8.29.2008
Giving the scouts their due
Astute drafting and prolific player development has been the livelihood of success for the San Jose Sharks. Historically hesitant to dish out large contracts to big name free-agents, the Sharks have relied on their scouting staff to accumulate most of the teams talent. The current core of players on the Sharks roster can be attributed to the teams' scouting staff. Players like Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, and Joe Pavelski where all draft day finds by the Sharks scouting staff, while others like Joe Thornton could've never been acquired via trade if it wasn't for the abundance of depth in the system that the scouts where responsible for compiling.

San Jose's scouting staff is a unique and talented group. Most teams in the NHL employ nearly a dozen scouts and strictly regionalize each individuals scouting efforts. Not the Sharks though, they only have nine scouts and all of them are asked to cover an expansive territory and multiple levels of hockey. One of the staffs' strengths is their continuity, as their staff is increasingly interactive with one another which aides in their ability to work in unison. More is demanded out of the Sharks scouts than from any others in the league in terms of both travel and decision making. Most NHL General Managers like to trade down at the draft and accumulate as many picks as possible in hopes to cover their tracks. Not Doug Wilson, he forces the Sharks scouts to be decisive and trades up to secure the talent that the scouts covet. The scouts often cross reference each other and it is not uncommon to see multiple Sharks scouts at major events when other teams only have one representing their staff.

The Sharks scouting staff is well respected amongst its peers and they have established themselves as being among the leagues' elite in terms of finding talent. Being the master mind behind all of the Sharks scouting endeavors, Director of Scouting Tim Burke is regarded as one of the games' most brilliant identifiers of talent. Burke has been with the Sharks organization for 16 years now and has been their chief scout for 12 of those. He's a charismatic individual with an Eastern accent that is known for his particular scouting expertise in the Massachusetts region. Burke is the principal decision-maker on draft day and travels the globe watching all levels of hockey. He's known for flying in for a day to catch a game and then being back on a plane later that night off to another state or country to catch another game.

With the Sharks only employing one full-time scout in Europe, Burke has his work cut out for him and is one of the NHL's most expansive scouts. His role continues to increase within the Sharks organization and is arguably the most single important individual of the Sharks management team. Doug Wilson consults with Tim Burke on everything and is responsible for the majority of the Sharks success over the years.

Under Tim Burke is a collection of veteran scouts that have a proven track-record of finding talent. Joining Tim Burke in the Eastern United States is Jack Gardiner, who has 28 years of scouting experience under his belt, four of those with San Jose. It has been Gardiner's recent efforts that have produced players like Torrey Mitchell and prized prospects such as Steven Zalewski.

Scouts Pat Funk and Rob Grillo are in charge of covering the Mid-Western United States and Canada for the Sharks. Funk has been with the Sharks since inception in 1991 and is responsible for draft day gems such as Joe Pavelski. He's based out of Minnesota where he scouts local High School Hockey, the USHL, NCAA, and he also heads to Western Canada to scout the WHL where he has had success finding players such as Scott Hannan.

Grillo is the son of former Sharks General Manager Chuck Grillo and is viewed by many around the league as an up and coming scouting extraordinaire. Rob is based out of Detroit, Michigan where he is in charge of scouting Ontario and the United States Mid-Western Junior Leagues and Colleges. It is evident that Tim Burke is grooming the young Grillo, as like Burke, Grillo is asked by the Sharks to travel the world and give his ceil of approval on certain prospects. Grillo's paw-prints where all over the Devin Setoguchi selection in 2005, even though that wasn't a territory that he was directly responsible for.

Brian Gross, a twelve year veteran with the San Jose Sharks, also scouts Western Canada and the United States. He works directly with Pat Funk in that region and he too has been responsible for the Sharks' success drafting out of the WHL. Filling out the North American scouting staff is Gilles Cote, an 8 year veteran with the Sharks that is in charge of scouting the Quebec region and Eatern Ontario. Gilles has been the man behind the selections of players such as Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Steve Bernier.

