Sharks 2022 NHL Draft Day 1 Recap

 The first round of the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal has wrapped up, and it was a crazy draft so far. Who I and most everyone else thought would be selected first overall by the host Canadiens, Shane Wright, fell to fourth overall to the Seattle Kraken. It was the first time two Slovakian players went first and second overall: LW Juraj Slafkovsky first overall to the Canadiens and D Simon Nemec second overall to the New Jersey Devils. In addition, the Canadiens made a few big trades, which consisted of sending Alexander Romanov to the New York Islanders and acquiring Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks. Lastly, the Blackhawks stockpiled draft picks after trading away two of their top young players, Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach. 

As for the Sharks, Mike Grier made his first moves as the Sharks’ new GM. San Jose initially had the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft, but traded down to acquire picks 27, 34, and 45 from the Arizona Coyotes in a somewhat surprising move. The Coyotes then used the 11th overall pick to select C Conor Geekie. The Sharks front office is putting their faith in their scouts and this year's draft class being fairly deep by trading down, which hopefully works in their favor. 

With that 27th overall pick, the Sharks selected C Filip Bystedt from Linkoping of the Swedish Hockey League. A tad underwhelming considering who was still available on the draft board around the time of the 27th overall selection, but it was still not that bad of a selection. Bystedt previously scored 49 points in Sweden's junior league, two points in 15 games with Linkoping in the SHL, and three points in six games to help Sweden win the 2022 IIHF U-18 World Championship. Hopefully Bystedt turns into something great for the Sharks and is seen as a sleeper pick in the not-too-distant future.

Another important aspect of the Sharks' 2022 Draft is the unfortunate fact that one of their longtime scouts and former defensemen passed away beforehand, specifically Bryan Marchment. A moment of silence was held before the start of round one in Marchment's honor, and new GM Mike Grier gave a heartwarming speech and condolences to the Marchment family before the Sharks' first pick of the night was announced by Doug Wilson Jr.

The 2022 NHL Draft resumes this morning at 8 am PT with rounds 2-7. The Sharks' ten remaining picks in this year's draft will be summed up in the next post after the rest of the draft has completed, so be on the lookout for that sometime later today.

Sources: ESPN, NBC Sports Bay Area/California

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Sharks Hire Mike Grier as Their New General Manager

 

The Sharks have officially introduced Mike Grier as their new general manager. Grier takes over for Joe Will, who was the interim general manager after Doug Wilson stepped down due to an ongoing illness, and becomes the first black general manager in NHL history. 

Mike Grier played 14 seasons in the NHL for four different teams, including the Sharks from 2006 to 2009, before retiring in 2011. This past season, he was the hockey operations adviser for the New York Rangers and was previously a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2014 to 2018. His older brother Chris is currently the general manager of the Miami Dolphins, who has had that role since 2016. 

Grier's first significant tasks as the Sharks' new general manager will be the draft this Thursday in Montreal, finding a new head coach, and restructuring the roster to stay under the salary cap and after this team missed the playoffs for the past three seasons. Luckily, Grier has confirmed during today's introductory press conference that he doesn't plan to completely tear down this team and start from scratch.

In all, this is a great hire for the Sharks not only from a diversity and inclusion perspective, but an experience and determination perspective as well. I believe Mike Grier can lead the Sharks out of their current mess and back to being the perennial playoff contender that they have been for much of their franchise history. 

Lastly, one crazy aspect of this hire in the best way possible is that I happen to have a puck autographed by Mike Grier that I received as a Christmas gift a few years ago, which is featured at the top of this post. It has now significantly increased in value since he was just named the Sharks' new GM, but I don't plan to get rid of it anytime soon, if ever. 

Sources: ESPN, NHL Discussion via Instagram, San Jose Sharks via YouTube 

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Sharks Fire Coach Bob Boughner + Additional Coaching Staff

 The Sharks announced that they have relieved head coach Bob Boughner of his duties, along with assistant coaches John Madden, John MacLean, and Dan Darrow. 

This was a move that needed to be done to better this team going forward, as Boughner went 67-85-23 in the past three seasons as head coach, resulting in the Sharks missing the playoffs each of the past three seasons. What would've been better is if this move was done sooner when there were more options available in the NHL coaching carousel this offseason, but it was better late than never. San Jose has yet to find replacements for these members of the coaching staff.

This also comes at a time in the offseason when the Sharks are close to finding their next general manager, who will eventually find replacements for Bob Boughner and the three assistant coaches who were just let go. 

Overall, I'm happy with this decision. Boughner wasn't a very good coach, and there would be be several instances over the past three seasons where he would mismanage players and other aspects of the team, setting them up to lose more often than not. 

The Sharks currently have vacancies at both the head coach and general manager positions, and there is still a ton of work to do to restructure this team if they want to improve and get back to being a playoff contender. 

