Sharks 2023 NHL Draft Recap

 The 2023 NHL Draft is now complete and loaded with talent. In this post, I will recap the draft from the perspective of the San Jose Sharks and give some of my thoughts as well. 

 The Sharks had nine picks in this year's draft. I plan to list each pick they made but only go into details about their biggest, most significant picks in the first round. Let’s begin: 

Round 1, Pick 4: Will Smith, C, US U-18 NTDP  

A six-foot, right-shot, 18-year-old center with top-line superstar potential. Smith recorded 51 goals and 127 points in 60 games for the US U-18 NTDP this past season. He is committed to Boston College for the 2023-24 season. In addition, Smith holds the second-highest cumulative goals and point total in US U-18 program history and was awarded the Bob Johnson Award for the 2022-23 season by USA Hockey for "excellence in international hockey competition for a specific season of play." This is a great pick by Mike Grier and the Sharks front office, and I am looking forward to Will Smith becoming a key franchise centerpiece for the Sharks for years to come.

Round 1, Pick 26: Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 

A six-foot-two left wing with top-six potential. This past season in Sudbury, Musty recorded 26 goals and 52 assists for 78 points in 53 games, leading the Wolves in assists and ranking second on the team in both goals and points. It was anybody's guess who the Sharks would take at 26th overall this year, but Quentin Musty was one of the best available when it came time to make this selection and filled a need in the Sharks organization. Overall solid pick.

Round 2, Pick 36: Kasper Halttunen, RW, Hifk (Finnish Liiga)

Round 3, Pick 71: Noah Svoboda, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) 

Round 4, Pick 123: Luca Cagnoni, D, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Round 5, Pick 130: Axel Landen, D, HV71 J20 (Sweden)

Round 5, Pick 132: Eric Pohlkamp, D, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)

Round 7, Pick 196: David Klee, C, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)

Round 7, Pick 203: Yegor Rimashevskiy, RW, Dynamo Moscow Jr. (MHL)

The Sharks initially had 11 picks heading into this year's draft, but it fell to nine after they traded two late-round selections to the Carolina Hurricanes to move up to 71st overall and traded what would've been their last selection in this year's draft at 206th overall to the Washington Capitals for a seventh-round pick in 2025. The biggest surprise during the draft this year was the fact that no trades took place during the first round on day one, the first time this has occurred since 2007. In all, this is a great draft class for the Sharks, and I see a greater potential of later-round picks turning into studs and diamonds in the rough than in most other draft classes. Trust the process of General Manager Mike Grier, and this draft class is a significant step towards climbing out of the Sharks' current rebuild. 

Next up, the NHL Free Agency period opens this Saturday, so expect a potential flurry of signings and other transactions to be covered on CPF Hockey in the coming days.

Sources: Sjsharks.com, NHL Network, NHL Discussion via Instagram

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Sharks Acquire Mackenzie Blackwood from Devils + Other Sharks News

 The Sharks made a significant trade today, acquiring goalie Mackenzie Blackwood from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the Sharks’ sixth-round selection (pick no. 164) in this year’s draft. 

This trade made sense for both the Sharks and Devils. The Sharks needed additional goaltending with James Reimer departing in free agency, while Mackenzie Blackwood was the odd goalie out in Newark, as the Devils are committing to the one-two punch of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid in net.

Blackwood appeared in 22 regular season games for the Devils this past season, compiling a 10-6-2 record record with a 3.20 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage in 20 starts. He didn't appear in any Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Devils this past season. In total, Blackwood is 65-57-18 with a 2.97 GAA, .906 SV% and eight shutouts in 143 starts in 152 regular season games, all with the Devils. He is a pending restricted free agent on July 1. 

Another trade went down today involving the Sharks, this time a more minor one, sending forward Andrew Agozzino to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Andrej Sustr. This was done to help shore up depth on the Barracuda in the AHL.

In other news, the NHL released their entire 2023-24 regular season and preseason schedules. The Sharks also released their promotional schedule for the first half of next season. I don't plan to list the Sharks' entire schedule for next season here, but they open the 2023-24 season on October 12 at home against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights. This is part of a four-game homestand to open the next season, followed by October 14 vs. the Colorado Avalanche, October 17 vs. the Carolina Hurricanes, and October 19 vs. the Boston Bruins. San Jose's longest homestands are five games each from February 17-29 and April 1-9, while their longest road trip is six games from November 30-December 10. The Sharks will play four games against the Kings, Ducks, Golden Knights, Kraken, and Canucks, three games against all other Western Conference opponents, and two games against each Eastern Conference team in 2023-24. Lastly, according to insiders, the Maple Leafs, Kraken, and Hurricanes have 'serious interest' in trading for Erik Karlsson. 

The NHL Draft begins tomorrow in Nashville, starting with the first round and continuing with rounds 2-7 on Thursday. Expect a full recap of the 2023 draft from the Sharks perspective in one post in the coming days. 

