SHARKSPAGE

Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov signs 4-year, $24M contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg

#20 EVGENI NABOKOV CONFIRMED A MOVE TO SKA OF RUSSIAN KHL TODAY

Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov agreed to a 4-year, $24M contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League according to reports. His Russian agent, Sergei Isakov, confirmed news of the signing to Sovetsky Sport today. “Nabokov is coming to Russia in early August with his whole family,” a translated version of sovsport.ru said.

Alexander Medvedev, head of the natural gas giant Gazprom and president of the KHL and SKA St. Petersburg, said Monday that negotiations with Nabokov were ongoing despite a Russian news report that they were over. According to Yahoo’s Dmitry Chesnokov, on Tuesday SKA St. Petersburg GM Andrei Tochinsky noted negotiations with Nabokov and the KHL were continuing. “It’s just we couldn’t reach an agreement on certain issues by Tuesday.”

It turns out one of the issues Nabokov wanted to nail down was the approval of his family for a move to Russia. “I would not make a decision like this without my family supporting me,” Nabokov told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun this afternoon. “They supported me 100 percent. That’s probably the biggest reason I’m going there, because my family supported it.”

“I think it will be a lot tougher on the cultural, everyday life level. For an American person, his wife, it will be very different,” Russian television reporter Pavel Krepkiy told Sharkspage. “I am sure he worked out something where it will be as comfortable as possible, it will still not be as stable and calm as it was in San Jose. I think it will be tougher for his family, than for Nabokov.”

The 34-year old, Kazakhstan-born goaltender represented Russia internationally in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics, and help lead Team Russia to a gold medal in the 2008 World Championships with a 5-4 OT win over Canada. After more than 12 seasons and 342 regular season wins in North America with the Sharks major and minor league organizations, and a brief stop with Metallurg Magnitogorsk during the lockout, Nabokov could effectively finish his career in Russia.

He becomes possibly the largest NHL star to return back to Russia. 6-time Vezina winner Dominik Hasek and 3-time Stanley Cup Champion and member of Detroit’s “Russian Five” Sergei Fedorov, joined the KHL in the twilight of their careers. Sports.ru blogger Vadim Kuznetsov believes the biggest NHL defection was the move of Jaromir Jagr to Omsk Avangard in 2008-09. One year removed from a 30-goal, 96-point season with the New York Rangers, Jagr left for the KHL with much fanfare. “When Jagr joined KHL, everyone was shocked,” Kuznetsov said.

Nabokov leaves for the KHL averaging 43.6 wins a year over the last 3 seasons. He leaves a San Jose Sharks team that won back-to-back Western Conference Championships, and joins a KHL team that earned a West Conference title by 20 points, and a Bobrov division title by 21 points. “SKA is the Russian Sharks. They always play great during the
season, but can lose to some outsider when it comes to playoffs,” Vadim Kuznetsov told Sharkspage. In a 56-game regular season, Vadim believes he could see somewhere in the range of 40-43 starts, and several times that number in interview requests from the Russian media.

The long-term signing is a coup for the burgeoning KHL. “It is a continuation of the rising popularity for hockey in Russia,” noted Pavel Krepkiy, the lone Russian member of the Sharks day-to-day media scrum and often Sharkspage’s neighbor in the press box. “The signing of stars like him raises the level of hockey in Russia.” Vadim Kuznetsov offered a somewhat more colorful outlook. “It’s interesting but maybe 50% of fans are happy now because they will see him playing in Russia, and the other half is (upset) – they don’t like rich clubs such as SKA.”

Nabokov could join a SKA roster that included a trio of former Sharks, Nils Ekman, Alexander Korolyuk and defenseman Andrei Zyuzin, as well as Sergei Zubov, Alexei Yashin, Petr Cajanek (he of the hit by Kyle McLaren fame), and Oleg Saprykin last season. He replaces former Flyers goaltender Robert Esche, who lead the KHL in wins. Esche could look to return to the NHL along with another KHL goalie Michael Tellqvist, furthur confusing an already opaque UFA goalie market.

The Sharks made an unusual announcement via their website last month that they were moving on from Nabokov after nearly 10 seasons with the NHL club. “Nabby has been a big part of this team for the past 10 seasons and played an important role is our successes. This decision boils down to a dedication of dollars in a salary cap system and under this system, teams can’t keep everyone,” San Jose Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson said after meeting personally with Nabokov. The tough decision allowed the Sharks to lock up key forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski to 4-year contracts. It was also a signal to Nabokov’s replacement, Finnish netminder Antero Niittymaki, to keep an open phone line at the start of free agency July 1st.

Life atop the West has been difficult. The Sharks have lost key contributors this offseason in Evgeni Nabokov and veteran defensive forward Manny Malhotra to free agency, captain Rob Blake’s retirement, and the loss of defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich in a salary cap dump to Conference rival Vancouver last year. There have been veiled hints that offseason maneuverings may not have been completed yet in San Jose.

Nabokov leaves a mark on this organization that has not fully been accounted for among the fans and the media. As noted earlier on this blog, the franchise leader in games played (563), wins (293), saves (13463) and shutouts (50) faced more shots and played more minutes with a San Jose Sharks crest on his jersey (14757, 32492), than the next four goaltenders combined (Irbe, Shields, Vernon and Toskala). “You just let the guy who won more games than anyone else over the last 3 seasons walk away,” television analyst Drew Remenda recently told KNBR.

The Sharks were blessed with early postseason success and quality goaltending by the likes of Arturs Irbe and Mike Vernon during the first 10 years of the franchise in the Bay Area. Over the last 10 years, San Jose could bank on quality starts from the trio of Evgeni Nabokov, Miikka Kiprusoff and Vesa Toskala. Now for the first time in over a decade, there is a question mark in goal. The Sharks coaching staff and front office have a quartet of talented netminders hoping to fill the hole, but the question mark will remain until the puck drops on the season in Sweden.

One question that has been answered, Nabokov will continue to wear #20 for SKA St. Petersburg, honoring one of his idols Vladislav Tretiak.

[Update] A few more notes via reader email: As part of the Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge, Nabokov and SKA St. Petersburg will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes for an NHL-KHL exhibition in Russia on Oct. 4th. Nabokov’s 4-year contract with SKA will also overlap with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. A then 38-year old Nabokov would at a minimum face stiff competition from a then 34-year old Ilya Bryzgalov. KHL games are streamed online and archived at ESPN3.com, hopefully ESPN adds an English broadcast version soon.

[Update2] Alexander Medvedev: We hope that after Nabokov comes Kovalchuk – Sportbox.ru (rough translation from Google).

– Tell us about the conditions of the contract with SKA Nabokov.

– The agreement is designed for a full Olympic cycle – four years. So, we hope Eugene will act in the national team and in Sochi.

– How did the idea to invite Nabokov in the SCA?

– We are following very closely all Russian hockey players acting in the NHL. As soon as it became known that “San Jose” refuses to renew relations with its main goalkeeper, we informed Eugenia our desire to return it to the KHL. After all, everyone knows that Nabokov’s international family. In this case, the risk that ice hockey will not want to change the circumstances of life, very great. But on the other hand, he was able to communicate with friends by Russian and foreign hockey players, who managed to play in St. Petersburg. I think Eugene has received from them full information about the status of CAS and KHL.

– Nabokov will arrive in Russia by the time the SKA from vacation?

– We plan to organize a full-fledged press conference, like the one that last year was devoted to the return of Sergei Zubov of the NHL. I would hope that it is not presenting a single player, but two. The struggle for Kovalchuk, of course, is serious. “New Jersey is eager to sign Ilya.” Not accidentally Lou Lamorello does not leave the beach. Do not worry, I also can not yet leave.

DOH Podcast #106: slow start to NHL free agency, Antero Niittymaki, Manny Malhotra

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0706.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana return from vacation to dicuss the slow start of NHL free agency, the addition of former Philadelphia/Tampa Bay goaltender Antero Niittymaki, the loss of Manny Malhotra to Vancouver, the re-signing of Niclas Wallin and Scott Nichol, and discuss other roster changes around the league on the 106th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team, or download the MP3 file directly here.

The Hockey News Puck Panel on a quiet start to free agency, Ilya Kovalchuk and Mike Modano

The latest Hockey News Puck Panel features Ryan Dixon, online editor Edward Fraser, and writer Ryan Kennedy discussing a quiet start to NHL free agency, the facts and rumors surrounding Ilya Kovalchuk’s many alleged destinations, and what the future holds for one of the best American-born NHL players of all-time, Mike Modano.

No San Jose Sharks file for salary arbitration

No San Jose Sharks filed for salary arbitration by today’s 2PM (PT) deadline. Restricted free agent Devin Setoguchi, who scored 62 goals and 118 points in his first two and a half seasons, said discussions are ongoing between his agent Paul Krepelka and the team. “I told (GM Doug Wilson) I want to be here, I want to be here for a long time, who wouldn’t? It’s a great place to play,” Setoguchi told CSNBA last week.

