Sharks Claim Jonah Gadjovich Off Waivers from the Canucks

 The Sharks made a successful waiver claim on Thursday in the form of forward Jonah Gadjovich from the Vancouver Canucks. 

Based on what I've heard, Gadjovich could possibly make the Sharks' roster out of training camp come opening night, but that has yet to be determined. To be honest, I never really heard about Gadjovich before this news came out. 

Jonah Gadjovich appeared in one game for the Vancouver Canucks last season. Prior to that, he recorded 18 points, 17 penalty minutes, and a +5 rating in 19 AHL games with the Utica Comets last season. In addition, Gadjovich has had a solid preseason for the Canucks so far before he was placed on waivers. The Sharks could have just found a hidden gem in the waiver wire, and I hope that is the case. 

In other news, the latest Evander Kane accusation involves him possibly submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. If this is true, this is absolutely unacceptable. The off-ice issues seemingly never ends with this guy, and I've had enough. 

Lastly, the Sharks play their last preseason game this year on Saturday against the Golden Knights and host their first-ever Skills Showcase on Sunday before their season opener a week from Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. I'm certainly looking forward to what's in store for the 2021-22 NHL season and the Sharks bouncing back from last season. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App

My 2021-22 NHL Regular Season Standings Predictions

 We are about a week away from the start of the 2021-22 NHL season, and that means it's time for my annual regular season standings predictions. 

As with last season, I will list my predictions based on how I think each team in every division will finish the regular season. I won't include any final records or point totals with the standings. However, as you may already know, the NHL has returned to its regular divisions and 82-game schedule, which is the way it should be. In addition, the Arizona Coyotes have moved to the Central Division with the addition of the Seattle Kraken as the NHL's 32nd team.

One final disclaimer: I don't expect every prediction of mine to be right or taken seriously. In fact, I hope some of them are wrong at the end of the regular season. There are always at least a few surprises every season, and I am looking forward to finding out what they end up being in 2022. 

Without further ado, here are my standings predictions for the 2021-22 NHL regular season. I'm super excited that hockey is back! 

Atlantic Division 

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

2) Boston Bruins

3) Florida Panthers

4) Toronto Maple Leafs

5) Montreal Canadiens

6) Ottawa Senators

7) Detroit Red Wings

8) Buffalo Sabres

Metropolitan Division 

1) Washington Capitals

2) Pittsburgh Penguins

3) New York Islanders

4) New York Rangers

5) Carolina Hurricanes

6) Philadelphia Flyers

7) New Jersey Devils

8) Columbus Blue Jackets

Central Division 

1) Colorado Avalanche

2) Minnesota Wild

3) Dallas Stars

4) Winnipeg Jets

5) St. Louis Blues

6) Nashville Predators

7) Chicago Blackhawks

8) Arizona Coyotes

Pacific Division 

1) Vegas Golden Knights

2) Edmonton Oilers

3) Calgary Flames

4) San Jose Sharks

5) Seattle Kraken

6) Vancouver Canucks

7) Los Angeles Kings

8) Anaheim Ducks

P.S. I will hold off on Sharks News and Notes posts for the time being unless there is a major headline, breaking news, or anything of significance released that will impact the Sharks' regular season. Team Teal is currently in the middle of their preseason, in which these games ultimately don't matter or mean anything except for which depth players will prove themselves to make the opening night roster. 

Stick around for more hockey content coming soon.

My Thoughts on the Evander Kane Situation, Part 3

 More developments have been released regarding the Evander Kane off-ice saga. 

The NHL has confirmed from its recent investigation that they found no evidence that Evander Kane bet on his own games or threw any games that he played in. In addition, the NHL will perform a separate investigation involving Evander Kane after new sexual assault and domestic violence accusations were brought against him by his estranged wife. While the investigation is ongoing, the Sharks announced that Evander Kane won't be participating in training camp and preseason games, even though he is still listed on their roster for the time being. 

The Sharks made the right decision by excluding Evander Kane from training camp activities and preseason games as these new allegations against him sound pretty serious. Regardless of the latest and upcoming investigation results, I want the Sharks to terminate Evander Kane's contract and get him off their books as soon as possible. In addition, many of Evander's teammates don't want to deal with him anymore, and his production on offense can be replaced. This will and should help the Sharks improve their locker room atmosphere and paint less of a dark cloud around the organization.

In other news, the Sharks played their preseason opening doubleheader on the road in both Anaheim and Vegas last night. San Jose dropped their first game to the Ducks 6-3, while they defeated the Golden Knights 4-2, splitting the doubleheader. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks News & Notes (9/20/21)

 It's been a minute since I last wrote one of these, so let's get you up to speed heading into the beginning of training camps: 

• The Sharks' last restricted free agent is off the board, agreeing to a one-year, league-minimum deal with forward Noah Gregor. Last season with the Sharks, Gregor recorded five goals and one assist for six points in 30 games. In addition, he recorded three goals and six assists for nine points in ten AHL games with the Barracuda last season. Noah Gregor is certainly not the Sharks' best forward, but he is up-and-coming with plenty of potential.
  

•  As of now, all but roughly ten players in the entire NHL will be fully vaccinated by the start of the 2021-22 regular season. This is amazing as the NHL leads the four North American major pro sports leagues in vaccination rates, and teams are much less likely to have to postpone games due to COVID outbreaks.

Stay tuned for more news and notes as the new NHL season starts in less than a month. 

