Sharks Sign Will Smith to Entry-Level Contract

 It’s official: the Sharks have signed their 2023 fourth-overall pick Will Smith to his three-year, entry-level contract. 

This decision was expected this offseason after Smith finished his 2023-24 season as the NCAA's top scorer during his freshman year at Boston College and recently competed for Team USA at this year's IIHF World Championship in Czechia. More specifically, Smith recorded 71 points (25 goals, 46 assists) in 41 games this past season, and his assist and goal totals were good for first and sixth in the country among NCAA skaters respectively. He also set Boston College's freshman scoring record and tied the most points scored by a NCAA U-19 skater since 1993-94. In addition, Smith scored four goals and five points in the Hockey East Final to help BC win the conference championship, and recorded two goals and two assists for four points in four NCAA Tournament games to help lead BC to the NCAA Tournament Championship against Denver. Smith earned a variety of accolades during his first season at Boston College, including Hobey Baker Award Finalist, Hockey East All-Tournament MVP, Sharks Prospect of the Year for 2023-24, and a spot on the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. Internationally, Will Smith competed for Team USA at this year's World Junior Championship, registering four goals and five assists for nine points in the tournament and guiding Team USA to a Gold Medal Victory against Sweden. 

Overall, this is the right decision and only made sense for the Sharks' top prospect Will Smith to sign his ELC. He will be able to properly further develop as a hockey player by playing more games and facing tougher competition. In addition, by signing his ELC, Will Smith will inject more excitement into and around the Sharks organization and among Sharks fans. It's great and exciting to hear that many of the Sharks' top prospects are signing or have signed their entry-level deals, and I am absolutely looking forward to seeing Will Smith tear up the NHL in San Jose very soon. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Sign Luca Cagnoni to Entry-Level Contract

 The Sharks announced that they have signed prospect defenseman Luca Cagnoni to an entry-level contract. 

Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Cagnoni tore up the Western Hockey League this past season for the Portland Winterhawks, finishing his 2023-24 regular season with 18 goals, 72 assists, and 90 points in 65 games. His 90 points and 72 assists led all WHL defensemen this past season, while his 18 goals were third amongst WHL defensemen. Cagnoni was named to the WHL's U.S. Division First All-Star Team for the 2023-24 campaign and became the first defenseman in the WHL since 1993-94 to record 90 points in a season. In addition, Cagnoni continued his point-per-game scoring pace through the WHL postseason, recording three goals and ten assists for 13 points in 13 postseason games, helping the Winterhawks end their season as league runner-up. 

It was just a matter of time before Luca Cagnoni signed his ELC with the Sharks, and I am hoping and do believe that his torrid scoring pace and two-way play in the WHL will translate to the NHL. Not sure if he will begin or primarily spend next season with the Sharks or Barracuda, but if Luca Cagnoni keeps up his level of play from juniors in the NHL, he will give this Sharks team the extra boost that it desperately needs. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Win 2024 NHL Draft Lottery

 It has finally happened: one of the greatest days in Sharks franchise history and a massive turning point in this team’s rebuild, as the Sharks have been awarded the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. This will also mark the first time in franchise history that the Sharks have won the draft lottery and will get to select first overall in the NHL Draft. 

Heading into this year’s draft lottery, the Sharks had the best odds to land the first overall pick since they finished dead last in the entire league during the 2023-24 season. Although they finished this past season with their third-worst record in franchise history, it was all worth it in the end. The Sharks will have the honor to draft one of their future franchise cornerstone players in Macklin Celebrini, who is the top collegiate prospect this year. It is only fitting that Macklin Celebrini ends up in San Jose, since GM Mike Grier has ties to Boston University, Macklin Celebrini was a former Jr. Shark, and Celebrini’s dad Rick is the vice president of player health and performance for the Golden State Warriors. 

In addition, the Sharks have earned the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2024 first-round selection at 14th overall from the Erik Karlsson trade back in August of last year. No other draft lottery-eligible teams moved from their projected spots in the top 16 picks in this year’s draft. The 2024 NHL Draft will begin June 28 at the Las Vegas Sphere with Round 1, followed by Rounds 2-7 on June 29. 