Last Tuesday, the Sharks made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Devin Setoguchi, defenseman Derek Joslin, and forward Steven Zalewski. All three players have until Thursday, July 15th to accept the QO’s. If the offers are rejected, and the player does not decide to go to salary arbitration, San Jose will retain their rights under the collective bargaining agreement until they sign, or until they become eligible for free agency.

According to the Sharks, Tuesday 2PM (PT) is the deadline for team’s to file for salary arbitration. San Jose has not filed for arbitration under the current CBA. According to the NHL, salary arbitration hearings can be held from Tuesday, July 20th to Wednesday, August 4th. The last Sharks player to file for salary arbitration was Marcel Goc in 2008, but he signed a $775,000 one year contract before his hearing.

Other teams can make an ‘offer sheet’ on a restricted free agent. If the player signs an offer sheet with a new team, his original team has 7 days to match the offer or else he can be signed with compensation. In the last 9 years, only 5 players have received offer sheets. Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler received an offer sheet from Philadelphia in 2006, Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek received an offer sheet from Edmonton in 2007, St. Louis’ David Backes received an offer sheet from Vancouver in 2008, and former Shark and current Canuck Steve Bernier received an offer sheet from St. Louis in 2008. Only Dustin Penner, who received a 5-year $21.5 million contract with Edmonton, had an offer sheet that was not matched by his original team. The Anaheim Ducks received first, second and third round draft picks from Edmonton in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft as compensation.

Around the league, Vancouver’s Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen, Boston’s Blake Wheeler, Atlanta’s Andrew Ladd and Ben Eager, Washington’s Jeff Schultz and Tomas Fleischmann, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi, New York’s Daniel Girardi, Flyer enforcer Daniel Carcillo, Los Angeles Kings center Brad Richardson, and Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski were some of the players who filed for salary arbitration. Thirty one players filed for arbitration in total according to the NHLPA.

[Update] Chicago’s Niemi among NHL arbitration filings before deadline – Greg Wyshynski for Yahoo’s Puck Daddy.

Max Giese: San Jose Sharks 2010 NHL Entry Draft recap part 2

SAN JOSE SHARKS TABLE AT THE 2010 NHL ENTRY DRAFT IN LOS ANGELES

View the 2010 NHL Entry Draft preview here, live from the draft in Los Angeles recap part 1 here, a photo gallery from the draft is available here, video interview with San Jose Sharks first round draft pick Charlie Coyle, 2010 NHL Entry Draft recap part 2:

SAN JOSE SHARKS 2010 DRAFT REVIEW

Charlie Coyle, RW South Shore EJHL, 6-2/202, selected (1st round) 28th overall

“He’s got an NHL body and can play a power game and a finesse game,” San Jose Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “He’s a guy with power and skill that can play with skilled players. I think he has the potential to be a top six kind of guy.”

Redline Report ranked Charlie Coyle 37th overall; projecting him as a playmaking 2nd line winger with a style of play that compares to Blake Wheeler. “Great hockey sense and makes his teammates better. For a guy his size, has soft hands and likes to pass first, shoot second. Has a good shot with a quick release we’d like to see him use more often. Sees the ice really well and finds the open linemate. Uses his body to establish position and likes the physical aspect. Only blemish is he’s an average skater who lacks first step quickness.”

Kirk Luedeke of the New England Hockey Journal ranked Charlie Coyle as the top draft eligible prospect out of New England this year. “Seamlessly transitions from finesse to a power game depending on the situation,” said Luedeke in his excellent article previewing the draft for the New England Hockey Journal. “Has good on-ice vision and overall hockey IQ. First-step explosion is only average. Gritty, gutsy gamer played hurt in the EJHL playoffs and elevated his performance, nearly upsetting the favored Jr. Monarchs in the championship game.”

McKeen’s Hockey ranked Coyle 30th overall in their draft guide. “Coyle collected some hardware this season being named the EJHL Rookie of the Year. A tyrant down low, he has good board presence, was able to spin off checks and protect the puck to make plays. He has good vision with the puck and was often placed on the point in power-play situations. Coyle needs to be more selfish as he can look for the pass far too often. To go along with his size, he brings a wealth of hockey sense to the package. He is ok when he gets moving, but off the mark he has a hard time pulling away from defenders. He competed hard while playing hurt through the playoffs, further illustrating his character.”

International Scouting Services ranked Charlie Coyle 28th overall in their draft guide. “He can play a variety of roles and has a strong understanding of system play. Has a long reach and protects the puck well. A physical presence and a two-way player, Coyle was second on his team and fifth in the EJHL in scoring with 63 points. He has skated for Team USA Under-18 Select team in Slovakia during the summer and at the Four Nations Cup in Finland in November and will attend Boston University in the fall.”

An NHL Scout agreed to share his thoughts on Charlie Coyle with Sharkspage in return for his anonymity. “He fits in where they took him and was slotted appropriately at 28. He’s a big kid who plays both ends of the rink well. Competes hard and has an underrated skill level. He has a good all-around game and what stands out most is his work ethic. He really competes and is willing to play in traffic and can stay on the puck. His offensive skills are better than people give him credit for.”

Max Gaede, C/W Woodbury Minnesota HS, 6-2/187, selected (3rd round) 88th overall

“He’s a strong kid that’s got a lot of talent,” San Jose Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “He gets everybody involved and made his team better. He’s kind of a rink rat player. One of those players where you may look at it and say why wasn’t he rated a little bit higher. Well, he wasn’t in a glamorous program.”

ISS ranked Max Gaede 169th overall in their draft guide. “Good grinding forward with great hands. Plays very hard and uses his size. Owns a fast release and plays with an edge. Has quick decision making and excellent distribution skills.”

An NHL scout agreed to share his thoughts on Max Gaede with Sharkspage in return for his anonymity. “He was a reach in the third round. He’s a good athlete but still needs to learn a lot about the game. He has size, strength, and can skate. There is some offensive skill there but mentally is where he needs work and that is what’s going to limit him. Tyler Pitlick leaving for Medicine Hat is seen as a positive more because of the brand of hockey Pitlick plays than Mankato being a bad spot for developing players. I guess you could make an argument that the WHL would be good for Gaede too but I think Mankato is a good spot for him.”

Cody Ferriero, C Governor’s Academy, 5-11/190, selected (5th round) 127th overall

“Feisty kid with real good skill level,” San Jose Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “He’s not 6-feet, but he’s built for hockey. The kid’s got an edge to him, too.”

Kirk Luedeke mentioned Cody Ferriero in his article previewing the NHL draft for the New England Hockey Journal. Kirk states that “Ferriero is another small but skilled forward who could be drafted in June, much like his older brother Benn, who is in the San Jose organization after a standout career at BC. The younger Ferriero is arguably this New England class’s most talented player but he needs improvement in his maturity and discipline, in the words of several scouts who acknowledged the upside, but have issues with his attitude.”

Many familiar with the Ferriero family echo Luedeke’s sentiments about Cody’s immaturity on the ice. Scouts like that he plays a feisty game but at times it comes at a detriment to his team in the way of a bad penalty. Cody is also prone to trying to do it all on his own with the puck at times. That said it’s easier to tone a guy down then to light a fire under them and word is Benn Ferriero also had some maturity issues when he was Cody’s age and grew out of it into a consummate professional. The Sharks most be hoping Benn can rein in his brother a bit and that Cody follows a similar maturation process into a contributor in the pro ranks.

ISS ranked Cody Ferriero 186th overall in their draft guide. “Good stick with an excellent release. Strong on his skates and is a feisty player. Puck control and stickhandling skills are strong. Has good speed and a good work ethic.”

Freddie Hamilton, C Niagara OHL, 6-1/187, selected (5th round) 129th overall

“A real responsible two-way centerman who can play in every situation,” Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “He played for Team Canada in the under-18 in Belarus and our European scouts were able to see him there. We didn’t even mention him to them, but he found them and that’s a good thing.”

Freddie Hamilton was ranked 119th overall by Redline Report. “Touted as a great skater with terrific athletic bloodlines, but he barely ever touches the puck and almost never has an impact on the game.”

Here’s my scouting report on Freddie Hamilton that I submitted to Redline Report after seeing him in Calgary last August during Team Canada’s U-18 Team evaluation camp. “Won’t fill the stat sheet, but he does all the little things that help teams win and is not fun to play against. Hits opponents hard right in the mouth from the opening puck drop to the final buzzer. Hard-nosed player outworks the opposition in 1-on-1 battles and comes out of corners with the puck. Not a high-end skill guy and has a weak shot. But does a nice job sustaining the offensive attack by keeping the puck inside the offensive zone and opening up the ice for his more skillful linemates. Went hard to front of net and ruthlessly competed to hold position. Shutdown defensive centre with good coverage ability and awareness of defensive assignments.

