San Jose Sharks, Mike Grier could model reconstruction after Anaheim Ducks

San Jose – After three consecutive years to be at the bottom or near the bottom of the NHL classification, San Jose Sharks recognize the need to make improvements for next season. The only question is how.

Perhaps one of their rivals in southern California could serve as an example.

The Ducks of Anaheim finished in 32nd and last place in 2022-23 and 30th last season during their first year under the coach Greg Cronin. But with the influx and maturation of certain larger and younger players, the addition of a few veterans and a tighter defense overall, the Ducks, after the 4-3 Tuesday victory on the Honda Center Sharks, have a record of 33-33-8 and are in progress to finish with just over 80 points.

This is not enough to bring the Ducks into the playoffs, but this would represent a spectacular improvement compared to the 59 points of last year.

Sharks have this kind of increase in mind for next season. Currently, it seems that San Jose will finish this year with between 54 and 58 points and will be in 31st or 32nd place.

Asked in January in January where he sees the classification of Sharks next season, the director general Mike Grier said: “If as a management staff, if we can add parts, then we hope, this time next year, we are talking more about being-maybe we are not sellers, not necessarily that we will be buyers-but perhaps there are more discussions on the race, takes place in the period. “

Now this is the way the sharks are coming.

Anaheim will be eliminated mathematically from affirmations of the playoffs in a short time. However, the Ducks mark a little more than last year, abandon less and seem to have the membership of their list.

“The guys took very big steps this year,” said Ducks winger Mason Mctavish, who scored the only goal of the shooting. “It’s fun to watch, it’s fun to be part, and I hope we keep it.”

Like the Sharks, the Ducks have several key parts which are 24 and less, which is understandable because Anaheim wrote in the top 10 for six consecutive years.

This group includes attackers MCTAVISH, LEO Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Trevor Zegras, as well as defenders Jackson Lacombe, Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov.

Over the past two years, the Ducks have also benefited from the addition of veterans like striker Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano and defenders Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas to stabilize the team.

The goalkeeper has also improved, Lukas Dostal and John Gibson, before Tuesday, combining for a percentage of .908 stops this season. Last season, these two combined for a brand of .894. Before Tuesday, the Ducks granted 3.12 goals per game, much better than the 3.57 they abandoned last season.

Against the Sharks on Tuesday, the Ducks obtained goals from Zegras, Lacombe, and Sam Colangelo and Dostal did the rest with 28 stops when they presented his third consecutive defeat to San Jose.

“The goal we set out as a team is to have a victory record this season,” Zegras said on Tuesday. “Just in a way compared to the place where we have been the last two seasons, I think it is a pretty good goal and something that we are all very excited to try to achieve.”

Cronin believes that San Jose could be one step ahead of the place where the Ducks were last season with Recus attackers Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith as construction blocks. The two have combined for 90 points this season.

“I see the points that Smith and Celebrini get. We didn’t have anyone near it last year,” said Cronin. “Carlsson was in this load management plan. He did not play all the games. I know that Celebrini was injured earlier this year, but when I watch them play, the quantity of skills they have, their speed and speed at the front are really attractive.”

The Sharks made modest progress of the goals allowed per game, going from 3.98 last season to 3.75 this year. However, they were the last in the NHL in this category in 2023-24 and evoke the rear again this season.

“You win in this league playing a good defense and goalkeepers,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky

“(The front office of Sharks) has very beautiful pieces there. This will reflect a radiant future for the Sharks,” said Cronin. “What they do with it in terms of addition, I can’t talk about it, but I know I look at their team, and I see (Smith and Celebrini) in particular, they will be stars in the league.

“If you get two of these two stars that age in your organization, you have somehow hit the lottery. I am really curious to know how everything is playing in the coming years, but they have done a great job as a organization, creating this plan offensively.”