Before diving into my thoughts, here’s the full draft order for the first 16 picks in 2024: 

1) San Jose Sharks 

2) Chicago Blackhawks 

3) Anaheim Ducks 

4) Columbus Blue Jackets 

5) Montreal Canadiens 

6) Utah Hockey Club 

7) Ottawa Senators 

8) Seattle Kraken 

9) Calgary Flames 

10) New Jersey Devils 

11) Buffalo Sabres 

12) Philadelphia Flyers 

13) Minnesota Wild 

14) San Jose Sharks (From Pittsburgh Penguins) 

15) Detroit Red Wings 

16) St. Louis Blues 

Overall, I am super stoked and over-the-moon thrilled that the Sharks were awarded the first selection of the 2024 draft after the season they just had. The entire process of the draft lottery this year was an emotional roller coaster, and I almost cried tears of joy right as the first selection was awarded to San Jose. However, if somehow the Blackhawks, Utah, or even the Ducks moved up in the lottery and were awarded the first overall pick, I would be disappointed and claim that the NHL rigged the lottery this year, but luckily that wasn’t the case. It was about damn time the Sharks won the draft lottery, and the future of Sharks hockey just got a whole lot brighter. I am absolutely looking forward to the NHL Draft this year and seeing what else is in store for the Sharks this offseason. 

Sources: ESPN, NHL App 

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Sharks Fire Head Coach David Quinn

 The Sharks announced today that they have relieved Head Coach David Quinn of his duties after the Sharks finished dead last in the entire league and with one of their worst seasons in franchise history this past season. 

There have been rumblings about David Quinn's future as the Sharks' head coach in question stemming from the GM Mike Grier end-of-season press conference, and the Sharks front office have finally pulled the trigger on Quinn. David Quinn's tenure as Sharks head coach lasted only for two seasons, compiling a 41-98-25 record and missing the playoffs in both years of his tenure. 

In addition, Head Athletic Trainer Ray Tufts will not return to the Sharks next season, and Forwards Kevin Labanc, Alexander Barabanov, and Mike Hoffman will walk in free agency after each of them had disappointing 2023-24 seasons. 

I initially thought that heading into this offseason, David Quinn would stick around for at least another year of the Sharks rebuild, especially since he had one year left on his contract and Grier seemed patient with him. However, plenty of changes were going to be made between now and the start of next season, and all the ones that have been confirmed so far are absolutely necessary. In fact, I am the most satisfied with Head Coach David Quinn getting fired out of all the changes made thus far. Also, I will not miss Labanc, Barabanov, or Hoffman all that much in teal either. GM Mike Grier will be searching for the Sharks' head coaching replacement this offseason, and I believe their next head coach will be better than David Quinn at further developing this team and helping the Sharks rebound from one of their worst seasons ever.

Sources: San Jose Mercury News 

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My 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Predictions

 Now that the 2023-24 NHL regular season has concluded, it's time to pivot towards the greatest and most exciting playoffs in sports, also known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Although my Sharks aren't in it, my emotional investment in hockey is still very high, and I am absolutely ready for the playoffs to get underway. Like I have done for the past three years, once the playoff match-ups have been officially determined, I enjoy giving my predictions on each series by participating in the league's playoff bracket challenge in a fun post. I present my bracket-style predictions in two forms: one based on what I want to see happen, and the other based on what I think will happen. Due to the nature of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there will be some upsets and series results that most people won't see coming, and I expect that some of my predictions in this post will be wrong. As always, many of you may notice that I want to see some teams go on deep runs and other teams to not perform so well. No need to get upset at me if I go against your team or if my predictions are different than yours.

Without further ado, presenting my 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket predictions, beginning with who I want to see advance followed by who I think will advance and in how many games: 

 

Who I Want to Advance:

First Round

Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Stars

Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche: Avalanche 

Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators: Predators 

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings: Oilers 

Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Lightning 

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Bruins 

New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals: Rangers 

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders: Hurricanes 

Second Round

Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche: Avalanche 

Nashville Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers: Predators 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins: Lightning 

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes: Rangers 

Conference Finals 

Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators: Avalanche 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers: Rangers 

Cup Final

Colorado Avalanche vs. New York Rangers: Rangers

 

Who I Think will Advance + How Many Games: 

First Round

Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Stars in 7

Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche: Avalanche in 6

Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators: Predators in 6

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings: Oilers in 7

Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Panthers in 7

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Bruins in 7

New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals: Rangers in 5

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders: Hurricanes in 6

Second Round

Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche: Stars in 7

Nashville Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers: Oilers in 5

Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins: Panthers in 7

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes: Hurricanes in 7

Conference Finals 

Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers: Stars in 6

Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes: Panthers in 7

Cup Final

Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers: Panthers in 6

Happy Playoffs Season to those who celebrate!