Redline Report also featured Freddie Hamilton in the November Issue in our Off The Record segment. “Elusive OHL centre Freddie Hamilton of Niagara is an interesting prospect to watch out for as the season progresses. He comes by his superb athleticism naturally, as sports are in his blood – literally. One little known fact about Fast Freddie is that both his parents, while not hockey players, were Canadian Olympians. Dad was on the men’s Olympic rowing team and mom was a member of the women’s Olympic basketball team. So there’s some pretty impressive athletic genes running through the family, and that athleticism and work commitment seems to have rubbed off on young Freddie.”

ISS ranked Freddie Hamilton 88th overall in their draft rankings and listed him as an ISS Draft Sleeper. “A good sized, physical forechecker, Hamilton does the little things that help teams win. He saw his role and ice time change as the World U-18 tournament progressed and by the end of it was playing on the top PP unit and collecting more and more minutes in crucial situations. A strong two way forward, with some offensive punch, Hamilton has a good shot that can freeze goaltenders and/or create good rebounds. Could be more physical and get to the net more.”

An NHL Scout agreed to share his thoughts on Freddie Hamilton with Sharkspage in return for his anonymity. “Off the ice other players tell me he’s a very intelligent kid. On the ice he has some skill but needs to bring it more consistently. He’s on a team with a lot of similar, interchangeable guys and too often he just blends in. He’s a two-way guy and has some character. In the fifth round he’s a long shot but usually it’s the character guys that have a chance. His home rink is the smallest in the OHL and it’s difficult for anyone to separate and show creativity playing there.”

McKeen’s Hockey ranked Freddie Hamilton 108th overall on their final list.

Isaac MacLeod, D Penticton BCHL, 6-4/205, selected (5th round) 136th overall

“He’s a big tall kid that’s got a real good feel for the game,” Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “He has good reach and size. He’s a late bloomer, but sometimes a late bloomer has a real good head.”

Redline Report’s Western Scout Mike Remmerde ranked MacLeod 56th overall amongst draft
eligible players who played in Western Canada this season. “Has some interesting natural offensive instincts for such a big guy, but stride isn’t good and has slow feet. He’s versatile and spent some time playing on the wing in the playoffs but he’s a defenseman going forward.”

McKeen’s Hockey Western Canadian Scout Randy Gorman on MacLeod. “I like him and I wanted him in our rankings. He’s a hulky defenseman that plays with an edge in his own zone. He occasionally joins the rush but looks after his own end first.”

An NHL Scout agreed to share his thoughts on Isaac MacLeod with Sharkspage in return for his anonymity. “He’s a big, raw kid who skates well. He’s definitely a project. He isn’t an offensive defenseman and he’s not a physical defenseman either. He lacks an identity right now. His size and his reach are his top attributes.”

Konrad Abeltshauser: Konrad Abeltshauser Halifax LD 6-5 190, selected (6th round) 163rd overall

“Huge kid with a long reach who can move pucks,” San Jose Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury news. “We’re pretty happy he did fall to this round because we didn’t have any way to move up for him.

Redline Report ranked Konrad Abeltshauser 40th overall and first on our list of the most underrated players available in the draft. Redline projects Abeltshauser as a smooth #3-4 d-man who can help on the PP with a style of play that compares to Tom Gilbert. “Huge German blue-liner made a great transition to North American game, but had trouble staying in the lineup with a broken wrist and a tweaked knee. Tremendous tools and nice offensive upside. Quite mobile for a tall, gangly kid. Terrific puckhandler who makes crisp, accurate outlets. Uses an exceptionally long, Chara-like stick that he uses to clog passing lanes and break up rushes. Reads play well defensively and has fine anticipation. We’d like to see him develop more of a mean streak and use his size better around crease. One of Red Line’s favorite sleepers.”

While most scouts agree that he needs to play more physical, Abeltshauser did impress scouts in the fall when he showed toughness coming back early from a broken wrist and picked up right where he left off with four assists in his first three games back.

ISS ranked Konrad Abeltshauser 133rd overall in their draft guide. “Offensive puckmoving defenseman. Good size, but needs to fill out and add strength. Reads play well away from puck. Good active stick. Acceleration could be better. Overall mobility is decent but could be better. Abeltshauser played his best hockey at the IIHF World U-18 B championships in Poland, helping lead Germany to victory and a promotion to the Pool A tournament in 2011. The Halifax Mooseheads rookie was the highest scoring defenseman at the even with 2 goals and 9 assists, as well as a plus 13 rating, in 5 games.

An NHL Scout agreed to share his thoughts on Konrad Abeltshauser with Sharkspage in exchange for his anonymity. “Very tall kid and very skinny with a lean body. His decision making passing the puck is really good. I wouldn’t call him an offensive defenseman, he’s more of a breakout guy. Not a great skater but his mobility is okay for a guy of his size and I think the lack of strength is a major factor with his skating.”

Lee Moffie, LD Michigan CCHA, 6-1/200, selected (7th round) 188th overall

“He’s a kid that we’ve watched over a three-or-four-year period and he’s gotten better every year,” San Jose Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “We think he’s a leader. He can move pucks. He’s got a physical element to him.”

Redline Report ranked Lee Moffie 255th overall in our March issue.

Moffie’s scouting report reads: Offensive defenseman who has the ability to rush the puck or make the pass and join the rush. He has a fluid stride and a quick burst of speed coming through the neutral zone with the puck. Seamlessly changes directions on his skates and is a poised puck mover who runs a productive powerplay. Underrated in his ability to control the pace of the game when the puck is on his stick although at times he sacrifices defensive positioning for the offensive push. Has decent size and strength with an occasional mean streak but he needs to be more intense away from the puck and play physical on a consistent basis. Needs to take the body more while defending one-on-one. Excels as the third man in the rush, making the first pass, and getting pucks on net from the point.

An NHL Scout agreed to share his thoughts on Lee Moffie with Sharkspage in exchange for his anonymity. “I have seen plenty of Moffie over the years but didn’t follow up on him this year with Michigan. Maybe it’s not fair that I even comment on him. But he always had some jump to his game but if he hasn’t improved significantly since I last saw him than he was a stretch to be picked even in the 7th round.”

Chris Crane, RW Green Bay USHL, 6-0/190, selected (7th round) 200th overall

“A hard-nosed kid, a real tough kid,” San Jose Sharks Director of Scouting Tim Burke told The Mercury News. “A real energy, tenacious kind of player.”

At Redline Report we ranked Chris Crane 203rd overall and here’s my report on Chris from the February issue of Redline Report. “Tough, character kid is relentlessly competitive and difficult to play against. Has a strong, thick build and plays a hard-nosed brand of hockey. Will fight to spark his team and throws hard rights. Scrappy, challenges opponents, and works his ass off every shift. Tireless in puck pursuit and is a quality penalty killer. There’s not much in terms of offensive upside though, as he isn’t all that skilled or fast – rather, he creates opportunities with his motor and relentless work.”

An NHL Scout agreed to share his thoughts on Chris Crane with Sharkspage in exchange for his anonymity. “I’m a big fan of Chris Crane. He competes hard, sticks up for his teammates, and isn’t a lot of fun to play against. He’s a warrior. I wrote the word warrior next to his name a lot this year. He does all of the little things that coach’s love and teams need to win. He gets pucks deep and is a great penalty killer. He was great in the playoffs for Green Bay and was dynamic killing penalties. He doesn’t offer anything high end in terms of offensive skills but this is a kid who is going to play in the NHL because he wants it so bad.”

Max Giese, a scout for the industry leading Red Line Report publication and former head scout for McKeen’s Hockey Magazine, has been covering prospects for Sharkspage.com since 2006.

[Update] NHL Draft weekend a surprise for Weymouth’s Charlie Coyle, Marshfield’s David Warsofsky – PatriotLedger.com.

Coyle, 18, the forward who developed at Thayer Academy and with the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s South Shore Kings, knew he might be selected in Round 1 of the NHL Entry Draft at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He was ranked 24th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and had interviewed, in one way or another, with all but three of the NHL’s 30 teams prior to the draft.

He didn’t think he’d be picked at No. 28 overall, though. That was the Sharks’ pick. “That was my worst interview,” Coyle laughed the morning after. “They were the last interview I did at the (Central Scouting Combine), and it felt like they were ganging up on me.

NHL ‘Free Agent Frenzy’ liveblog

PHI/TB GOALTENDER ANTERO NITTYMAKI REPORTEDLY SIGNS 2YR/$4M DEAL WITH SJ

NIITTYMAKI 21-18-5 IN 49GP WITH TB, 2.87GAA (37TH), .909SV% (24TH), 1SO

– Notes, links and analysis will be posted throughout the day with the 9AM start of NHL free agency. Feel free to contribute via twitter, contact form, or text message.

