2023 Offseason

Eklund-Hertl-Zadina
Barabanov-Couture-Duclair
Zetterlund-Sturm-Kunin
Peterson-Bordeleau-Smith

Should be locked in top 3 pick if EK65 deal gets done

Good signing. First round pick betting on himself to turn his career around.

Zadina had 5 million dollar contract and he burnt it to get 1 mil in SJ. Very ballsy move. Detroit fans say he’s likable but not much about upside…. He never had good deployment to succeed there

Thomas Greiss has announced his retirement at the age of 37.
Greiss played in parts of 14 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, putting up a 162-130-37 record with a 0.911 SV% and 2.77 GAA.

Getting a kick outta seeing the Canes there with the Pens as the top suitors for EK65. And then the fans loving the idea of Karlsson with Burns.

Did anyone notice that is was tried and didn’t exactly go as expected for a few years?

Evander Kane has stepped down from the Hockey Diversity Alliance due to the belief that individuals within the group were using it to push personal agendas.

Not a good look if true


San Jose Sharks forward Martin Kaut decided to return home instead of signing a contract with the San Jose Sharks.



The Czech native will play for HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga.



Kaut played nine games at the NHL level with San Jose and had five points. He was productive and utilized his speed. He also got to play with fellow countryman Tomas Hertl for a bit.



On July 6, while Sharks development camp was going on, the announcement came that Kaut signed with Pardubice.


Yesterday a report from a Czechia news outlet, iDNES, did a story about Kaut and what went wrong with San Jose.



*NOTE: All Martin Kaut quotes are translated from Czech to English. Quotes have been made as clear as possible.*



The report says that while Kaut was in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda, coaches would say to him, "Fight, and you will be in the NHL."



The report asked Kaut if he was forced to fight.



"One of the coaches chose an opponent for me before each match, and I was supposed to fight with him," Kaut said. "I remember how he once pointed to Adam Klapka."



Klapka currently plays for the Calgary Wranglers and is a fellow Czech. Klapka is listed at 6'8, 236 lbs on elite prospects. Kaut is 6'2 190 lbs, but fighting anyone 6'8 is at a disadvantage.



"They say that's why I don't play [in the] NHL," Kaut said about if he refused. "I've had three concussions and an injured shoulder twice. If I had fought with the ones he was picking on me, I would have been beaten and injured. He forced me into fights anyway, and it really bothered me. I would fight for a good reason. It gets heated when the match is sold out or when you're defending a teammate. But fighting someone just like that? I should be on the ice from the goals."


The head coach of the Barracuda, John McCarthy, spoke to the media during development camp about the departure of Kaut.



"I don't know a whole lot about the situation, to be honest with you," McCarthy said on July 6. "He was great when he was with us. [He] worked hard. Obviously, we got him in the trade and thought he did some good things. [He] showed an ability to score. But you know, it's his decision."

McCarthy didn't indicate that there was any riff between Kaut and the coaching staff.



"I thought about it on the flight home. It's possible. I don't know," Kaut said on if he would've played in the NHL if he had fought. "I told them this during exit interviews. I played against them for five years; they know me, and I never fought. Why are they asking me to do this all of a sudden?"



Kaut also explained the possible reason why they supposedly asked him to fight.

"They said they wanted to get something more out of me. Maybe I made a mistake, but I don't think the fights decided if I was going to be in the NHL. [Fights] are on the decline in hockey," Kaut said. "Plus, you didn't feel like we were a team at Sharks Farm. Each of the young people played on their own. Guys, I won't fight for you."



The last sentence sticks out as one goal for Barracuda GM Joe Will, was to bring veteran leadership to a young squad. Although Kaut is 23 years old, he has been in the NHL/AHL for the past five seasons.

Kaut explained his decision to return home was because the San Jose Sharks offered him a two-way contract. Kaut explained that he was okay with it but wanted to make more money at the AHL level.



Ultimately, the San Jose Sharks and Kaut couldn't agree, and Kaut decided to go back to Czechia. The Sharks still retain his signing rights, but based on this news report, it sounds like getting him back in teal next season could be challenging.



The San Jose Sharks have issued this statement in regard to the comments by Kaut:



“We have been made aware of comments attributed to Martin Kaut stating that he was pressured to deliberately instigate a physical engagement with opposing players on the ice. Let us be unequivocally clear that no such direction was ever given or insinuated by the members of the Sharks or Barracuda coaching or hockey staffs.”

Alex Galchenyuk is entering the NHL and NHLPA's player assistance program after being arrested last week, sources told ESPN, and has apologized to police for his "deeply disrespectful and despicable behavior."



Galchenyuk was arrested on July 9 in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a hit and run incident that resulted in the Arizona Coyotes terminating his contract just 13 days after signing the 29-year-old as a free agent

According to the police report, Galchenyuk made violent threats to officers after apparently crashing a car into a sign. The report said Galchenyuk used racial slurs toward an officer-in-training several times and cited his connections in Russia while not cooperating.



"One phone call and you're all dead, your whole family, your blood line is dead," Galchenyuk told officers, according to the report.



Galchenyuk reached out to four Scottsdale police officers via a letter sent through a prosecutor, which was obtained by ESPN, to apologize, saying he knows he has "a long road ahead of me."

via the Seattle Kraken,

After leading his team to a 100-point season, an inaugural playoff berth, and the first ever defeat of a Stanley Cup champion by a team making their post-season debut, the Kraken announced Wednesday that they are extending the contract of head coach, Dave Hakstol.

"We believe we are heading in the right direction with Dave as our head coach and it was important to show that confidence with this contract extension," said Ron Francis, General Manager of the Seattle Kraken. "Dave and his staff have done a great job of creating a close-knit, team-first mindset in our locker room and their work ethic helps set the tone for our team. Dave helped guide this team to a 40-point improvement and was a Jack Adams finalist for coach of the year. That recognition is well deserved."