The lone European based scout for the Sharks is Karel Masopust, who has scouted all European leagues for the Sharks since 1993. Masopust puts an extra emphasis on Eastern Europe with Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovakia being his main stomping grounds. He has been the man behind the Sharks German invasion and picks such as Milan Michalek, Marco Sturm, and Christian Ehrhoff.

This summer the Sharks lost two of their scouts, both at the professional level. Sean Coady served as the teams Director of Professional Scouting since 2006, but left this year to coach at Brown University. Professional Scout Cap Raeder served with the Sharks for 11 years, but left this summer to be an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be interesting to see if the Sharks hire any new scouts this year, because currently they now possess no full-time professional scouts. Professional scouts are in charge of tracking the progress of players in the NHL, AHL, and all other minor leagues. They are directly behind any trades the Sharks maneuver and it's a void in the organization that must be filled.

Potentially filling that hole is former Sharks defenseman Bryan Marchment, who spent last-season getting his feet wet in his first year of scouting for San Jose. Marchment was responsible for scouting all of the Sharks prospects and directly helping them with their development through on and off-ice sessions. The Sharks could be grooming Marchment for a role in the Professional Scouting department.

Graeme Townshend and Paul Fink also deserve credit for San Jose's ability to draft and develop young talent. Townshend is entering his fourth season with the Sharks and is regarded as their skating guru. He is their skating coach and has the ability to identify players' technical skating flaws and is responsible for improving their strides. Townshend is consulted on every player the Sharks draft for his ability to project their potential to improve on their mobility. He's also hands-on with each players development and is an integral part of all of the Sharks summer development camps.

Fink is the Manager of Hockey Technology for the Sharks and is responsible for providing the entire staff with video footage of any prospect that they want to see. If a Sharks scout wants game tape of any player in the world, it's Fink's job to go film it himself. After Fink films a scout video of a player, it is entered into a database where all of the Sharks scouting staff can view it instantly. This allows every scout in the organization to see a player even if they are not from their region of the world and improves the Sharks ability to dissect what makes each player tick heading into draft day.

Director of Hockey Operations Joe Will has been with the Sharks since its inception in 1990 and while he is mostly responsible for salary cap management, he has been seen at rinks with other Sharks scouts combing the world for talent. Former Shark Mike Ricci is the Advisor of Hockey Operations and he too has been seen scouting at the professional level.

The Sharks scouting staff is a fearless and savvy group that is never afraid to go against conventional wisdom. They make a living out of selecting players much higher than where draft prognosticators projected and yet come away with steals. The most difficult aspect of a player to scout is hockey sense, a trait that the Sharks value greatly and have an expertise in identifying.

Recently the Sharks have shown a few trends in their scouting efforts. They have tended to shy away from Europeans under the new CBA and haven't selected a Russian prospect since 1996. The Sharks have feasted off of the United States Collegiate system, especially on players from the Eastern United States. Recognizing their ability to draft and develop NHL caliber goaltenders, the Sharks have drafted an abundance of goaltenders recently while other staffs are afraid to take the plunge on drafting the position. Doug Wilson is known for being one of the most active General Manager's at draft day and routinely trades up to get the players the scouts covet. Valuing hockey sense and character in players the most, the Sharks have been able to avoid first-round busts and have been able to secure late round gems such as Joe Pavelski and Ryan Clowe.

Sharks fans have taken the exceptional work of these scouts for granted for far too long. Most of us have become spoiled by their consistently splendid work and fail to recognize their importance to this franchise. They go above and beyond their call of duty, and can be counted on to keep this franchise healthy with a competitive team for years to come.

Posted by MaxGiese

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8.28.2008
GJ Berg: A month around the hockey world
Due to technical difficulties I've been unable to post news for more than a month, so here's a brief catch up.
Sharks news

Sharks re-sign Brad Staubitz, Marcel Goc, Tom Cavanagh, Riley Armstrong, Mike Morris, Ryane Clowe, Lukas Kaspar, and sign free agents Brendan Buckley, Cory Larose, Matt Kinch, Brett Westgarth, Ryan Vesce. Prospects Timo Pielmeier and Tyson Sexsmith are signed to entry level deals (although they'll probably play in juniors for another season). Draftees Brian O'Hanley, Derek MacIntyre become free agents. Marc-Edouard Vlasic signs four year extension.