-Sharkspage transaction-wire:

2010 July 1st NHL Free Agent Signings

– LW Vaclav Prospal stays at NYR, 1YR, $2.1M
– F Scott John to Chicago, 1YR, $1M
– C Dustin Boyd stays at Montreal, 1YR, $650k
– LW Eric Nystrom to Minnesota, 3YRS, $4.2M
– LW Jeremy Reich to Boston, 1YR
– G Andrew Raycroft to Dallas, 2YRS
– C Matt Cullen to Minnesota, 3YRS, $10.5M
– LW Adam Burish to Dallas, 2YRS, $2.3M
– C Saku Koivu stays at Anaheim, 2YRS, $5M
– LW Jeff Tambellini to Vancouver, 1YR
– D Dan Hamhuis to Vancouver, 6YRS, $27M
– D Anton Volchenkov to NJ, 6YRS, $25.5M
– C Olli Jokinen to Calgary, 2YRS, $6M
– G Chris Mason to Atlanta, 2YRS, $3.7M
– D Kurtis Foster to Edmonton, 2YRS, $3.6M
– D Henrik Tallinder to NJ, 4YRS, $13.5M
– G Curtis Sanford to Montreal, 1YR, $550k
– RW Ray Whitney to Phoenix, 2YRS, $6M
– D Toni Lydman to Anaheim, 3YRS, $9M
– D Paul Martin to Pittsburgh, 5YRS, $25M
– LW Derek Boogard to NYR, 4YRS, $6.5M
– G Dan Ellis to Tampa Bay, 2YRS, $3M
– RW Jody Shelley to Philly, 3YRS, $3.3M
– D Derek Morris stays at Phoenix, 4YRS, $11M
– C Manny Malhotra to Vancouver, 3YRS, $7.5M
– D Sean O’Donnell to Philly, 1YR, $1M
– C Joel Perrault to Vancouver, 1YR, $510k
– G Antero Niittymaki to San Jose, 2YRS, $4M
– RW Colby Armstrong to Toronto, 3YRS, $9M
– G Alex Auld to Montreal, 1YR, $1M
– D Zbynek Michalek to Pittsburgh, 5YRS, $20M
– RW Alex Tangauy to Calgary, 1YR, $1.7M
– D Sergei Gonchar to Ottawa, 3YRS, 5.5M
– LW Dan Paille stays at Boston, 2YRS, $2.15M
– G Martin Biron to NYR, 2YRS, $1.75M

– On the second day of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the San Jose Sharks locked up checking line center Scott Nichol for one year at $760,000, and veteran defenseman Niclas Wallin at $2.5M for one year according to capgeek.com. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Wallin registered 2 assists in 23 games for San Jose after being acquired from Carolina, but playing at less than 100% in the playoffs the Sharks were forced to dress 7 defenseman when he was in the lineup.

“It will be good to be there from the start of the season, (the system) is different than I was used to,” Wallin told SJsharks.com. The Eastern Conference, where Wallin spent the first 8 and a half years of his career, is a little less tight around the goal crease. A more physical Western Conference suits Wallin’s game and mentality. Wallin missed 9 games in the postseason due to injury, but he proved to be an effective, albeit slowed, crease clearing element against Detroit and Chicago.

The moves locked in three forward lines and give the Sharks a full compliment of defenseman with NHL experience, but blueline depth and goaltending were needs heading into free agency. On Tuesday the Sharks made qualifying offers to restricted free agent right wing Devin Setoguchi (2009-10 salary $1.2M), defenseman Derek Joslin (2009-10 salary $700k), and AHL forward Steven Zalewski (2009-10 salary $500k). According to the NHL, players who earned less than $660,000 in the previous season must be offered 110 percent of last season’s salary, players making up to $1 million must be offered 105 percent, and players making over $1 million must be offered 100 percent.

The Sharks moved in a different direction from Masterton Trophy nominee Jed Ortmeyer. Ortmeyer struggled late in the season after suffering a double hernia injury, the same injury that Jonathan Cheechoo struggled with. The Sharks did not make qualifying offers to Daniel Rahimi (acquired in the Ehrhoff trade), Michael Vernance (Atlanta contract trade), and collegiate FA signee Matt Jones.

– According to the NHL Network’s NHL Live, former Flyers and Lighting goaltender Antero Niittymaki is now a San Jose Shark. Confirmed via the twitter of ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun here and here, Niittymaki signed a 2 year, $4 million dollar deal. Per Lebrun’s late report yesterday, neither Niittymaki or Foster had heard from Tampa Bay prior to the start of free agency.

– Niittymaki Signs With San Jose, Doug Wilson Finds A Netminder – SJsharks.com.

The San Jose Sharks have signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Antero Niittymaki to a two-year contract.

Niittymaki, 30, just completed his sixth NHL season posting a 21-18-5 record, .909 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average with Tampa Bay. He went a season-high eight consecutive games without a regulation loss from Jan. 21 thru Feb. 9 including a shutout on Jan. 27 vs. Montreal.

Prior to his one season in Tampa Bay, he played in parts of five seasons with Philadelphia from 2003-2009. In 210 career games, Niittymaki has an 83-79-28 record with a 2.98 goals against average, .903 save percentage and five shutouts. He won a career high 23 games in 2005-06 with the Flyers and his .912 save percentage in 2008-09 with Philadelphia was his best for a full season.

– A router meltdown stopped the liveblog in its tracks, but with only one acquisition and one departure it was not the most hectic of ‘Free Agent Frenzy’ days from a San Jose perspective.

– The addition of former Flyer, former Lightning goaltender Antero Niittymaki was a bit of a surprising one. At 6-foot-1, 190-pounds he is a solid butterfly goaltender that covers a significant portion of the crease down low. Asked to describe his style of play in net by Mercury News beat writer David Pollak, Niittymaki said that Sharks fans are used to the style of Finnish goalies after Miikka Kiprusoff and Vesa Toskala. The Turku, Finland native Niittymaki compared himself to fellow Turku native Kirprusoff, “My style of play is pretty much like Kiprusoff, a lot of Finnish goalies our technique is built the same way,” Niittymaki said in a press conference.

Sharkspage would draw the comparison more to former San Jose goaltender Vesa Toskala. Niittymaki is actually a touch bigger than Kiprusoff and Toskala, but he is patient in net and forces shooters to make the first move which was Toskala’s strength. Kiprusoff was a little more of an athletic, explosive goaltender. “I am so excited (to come to SJ), it is a great opportunity for me,” Niittymaki said. “San Jose has been one of the best teams in the regular season the last 2 or 3 years… I don’t expect anything else, and I am expecting to do well in the playoffs too.”

In one of the largest goaltending markets in recent memory, Niittymaki said the Sharks were the first team to call him. “It happened pretty quick,” he said. “If you get a chance to sign with one of the best teams in the league, you can’t really pass that up. I was in Tampa last year and we missed the playoffs, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”

Asked about playing for his third team in three years, Niittymaki replied, “Last summer was kind of where am I going to go, what is going to happen. I think I had a pretty decent year last year.” Niittymaki registered a 21-18-5 in 49 games played with a struggling Tampa Bay Lightning team last season. He finished with a 2.87GAA (37th in the NHL) and a .909SV% (24th in the NHL). In 4 seasons with Philadelphia, Niittymaki started more than 50 games once, and earned more than 20 wins in only his rookie season (2005-06) “If you have to move, it is always a lot nicer to move to a great team,” Niittymaki said. He will replace a goaltender that averaged 40+ wins and 70 starts over the last 3 years.

After the announcement the Sharks were going to change direction in goal, Sharkspage grouped free agent/potentially available goaltenders into three tiers. Evgeni Nabokov, Marty Turco, Boston’s Tim Thomas and Washington’s Jose Theodore were in the first tier. Dan Ellis, Chris Mason, Jaroslav Halak and Michael Leighton were in the second tier. Niittymaki lead a third tier along with Johan Hedberg, Patrick Lalime, Martin Biron, and former Shark Vesa Toskala.

While the Sharks opted for a goaltender in the third tier, his shot blocking ability and style match what they were looking for. They wanted a patient, butterfly goaltender that is consistently going to make the same type of saves on a regular basis. There are a few competing opinions on Niittymaki around the NHL. Scotty Bowman mentioned to Pierre LeBrun that Niittymaki was a very underrated talent in goal, a view this blog agrees with. Others have pointed to his inconsistency. ESPN’s Scott Burnside said that Niittymaki “came out of the woodwork” to sign in SJ, and that he has almost no playoff experience (73 minutes according to Burnside). “It is a giant leap of faith for Doug Wilson to think he can get the job done,” Burnside said.

For an Intro to Philadelphia goaltending 101, and a slight glimpse of the pressure former Shark goaltender Brian Boucher and Antero Niittymaki faced in the city, read this article by LeBrun in 2009: Philly’s search for No. 1 goalie continues.

Since Ron Hextall’s excellent first tour of duty in the Flyers’ net from the 1986-87 season to 1991-92, the revolving door in the Flyers’ goal has been mesmerizing. The search for a true No. 1 has been endless.

It started with Tommy Soderstrom in 1992-93, followed the next season by Dominic Roussel. Then came Hextall’s second tour of (twilight) duty, followed by the likes of Garth Snow, Sean Burke, John Vanbiesbrouck, Brian Boucher, Roman Cechmanek, Robert Esche, Niittymaki and then Biron.

