As Grier mentioned in his last post, we will both be posting our opening day 23-man roster predictions, then laugh and point at each other when we get them wrong. I just read a story about the 7 guys jockeying for position for the last D spot, and it inspired me to give my predictions now, what the hell.
By the way, I’m only grouping them into lines because I don’t want this post to be 20 pages long. The actual line combinations are too tough to call.
Forwards 1. Joe – Clowe – Cheech 2. Patty – Setoguchi – Michalek 3. Grier – Brown – Little Joe 4. Rissmiller – JR – Goc
As you can see, I’m predicting Ozolinsh to make the team, which is my most controversial prediction. At this point, with all the cuts they’ve made, they clearly have seen something out of Ozolinsh. With Davison, Murray, McLaren, Vlasic, and Rivet all being solid D-first defensemen, I think the Sharks will take a flyer on the Oz, and hope he contributes some offensive spark.
This means Semenov is the odd man out. As Grier has said, he’s too reminiscent of Mike Rathje. Too slow, and not really any bone crushing hits. He’s got a 6-6, 235 lb frame in a division with the Ducks; he has to be a physical force to have a shot to make the club. At least Murray tries to level people. I put Davison at the top of the healthy scratch list because he’s been willing to play a wing position as well, and unlike Bernier, is unafraid to get his hands dirty. Bernier we’re stuck with- he’s too valuable to release or send down, but not good enough to play every day. He’s trade bait.
After four preseason games and seeing one in person this weekend, it appears the Sharks have a new attitude and some of the young kids are all growns up!
PAVELSKI and SETOGUCHI Pavelski is taking the body, tough in the corners and scoring clutch goals in the preseason while Setoguchi has done nothing but bury the puck in the net. These two are a lock to make the club. The only question is who do they play with? Right now, The Gooch is making a case that he belongs on Joe or Patty’s wing. I see Pavelski potentially raising hell with JR and Grier on the third line.
ANYONE HOME? Does someone want to wake up Steve Bernier and tell him he’s playing for a roster spot? Does this guy just think he’s on the team? He is in for a rude surprise when he is either shipped to Worcester or traded away before the season starts. Use your powers for good Bernier! Atleast try and make this a tough call.
THE SIXTH DEFENSEMEN It looks like it is down to a four horse race with Brennan Evans not standing out as much as I’d hoped and Brad Norton not seeing the ice this homestand. From all accounts, Murray played well tonight and Davison was okay. I thought Semenov was better than advertised on Friday, jumping into the play when needed and willing to play the cop role. Ozolinsh is the mystery man and reports of him being in great shape are all we’ve heard so far.
Mike and I will have a post soon about our opening night roster predictions and season forecasts. So far, the Sharks look motivated and aggressive. More later. GO SHARKS!
The 6th defenseman spot is a free-for-all. On one hand, we have the two guys that basically platooned it last year, Davison and Murray. On another hand, we have a crop of young guys and new guys fighting for it, like Semenov, Joslin, Norton, and our new hero, Brennan Evans. For the young ones out there, this is how you fight:
Pull the other guy’s jersey over his head
Swing at will
And on the third hand, we have Sandis Ozolinsh. Grier pointed out this section of a recent article in the Mercury News:
If veteran defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh earns a spot on the roster, it’ll be strictly based on what he shows in practice.
Under conditions imposed by the NHL because of his involvement in the league’s substance-abuse program, Ozolinsh cannot play in any exhibition games. He pleaded guilty in June 2006 to driving while impaired.
Wilson said that Ozolinsh, who is attempting his comeback with the team that first drafted him, reported in excellent shape – something not lost on assistant coach Rob Zettler, a teammate during their stint together in San Jose.
“Zets says it’s a totally different body than the last time he was here,” Wilson said, adding that Ozolinsh is a strong skater whose outlet passes could prove valuable on the power play.
So the Sharks have to make a blind decision on a 35 year old guy who hasn’t been effective in the NHL since 2003. The problem with all of this is, if whoever we choose doesn’t work out, we could be in trouble. Any replacement player would probably be subject to clearing waivers.
Almost. The most exciting things of the night (by far) was seeing the new scoreboard, the new ‘ribbon’ screen that goes around the arena on the upper deck, and the new unis. Ryan Garner has a full screed on it, and I agree with his major points.
The scoreboard is great. It’s bigger, much clearer, and does away with the hard-coded section for penalties, time left, shots, and timeouts. It’s all integrated into the large hi-def screen display. Replays are actually worth watching. It’s not quite as good as a decent consumer plasma or LCD, probably because of the size, but a fantastic improvement. Watching the action on the screen is no longer useless, although you do see trails on the puck when it moves quickly, which is most of the time.
When I first saw pictures of the new unis on sjsharks.com yesterday, I was a little disappointed. I thought the teal was too bright, and I’m not a huge fan of the orange. I’m happy to report that the teal has not changed at all- I stood next to a guy with the new jersey wearing my old teal jersey, and the colors are the same. I’m not sure I like the shoulders, and wish they’d use the fin logo instead, but I’m ok with the overall look. The new home whites are actually pretty snazzy.
