The San Jose Hockey Now Podcast is sponsored by Bring Hockey Back!
It’s part 1 of a mega-2025 Draft Lottery mailbag!
Part 1 will focus on how to improve the San Jose Sharks next year, especially on defense.
Part 2 will center on what the Sharks should do with the 2025 No. 2 pick.
Let’s get to the questions!
Falco5: What stats/measurables equate to a “winning” player? (3:25)
Gary To: Would any 2025 or 2026 Draft prospects make the San Jose Sharks this fall?
James R: Thoughts on Mattias Havelid? Guess on whether Joe Pavelski or Logan Couture re-join the Sharks as development coaches or front office staff?
Brucellus: Should Sharks trade for…Erik Karlsson? (23:55)
Ty Comes: What were Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith’s Draft Combine interviews with the Sharks like?
SJShorky: Are there any goalies worth grabbing in the 2025 Draft? Thoughts on Tom Willander?
Connor: Why are there no Draft night trades of players after they get drafted in the NHL a la the NBA?
Joshua Carey: Is there any defenseman that the San Jose Sharks could sign to an offer sheet either this year or next? (47:41)
Daniel Almaraz: Could the Sharks trade for one of the Chicago Blackhawks’ top defensive prospects?
free_slice: Of the “available” defensive trade targets, who do you like, Noah Dobson, Simon Nemec, or Brandt Clarke?
Patrick: What’s the Sharks’ best pathway to upgrading the top-four of their blueline? Trade or free agency? (1:04:45)
CeleBeauty: Who are some 2025 Draft prospects with some snarl?
Steven: If the San Jose Sharks knew how good Mackenzie Blackwood would end up being, do you think they still would have made the Yaroslav Askarov trade?
Miguel Lenhart: Should Sharks target Matt Duchene in free agency? (1:24:54)
Rothgar: Any top European free agents that Sharks can target this off-season?
Chris R: Two dream (but realistic) trades for Mike Grier this summer? Would Mario Ferraro take bottom-pairing money to re-sign with the Sharks?
Part 2 is coming soon!
22 Comments
We need at least 1 top 4 D
See what defenders are available in free agency, give dickinson and cagnoni more games in the nhl, see if we can trade some future picks for a decent defender
Getting Karlsson back would be so funny
If we get EK65 back, then does the retention slot become available again ?
Trade draft picks for immediate returns.
Rutherford said they're looking for a top6 center, seeing that Willander is probably their main trade chip, that's probably what they'll try and use it for. Even if they weren't trading for a center it'd be a lot more expensive for us as a division rival, Chernyshov+Musty+pick. They aren't doing us any favors. And I actually think Sheng already wrote articles on those Dmen mentioned later, basically Byram would be the only one likely to move, but he's had 3 concussions, so too much risk for me unless we get him cheap somehow.
And hell no to trading our 2027 1st, I want to be in the DuPont sweepstakes. I know Sharks fans are thinking we're done rebuilding because of Celebrini, but I think we've only BEGUN because of him. I'm not about signing a bunch of big contracts just to jump the standings, that may very well backfire and lose us Celebrini. I want to carefully develop a core that'll give us the best odds at cups. If we draft DuPont, I'll bet he's skilled enough to make the NHL at the same time as our current D prospects anyway.
Jordan Spence(Clarke is unrealistic imo) and Michael Kesselring also good options to look for too!
Byram would be good addition to the Sharks
It's pronouced "Jah-kai"
To be a good NHL team you don’t want all your forwards and D to be similar.
You want all 4 lines to be slightly different! In the top 6 you want a motor line, & a strategic and crafty line, 3rd line of srtong defensive guys with decent offensive upside, and a 4th line of gritty PK type guys.
Same with D
Top pair you want more defensively aware fast 2 way guys.
2nd pair you can mix a defensive guy with an offensive catalyst and PP QB type
3rd pair you want a cagey vet and a young stud getting his feet wet.
Having a good mix of players with different skills keeps teams on edge always guessing.
No Karlsson. He can't play Defense.
Шабанов вроде в Филадельфию собирался
The extended edition slander will not be tolerated
"realistic dream trade" is an oxymoron, a dream trade by nature is unrealistic cause you're wishing a certain player becomes available or a team doesnt demand a haul
New trade offer: NHL scouts must love ostapchuk since we traded a 40pt RFA player for him. Ostapchuk + DAL/EDM 1st for Willander Straight up.
Or maybe Lassi Thomson from OTT for EDM/DAL 1st + 3rd rounder
Bring back the 2-3+ hour long episodes!
i hope we don't trade for korchinski. no idea why we'd trade for another LHD who's probably going to end up as a worse-version of Dickinson. one of Lev or Rinzel would be better IMO (both RHD I believe).
NBA teams can’t trade consecutive year first round picks. So more flexibility to select then trade. Old Cleveland Cavaliers traded all their foreseeable 1st picks and it destroyed the franchise.
I think that K'Andre Miller is in play. Rangers have less than 9M in cap next year with the rising cap. I think if you trade for Miller and Kreider to absorb his contract then you can trade 1-2 picks and 1-2 prospects to get them. It'll also help our cap situation for 2026-27 where I have no idea how we're going to hit the floor.
Sharks should get Jake Wahlman and Codi Ceci for the defense. Oh, they already had them. A good all-around team makes everyone on the team look better. Use free agency for a good defenseman and scoring forward. Then draft Misa or Schaefer if he is available. Look how well McKenzie Blackwood did with a better team around him. Brent Burns is a stud. Granlund is playing with Rantanen.
If anyone is a scouching guy you know we should stay away from aichonson lol
If the Sharks have a decent shot at Landon DuPont, then their 2027 first is worth a lot.
If they've improved enough that they have no shot (barring a draft lottery "big win") at him, then not having the pick is worth considering.
Zellweger and Cagnoni seem like eerily similar prospects to me.