Sources: NHL App, Sharks + SAP Center App, NHL Discussion via Instagram 

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Erik Karlsson Wins 2023 Norris Trophy

 To the surprise of absolutely no one, Erik Karlsson is your 2023 Norris Trophy winner, given to the best defenseman in the NHL this past season. 

This is now the third Norris Trophy Erik Karlsson has earned in his NHL career and his first in teal, with the previous two earned in 2012 and 2015 with the Ottawa Senators. EK65 also becomes the second defenseman in Sharks history besides Brent Burns to win the Norris Trophy. 

Erik Karlsson was also up for the Ted Lindsay Award for the most outstanding player as selected by the NHLPA, but the Ted Lindsay ended up going to Connor McDavid. 

I was 99 percent confident that Erik Karlsson would win the Norris, especially with the historic and unbelievable season he had in 2022-23 (25 goals, 76 assists, 101 points). However, I was much less confident about EK65 winning the Ted Lindsay, but it is also a huge honor for him to even be in that discussion as well. The resurgence of Erik Karlsson was the biggest bright spot for a rebuilding Sharks team this past season, and it only made sense for it to end with his third Norris Trophy. 

On the other hand, now that Erik Karlsson has won the Norris this year, this will ramp up the trade discussion surrounding him this offseason. Although Erik Karlsson loves the Bay Area and I want him to stay on the Sharks, he has reiterated that he wants to be on a contender and win now. It's hard to imagine the Sharks without Karlsson, and I'm aware that it's probably in the best interest of both parties for them to work out a trade to free up a good amount of cap space and receive a haul of NHL-ready players, prospects, and draft picks while his trade value is still high. In all, this is an excellent achievement for Erik Karlsson, and I hope he continues to build off this amazing campaign and perform at a high level.

Sources: TNT, San Jose Sharks via social media, Brodie Brazil via YouTube 

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Patrick Marleau Back with Sharks as Player Development Coach and Hockey Operations Advisor

 Sharks legend Patrick Marleau is back where it all started for him, this time in new roles. 

Specifically, Marleau has returned to the Sharks as a player development coach and hockey operations advisor. He will work closely with the Sharks player development staff along with Sharks players and prospects on on-ice skill development. In addition, Patty will serve as a special advisor to general manager Mike Grier and the rest of the Sharks' hockey operations staff. 

A few days prior to this announcement, the Sharks teased the likely move in a social media video showcasing Patrick Marleau jerseys over the years, which also occurred 26 years to the day Patty was drafted second overall by the Sharks in 1997. His playing career needs little introduction, as Patty spent 23 years playing in the NHL and was a cornerstone piece in the Sharks being perennial playoff contenders for much of the 2000s and 2010s. He also put up impressive numbers and set many Sharks franchise records during his playing career. In addition, before this transaction was announced, Marleau most recently became the first player in Sharks franchise history to have his jersey no. 12 retired by the organization. 

Overall, it's great to see Patrick Marleau back with the Sharks, and it doesn't come as much of a surprise that he finds himself back in hockey a year after his retirement from playing hockey. Marleau certainly knows what it takes to win and succeed in the NHL, and he is perfect for the roles in the Sharks organization that he was announced to today. 

In other news, former Sharks goalie Mike Vernon was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2023. Vernon played for the Sharks for parts of three seasons from 1997 to 2000 and amassed a 2.37 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage during his Sharks tenure, while he spent much of his 20-year playing career with the Calgary Flames.

Sources: San Jose Sharks via social media, Curtis Pashelka via Twitter

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Vegas Golden Knights Win 2023 Stanley Cup

 The Vegas Golden Knights are the 2023 Stanley Cup Champions, beating the Florida Panthers in five games to win their first Cup in only their sixth season.

Before giving my thoughts on this series, here's a brief rundown of each game and how we got here:

Game 1: Golden Knights defeat the Panthers 5-2. Eric Staal opens the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded goal for Florida, while Jonathan Marchessault evened things up later in the first for Vegas. Shea Theodore gave the Knights their first lead of the game in the middle frame. The Panthers had an answer for the Knights late in the second period, evening things up at two via Anthony Duclair. However, it was all Golden Knights in the third period as Vegas added three more goals from Zach Whitecloud, Mark Stone, and Reilly Smith to take further control of Game 1. Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore each recorded two points in the victory. Adin Hill made 33 saves on 35 shots against for the Knights, including an unbelievable paddle stop to rob Nick Cousins while stretching far outside of the crease. On the other hand, Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves on 33 shots against on the losing end. 