Enough about fashion. Supposedly a game happened, but I think I blocked it out. It was basically an ‘A’ level Sharks Ice game without the intensity. (For those not in SJ, Sharks Ice is the local place where the Sharks practice, and where I play amateur hockey. Badly.) Everyone was trying to thread the needle with passes, often bypassing a good shooting opportunity. Might be kind of exciting when it’s Joe making the passes, but it’s dull when it’s Brad Norton. The goalies looked good- there were some times where I got to see Dakers’ positioning and Greiss’ blinding lateral speed. But the game ended in a 0-0 tie, then went to an unwatchable shootout, with only Steve Bernier scoring. Joe’s shootout attempt was so lazy and slow that if I wasn’t already bored with the whole thing, I would have been insulted.
Unfortunately, the quality of the game was so bad that it wasn’t even possible to do any evaluation on the young kids and new players. Devin Setoguchi has good speed, Ty Wishart is a beast, and Logan Couture needs to gain size. But that’s about all I could see. I’m hoping they will get good minutes in the preseason, so I can properly form an opinion about their chances of making the big club. The way the roster is so jammed up right now, Setoguchi may be the only one with a decent shot.
Since there probably won’t be anything that exciting to debut next year, I have doubts about going. If I do go, I’ll want to go early so I can at least get some free stuff.
I’ve been waiting for my prediction to come true – a veteran defensemen to join the Sharks core before the season started. Doug Wilson did deliver this player in a blast from the past that I think no one saw coming. Sandis Ozolinsh is in Sharks camp to give it one more go on a player try out and I say – why not? This can only be a good thing. If he has nothing in the tank, he is cut loose. If he can regain any of his seven time All Star form, than it is a huge bonus for the Sharkies. I think he could have something left and here is why…
Throwing last season out, in 05-06 Ozolinsh put up respectable numbers for the Ducks and Rangers in 36 games. He missed part of that season with a rib injury and a 19 game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. If he had played all 82 games, here are his projected stats.
2005-06 8 goals 32 assists 40 points 64 PIM
These are not the numbers of a washed up player. Last year he suffered multiple knee injuries and showed nothing in 21 games with the Rangers. Which Ozolinsh are the Sharks getting? I’m excited to find out. At the very least his presence will push Semenov, Murray and Davison to step up their game in hopes of gaining the sixth D-man role.
TEAL AND WHITE GAME TONIGHT! Mike and I will give a full report tomorrow.
The NHL has finally decided on Mark Bell’s punishment and thankfully he will be serving his fifteen game suspension as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs and not wasting a Sharks roster spot, like he did last season. I think the punishment is just and sends a message to all hockey players and professional athletes that drinking and driving sucks and criminal behavior will not be tolerated by the league.
Speaking of drinking, Hockeybuzz.com blogger Howard Berger must have had a few Canadien whisky shots when writing the following words, “Mark Bell Comeback Player of the Year”. Read for yourself – obviously they haven’t been exposed to this overrated player that provides some good thrills as a goon but little else in the way of skill. Anyone who runs from a hit and run car accident doesn’t have the character to mount a comeback. He should call Lindsey Lohan and maybe they can be cellmates?
The newest Shark? Jeremy Roenick. No cap considerations to worry about, he’s only making half a million dollars. But with all the young players we got, this makes no sense. After the obvious first line (Cheech, Joe, Michalek) look at the list of other players with a reasonable shot to make the team. Marleau, Pavelski, Grier, Clowe, Goc, Brown, Rissmiller, Bernier, Setoguchi, Kaspar, and now Roenick. I’m not a hockey GM or anything like that, but something says that there’s a logjam here. That’s 5 lines worth of offense.
Grier seems to think that there’s a deal in the works for D, trading away some of these younger players (Goc, Pavelski, and Bernier seem likely candidates), but I still think Grier is on a bit of the ‘ol crack. If there was a deal in the works, it would have happened by now. And there are several other free agents still out there that make more sense.
Doug Wilson is at it again, signing Patrick Marleau to a two year contract extension worth over six million dollars per season, keeping him in a Sharks uniform until 2010. As I said in my last post, this was a necessary move by the Sharks and another step towards keeping this excellent core of young players intact. Losing Marleaus’s 80 points would have been impossible to replace within the organization and the trade value did not seem to be there in the current market (the latest rumor of Montreal offering a young defensemen and Michael Ryder does not equal Marleau’s value). Now the team has locked up their main players for a long term run at Lord Stanley and I would assume Wilson will now turn his focus towards extending the younger second and third year players.