Sharks announce new members to fill out coaching staff: Assistant Coaches Trent Yawney, Jay Woodcroft and Todd Richards; plus goalie development coach Corey Schwab. Mike Ricci gets a title change to player development coach.


And in the "former" Sharks transactions: scout (and former assistant/head coach) Cap Raeder signs with Tampa Bay as Assistant Coach (under Barry Melrose); Brennan Evans signs with Anaheim; Curtis Brown signs two year deal with Kloten Flyers (Switzerland); David McDonald retires from professional play (after one season); Dan Spang, Jonathan Tremblay sign with AHL Quad Cities; Grant Stevenson signs with NHL Atlanta; Rob Davison signs with Vancouver; Alyn McCauley retires and gets assistant coaching job at Queen's University in Ontario, scout Sean Coady gets assistant coaching job with Brown University.

Sharks held their summer development camp in mid-July. Included amongst the campers were a coach and two players from the China Sharks; here's a video on the SJ Sharks involvement with the China Sharks filmed in Oakland.

NHL.com wrote a fine article on the Sharks prospects.

Logan Couture and Tyson Sexsmith participated in Team Canada World Juniors camp. Meanwhile, Nick Petrecki has an invite for the Team USA camp.

Original (majority) owner George Gund to be inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations!

Doug Wilson went to Scotland the first week of August with a few other GMs to spend some time on the links. That trip may lead to a trade before the start of camp.

Sharks begin to gear up for camp by releasing a preliminary roster of participants for the Rookie Camp. And have invited former Shark Jeff Freisen to camp on a try out basis.

NHL news
Yahoo Sports Ross McKeon (former beat writer for the Sharks) has a nice summary article of what's been happening this off season.

The issues between the NHL and KHL (new Continental Hockey League in Russia) continue to develop. Here's a good article that summarizes many of the issues and some mid-July developments. And another article.

Even into August the sparks continue to fly. And the NHL and NHLPA are at odds regarding draftees who may not sign with their NHL teams in the era of no transfer agreement.

Rumors continue to surround Anaheim GM Brian Burke's future. Will he re-sign with Anaheim, will he head to Toronto. Here's an update.

Ah, the perks of being Stanley Cup Champs. AT&T puts them on the cover of local (Detroit) phone books. Follow the adventures of the Red Wings with the Cup in the Stanley Cup Journal (updated twice a week, so check back).

ESPN's Scott Burnside publishes his summer power rankings. (Sharks are #2 in the west.) In August, USA Today's Kevin Allen releases his summer power rankings (Sharks are also #2 in west).

Long time Detroit advisor Scotty Bowman jumps ship to take advisor to hockey operations position with Chicago. The NHL commemorated the 20th anniversary of Wayne Gretzky's trade to Los Angeles. Minor tweaks to goalie equipment for the upcoming season. 2008 Lester Patrick recipients announced. USA Hockey announces Hall of Fame inductees, including the first woman player, Cammi Granato.

Celebrating Reg Dunlop (and Paul Newman who portrayed him).


Posted by GJ Berg

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8.27.2008
Marc-Edouard Vlasic receives 4 year extension
Marc-Edouard Vlasic and the San Jose Sharks have agreed to a four-year contract extension. Vlasic will earn approximately $3 million per season. Vlasic had 2 goals and 14 points this past year after compiling 3 goals and 26 points in his rookie season. The 21 year old Montreal, Quebec native was selected by the Sharks 35th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Vlasic became the youngest Sharks defenseman to make the team out of training camp since Brad Stuart in 1999-00 and was named the Sharks Rookie of the Year in 2006-2007.