By our count, that’s 11 masked men who have had legitimate handles on the Flyers’ No. 1 job over 16 seasons. The New Jersey Devils have had the same guy in net for the past 15 seasons. The Flyers? They’ve averaged about 1.5 seasons per starting goalie. Talk about a short shelf life.

The addition by the Sharks is a little less a leap of faith when you consider Niittymaki will be pushed in goal by German Thomas Greiss (athletic, potential #1 down the line according to this blog), Alex Stalock (most wins in AHL last year, highly rated by Worcester correspondent Darryl Hunt) and fellow Finnish member of the ‘Goaltending Factory’ Harri Sateri (very highly regarded by SJ radio analyst Dan Rusanowsky). If San Jose can get back to a competition for starts in goal, something that pushed every ounce of competitiveness out of Kiprusoff, Toskala and Nabokov, this could be a very successful move. Goal support and the defensive system in place also make it less of a gamble.

A little left out in the discussion of goaltending styles, and how goaltenders fit into the salary structure of a team, are how the defenses are put together in front of a goalie. A shot blocking, butterfly style only works if the defense clears rebounds and bodies out of the crease. The two Stanley Cup Finalists in Chicago and Philadelphia had two of the strongest top 4’s in the league. Niittymaki’s 2-year, $4 million deal is more than Ellis (2YRS, $3M), Biron (2YRS, $1.75M), or a second tier goalie like Chris Mason signed for (2YRS, $3.7M), but it still allows the Sharks the salary flexibility to re-sign RFA Devin Setoguchi and possibly add an upgrade to the defense in the offseason, or before the 2010-11 trade deadline.

– A transcript of San Jose Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson’s conference call with the media after signing Antero Niittymaki:

(What went into the decision to sign Antero Niittymaki?)

We included all of our staff in the process. Once we made the decision on Nabokov, we went in to researching the style of play, the type of goalies that were having success in this league. You don’t have to go back to far this past year to see the type of success the Niemi’s, Halak’s, Leighton’s, etc. We looked at the style, and the type of goalie, and we broke it down a little bit. The type of guys we wanted had a winning history, and have played in a certain environment.

Antero jumped out at us for a lot of reasons. He won the MVP in the Calder Cup playoffs when they won a Cup in 04-05. We really liked his performance in the Olympics in 2006. We liked him ever since that point. I think he was the MVP goalie of the tournament.

There are things to his game that make a lot of sense. There are a couple of other guys we are looking at. We thought there would be a supply of goalies in this market, but we also felt that we wanted to go get the guy we wanted. Once we decided Antero was our guy, we thought we would be a pretty attractive fit. It came together quickly, and we are very excited to have him to be part of the tandem of this team. We do believe in our young goalies. We think he is at a great point in his career. People I respect in the goaltending world, I did check and reference with them also.

(What will Niittymaki’s role be in San Jose?)

We have a lot of competition, it will be decided on the ice. With his history, he is understanding what he is coming in to, and the opportunity he is going to get.

(Will there been any other UFA moves or trades by San Jose?)

It is a long way before the season starts. You take a look at the pieces that fit. We have been very active in the UFA market in many ways by re-signing your own players, the Marleau’s, the Pavelski’s, the Nichol’s, etc. We are looking at that. There are many opportunities out there as we monitor what is going on in the UFA market… we are also exploring trade discussions. That is probably where we are going to spend most of our attention the next little while, lateral deals and trades.

(Was this move by San Jose part of a trend in the NHL?)

(The change in the goalie market) has been going on for 5 years. You can go all the way back to Cam Ward in Carolina, then to Detroit going the way of Osgood instead of a high end goaltender. The type of goalies that have got it done under these rules, and under this system, you mentioned a couple this year Niemie, Leighton, I think that is really what happens. When we talk to our guys, we take a look at what it is before who. What it is is the style of goaltending, the dedication of dollars, and the ages of guys, you are always looking for the next Niemi, the next Anderson, the next Hiller. Nittymaki is a player we really liked. That is what is happening in the league right now.

– The Sharks had to make a difficult decision on forward Manny Malhotra. A versatile centerman, Malhotra would have finished top in the league in faceoffs (62.5%) had he not switched over to wing and missed the 500 minimum draws. He also finished with a 62.7% mark in the postseason.

When Columbus decided to go with fomer Anaheim stalwart Samuel Pahlsson at the start of 2009-10, they felt at the time that they had made the better choice between the two players. The Sharks swooped in, but tight against the salary cap Malhotra accepted less than 50% of what he made a year earlier in Columbus to sign for $700,000 in San Jose. He accepted San Jose’s offer over a 4-year, $8 million offer from Atlanta.

At times anchoring the third line, and also switching up to wing on the second line, Malhotra finished with a career high 14 goals and helped the Sharks to a Western Conference Championship. After solid playoff performances in the first and second round against Colorado and Detroit, Manny hit a wall against Chicago.

After the season was over, Malhotra was asked by the media if he wanted to remain with the team. “The talks we had last year with Doug (Wilson), we didn’t want it to be a one and done situation. I wanted to find a home again, to grow a home with an organization. It has been a great start, and hopefully this relationship can continue,” he said.

According to beat writer David Pollak’s blog, GM Doug Wilson had a “pretty good picture” he would not be able to re-sign Malhotra after recent negotiations. “We knew what we were comfortable with and we gave that to him a couple of weeks ago. It was a very respectful negotiation. We also were very appreciative of what he gave us last year,” Wilson told Pollak.

The Sharks have depth at center, with multiple converted centerman playing on the wing last year, but they also have the development of Logan Couture who could fill a role on the third line. Wilson also mentioned that another veteran may want to come in and play for San Jose for a similar type of deal, before “springboarding” to a larger contract with a different team.

The dollar and term didn’t fit into the Sharks salary structure, but there is also the feeling that Malhotra did the franchise a solid that was not returned in kind. Malhotra signed for 3 years, $7.5 million with the Northwest Division winning Vancouver Canucks. The Vancouver Province believes he will be a replacement for Kyle Wellwood.

– 2010 UFA Centers by Faceoff Percentage and Usage – John Fischer for InLouweTrust.com.

– No Evgeni Nabokov, no Marty Turco signings on the first day of free agency is pretty significant news. The Sharks setting their sights on Niittymaki instead of Turco was rather surprising. Many of the mainstream reporters and those in the hockey blogging community at the NHL draft last weekend believed that Turco was the most desired netminder by San Jose.

– Lots of content yesterday via the twitter of CSNCA reporter Brodie Brazil, a video interview with head coach Todd McLellan, a video interview with RFA Devin Setoguchi, and a video interview with GM Doug Wilson. Setoguchi said he wants to return to San Jose, that the direction and recent success of the team is something he wants to be a part of.

– San Jose television analyst Drew Remenda commented on the acquisition of goaltender Antero Niittymaki and the departure of Manny Malhotra on his SJsharks.com blog. TSN/Blues analyst Darren Pang told Remenda that Niittymaki was “MVP material with the Lightning for a good chunk of the season.”

– The harsh lesson of Nabokov and Turco – Mike Chen for FromTheRink.com.

Goaltending is obviously the most unique position for any hockey team. There’s only one, so there’s only 30 starting jobs in the league. It’s not like a defenseman or forward who can be signed as a low-end guy and work his way up the lineup. As Heidi Klum would say, you’re either in or you’re out (well, kind of; you could still get back-up minutes). For Nabokov and Turco, they gambled and lost — for all practical purposes, they’re out. If you look at goaltending across the board, there’s really nowhere they can go unless they drop their contract demands and a team wants to have veteran support for their young goalies (such as Columbus with Steve Mason).

In the salary cap world, supply-and-demand controls free agency more than ever. And with long-term contracts becoming more commonplace, teams can easily get hamstrung by their previous commitments long before free agency even opens up. Let this be a lesson to free agents in upcoming seasons — if the market really isn’t looking good and a favorable situation opens up to you, it might be worth swallowing your pride and taking less dollars instead of playing chicken with your career.

– TSN’s James Duthie and Darren Pang examined the free agent goaltending situation as part of yesterday’s massive “Free Agent Frenzy” broadcast in Canada, pretty much the Super Bowl of offseason trade and roster speculation. Pang on the goaltending market at the start of the UFA: Nabokov and Turco are the legit #1’s (over 65 games a year guys), Nabokov might be headed to the KHL, “he priced himself out of the market”, on his not re-signing in SJ “I thought Doug Wilson handled that extremely well” and “he had a great deal of respect for what he did for the SJ Sharks”, on Nabokov “he may be on the back 9 of his NHL career”. Pang also believed Atlanta, Tampa Bay and San Jose were the most likely destinations to make a move in goal, and that “San Jose is the winner’s market”. He believed Chris Mason would be the goaltender moving to the Sharks.

At the end of day 1, Pang noted that San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson had targeted Antero Niittymaki straight off. The goaltender and his agent had conversations about re-signing with Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, but fairly quickly that team turned its attention to Dan Ellis. “Last year (Niittymaki) had an outstanding year, really carried the load for the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Pang said. “Kind of slid down the last 8-10 games of the year for the Lightning, otherwise carried the load and was argueably their MVP at time during the season.”