Mike and I are both in agreement that Wilson is still trolling for a veteran defensemen to take the pressure off Carle playing 18 minutes a night and preventing Murray/Davison/Semenov from seeing regular minutes as the sixth defensmen. There are two routes Wilson can go to acquire such a player. He can sign from the limited pool of UFA’s, offering a two year deal to Danny Markov or Brent Sopel – the two most attractive players left on the market in my opinion. Markov offers more hard hitting and defensive responsibility while Sopel can be more effective on the power play. Sopel also is a right handed shot, something the Sharks need since Rivet is their only other option from the point. Option number two involves making a deal involving a young player or prospect. Players that have been rumored to be available are Derek Morris (Phoenix), Paul Mara (Rangers), and Spacek (Buffalo). They all are top four defensemen that have salaries under four million dollars and can play 16-18 minutes a night with some offensive upside. It may not be the bombsell acquisition we expected but since Souray choose to grab the cash and freeze his ass off for a non playoff team, Wilson had to turn to Plan B.
In the end, I am more excited than ever for the season to start. As a season ticket holder, it is refreshing to see a team keep their core together and to see the players give up a larger payday to commit to winning a Stanley Cup in San Jose.
Anybody listen to hockey podcasts? It’s a fairly barren landscape. The Sharks have a official one, with the announcers from the radio and TV all together. It’s good stuff, but it’s on a erratic schedule. I remember mid-season they went a couple of months without a new one. I looked through iTunes, and going by the “Popularity” field (which may be completely bogus) there’s only a couple of non-official podcasts that anyone listens to.
I’m still looking for one that I can get excited about. Generally I’m starved for hockey coverage- the local Mercury News has had pretty few articles this offseason. I check the NHL page of ESPN, and TSN most days, and get feeds of tons of blogs through Google Reader. As a fan of PTI, I long for something along those lines, but for hockey. I think I can count on one hand the number of hockey stories that PTI has done in the last year, most probably on Rick Tocchet. They generally do a “who ya got” thing in the playoffs a few times (I think Wilbon picked against the Sharks every time).
Maybe I just miss NHL 2Nite, the ESPN2 show on hockey that went by the wayside a few years back. But I can’t help thinking that there is a market for an entertaining show addressing hockey topics. Most of the podcasts I’ve found are pretty dry- lots of reading of news stories, breaking down rosters, and the like. Personally, that’s the type of stuff I like to read, not listen to.
So questions – Are there any great hockey podcasts out there? If not, would you listen to a hockey podcast that has the accent on ‘tainment’ in infotainment? And finally, what sort of stuff would you want in that format? All comments welcome.
After reading about the Michalek signing today, I started to think about what Doug Wilson accomplished this offseason. Lots of Sharks fans, myself included, have been calling for Wilson to make a big splash and shake up the team. We have even gone so far as to suggest he trade the face of the franchise in Patrick Marleau to get help on the blueline. I admit I was intrigued by the prospect of getting a #1 defesemen for Marleau, but after Redden rejected us, the well dried up. We need to keep the Captain, if he were to leave, who would replace his 80 points of offense? Without Marleau, the Sharks attack would truely be “offensive”. I think the line combos are unknown at this point and the roster has too many centers, seven to be exact. I know Marleau can swing to the wing, but that still leaves Goc, Pavelksi, Brown, Rissmiller and Plihal. Something needs to be done there…
As for the defense, I expect big things from Matt Carle this year. He is only 22 and showed early in the season he can dominate the power play. I think a 55 point season from him is not unreasonable. I am expecting an improvement from fellow All Rookie Team member Marc-Edouard Vlasic on the offensive end as well. He has shown more offensive explosion in the past, scoring 73 points in 2005-06 in Juniors. I think we could see him evolve into more than just a “Hannan” stay at home d-man. With these two continuing to progress, McLaren, Rivet and Ehrhoff will provide steady play. In the end, Doug Wilson was wise not to overpay for a one trick pony like Sheldon Souray. He would have been such a black hole in his own end, it would have hurt Carle and Vlasic’s developement. I don’t think Wilson will stick with Douglas Murray for the sixth defensemen when the season starts. Could a one year deal be in the works for Danny Markov, as rumored by Eklund? Could the Sharks sign a inexpensive vet like Brent Sopel or David Tanabe to fill the hole until 2006 first round pick Ty Wishert is ready (which could be as soon as next year)
Is there one more deal in the works? I think maybe. As I said before, there is a glut at the center position. We have salary cap space to spare, so would a team take a young, promising center like Marcel Goc or Patrick Rissmiller in a package to get a veteran forward off their books? I could see Boston sending gritty winger P.J. Axelsson or Glen Murray in return for some younger players. Just a thought…
In the end, I have decided not to panic, not to be bitter and to enjoy the fact that we have a franchise that has chosen to keep its core together instead of bringing in new players every year in a merry-go-round of overpriced vets (see New York Rangers). I do believe the Sharks can win now with this current roster. In a matter of weeks, we shall see. Hopefull, Marleau will be signed and my new jersey will have arrived!
My 23-man Roster Prediction
Loading ...
