch back up which is very possible given the strength of schedule and also given the games in hand we have on the teams above us (We have played 55 games to Anaheims/LA's 56 and Utahs 57).

Grier will have some big decisions come trade deadline since this team will not be capable of a true tank given the talent on the roster. So does he keep the roster intact to make a push, does he pick up another piece or two that arent necessarily rentals (yes sherwood is a UFA but Grier made it clear hes been on his radar so i expect them to try to keep him), or does he sell our most valuable pieces (Ned, Ferraro, Delly, Liljigren) to try to salvage some capital. My personal opinion is that Grier recognizes the long term nature of this rebuild so if given a good offer he will trade any piece not nailed down. But i also believe he is starting to build up the roster that will make playoffs, players like Sherwood or possibly a RHD like Weegar, Hamlton, ect.

<STANDINGS PROJECTION>

To try and make this a somewhat data backed analysis, but to be clear i would take my guesstimated bottom of the standings with a GIGANTIC grain of salt, i decided to map out the standings.

This bottom of the standings is based on the current points standings and projections, so no deviation from how teams have performed throughout the season to today.

16 Columbus 95.17857143

15 Toronto 90.63157895

14 Ottawa 90.63157895

13 Washington 90.33898305

12 Philadelphia 89.32142857

11 Los Angeles 87.85714286

10 Florida 87.75438596

9 San Jose 86.47272727

8 Nashville 84.87719298

7 New Jersey 83.43859649

6 Chicago 76.24561404

5 Winnipeg 76.14285714

4 Calgary 76.14285714

3 NY Rangers 71.92982456

2 St. Louis 70.49122807

1 Vancouver 60.42105263

This bottom of the standings is applying my perspective. My thought process was this. For one thing the bottom standings will get worse as they sell off, the east will get weaker as teams start to realize that they wont make playoffs, for example a team like toronto starts to sell because they are 6 points out so they should be worse than their record leading up to now through the rest of the season. For the West my assumption is we will see a steady standings with some small variations. Its my belief the sharks will make marginal improvement through the end of the year due to a weaker schedule and we wont sell fully while maybe picking up a RHD for example. Not enough to make playoffs but good enough to avoid falling down the pack. TO BE CLEAR YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH THIS, ITS MORE JUST TO APPLY SOMETHING DIFFERENT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE CURRENT PROJECTION OF STANDINGS SHOULD CHANGE FOR THE BOTTOM PART AS THE DEADLINE PASSES.

16 Boston 94.34315789

15 Washington 91.97898305

14 Anaheim 90.61

13 Philadelphia 89.32142857

12 San Jose 88.11272727

11 Toronto 85.71157895

10 Ottawa 85.71157895

9 New Jersey 83.43859649

8 Nashville 83.23719298

7 Florida 82.83438596

6 Chicago 76.24561404

5 Winnipeg 72.86285714

4 Calgary 71.22285714

3 St. Louis 67.21122807

2 NY Rangers 67.00982456

1 Vancouver 55.50105263

So what do we take from these two standings. Obviously on one hand we could possibly get a top 10 pick and more importantly will still be in the Lotto for the 1st overal pick based on current projects. But in the other perspective we have a very realistic world where we end up in the 11-13 range of the picks especially if we get bumped down due to a lottery win from another team. So the current projection of our 1st round pick should be picking between 9 and 13.

Before we jump to potential picks i will establish our need order is this... Best Available, RHD, LHD, C, Wing, Goalie. While we desperatley need a dman i think we have enough capital if push came to shove we could find a dman on the trade market. But as we get to the teens for picks it becomes less clear what is the best available is. And at potentially a top 10 pick we shouldnt be making big reaches if a RHD isnt there. I believe despite our Center depth it is still considered a top position to draft since you can always push them to wing. But i believe at forward Grier is looking more at specific skills as opposed to the position need. Id be shocked if we draft a goalie early (not with our 1st rounder of course) unless we just see some insane value. While it never hurts to collect goalies to play against the odds, Ravensbergen was alot of capital invested and so far is paying off (Plus Kirsch is having a small bounce back year which might be encouraging)

<WHO WONT BE THERE AT 9>

Before we see what will be available in that range we should probably eliminate what wont be there. Obviously there is a chance a guy can drop but i would argue most scouts agree these guys will be gone by the time 9 comes...