Bob McKenzie, Gord and Darren discuss the Vancouver Canucks signing of Manny Malhotra to a 3-year deal as part of TSN’s Free Agent Frenzy broadcast (video). According to McKenzie, the Canucks came out of the playoffs knowing they had to get bigger, more physical, and more depth on the bottom half of their lineup. “They paid a premium to do that.” There was also a no-trade clause included in the contract according to TSN.

– ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun takes a look at which UFA’s did not move on July 1st: Which players are left after Day 1. LeBrun spoke with Evgeni Nabokov’s agent Don Meehan about his client remaining on the board after the first day, and on possible opportunities in Russia. “He’s a great goalie, an elite goalie… It’s just a matter of positions that are available; the positions are scarce. It’s not that he doesn’t have any options. He’s got outstanding options in Russia,” Meehan told LeBrun.

– Max Giese’s 2010 NHL Entry draft review will be posted later today.

– Wilson Eyes Trade Market as Day One of Free Agency comes to a close – SBN’s Fear the Fin blog.

– A couple of comments from GM/EVP Doug Wilson on yesterday’s interview with KNBR 680AM:

(Is Antero Niittymaki going to be the starting goaltender?)

He will be, but I think Thomas Greiss and Alex Stalock will come in and try to compete and push him for that. This is a guy we looked at, he won the MVP in the 2006 Olympics. He was the most valuable goaltender there. He was very successful in the American Hockey League, he won a Calder Cup and he was the MVP there. This is a guy that is coming in, he will be tough to knock out of the net, but our other guys know we believe in them too.

(What type of goaltender do you look for, when you look for one?)

There are a lot of different things, one is does he make the big saves when it matters. We have a guy here who played in the Olympics and was MVP. He won a championship in the American Hockey League, he has gone through that. In this league you are looking at a style of play that has been different than 4 or 5 years ago because of the new rules and how teams play, sometimes a bigger goalie that takes away the bottom half of the net. Some of the guys the last couple of years in this league, a Niemi in Chicago, a Hiller in Anaheim, people like that. When we started this process, I told our staff to take a look at what it is that is winning before who it is that is winning. We went through that, and when we started putting names together, this guy just bubbled up to the top of the list. It has been about a 2-3 week process to get to where we are today.

(Whenever people criticized Nabokov, people would say he was the goaltender for the Russian national team. That would pretty much shut people up… last year he struggled. How much weight do we give this?)

It does (mean a lot being the Finnish national goalie) when you go to the gold medal game, and you are voted the most valuable player in the Olympics. He not only went and played there, he had high end success there. I think that does tell you something, because he got it done best on best. To get it done in the American Hockey League, and being the MVP on the Championship team, he got it done. We put equity in what your accomplishments are, not just in participating. This guy has a pretty strong resume. We think he is just coming into his prime, he is the right age, and it creates a really strong tandem for us where you don’t have one guy playing 70 games, you have guys that push each other every night.

(Will Greiss and Stalock battle it out for the backup job, or will the three of them battle for the starting job?)

It is funny, around this league Niemi took the job from Huet, Rask took the job from Thomas, so you never say never. Our two young guys think they can come in and take this net. It will get decided in training camp. You have to say Niitti will be the number one guy, these other two guys can certainly come in and change that if they want.

A Stunning Saturday — Fabrico Werdum’s submission of Fedor Emelianenko in San Jose considered greatest upset in MMA history

FABRICIO WERDUM CELEBRATES AFTER 69-SECOND UPSET OVER EMELIANENKO

'ONE THAT DOES NOT FALL, DOES NOT STAND UP' FEDOR EMELIANENKO

Stunned. After Fabrico Werdum submitted top-ranked Fedor Emelianenko 69 seconds into the Strikeforce/M1 Global main event with a combination triange choke/armbar, many media on press row and fans in the stands stood in stunned silence. Mouths were agape, one fan stood on his chair shaking his head back and forth. There was a distant, far off stare by members of Emelianenko’s hard nosed M1 Global management group and their large red-clad entourage cageside. HP Pavilion officials, ushers, photographers, trainers, even a few of the security staff and the CSAC officials took a moment to register what they just witnessed inside the cage.

Then came the piercing scream from Werdum as he leaped atop the fence in celebration, and shortly went over it into the arms of his jubilant fight camp on the apron. He was quickly ushered back into the cage for post-fight proceedings, but members of his fight team were overcome with emotion. One front rolled over the fence and into the cage, another was stopped short by a pretty technical double leg by Showtime’s security staff. HP Pavilion’s security staff were barely able to control the situation, as Werdum’s camp wanted to spill into the cage in celebration. Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral broke down into the arms of a pair of teammates as he was overcome with emotion.

It was that powerful a moment. To those inside the mixed martial arts game for any length of time, the aura and mystique of the top ranked heavyweight and one of the pound-for-pound alltime greats Fedor Emelianenko preceeded himself. A calm, quiet and simple figure outside of a cage or a ring, inside of it he has been one of the most devestating figures in the history of the sport. With 28 wins and 1 no contest in the 10 years since a fluke stoppage in 2000, Emelianenko nearly doubled the reign of terror heavyweight Mike Tyson inflicted on boxing in the 80’s and 90’s. Like Tyson, the intimidation Emelianenko brought with him often decided fights before he stepped into a ring or a cage. Unlike Tyson, Fedor has twice as many submissions as devestating knockouts, and solid judo and grapplings skills on top of that.

Werdum, when asked what it felt like to beat Fedor, mentioned through a translator, “I just beat my idol, how do you think i feel?” A much more somber Emelianenko said through a translator, “One that does not fall, does not stand up.” He added, “I was concentrating on the strikes and made a mistake, I will have to go back and analyze what happened.’’ He lightened up during the question and answer session, and seemingly took the loss with less difficulty than members of his extensive entourage. One reporter speculated that the pressure of being such a dominant figure in the sport was now off of his shoulders. At one point, the question and answer session was strained as singing and dancing from Fabricio Wedum’s very loud celebration could be heard from down the hall.

The main event fight itself looked much different in person than it did on Showtime. From press row it looked like Emelianenko missed with an initial exchange, before Werdum fell to his back and Fedor pressed for the ground and pound knockout. Via the replay, 25 seconds in Emelianenko connected with a pinpoint right hand to the head, then landed 2 of the next 4 hooks in quick succession. The longtime Pride FC heavyweight champion pressed forward, pushing the legs of Werdum out of the way. Fabricio was able to get his legs back in front of him, and control Fedor’s left hand.

With control of the hand comes control of the arm, and Emelianenko had to battle a combination triangle choke/armbar submission attempt. With three previous fights vs the first Pride FC heavyweight champion, also a former UFC interim heavyweight champion and dominant grappler, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Emelianenko instinctively spun out to his right and pushed Werdum’s legs aside. The sons of UFC founder Rorion Gracie, Ryron and Rener Gracie, offered a technical video analysis of the BJJ Werdum used here.

Emelianenko, as is his wont, does not really respect the strengths of his opponents. In the past he has simply blown through wrestlers, kickboxers, judoka or BJJ specialists, usually with similar results. He tossed Werdum’s legs aside, and jumped in looking to hammer out the fight with his right hand. Werdum used his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame to his fullest, and spun back into a solid guard position and quickly regained control of Emelianenko’s hand. This time, backed against the cage Fedor could not spin out. Werdum alternated between pressure on the armbar, and pressure on a locked in a full triangle choke, and the fight was over. Emelianenko offered a single tap, and the landscape of the entire heavyweight division was changed in an instant.

“I am so very, very happy,’’ the 2-time BJJ World Champion and 2-time ADCC heavyweight submission grappling champion Fabricio Werdum said. “He is such a strong man. He is a great fighter. I would be glad to fight him again.’’ Werdum upset the apple cart for Strikeforce’s heavyweight plans. Fedor was an overwhelming favorite to win, and many expected the final fight of Fedor Emelianenko’s 3-fight deal with Strikeforce to be against current heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (full disclosure that is a Sharkspage photo, not a Strikeforce photo as listed on several dozen newspaper sites and blogs). “Personally, I hope Fedor wins the fight. I am a big fan of his fighting, and I am looking towards fighting him myself,” Overeem told Showtime’s Mauro Ranallo in a cageside interview before the Fedor-Werdum fight.

An Emelianenko vs Overeem heavyweight title fight could have taken place in April or May, but Fedor’s managment at M1-Global decided to re-enter negotiations for their already completed co-promotional arrangement with Strikeforce. Sherdog.com’s Loretta Hunt interviewed Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on an immediate rematch for Fedor-Wedum II. “If fighters want to fight, I want to promote… if it makes business sense, we could put on a great fight,” Coker said. “At this point, I feel that we will do the rematch if they want to do it, I think the future in our heavyweight division looks fantastic.” One of the only individuals to publically predict Werdum over Emelianenko, Coker said he based it on Fedor not having an experience advantage over Fabricio, and due to a simple gut feeling.