This is an astute signing by Doug Wilson, as not only does he secure the Sharks best shut-down defender for the long term, he also locks up a very young and steady defenseman below market value. Vlasic combines his brilliant hockey sense with deceptive strength to emerge as a formidable defenseman capable of neutralizing the opposition's top offensive threats on a nightly basis. He did an admirable job filling the void left by Scott Hannan last year and can play over 20 minutes a night. Vlasic also possesses an understated skill-set and is capable of adding more offense to his repratoire as he matures.

Captain's Ice Updates
Two new faces where at captain's ice today, as the players continue to get ready for training-camp on September 20th. San Jose Sharks center and first-round pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft Marcel Goc made his captain's ice debut today. Also, let the Bret Hedican rumors pick back up, as the veteran of 16 NHL seasons joined the group today on the ice. This could indicate potential interest from the Sharks or it could just mean that Hedican is getting back in shape in case another NHL team comes calling. Hedican himself stated that the Sharks have not invited him to training-camp at this time.

Posted by MaxGiese

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10 Pre-Season Questions and Answers
With camp less then a month away, let's look at the top ten issues surrounding the team that will be the difference between a Stanley cup or another early playoff exit.

1. Will the special teams be better?
Yes. The power play was dismal and predictable last-season before Brian Campbell arrived and it struggled mightily in the playoffs. The teams penalty kill was exceptional last season statistically, but that had more to do with the stellar play of Evgeni Nabokov then actual team defense and it too crumbled in the playoffs. Todd McLellan is a mastermind of offensive creativity and will fully harness the offensive talent on this team to craft a productive power play. Torrey Mitchell emerged as a penalty killing dervish last season and Mike Grier is expected to have a bounce back season. Anticipate Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Milan Michalek to see more time on the penalty kill this year and for Marcel Goc to regain his footing as a valued penalty killer.

2. Is Marcel Goc going to have a rebound season?
Yes. It can't get much worse for Goc after last season's 5 goal and 8 point performance in only 51 games. Especially considering the fact that as a rookie Goc compiled 8 goals and 22 points while only missing one game. For now, Goc is stuck behind Thornton, Marleau, and Mitchell on the depth chart. But, he's a deceptively skilled and savvy two-way center that will receive minutes on the penalty kill and be utilized in key face-off situations.

3. Will Milan Michalek balance the offensive attack by living up to his potential?
Yes. Milan Michalek's physical gifts are enormous and it never hurts to have an innate chemistry with one of the leagues best play makers in Joe Thornton. Everybody, not just Milan, struggled last season to produce under the suffocating coaching style of Ron Wilson. Expect Todd McLellan to find a way to fully harness this big and powerful skating horse, and Michalek to have his first 30 goal season.

4. Can Joe Pavelski improve on his breakout season?
Yes. Expect Pavelski to improve on his 19 goals and 40 points from last-season. For the first time in his career, Pavelski should be entrenched in the top-six forward group for the entire year and will receive plenty of power play time. The Wisconsin native has the exceptional hockey-sense and hand skill to push the 60 point plateau.

5. Will Lukas Kaspar make the team out of camp?
Yes. With Patrick Rissmiller, Tomas Plihal, and Curtis Brown gone with no additions made up front during the off-season, the door is open for Lukas Kaspar to make this team. He was the teams last cut a year ago and after three full seasons in the AHL, Kaspar is physically ready for the NHL. Jody Shelley should not be in the line-up every night and Kaspar would provide a boost of skill on the left-wing. The fact that he would need to clear waivers to be sent back to the AHL pretty much cements his fate of making this team out of camp.

6. Will Brian Boucher help lighten the load on Nabokov this year by getting more starts?
Yes. Boucher was very effective in goal for the Sharks last season after being acquired at the trade deadline. He can be trusted to perform in 15-20 games this year and will allow Nabokov to be rested both physically and mentally come playoff time.