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

Sharks News & Notes (9/9/21)

 Here's a new edition of Sharks News & Notes heading your way now: 

• Former Sharks forward and UFA Marcus Sorensen has signed a four-year contract with Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League. I don't see this as a big loss at all for the Sharks, especially since he didn't perform well and was tossed around the fourth line last season. Over five seasons with the Sharks from 2016-17 to 2021, Sorensen scored 31 goals and 33 assists for 64 points in 226 games. In addition, the Sharks are in reset mode, so it was best that they let Sorensen go in order to better the team for this coming season.
  

• The Sharks hired John MacLean to replace Rocky Thompson as assistant coach. Like Thompson, MacLean will be in charge of the power play, but will also be coaching the forwards. MacLean was previously an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils from 2002-09, Carolina Hurricanes from 2011-14, and Arizona Coyotes from 2017-20. He was also a former NHL player who spent 18 seasons and played nearly 1200 games with four different teams over the course of his playing career, recording 842 points and 1,328 penalty minutes. Most of his playing seasons were with the Devils, having won the Stanley Cup with them in 1995. He also won the Cup as an assistant coach with the Devils in 2003 and had a brief tenure with the Sharks as a player during the 1997-98 season. Overall, this is a great hire for Team Teal due to his level of experience and great capability of getting the Sharks' power play back on track from last season, which was ranked one of the worst in the league.

Watch this space for more as headlines continue to develop and preseason games take place later this month. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, Hockey Reference 

Sharks News & Notes (9/5/21)

 Here are the latest headlines surrounding the San Jose Sharks and the NHL as a whole: 

• Starting September 20, the Sharks will require their fans to show proof of full vaccination in order to attend games at SAP Center this coming season until at least November 1. This follows a recent California state public health order for events and venues with over 1,000 people. I feel this is a necessary step for the time being to stem any further outbreaks in the community and prevent society from getting set back any further from returning to more of a sense of normalcy.
  

• The Sharks have waived forward Ivan Chekhovich for the purposes of buying out his contract. He had a roller coaster of a tenure with the Sharks organization, having primarily spent time with the Barracuda in the AHL. Chekhovich will now be departing for the KHL now that he and the Sharks have parted ways.
  

•  The NHL has confirmed that its players will be allowed to participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. There will be a break in the upcoming NHL season from February 3-22 to include the All-Star festivities in Vegas and to allow for NHL participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics. This will be the first Olympics to include NHL participation since the Sochi games in 2014 and the first best-on-best hockey tournament since the World Cup of Hockey back in 2016. Olympic hockey is much more entertaining when the best players in the world are included, and I will try to keep close tabs on Olympic hockey as much as possible this coming year.
  

• For the upcoming 2021-22 season, the NHL will have stricter policies and protocols for players and personnel who remain unvaccinated after the start of the season. Starting next season, unvaccinated individuals won't be allowed to interact with other players and hockey operations personnel within 12 feet of each other or travel with teams to and from away games. The good news is that roughly 95 percent of NHL players are fully vaccinated from what I've heard.
  

• Sharks assistant coach Rocky Thompson will step down from the team as he has a medical condition that prevents him from getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The NHL's new COVID protocols would prevent Thompson from doing his job properly, as he was in charge of coaching the defensemen and power play last season. The Sharks will announce Thompson's replacement at a later date.
  

• Reports have suggested that Tomas Hertl will wait and see how the 2021-22 season goes before discussing with the Sharks about a contract extension. Hertl becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 season. Hopefully the Sharks and Tomas Hertl can eventually work out an extension because I would hate to see him go to another team, especially anytime soon.
  

Watch this space for more as headlines develop and preseason games take place later this month. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks News & Notes (8/24/21)

 Here are a few of the latest headlines surrounding Team Teal as of this week: 

•  The newest Sharks' jersey numbers have been determined: Andrew Cogliano will wear no. 11, Nick Bonino, will wear no. 13, Adin Hill will wear no. 33, and James Reimer will wear no. 47. 

•  The Sharks signed 2018 4th round pick Jasper Weatherby to a two-year deal. Weatherby last played for the University of North Dakota, scoring 14 goals and 10 assists for 24 points in 29 games. 

• Adin Hill's goalie mask was unveiled earlier today, and it looks incredible. It is mostly teal with several sharks on it, including different species of sharks, with the one on the back of it having  tentacles hanging from its mouth. It also contains a large Sharks logo on the top, the number 33 on the chin area, some ships in the background on the bottom half of the sides of the mask, along with what appears to be a skull and a wooden goalie stick that a shark took a bite out of. Overall, Adin Hill's goalie mask has such a cool design to it, and I am looking forward to him wearing it on the ice and in net next season. 

•  The Evander Kane off-ice situation continues to get worse by the day, as a judge ruled that Evander must face discovery in abortion-for-pay lawsuit. This basically means that he owes money to a woman for her having an abortion. I will not get into any more details about this mess, other than he needs to step away from the game of hockey and get his personal life in order before anything else. 

•  Just a heads up in advance, I don't plan to write any individual game reviews for any of the Sharks' upcoming preseason games next month, as preseason games don't mean that much to me. I will probably wrap up all of their exhibition games in one post before the regular season starts. 

Be sure to return to CPF Hockey for more Sharks headlines coming soon. 

Sources: San Jose Sharks via Twitter, The Athletic