From a rankings perspective, SBnation/USA Today’s consensus heavyweight rankings have yet to come out, but the needle in the heavyweight division is already starting to move. Sherdog.com in rankings this week dropped Fedor from #1 to #3, and quizically moved Werdum up from #9 to only #2. The UFC’s Brock Lesnar, with all of a 4-1 mma record and a still unproven comeback from a life-threatening bout with diverticulitis, moves up to #1 days before his fight with #5 Shane Carwin. MMAweekly.com goes with a similar Lesnar, Werdum, Emelianenko top three. It should be noted that on both Sherdog (Werdum, Emelianenko, Overeem, Silva) and MMAweekly (Werdum, Emelianenko, Overeem, Rogers) lists, four of the top 10 heavyweights reside in the Strikeforce promotion. Andrei Arlovski and free agent Josh Barnett remain on the outside looking in.

Plaintiff claims by UFC president Dana White that Strikeforce heavyweights do not face quality compeition are not bared out by the facts. The next wave of heavyweight stars could be found among Shane Carwin, Junior dos Santos, and San Jose based Cain Velasquez, and Lesnar offers a must-see spectacle at the top of the promotion, but for one of the few times in MMA’s short history the heavyweight division of two promotions are prepared to offer interesting and compelling fights for an extended period. Only 5 years into its run as a mixed martial arts promotion, Strikeforce offered the biggest upset in mixed martial arts history. Fedor’s loss is only going to increase interest in a rematch with Werdum, and a possible title fight with Overeem.

On the undercard, longtime San Jose kickboxer and mixed martial artist Cung Le used a spinning back kick to end a fight with Sacramento’s Scott Smith 1:46 into the second round. Le could not finish Smith in their December 2009 meeting despite a minute and a half of non-stop punches from a dominant position. This time when Le had Smith on the ground, he wound up and delivered heavy punches to the body and knee strikes to the shoulder. Le denied interest in a potential Middleweight tournament that features the deepest pool of talent in the Strikeforce organization. Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos demolished Jan Finney 2:56 into the second round, a stoppage that could have come from female referee Kim Winslow much, much sooner. According to official Compustrike figures, Cyborg landed 141 strikes to Finney’s 21. Compustrike notes that Cyborg has oustruck opponents 387-94 in her last 5 fights. San Jose’s Josh Thompson rebounded from a title defeat to Gilbert Melendez with a come-from-behind RNC submission of Pat Healy at 4:27 of the third round. Chris Cope, Bret Bergmark, a 9-0 Yancy Medeiros and Pacifica native Bobby Stack were also successful on the untelevised undercard.

According to MMAjunkie.com, ratings for “Fedor vs. Werdum” on Showtime were up 56 percent equalling the third highest MMA broadcast on the network. Ratings peaked at a 2.1 household rating and over 700,000 viewers for the subscription based network. Only Carano-Cyborg from San Jose, and Hercshel Walker’s debut this January in Florida earned higher ratings. Attendance announced at Saturday’s post-fight press conference was 11,757 officially, with a $1 million gate. It is the sixth highest attendance for a mixed martial arts promotion in San Jose. Jan Finney (60 days), Scott Smith (60 days), Josh Thomson (180 days), Ron Keslar (45 days) and Gareth Joseph (45 days) were issued medical suspensions by the California State Athletic Commission.

Payroll figures announced for Fedor vs. Werdum headliners: Fedor Emelianenko ($400,000), Fabricio Werdum ($100,000), Cung Le ($100,000), Scott Smith ($55,000), “Cyborg” Santos ($35,000 w/ win and champion bonus), Jan Finney ($6,000), Josh Thomson ($60,000) and Pat Healy ($8,000).

A photo gallery from the event is available here. Note: After the 5th round of the NHL draft at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, made the drive back to HP Pavilion in San Jose and made it to seat 2 minutes before Josh Thomson fight.

[Update] Fedor Loses: Werdum Shocks the World – Sherdog.com.

Fabricio Werdum turned the MMA world on its ear with his stunning upset off top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Werdum” on Saturday at the HP Pavilion.

[Update2] “Strikeforce/M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” recap: Werdum shocks Emelianenko – MMAjunkie.com.

For the first time in more than a decade – and for just the second time in his storied career – famed heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko has experienced the sting of defeat.

Facing fellow PRIDE veteran and heavy underdog Fabricio Werdum, Emelianenko scored a quick first-round knockdown only to get trapped in a fight-ending triangle choke when he moved in for the finish.

[Update3] Fedor dethroned, Werdum topples last emperor – MMAweekly.com.

[Update4] Fedor: “This loss was necessary for me, I never wanted to be a god” – Prommanow.com.

[Update5] Showtime posted the retirement video that preceeded Frank Shamrock’s statement inside the cage on Saturday night. Shamrock was a large local draw that helped establish San Jose as a destination for the sport, and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said it was at the urging of Shamrock that he transitioned from a kickboxing to an MMA promotion.

[Update6] Fedor’s decade of domination ends with 69-second submission – Josh Gross for Sports Illustrated.

2010 NHL Draft – San Jose Sharks draft recap part 1

2010 San Jose Sharks entry draft selections:

1st round (28th overall) – Charlie Coyle
Position: RW/C
2009-10: 42GP, 21G, 42A, 50PIMS South Shore Kings (EJHL)
Birthplace: Boston, MA
Size: 6-foot-2, 202-pounds
Shoots: Right

3rd round (88th overall) – Max Gaede
Position: RW
2009-10: 25GP, 19G, 17A Woodbury High (Minn.), 11GP, 1G, 1A 2PIMS Sioux City Musketeers
Birthplace: Maryland, MN
Size: 6-foot-2, 187-pounds
Shoots: Right

5th round (127th overall) – Cody Ferriero
Position: C
2009-10: 27GP, 21G, 19A Governor’s Academy (Mass.)
Birthplace: Boston, MA
Size: 5-foot-11, 190-pounds
Shoots: Right

5th round (129th overall) – Freddie Hamilton
Position: C
2009-10: 64GP, 25G, 30A, 12PIMS, Niagra IceDogs (OHL)
Birthplace: Toronto, ON
Size: 6-foot-1, 187-pounds
Shoots: Right

5th round (136th overall) – Isaac MacLeod
Position: D
2009-10: 56GP, 0G, 23A, 51PIMS Penticton Vees (BCHL)
Birthplace: Nelson, BC
Size: 6-foot-4, 205-pounds
Shoots: Left

6th round (163rd overall) – Konrad Abeltshauser
Position: D
2009-10: 48GP, 5G, 20A, 28PIMS, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Birthplace: Bad Tolz, Germany
Size: 6-foot-5, 190-pounds
Shoots: Left

7th round (188th overall) – Lee Moffie
Position: D
2009-10: 29GP, 4G, 8A, 27PIMS, U. of Michigan (CCHA)
Birthplace: Wallingford, CT
Size: 6-foot-1, 200-pounds
Shoots: Left

7th round (200th overall) – Chris Crane
Position: RW
2009-10: 52GP, 15G, 14A, 107PIMS, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Birthplace: Virginia Beach, VA
Size: 6-foot-0, 189-pounds
Shoots: Right

– A few rough draft notes and links coming soon. Max Giese’s more in-depth review will come later this week. His pre-draft preview is available here.

– The San Jose Sharks started with only 4 selections, but with some slick moves they were able to double their 2010 draft class to 8 players. The trade of enforcer Brad Staubitz earned a 5th round selection from Minnesota (129th overall), a Vladimir Malakhov-esque trade with Atlanta garnered a 7th round draft pick and the expiring contracts of prospects Michael Vernace (himself a former Sharks draft pick) and Brett Sterling. Atlanta needed to move contracts to get under the NHL’s contract limit in order to acquire Dustin Byfuglien. The rights to Swedish goaltender Henrik Karlsson were traded to Calgary for a 6th round selection (163rd overall), and a 7th round pick in 2011 was traded to Pittsburgh for a 2010 7th round pick (200th overall).

6-foot-2, 202-pound C/RW Charlie Coyle was the Sharks first round selection in 2010. Not a completely off the board selection, and Max Giese called it ahead of time from press row noting the work being done at the table by the Northeast scouts. Coyle is the cousin of former Jeremy Roenick teammate Tony Amonte. He is slated to attend Boston University next year, 5th round picks Cody Ferriero and Isaac MacLeod are both going to attend Boston College.

The Sharks also went large at the draft, with 6-foot-2 Coyle, 6-foot-2 Gaede, 6-foot-4 Macleod and 6-foot-5 Abeltshauser all towering over the Sharks staff that drafted them. Girth is a different factor, but the Sharks have one of the best strength and conditioning programs in the NHL. Abeltshauser was a defenseman Max Giese projected could have gone much higher in the draft, the Sharks have to be pleased to get him in the 6th round. If Cody Ferriero is anything like his brother Benn, intelligence and intensity are going to be strengths for him moving forward. Benn Ferriero and Jason Demers were the two Sharks prospects that surprised in training camp, and made their way to the NHL roster based on their performance. The Sharks also made a late move with Pittsburgh to acquire Chris Crane, an energy player that they did not want to leave on the board undrafted.

