Erik Karlsson

Marc-Edouard Vlasic Season Preview

And then there was one. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is the last piece of the San Jose Sharks high-priced defense. With Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson being traded since General Manager Mike Grier took over in July of 2022, Vlasic is now the Sharks’ highest-paid defenseman on the blue line. While his recent on-ice performance has not […]

Henry Thrun Season Preview

Henry Thrun has all the makings of a 1,000-game NHL player. The former Captain of the Harvard Crimson men’s ice hockey team looks like he has spent years in the NHL despite playing eight career NHL games last season. Thrun, a former 2019 fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, made it clear to Anaheim that […]

The Proof Will Have to Be in the Pudding for the Blueshirts

The Metropolitan Division is going to be one to be reckoned with this upcoming season. The Carolina Hurricanes, last year’s division winners, are always a great team, even though they have struggled in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They are strong at all three positions and have one of the best coaches in the league in […]

Nikolai Knyzhov Season Preview

The beauty of hockey lies in its raw intensity, where players endure physical clashes and mental battles while crafting a mesmerizing dance of strategy and skill on the ice. San Jose Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov is one player who embodies that beauty. Signed in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Russia, the six-foot-two […]

Mario Ferraro Season Preview

When the San Jose Sharks downturn started in the 2019-2020 season, one player encapsulated hope for the franchise: Mario Ferraro. He was a plucky rookie defenseman who gave it all his every shift. Fans gravitated to Ferraro’s style of play, and looked like a player who could help get the franchise on track the next […]

Kyle Burroughs Season Preview

Mike Grier found a solid defenseman last offseason when he signed Matt Benning; this offseason, he looked to go two-for-two with the addition of Kyle Burroughs. The former seventh-round pick by the New York Islanders spent the last two seasons playing with the Vancouver Canucks. Last season, Burroughs played 48 games for the Canucks where […]

Matt Benning Season Preview

Matt Benning was one of Mike Grier’s first signings last season, and he looks to be a very underrated signing by Grier. Benning signed a four-year deal worth $5 million ($1.25m AAV) on the first day of free agency in 2021. In his first season with the San Jose Sharks, Benning had a career-high in […]

Three Big Questions Surrounding the Sharks Forwards

The San Jose Sharks enter this season with several questions in their forward group. After doing a player-by-player preview of the upcoming season, several of the same questions kept popping up for the Sharks. Which Rehab Project Works Out? When saddled with a bad team, Mike Grier did what a good General Manager should do. […]

Reilly Smith hoisting the Stanley Cup after winning game 5 at T-Mobile Arena

Where Does Smith Fit?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made many changes to their roster throughout this offseason—acquiring the likes of Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves while also losing key pieces such as Jason Zucker and Jeff Petry. Many people are speculating what the new lines will look like and are wondering where each new player will fit. So, with […]

Nico Sturm Season Preview

When Mike Grier was hired last season, one of his first moves in free agency was signing center Nico Sturm. Sturm was coming off winning a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche after being traded from the Minnesota Wild. Sturm had played a fourth-line role for the Avalanche. In the thirteen playoff games Sturm suited […]