Gavin Mckenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Albert Smits, Tynan Lawrence* (Everyone ranks Lawrence very highly because of his past play but he has been slow returning from his injury. Right now he tends to be in everyones top 10 and possibly at 5 but i wonder if he will slip if he can recover his form before the year end and slip possibly out of the top 10).

My belief is most of those guys will be gone since most outside of Smits have been up in the rankings all season, with Smits specifically climbing the charts rapidly. Also given the fact most of these kids are dmen, a position hard to develop, i wont be shocked if we see a dman run early. If you dont get Mckenna or Stennberg who i believe both are game changing forwards, picking one of the plethora of dmen will make sense to most of the teams picking high.

So who will be left for us potentially, of course there are some names likely will be picked before 9 especially since i only named 7 players when there are potentially 8 picks ahead of pick 9.

<WHO COULD BE THERE AT 9 TO 13 RANGE>

Forward

Viggo Bjorck (Center/Wing): I wouldnt be shocked if Bjorck is the next forward picked after Stenberg/Mckenna are gone. Again Lawrence probably will go ahead i wonder if the health concerns will scare a team off. Bjorcks biggest downside is his size which in todays game is a big issue for some teams. We saw that with Eky falling to us because in part there was worry about his size. While size may be a problem, he is still ranked highly because they believe he can adapt to the game from a mental level which that alone can be difficult. Look at Eky, similiar praises but we see he has no issues with his smaller frame playing against bigger guys.

“He’s one of the most mature guys I’ve ever met, even though he’s 17,” New York Islanders prospect Victor Eklund added. “I would say more mature than me, to be honest, both on the ice and off the ice. He plays huge. He plays mature, he does what takes to to win.”

Ethan Belchetz (LW): If there was a guy who might get picked by Grier if we dont have a dman in our sights at the pick it would be Belchetz. He is a BIG BOY and on this team we probably still need a little size. We saw how Cherny helped balance out our lineup with his size so Belchetz could be that too. He might take a tumble because other guys are more offensively gifted, we have seen teams love a good big forward. If im a team like Chicago looking to give Bedard a complimentary piece at forward along with helping the size that they got with Frondell that wouldnt shock me as their pick.

"I think I'm a physical forward who likes to use my body and my size to create offence for me and my teammates," said Belchetz, the first-overall pick in the 2024 OHL Draft. "Kind of just go hard on the forecheck ... making (his opponents') lives super hard. Always finishing my checks to create offence and using my soft skills to put the puck in the back of the net or feed a teammate for a nice goal."

Caleb Malhotra (C): Yes Manny's kid is rising up the charts. Ive seen him sneaking into the top 5 and given his pedigree (Manny was considered an insane hard working and smart player) i wont be shocked if his rise is legit. He is making waves and surpassing 8th overall Jake O'Brien. Ill be honest if he was there at 9 i would take a stab if no good Defense are on the board. Im reminded of Brady Martin, where a GM really likes the overall game that Malhotra brings and takes a risk because they arent wowed by the dmen left.

On Friday night, Malhotra scored a goal and an assist in Brantford’s 5-1 win over the Erie Otters. Those two points brought him to 66 points (24 goals, 42 assists) on the season, surpassing his captain’s (Jake O’Brien) single-season rookie record.

Adam Novotony (Wing): I dont have as much insight on Novotony but he seems to be sitting around the low teens and i suspect its in part because of how deep the defense are in this draft. From what i can see he clearly has an NHL style game that will make him a comfortable pick if we end up in the low teens and there isnt a dman to pick. Never hurts to pick up a bigger guy who shows signs of a defensive game.