Game 2: Golden Knights defeat the Panthers 7-2. Total domination by Vegas from the get-go. Jonathan Marchessault and Brett Howden led the way with two goals each, while Alec Martinez, Michael Amadio, and Nicolas Roy each tallied a goal. The only offense that Florida was able to muster up in Game 2 were goals from Anton Lundell and Matthew Tkachuk in the third period. Speaking of Tkachuk, he laid a brutal hit on Jack Eichel near the end of the first period, but fortunately Eichel returned to the game in the following period. Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled about halfway through the second period after surrendering four goals to the Golden Knights, and Alex Lyon took his place in net from there. Adin Hill recorded 29 saves on 31 shots against in the victory for Vegas. 

Game 3: Panthers defeat the Golden Knights 3-2 in OT. Florida opened the scoring via Brandon Montour, while Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault scored the next two goals to take the lead for the Knights. Matthew Tkachuk tied it for the Panthers with just over two minutes remaining in regulation to force bonus hockey, where the Panthers would win it via Carter Verhaeghe to stay alive in the Final. Sergei Bobrovsky made a total of 25 saves in a great bounceback performance in net for Florida.

Game 4: Golden Knights defeat the Panthers 3-2. Chandler Stephenson led the way with two goals, while William Karlsson was the only other goal-scorer for Vegas. On the other hand, Brandon Montour and Aleksander Barkov were the only goal-scorers for Florida. Adin Hill made  saves for the Knights, while Sergei Bobrovsky made  saves for the Panthers. Tensions boiled over between the two teams right as the game ended. 

Game 5: Golden Knights defeat the Panthers 9-3 to win the Cup. This one was already wrapped up before the end of the second period. Mark Stone recorded a hat trick for Vegas, becoming the first player since 1922 to record a hat trick in the Cup Final. Nic Hague, Alec Martinez, Reilly Smith, Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbashev, and Nicolas Roy were the other goal-scorers for the Knights in their Cup-clinching Game 5, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett were the only goal-scorers for the Panthers. Adin Hill recorded a total of 32 saves in the Cup-clinching victory for the Knights. Florida suffered a huge blow before the start of Game 5, as Matthew Tkachuk was ruled out due to a broken sternum and Grigori Denisenko taking his place in the Panthers lineup. The Conn Smythe Trophy for Playoffs MVP was awarded to Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault, one of the six original "misfits" to remain with the team since its inception in 2016.

Overall, I am very upset with the end result, find it pretty unfair, and believe that this year's Cup Final was one of the worst ones ever played. Besides Game 3, this year's Cup Final was one-sided and dominated by Vegas. It certainly didn't help that this happened to a bitter rival of the Sharks in only their sixth season, while the Sharks have yet to win a Stanley Cup in their 32+ years of existence and aren't in a position to win one anytime soon. The reality of this entire situation makes me extra salty and want to see the Knights win even less, especially with how they've mishandled some of their assets in a few of their previous seasons. This Stanley Cup victory is great for Knights fans, the Las Vegas area, and the NHL front office, but bad for the rest of the league and the other NHL fanbases besides Seattle. Jack Eichel was a feel-good story coming out of the Knights' Cup victory, having been fed up with the Sabres' lack of success and demanding out of Buffalo after not being able to get the surgery he wanted, to missing the playoffs in his first season in Vegas and having a lot of doubt in his abilities surrounding him throughout much of his NHL career, to winning the Stanley Cup in his second season with the Golden Knights. Adin Hill was traded from the Sharks to the Golden Knights prior to the start of this past season for a fourth-round pick, but no one at the time expected Hill to play out of his mind and help lead the Knights to their first-ever Cup victory. Initially, not much was made of this trade around when it was first processed, but after this end result to this past season, it only rubbed more salt in the wound for the Sharks. Phil Kessel being unable to play for much of this past season due to injuries and fully dressing to celebrate his third Stanley Cup was interesting to say the least. 

On the other hand, what an incredible run it has been for the Florida Panthers this past season. They went from just sneaking into the playoffs to knocking off the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins in the first round, the Maple Leafs fresh off of their first playoff-series win since 2004 in the second round, and the juggernaut Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, all the way to their first Cup Final appearance since 1996. Mattew Tkachuk has been on another planet until the Cup Final against Vegas, Sergei Bobrovsky has found his game when it really mattered for the first time in a Panthers uniform, Carter Verhaeghe has been clutch throughout much of this playoff run, among other factors. This Panthers team will be back in the biggest stage and continue to get better going forward.

On a more positive note, in other news, the Sharks recently signed Filip Bystedt, their first-round pick from last year's draft who has yet to make his way to North America, to a three-year entry-level deal. In addition, Sharks legend Patrick Marleau will be inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, headlining its Class of 2023. 

And with that, that wraps up my third season covering the NHL and the Sharks on CPF Hockey! There won't be live hockey again until October, but there will be plenty more to cover between now and then, such as signings, trades, the draft, and free agency, so stay tuned for all your Sharks news and notes all offseason long.

Sources: TNT, NHL App, Curtis Pashelka via Twitter

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