Erik Karlsson

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 […]

Penguins: Projecting the Outcome of Training Camp

Penguins training camp starts very soon, and this off-season will officially end. The Penguins made a bit of a surprising move yesterday, signing forward Colin White to a professional tryout offer. He is the second player (fourth overall) to be signed to a PTO for camp. Dubas has made it known this off-season that he […]

Ryan Graves on the ice versus the New York Rangers

Player Profile: Ryan Graves

As the offseason came into view for the Pittsburgh Penguins after the 2022-23 season, one of the many issues that needed to be addressed was that of the blue line. Pittsburgh’s defense for the majority of the past season was both inconsistent and injured, and while some of these issues were out of the control […]

Kevin Labanc Season Preview

Kevin Labanc is the San Jose Sharks version of The Rorschach test. The analytics say he is good, but there is a reason that David Quinn is the third straight coach to have Labanc in his proverbial doghouse. As Kevin Labanc starts his eighth season in the NHL, what has he established himself as? Early […]

Penguins Possibly Not Done Signing PTOs

The Penguins signed three players to professional tryout offers this week, and he may not be done adding. It’s now officially September, and training camp is only weeks away. For the Pens, there will be a few different entertaining roster battles to watch. There are a few different notable players who have not been signed […]

Mike Hoffman Season Preview

Forever Shark Mike Hoffman will finally make his San Jose Sharks debut this season. Hoffman spent a whole two hours with the Sharks in June 2018 after being acquired by the Ottawa Senators, where he was teammates with Erik Karlsson. He was then sent to the Florida Panthers for a handful of picks, including a […]