Multiple sources contributed to this post. 

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Colorado Avalanche Win 2022 Stanley Cup

 

The Colorado Avalanche have dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning as Stanley Cup Champions, winning the Cup Final in six games. This is the Avs’ third Stanley Cup in franchise history and first Stanley Cup since 2001. 

In addition, Cale Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as this year’s playoff MVP. There wasn't a better choice for this award, as he had one of the best performances out of anyone in the playoffs this year and is currently the best young defenseman in the NHL.

 Here are quick recaps of every game in this year's Stanley Cup Final:

Game 1: Avalanche defeat the Lightning 4-3 in OT. Colorado scored three in the first period from Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, and Arturri Lehkonen, while the Lightning added one from Nick Paul in the first and tied the game at three in the second on goals from Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev, forcing overtime. It only took one minute and 23 seconds into OT for Andre Burakovsky to net the game-winner for the Avs. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves for the Bolts, while Darcy Kuemper made 20 saves for the Avs. In addition, this was Brayden Point's first game in action since May 14, collecting an assist in the Bolts' OT loss. 

Game 2: Avalanche blow out the Lightning 7-0 in a one-sided affair. 11 different Avalanche players recorded at least one point, and Darcy Kuemper had himself a 17-save shutout. Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin led the way with two goals each, followed by Mikko Rantanen with three assists. In addition, Josh Manson, Andre Burakovsky, and Darren Helm each scored a goal, Andrew Cogliano and Alex Newhook each recorded two assists, and Nathan MacKinnon, Logan O'Connor, Andre Burakovsky, and Devon Toews each tallied an assist. 

Game 3: Lightning bounce back from the first two games and get back in this series, taking down the Avalanche 6-2. Steven Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, and Pat Maroon each led the way for the Bolts with a goal and an assist in Game 3, while Anthony Cirelli scored an incredible goal to tie the game at one during the first period. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each recorded two assists, while Nick Paul and Corey Perry also scored goals. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a much better performance in net compared to the first two games, recording 37 saves. On the other hand, Gabe Landeskog scored the Avs' only two goals in Game 3. 

Game 4: Nazem Kadri nets the game-winner in overtime in his return to the lineup since the conference finals following hand surgery as the Avalanche win 3-2 to get within one win of the ultimate prize. Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring for the Lightning 36 seconds into the first period, while Nathan MacKinnon ties it at one early in the second period. The alternation of goal scoring continued through regulation, with a great goal from Victor Hedman near the middle of the second period and Andrew Cogliano tying the game at two early in the third period. 

Game 5: The Lightning force a Game 6 with their 3-2 win over the Avalanche in Game 5. Ondrej Palat scores another huge goal in the third period to win it for the Bolts and keep their quest for a three-peat alive. Jan Rutta and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, and Andrei Vasilevskiy came through with 38 saves. Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar scored the Avs' only two goals. 

Game 6: The Avalanche defeat the Lightning 2-1 to capture the Cup. Steven Stamkos scored the first goal of the game for the Bolts in the first period, while the Avs scored the next two in the second period from Nathan MacKinnon and Arturri Lehkonen to win the series. Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves for the Avs, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for the Bolts. 

This year's Stanley Cup Final was a great series between two amazing teams that have earned their way to be in the biggest stage. The Lightning and Avalanche are my second and sixth favorite teams respectively, so I wasn't rooting too hard for either team and wanted both to perform well. I am happy with the final result, as I like many players on the Avalanche and it's always great to see a new Stanley Cup Champion. I am especially happy for Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, former San Jose Shark Andrew Cogliano, Gabe Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, and Erik Johnson to name a few. 

On the other hand, I would've rooted harder for the Lightning had they not won the previous two Stanley Cups. At the same time, if Tampa had come back in the Cup Final and completed the three-peat, it would've been a truly incredible feat to accomplish in the salary cap era. Still, the Lightning's Cup runs in the past three seasons have been nothing short of impressive. Another crazy stat I read was that Corey Perry played in each of the past three Cup Finals, including this year, and was on the losing side of each one. That's gotta sting, and I would feel bad for most players in that scenario. However, since I'm not a huge Corey Perry fan, I am okay with it being that way for him. 

Once again, congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche on a terrific season and winning the greatest trophy in sports, and I cannot wait for the day when the Sharks finally hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time ever!

