The San Jose Sharks’ slow start has sparked plenty of questions, and Steve Peters thinks the answers begin in the details of how they defend.
Peters, an NHL video coach for more than two decades, broke down the Sharks’ defensive-zone and forecheck issues with Zubair Jeewanjee and Sheng Peng, pointing to the little windows of time the team is giving opponents. In his view, defending starts with mindset: get on pucks quickly and take away skilled players’ time and space. That extra one-to-two seconds, Peters said, is what’s been hurting San Jose.
He walked through the Quinn Hughes goal against Macklin Celebrini, the confusion around the Hutton goal against the Islanders, the penalty kill, and where he thinks this Sharks team really stands. Peters also addressed how much of the problem falls on the coaching staff, whether the systems fit the roster, and how you can tell when a coach has lost the room.
The discussion also dug into the Sharks’ defensive structure and why the team has landed on its current system. Peters and the hosts looked at whether San Jose has the personnel for a hybrid approach, and whether the staff is asking too much of a group still trying to settle in. Zubair Jeewanjee added that the roster has undergone major turnover, which complicates the evaluation of how much patience the team deserves.
One of the sharper statistical notes came from Zubair, who pointed out San Jose’s lack of second-chance offense. “In terms of rebounds generated, we’re also dead last at 1.76.
Average is 2.58. Rebound goals, we’ve only had two all season.”
He said the fix is more bodies and more patience around the net front, especially for a team that has seen so much personnel change.
The Sharks’ forecheck also came under the microscope, including a look at the 2-1-2 setup and how Eric Pohlkamp tracks his man before floating back into structure. Peters and the hosts also spent time on why the penalty kill has struggled and how that ties back to the broader defensive issues.
From there, the conversation shifted to the quarter-season review. Dan Boyle joined to assess GM Mike Grier, head coach Ryan Warsofsky, Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson and Eric Pohlkamp. Sheng Peng also weighed in on Warsofsky’s development work and Grier’s depth additions, including Nurse, Trouba, Marchment and a Vincent Trocheck what-if.
Boyle offered a look inside the room after the Sharks’ loss to Los Angeles and the players-only meeting that followed. He also stressed the importance of puck poise and slowing the game down, especially for Celebrini and the young core around him.
The episode closed with more on Celebrini’s one-on-one battle with Quinn Hughes, his growth area with the puck, Sam Dickinson’s development and a possible path to PP1, plus impressions of Pohlkamp and the veterans Michael Kesselring, Darnell Nurse and Mason Marchment.
In Other News...
Sharks Hit With Travel Chaos At The Worst Possible Time
A routine travel day turned into a headache for the Sharks when their flight was caught up in a nationwide grounding tied to a communications issue affecting air traffic control. The team was delayed at the airport and eventually had to deplane, an unwelcome interruption for a club trying to keep its schedule intact as it moved on to Utah.
Flights began to resume later in the night, giving San Jose a path to continue its trip after the unexpected stop-and-start. For a team already dealing with the usual grind of the road, the timing of the disruption made it especially inconvenient, even if it now appears the Sharks will still get where they need to go. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Suddenly Have A Live Simon Edvinsson Roster Watch
Simon Edvinssons situation has suddenly turned into one of the more intriguing roster watches around the league, and the Sharks are right in the middle of it. The young defenseman has until Dec. 1 to sign a contract that would let him play in the NHL this season, or he risks sitting out the entire year, which has put Detroit in a difficult spot as it weighs its options.
For San Jose, the wrinkle is obvious: the Sharks have already shown interest, and reports say they made a serious offer that the Red Wings turned down. Boston and Nashville are also in the mix, leaving Detroit to sort through a trade, a short-term contract, or the possibility of Edvinsson staying put and missing the season altogether. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Suddenly Have A New Alex Wennberg Problem
The Sharks are dealing with another Alex Wennberg setback at a time when they can least afford it. The center will miss the upcoming game against the Utah Mammoth because of an upper-body injury, the same issue that already sidelined him earlier this season, and head coach Ryan Warsofsky said the club is managing it with a busy schedule in mind.
For San Jose, the timing is frustrating because Wennberg is in the first year of his contract extension and has already appeared in 11 games this season. His absence leaves the Sharks trying to piece together their lineup again while also keeping an eye on how much they can push him before the schedule eases up. [Read more 🡒]