The Sharks have added many new players this offseason, but are any of them difference makers?
Between trades and free agency, the Sharks have added forwards Adam Gaudette, Philipp Kurashev, Ryan Reaves, and Jeff Skinner, while also addressing the blue line with defensemen John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, and Dmitry Orlov. San Jose also added goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.
Frankly, most of these veterans probably are a little past their prime, so it’s hard to say if any will be difference makers, but each, in small-but-significant ways, can still make an impact.
Per Stathletes, let’s look at some of the underrated ways that the new Sharks can help their new team.
The 6-foot-1 center-winger should be able to add some scoring to the bottom-six with his net front presence and dangerous one-timer.
Gaudette actually led the Ottawa Senators with 16 5-on-5 goals last year, with a team-leading six off the one-timer.
He’s not as adept at passing or carrying the puck, but he should be able to shoot it.
Kurashev, on the other hand, is happy to carry the puck and dish it.
Per Stathletes, in 2023-24, Kurashev’s breakout campaign for the Chicago Blackhawks, he led all forwards in 5-on-5 Successful Passes and Puck Carries Per 60.
This playmaking mentality could make him a nice fit next to shooters Tyler Toffoli, Jeff Skinner, or Gaudette.
Reaves is still one of the NHL’s most-feared enforcersm and should provide a degree of protection for the Sharks’ young guns.
He’s also still a guy who’s likely to come up with the puck along the boards: The 38-year-old led the Toronto Maple Leafs in Puck Battles and Puck Battles Won, suggesting he can still keep up with the league.
The six-time 30-goal scorer still has a gift for getting open.
In limited playing time, the 33-year-old sniper led the Edmonton Oilers in 5-on-5 Cycle Shots Per 60.
What does this look like? Skinner will be trying to get open around the middle of the offensive zone, while his linemates dig for the puck.
Could he score 20 or 30 goals with more playing time on the Sharks? That doesn’t seem far-fetched, considering his track record.
The Sharks will need to pair Skinner with a strong playmaker to maximize his success.
The offensive blueliner can still carry and dish the puck.
During the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, the 32-year-old blueliner was second among defensemen behind kingpin Evan Bouchard in both 5-on-5 Puck Carrys and Successful Passes Per 60.
Don’t count on him to shoot the puck much though, he’s more a playmaker.
The Sharks are hoping for a renaissance campaign from the oft-injured former star, and his work during the post-season suggests that it could happen.
Leddy, 34, struggled with the St. Louis Blues last year, but before that, he was a top-four stalwart.
Two areas where the smooth-skating 6-foot-0 defenseman declined last year?
The banged-up veteran won a blueline-low 37.7 percent of his 5-on-5 Puck Battles last year. He was just fifth in Zone Entry Attempts.
Compare that to a healthy 2023-24, when he won a robust 66.4 percent of his Puck Battles and was third in Zone Entry Attempts.
Some improvement in both areas will go a long way for the Sharks.
The Sharks haven’t had a defenseman like Orlov in a while.
He actually led a deep Carolina Hurricanes blueline in 5-on-5 Offensive Zone Possession Time Per 60: The two-way defenseman should help the Sharks to sustain OZ time, a glaring weakness for San Jose since they traded Erik Karlsson.
In the last two seasons, the Sharks have been dead-last in the NHL in OZ Possession Time, “one-and-done” being an appropriate adjective for their pop gun offensive attack.
Orlov should help keep the puck cycle alive, which should free up shooters like Toffoli and company.
It’s a small sample size, but last year, Nedeljkovic and his Pittsburgh Penguins battery mate Tristan Jarry had the worst 5-on-5 Rush Shot Save % in the league.
So it’s incumbent on a veteran Sharks’ blueline and developing forward group to improve their OZ puck possession time, puck management in all zones, and kill more plays at the blueline, so not to expose Nedeljkovic in the same way.
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