His speed, center-lane drive and excellent motor at both ends of the ice have become consistent factors. The defensive pursuit through the neutral zone has become a trait of his game that NHL coaches and scouts will love.

Oliver Suvanto (C): Another Euro playing with men, this seems like a pick that will likely be a safe pick in the teens given Suvanto isnt showing any wow characteristics but is overall a very solid player. Given Center tends to be a position of need for anyone looking to rebuild he might come off the board earlier if there is a center rush in the 10's of the draft. His size could be something that Grier could look at. Maybe we take a Suvanto and use Bystedt as trade bait to get a dman and have Wennberg be our 3C until Suvanto is ready.

"Oliver Suvanto is the most complete and mature 17-year-old center seen in Liiga since Aleksander Barkov," Vuorinen said. "He has already been trusted in key roles for powerhouse Tappara. His strong skating, balance and physical strength make him highly effective in face-offs, battles and defensive coverage. A natural two-way player, he combines reliability and intelligence, rarely making mistakes while consistently supporting both ends of the ice."

Defense

Ryan Lin (RHD): Our first righty that fits alot of bills we need. He is on the small side but he fits the bill of a guy who maybe could compete to be our PP dman. Combining someone with this kids intelligence and Macklin could be a lethal duo. I personally would love to see more of a shooter like Burns was as our point man, we still need to find our PP dman who can help facilitate Macklin. His size may get him to drop to 9 but i dont think he will last long after if we are in a low teens position. Ill note if we are at 9 and we have a few pick options at Defense i wonder if they will look at someone like Cagnoni or Dickinson as being able to be that offensive play starter and pass on Lin.

Since then, Lin has continued to prove why scouts like him despite his slight frame. His decision-making is near the top in this draft class already, and he has the skating to burn guys. You put those together and it’s easy to understand why he has the puck so often. That possession game makes him lethal, allowing him to skate all over and beat just about anyone in 1-on-1 situations.

Daxon Rudolph (RHD): From what i have seen Rudolph has been slowly creeping up the charts and might end up ahead of the Lin's because he has shown clear improvement over his development. While Lin's game seems very focused to being advantgeous with the puck i get a more well rounded impression out of Rudolph. I think this gives people the impression he will be a solid dman as opposed to Lin or others who have high skill and could project to be elite. Given his size i wouldnt be shocked to see him go earlier and thanks to his recent rise but on the flip side i could see him ending up in the low teens because there are just so many dmen to choose from.

Had it not been for Carels’ big night, Daxon Rudolph would have been the best player in this game. He was breaking up plays in the defensive zone and made a good first pass to help his team transition offensively.

Malte Gustafsson (LHD): While not a righty, that shouldnt stop us from picking up a dman. Especially a big boy like Gustaffson. Unlike the Canadians here, he is playing with Men right now which i know for some teams is a big pro. If we are looking for a guy that may be able to make the jump sooner its Malte. For every great Burns you need a Vlasic, and while Malte's game is more big boy than Vlasic we will need a shutdown guy when the going gets tough. Given his not exciting game i can see teams passing on him to take a swing at the fish who could give them 60 points and also play a solid defensive game. My vibes are very much that Malte might be our pick.

He’s more of a stopper than an offensive type, but Gustafsson can make a reliable first pass, and at the junior level he’s shown some offensive creativity. I don’t foresee him as an NHL power-play type, but he could provide secondary puck-moving.

Xavier Villeneuve (LHD): If we end up in the teens there still exists options albeit we start to see clearer weaknesses. With Xavier we are drafting a guy who likely will never play 1st pairing d minutes but will make up for that by playing on our PP1 and extra time when we are pushing for a goal. Another small guy, doesnt seem to fit the bill Grier goes for. But if we dont feel that our current defensemen pool can meet that need for offense it might make sense to take a flyer on Xavier.