7. Will the Michalek-Thornton-Cheechoo line be kept together?
Yes and No. Coach Todd McLellan had success putting Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on a line together in Detroit, and will experiment with doing the same in San Jose with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The combination was auditioned under Ron Wilson and was effective in certain situations, such as when the team needed an offensive spark or on the power play. But, on a nightly basis Michalek is the player manning the left-wing on Thornton's line. Michalek and Thornton have a synergy playing with one another and Michalek brings a defensive presence to the line. It also helps spread the scoring around, as Marleau is the only player besides Thornton on this roster capable of carrying a line offensively.

8. Did Doug Wilson upgrade the defensive corps?
Yes. The Sharks lost Brian Campbell via free-agency and traded both Matt Carle and Craig Rivet. They are replaced by Stanley Cup winners Brian Boyle, Rob Blake, and Brad Lukowich. Brian Boyle replaces Brian Campbell and while Campbell is the better skater of the two, Boyle has a better shot. Blake will bring a physical presence, a booming point shot, and replace the leadership lost in Craig Rivet's departure. Lukowich will bring the lunch pale mentality that was missing last season. Losing two talented and young defenseman in Matt Carle and Ty Wishart to acquire Boyle could hurt in the long-run, but the time is now for the Sharks and Doug Wilson improved this teams group of defenseman this off-season.

9. Is this the year Ryan Clowe breaks out?
Yes. Ryan Clowe will become the Sharks version of Johan Franzen under coach Todd McLellan and emerge as one of the conferance's better two-way power forwards capable of scoring goals. Expect Clowe to receive more time on the power play this season, where he will be planted infront of the net, expected to screen the goalie and clean up the trash.

10. Will Jonathan Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau average at least a point a game?
Yes. Last season was no more then an aberation for both Marleau and Cheechoo. Both of these players have proven themselves in the past to be dynamic talents capable of putting up big numbers and are still in the prime of their careers. Cheechoo is at full health this year and Marleau will benefit from not having to deal with the off-ice distractions he suffered from last season.

Captain's Ice Update
Evgeni Nabokov has been on the ice goaltending the sessions and has impressed with his glove hand. And, what of that young Tikhonov? The son of former Sharks assistance coach Vasily Tikhonov was selected by the Phoenix Coyotes' in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He's been skating with the Sharks at captain's ice and Sharkspage learned that Viktor has a verbal understanding with coach Wayne Gretzsky that during his Entry-Level-Contract he will either play for the Coyotes or play back home in Russia.

Posted by MaxGiese

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8.26.2008
Potential rookies in the Sharks line-up
Forwards

Steven Zalewski -- The New Hartford, New York native is following similar foot steps as current San Jose Sharks' Torrey Mitchell and Joe Pavelski. Like the two mentioned Sharks' forwards, Zalewski is a mature two-way center coming out of the NCAA that now has a strong AHL audition under his belt. He followed a career high 21 goal senior season at Clarkson with scoring 2 goals and 4 assists for a total of 6 points in 7 games in his brief stint at the end of the year with the Worcester Sharks. Zalewski is a bulky and sturdy 6-0 195 pound forward that plays with a feisty mean streak every night. He's also a crafty offensive threat with a hard shot and resourceful play making game. Zalewski can step into the Sharks' line-up immediately and perform in any role asked by the new coaching staff thanks his versatility, fearless attitude, and sharp hockey mind.

Tom Cavanagh -- Cavanagh was drafted 182nd overall in 2001 and made his NHL debut this past season. He played in one game, posting one assist and a plus-1 rating against the Los Angeles Kings. In Worcester, Cavanagh set career highs in goals (19), assists (36), and points (55) in this third season in the AHL. He's already a mature 26 year old that has the ability to play both center and on the left wing. Cavanagh is a low-maintenance player with strong hockey-sense and decent vision of the ice. He's not a high-end skilled player, but his polished defensive play and professional approach to the game make him dependable depth forward.