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 82 Recap: Flames 5, Sharks 1 (4/18/24)

 The Sharks conclude their 2023-24 season with a 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. 

Although it didn’t go as terribly as their previous game on Monday in Edmonton, the Sharks were on the wrong side of another one-sided affair in Calgary and were very ready to begin their offseason. The Flames busted the doors wide open to begin both teams’ season finale, scoring five unanswered goals, two in the first period from Adam Klapka and Blake Coleman and three in the second period from Oliver Kylington, Kevin Rooney, and MacKenzie Weegar. After the score became 5-0 Flames early in the second period, Devin Cooley was pulled from the Sharks net in favor of Georgi Romanov for the second consecutive game. Cooley finished his night with 18 saves on 23 shots against, while Romanov stopped all 14 shots he faced in his second-ever NHL game. 

On the flip side, the Sharks narrowly avoided getting shut out with less than ten seconds remaining in regulation, as Fabian Zetterlund scored his team-leading 24th goal of the year, with Mikael Granlund and Collin Graf registering assists on the Sharks’ only goal of this game. With the primary assist on Zetterlund’s 24th goal of the year, Granlund ended his 2023-24 campaign on a 13-game point streak. In addition, Fabian Zetterlund is the only player this season to appear in all 82 games for the Sharks this season, and this game marked the first in NHL history that two Bay Area-native goalies faced off against each other, with the Sharks’ Devin Cooley from Los Gatos and the Flames’ Dustin Wolf from Gilroy. 

In other news, Luke Kunin was named the Sharks’ nominee for the King Clancy Award this season, who has been heavily involved with his LKT1D Foundation benefiting children with Type 1 Diabetes. 

And with that, the Sharks 2023-24 season has finally come to a close, finishing with a 19-54-9 record, good for 47 points and dead last in the entire NHL. I am more relieved than anything that the Sharks’ worst season in recent memory is finally over, and hopefully it all becomes worth it when the Sharks win the draft lottery and the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes next month. Depending on what plays out this offseason for Team Teal, it is only up from here for San Jose hockey. 

Next up, the always thrilling Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, so expect my yearly fun playoff bracket predictions post on this site no later than Saturday afternoon. Thank you for following CPF Hockey all season long, and see you in October for more Sharks game reviews! 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, Sharks Audio Network, Sharks + SAP Center App, NHL App 

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Sharks 2023-24 Game 81 Recap: Oilers 9, Sharks 2 (4/15/24)

 The Sharks drop their next-to-last game of the season in lopsided fashion, a 9-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers. 

 It only took less than a minute into the start of this one for the Oilers to score the first goal by none other than Connor McDavid. Edmonton extended its lead to two about three minutes later on a goal from Adam Henrique. The Oilers weren’t done yet in the first period, scoring two more goals via Warren Foegele and Dylan Holloway to make it 4-0 through one period of play. 

The Sharks scored their first goal of the game early in the second period via Danil Gushchin’s first goal of the year, with the lone assist going to Thomas Bordeleau. The floodgates opened up from there, with the Oilers scoring five more unanswered goals from Warren Foegele, Corey Perry, Cody Ceci, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Hyman. Once it reached 8-1, Devin Cooley was pulled and finished his night with 14 saves on 22 shots against. Georgi Romanov was inserted in the game in relief for Cooley late in the second period, compiling 14 saves on 15 shots against in his NHL debut. On that ninth Oilers goal by Hyman, Connor McDavid registered his 100th assist of the season, becoming only the fourth player in NHL history to accomplish this feat besides Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Mario Lemieux. The Sharks were able to salvage one more goal late in the third period on Fabian Zetterlund’s team-leading 23rd goal of the season during a scramble in the crease to cut their deficit to seven, with assists from William Eklund and Mikael Granlund. This also extends Granlund’s point streak to 12 games, tying a franchise record. 

Prior to this game, the Sharks called up forward Danil Gushchin, defenseman Jack Thompson, and goalie Georgi Romanov from the Barracuda, while Jan Rutta, Kevin Labanc, Mike Hoffman, Filip Zadina, Alexander Barabanov, Jacob MacDonald, and Mackenzie Blackwood didn't travel with the Sharks to Alberta for their final two games of the season due to various injuries, effectively ending their 2023-24 campaigns. In addition, Givani Smith suited up for the Sharks in tonight's game in Edmonton. 

The Sharks travel to Calgary to face the Flames for their final game of the 2023-24 season on Thursday at 6 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App 

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