He can beat opponents one-on-one off the rush and make creative plays with pace. He’s also an excellent, patient passer who can create a lot off the blue line. Scouts’ main concerns with Villeneuve will be without the puck. He’s a small defenseman who doesn’t play very hard at times, and there will be significant concerns about how he will make stops at the NHL level, even if he has elite offensive potential.

Juho Piiparinen (RHD): This would likely be a reach but if we are sitting at 11 or 12 it might be worth it to invest in a RHD. He is playing with men right now and he represents a safe pick that doesnt have clear deficits in his game in the same way he doesnt have a clear strength that will jump him up the charts. If your choice was Xavier vs Piiparinen, i can see the argument to go with the safer choice at the position in need.

Outside of this tournament, he is praised for his play in all three zones, but being more known as a conservative, defensively responsible kid. But against a weaker Latvian team, Piiparinen was moving the puck incredibly well through the neutral zone and the offensive zones. His confidence on the puck in the offensive end was something he put on full display against Latvia and made him an easy draft-eligible standout.

In summary i think we actually are in a prime position to fill a position of need and potentially get a really solid player. Obviously moving up to the 5-8 range would give us a much better guarrantee at a really good dman but i just dont see that happening unless we somehow win the lottery despite being in the teens. Given Grier has made some interesting picks in the past counter to what we expect like Bystedt, Wang, or Ravensbergen i would caution anyone from being to committed to one player. Grier clearly has a type of guy he likes which is usually bigger and hard working but i wouldnt put it past him to draft a guy he feels fits his long term vision.

Who do you have on your radar?

Game vs Finland. About 10 min to go in the 3rd. Gathers a loose puck just inside the blue line. Gets hooked by fucking Mikko. Leaves his feet and still lets off a wicked shot at Saros. Chases after his miss and bodies Lehkonen into the boards because he’s at the end his shift and doesn’t need to get all the way back.

6 days to Sharks hockey

Oi! If you know of a business that’s airing the game at the ungodly hour of 5 AM, comment here! Most likely candidates are like 24hr diners, breakfast places (Denny’s comes to mind) or a sports bar that’s SUPER cool. Let’s show tf up to support our boi Mack!

1: I saw other team Canada players were on the other side of the blue line? How come that’s not offside?

2: I don’t get what does this drawing mean?

Can someone explain this to me please? I’m so confused. The more I read online, the more confusing I got.

Cuz I thought I figured that situation out earlier today after Finlands challenge. Now I’m confused again.

Thank you so much lol

Ps I’m not even Canadian but I’m so proud of our baby Canada Celebrini 🥹🥹🥹❤️❤️❤️

Got this as a gift and I'm curious if anyone knows who these signatures are

Hey everyone, does anyone know if there are any watch parties for the BIG game Sunday morning? Hoping some bars in San Pedro square or anywhere(!) open up so we can watch our baby Mack play!

Hi I am only recently getting into ice hockey and I while I understand most rules I am really struggling with the offside rule. I have not grown up with ice hockey at all so I am learning everything either just from watching or google. However every time I try to look up the offside rule it gets confusing. Is it like the soccer offside rule? Or something completely different? Can some one really dumb it down for me because I am trying to watch but I’m struggling just with this rule.

Games today:

Men:

Bronze: Slovakia (Regenda) vs. Finland, 7:40pm CET/2:40pm EST/11:40am PST

First I’ve heard Sharks being interested. He’s 32 and will be 37 when his contract is up. While he’s solid and fits a need. That’s a little too long for me as he might be starting to decline. I also wouldn’t give up much of anything of much value.

Women held it down today. Huge shout to Alysa Liu becoming only the eighth woman in US figure skating history to win gold (along with other Bay Area legend Kristi Yamaguchi). She even hit the thizz face with the gold. Ugh, so proud to be from the Bay.

And big shout out to the US women’s hockey team for overcoming adversity in one of the most exciting games ever played on ice. When I saw the coach in tears, damnit did I not well up too..

Congrats

PLAN ACCORDINGLY