Lukas Kaspar -- The Sharks selected the 22-year-old Czech with the 22nd overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. It's possible That Kaspar, who is 6-2 200 pounds, will be on the Sharks' opening night line-up. If he doesn't, it will be interesting to see if the Sharks make him a healthy scratch on their NHL roster or send him back to the AHL where he has already played for three full seasons now. Kaspar had 41 points in 73 games in the AHL last season. He established career highs in points and goals by lighting the lamp 17 times. A talented left-winger that is physically ready for the NHL, Kaspar remains enigmatic and in need of finding some consistency in his game. His shot is heavy and his mobility is swift for a big man, however he needs to put his physical gifts together soon and begin to emerge as the NHL winger the Sharks envisioned him to be when they used a first-round pick on him. Kaspar is a bubble player that with a strong training camp could find himself on the Sharks' roster out of training camp and could flourish in the NHL if he brings his A game to the table every night.

Riley Armstrong -- The brother of Atlanta forward Colby Armstrong, the 23-year-old finished with 34 points in 64 games this past season, his fourth in the American Hockey League. Armstrong, who is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, brings intensity and aggressiveness to the ice for every shift. He is a pugnacious agitator with a decent shot and speed. The Sharks also like Armstrong for his character and bubbly presence in the locker-room. If Armstrong is to play for San Jose this season, it would be in no more than a fourth line role.

Matt Jones -- At age 22, Jones is late bloomer that is beginning to come into his own after going un-drafted years ago. He finished his second season in Merrimack with 22 points and 15 goals in 34 games after registering 6 points in 32 games during 2006-07. Jones, who had 3 points and 2 goals in 7 games with the Worcester Sharks last-season, will likely be back with Worcester again due to the glut of wingers on the San Jose roster and so he can receive top-line minutes in the AHL during his first-full season of pro hockey. He is highly regarded for his rare combination of size, speed, and scoring ability down the wing along with his personable character in the locker-room.

Defenseman

Derek Joslin -- A rising member of the 2005 Draft class, Joslin was arguably the best defenseman for the Worcester Sharks of the AHL this past season. He is expected to be the Sharks first defenseman called up this season. Joslin, a fifth-round selection (No. 149) who is known as a smart and skilled two-way blue liner, had 34 points on 10 goals and 24 assists in a full AHL season of 80 games. He is on an upward development curve and is coming faster than initially expected. Joslin is dependable in his own zone and is also a poised puck-moving defenseman that can play on the power play. He's a versatile defenseman that continues to upgrade all-facets of his game and is seemingly a lock to make his NHL debut this season if any of the Sharks' top seven defenseman fall to injury or struggle at any point during the season.

Mike Moore -- Moore has played the last four seasons for Princeton of the ECAC, but made his AHL debut this past April, playing in 3 games for the Worcester Sharks while accumulating 16 pims. The 23 year old defenseman put together a fine season at Princeton with 7 goals and 17 assists in 34 games this past season. Moore is a physical and mobile defenseman that also possesses a healthy element of offense to his on-ice repertoire. He's a bone rattling open-ice hitter that isn't opposed to dropping the gloves and sending a message through the physical game. Moore can also bring it with the puck on his blade and his brief taste of professional hockey last season could have him poised to make a charge at the Sharks line-up this season. Similar to Jim Fahey in 2002, Moore could surprise with a rapid accention up the Sharks depth chart.

Goaltenders

Thomas Greiss -- Greiss is seen as a future No. 1 goalie in the NHL because of his excellent athleticism, work-ethic, and poise under pressure. Entering his third professional season of hockey in North America, Greiss is expected to carry the reigns as the starter in Worcester for the majority of the 2008-2009 season. He will benefit from the year-long presence of Brian Boucher in San Jose, as it will provide him with the stability that he was absent of last year in an up-and-down sophomore campaign that saw him make his NHL debut against Anaheim. Greiss is the next in line of prominent NHL goaltenders to come out of the San Jose development system and while he is expected to spend the majority of the year in Worcester, the Sharks' can rest easy if either of their goaltenders fall to injury because Greiss is nearing NHL ready.



Posted by MaxGiese

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