Source: ESPN 

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Sharks News & Notes (5/11/22)

More significant Sharks headlines occurred Tuesday, specifically a big announcement and draft lottery results. Let's dive into them:

• Patrick Marleau has officially announced his retirement after 23 seasons in the NHL. 21 of his 23 seasons were spent with the Sharks during three separate stints with the team. Most notably, Marleau holds the NHL all-time games played record with 1,779 games under his belt and is 23rd on the all-time goals list with 566. He also holds the Sharks' franchise records in games played, goals, and points, and is second in assists behind Joe Thornton. Marleau is currently 42 and last played during the 2020-21 season, tallying four goals and five assists for nine points for the Sharks that year. Unfortunately, the only major thing missing from his hall-of-fame resume is a Stanley Cup. The best chance Patty had to win a Cup was the Sharks' first and only Cup Final appearance in 2016, in which the Sharks lost to the Penguins in six games. In addition, the Sharks announced that they would retire Patrick Marleau's jersey number and raise it up to the rafters at SAP Center sometime next season. Regardless, Patty had an amazing playing career with many records broken and is one of the greatest ever. I wish him nothing but the best in retirement. 

• The results from the draft lottery are in, and the draft order for this coming NHL Draft has been determined. To the surprise of no one, the Sharks stayed put in the initial draft projections and will be drafting 11th overall this year. This will be the second time in franchise history that the Sharks will be drafting 11th overall, the first being in 1994 when they drafted Jeff Friesen with that specific pick. The only team that moved up in the draft lottery was the New Jersey Devils, who will be selecting second overall and often gets incredibly lucky with the draft lottery in general. The 2022 NHL Draft will be taking place July 7 & 8 in Montreal, and it's only fitting that the Canadiens will be drafting first overall this year.  

Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for more news and updates throughout the offseason. 

Sources: ESPN, NHL App

Sharks News & Notes (5/9/22)

 Despite the Stanley Cup Playoffs getting all the attention in the hockey world right now and the Sharks in their offseason, there are a few noteworthy headlines surrounding the Sharks that occurred within the past week that are worth discussing. Let's get into them: 

• The Sharks announced that they have re-signed both pending UFAs Alexander Barabanov and Jaycob Megna to two-year contracts. Barabanov's contract carries an AAV of $2.5 million, while Megna's deal has an AAV of $762.5k. As for Barabanov, this was a deal that needed to get done since he was one of the Sharks' top forwards this past season, scoring 39 points in 70 games. On the other hand, Megna is an up-and-coming defenseman that showed flashes of brilliance this past season, recording eight points in 44 games. In addition, both of these new contracts are team-friendly, so they're a win-win for everyone involved. 

• Matt Nieto was named the Sharks' finalist for the King Clancy Trophy, which is given every year to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice.  

Lastly, Patrick Marleau is expected to make an announcement tomorrow regarding the future of his hockey career, so stay tuned for coverage on that announcement very soon.

Sources: Multiple sources via Twitter

My 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff Brackets

 The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow, and before the playoffs get underway, the NHL has released the bracket challenge for the playoffs. I have filled out two brackets: one based on who I want to see win and advance, and one based on who I think will win and advance. Both are different but intertwined at the same time. Some of you may notice a pattern or trend of teams and players I tend to favor and not favor in these brackets. 

Let's first begin with the who I want bracket, followed by the who I think bracket: 

Who I Want: 

First Round: 

Lightning vs. Maple Leafs: Lightning in 6 

Rangers vs. Penguins: Rangers in 7

Bruins vs. Hurricanes: Bruins in 7

Panthers vs. Capitals: Capitals in 7

Wild vs. Blues: Wild in 7

Flames vs. Stars: Stars in 6

Avalanche vs. Predators: Avalanche in 6

Oilers vs. Kings: Oilers in 6

Second Round: 

Capitals vs. Lightning: Lightning 

Bruins vs. Rangers: Rangers 

Avalanche vs. Wild: Avalanche 

Stars vs. Oilers: Stars

Conference Finals:

Lightning vs. Rangers: Lightning 

Avalanche vs. Stars: Avalanche

Cup Final: 

Lightning vs. Avalanche: Lightning

Who I Think: 

First Round:

Lightning vs. Maple Leafs: Lightning in 6 

Rangers vs. Penguins: Rangers in 7

Bruins vs. Hurricanes: Hurricanes in 5

Panthers vs. Capitals: Panthers in 5

Wild vs. Blues: Blues in 6

Flames vs. Stars: Stars in 6

Avalanche vs. Predators: Avalanche in 6

Oilers vs. Kings: Oilers in 6

Second Round: 

Panthers vs. Lightning: Panthers

Hurricanes vs. Rangers: Rangers 

Avalanche vs. Blues: Avalanche 

Stars vs. Oilers: Stars

Conference Finals: 

 Panthers vs. Rangers: Panthers

Avalanche vs. Stars: Avalanche

Cup Final: 

 Panthers vs. Avalanche: Avalanche 

I'll try to watch as many playoff games as I can, but I know I won't be able to watch every game due to other priorities in life. Good luck to everyone in the playoffs!