Without a full compliment of selections at recent drafts, the Sharks have been very active on the collegiate free agent market. Speaking with one scout, it may take a few years for them to start producing at the NHL level, but there is a lot of quality depth talent the Sharks have added outside the draft. Also a lot of talk about teams focusing on collegiate prospects with the time frame and cost factor matching their development structure. San Jose has the luxury of affording prospects a little more time to develop, thus giving them a little more leeway in the final draft analysis.

– As was expected, Edmonton chose Taylor Hall, the Boston Bruins get a solid addition in Tyler Seguin. The monster Phil Kessel trade for Toronto’s 2010 first and second round selections, and another first rounder in 2011, will have an impact on Boston and the NHL for several years. It may extended the rebuild for the Maple Leafs another year or three, creating even more chaos in Toronto, and give Boston the ability to reload if it has to depart with an aging star.

The story inside the Staples Center during the first round was the drop of OHL defenseman Cam Fowler and QMJHL defenseman Brandon Gormley. Fowler was expected to go very early, and Gormley was regarded as a Top-10 selection, both fall to a pair of Pacific Division rivals in Anaheim (12th) and Phoenix (13th). Anaheim got a hearty boo on enemy Los Angeles turf when their selection was introduced. Los Angeles traded up to #15 to select defenseman Derek Forbort. With two southern California natives still on the board, many Kings fans in the stands were hoping one would remain in LA.

Beau Bennet (Gardena) went to Pittsburgh at #20, the Sharks passed over Emerson Etem (Long Beach) at 28 and he ended up going to Anaheim at #29. Cool moment inside the building, Kings fans boo’d the Anaheim introduction as usual, but then cheered the socal native as he was selected. In the stands around his family were several Ducks and Sharks fans, all gave him a standing ovation as he made his way to the podium. The Sharks got a hefty boo when their selection was introduced, and several fans started a ‘cho-ker, cho-ker, cho-ker’ chant in the upper deck. Lightest moment came at #10 when the Rangers were introduced. After the floor remained silent with the team preparing to make its selection, a loud ‘Rangers Suck’ got a very well attended day 1 crowd laughing.

– After the work of the Sharks (day one, day two) and the Bay Area contingent of the Associated Press, the best local coverage of the draft came from SBN blog Fear the Fin’s Jason Plank and Matt Taylor.

FTF noted Coyle finished top-10 in many draft combine physical tests, and that he named Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards as a player he models himself after based on his desire to win and compete.

Jason Plank and Matt Taylor interviewed both GM Doug Wilson and head coach Todd Mclellan, and they came away with a good quote on why the Sharks picked Coyle over socal native Emerson Etem. “”We liked both players, to be quite honest with you, However, we like Charlie a lot, we saw him a lot, and he can play many different positions. There were many players who dropped a bit today, and there were some surprises in regards to where people fell to. Charlie was a guy our staff and I identified as a player who may have gone earlier in the round,” Wilson told Fear the Fin. Sharkspage heard from the floor that a member of the Sharks scouting staff had knowledge of Coyle dating back to his youth. That may have been a contributing factor on Coyle over Etem.

Fear the Fin also got from the source information on the NHL Live report that Doug Wilson was involved in talks with Philadelphia to acquire the rights of pending UFA Evgeni Nabokov. Plank and Taylor also did a take on the Sharks late night confidential with their own Fear the Fin Confidential video recap. They talked about the selection of Coyle, the talks with Philadelphia at the draft, possible defenseman the Sharks should target, the possibility of trading Ryane Clowe, and notable draft drops.

Great information, great discussion all around.

– San Jose Mercury News columnist David Pollak posted recaps of the draft on day one and day two.

– The mainstream consensus was that this was a more subdued draft, a view shared by more than a few fans that waited through a 4-hour long day one. Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside noted on ESPN that it was a bit of a letdown with no fireworks. LeBrun said the buildup with the Halak trade, Horton and Byfuglien trades did not lead to more on draft day. He also said that this could be a different kind of offseason, with teams making moves throughout instead of a flood at the start of July 1st.

The Globe and Mail’s Eric Duhatschek gave the NHL two minutes for snoozing. Duhatschek did conceed props to Boston and Florida (the Panthers had 9 picks in the top 100). The Hockey News draft panel featuring Ryan Dixon, Rory Boylen and former Minnesota Wild assistant GM Tom Thompson noted that a lot of the big moves never took place, no Tomas Kaberle trade, broke down the composition of the NHL and where players are coming from (most players from Canada juniors, “Denmark trying to join Sweden and Finland”), and discussed team philosophies in the later rounds and the entertaining Karill Kabanov.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs had 5 offers at the draft for defenseman Tomas Kaberle, it is not clear if any of them included a first round draft pick. The nattily attired Bob McKenzie wrote that it was an unpredictable and interesting draft, with the moves up the draft board by Joey Hishon and Mark Visentin, that Forbort was an obvious pick at #15 for Los Angeles, and that Etem selected 29th was great drama for the first round.

[Update] NHL draft leaves Kings, Ducks, California players smiling – Helene Elliott for the Los Angeles Times.

Everybody got a little bit of what they wanted Friday in the first round of the NHL entry draft, though the wait was unexpectedly short for some and agonizingly long for others.

The Edmonton Oilers, picking first before a crowd of 11,052 at Staples Center, got a potential franchise player in left wing Taylor Hall of Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League. That gift-wrapped prolific center Tyler Seguin for the scoring-challenged Boston Bruins, who grabbed the 18-year-old who had been ranked No. 1 by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau…

When they came to rest nearly four hours later, the first NHL draft staged in California became the first to feature two California-born-and-trained players. Right wing Beau Bennett of Gardena went 20th to Pittsburgh, the earliest a Californian has been chosen, and right wing Emerson Etem was picked 29th by the Ducks.

Are the San Jose Sharks a Californian team? Not according to the Times. So-cal bias.

[Update2] Draft grades from the O.C. Register’s Eric Stephens and Yahoo’s Ryan Lambert.

2010 NHL Draft – Los Angeles Kings general manger Dean Lombardi interview from the rail

Former San Jose Sharks and current Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi broke down the lack of moves on day one, recent trades, and the impact hosting the NHL Draft will have on Los Angeles and his franchise. Earlier in the week Lombardi, Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall, and Kings head coach Terry Murray all got two-year contract extensions.

2010 NHL Entry Draft photo gallery

2010 NHL ENTRY DRAFT - STAPLES CENTER LOS ANGELES

SHARKS COACH MCLELLAN AND GM WILSON DISCUSS 1ST PICK ON THE CLOCK

SJ 2010 FIRST ROUND PICK 6-FOOT-2, 202-POUND C/RW CHARLIE COYLE

A photo gallery from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2010 NHL Draft — Media interview with Anaheim Ducks first round draft pick Emerson Etem

Anaheim Ducks 2010 first round draft pick (29th overall) Emerson Etem spoke with the media Friday after he was selected. Etem was born in southern California, and transitioned from roller hockey to ice hockey as a youth. He mentioned that he had never been to an Anaheim Ducks game despite living in the area.

2010 NHL Draft — Media interview with San Jose Sharks first round draft pick Charlie Coyle

San Jose Sharks 2010 first round draft pick (28th overall) Charlie Coyle spoke with the media Friday after he was selected. “It was kind of a surprise,” Coyle said of his selection by San Jose. “I am a good two-way player, I like to battle hard, and win battles down low,” he said when asked to describe his style of play.

Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski sign 4-year contract extensions, lock up future of team until 2013-14

SAN JOSE'S PATRICK MARLEAU RE-SIGNED FOR 4 YEARS, $27.6M ON THURSDAY

SAN JOSE'S JOE PAVELSKI RE-SIGNED FOR 4 YEARS, $16M ON THURSDAY

The San Jose Sharks locked in a sizeable chunk of their foreseeable future Thursday, re-signing former captain Patrick Marleau and potential future captain Joe Pavelski to 4-year contracts. Marleau, the franchise’s longest tenured player and a member of Team Canada’s Olympic “gold medal line” along with Thornton and Heatley, signed a 4-year, $27.6 million contract extension reportedly with a no-movement clause that could keep him in teal until 2013-14. Pavelski, a member of Team USA’s silver medal winning side at the Olympics, signed a 4-year $16 million contract extension.

“I am very happy to be coming back to San Jose, we love living here and playing here” Patrick Marleau said via a conference call. “One of the things I wanted to do right after the season was to try to work something out with San Jose. I am very happy with the way things turned out.”

It has been a little bit of an awkward season. The specter of unrestricted free agency loomed over Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov all year, but it took almost 4 months for the local media to put both on the record.”Right now the focus is on this team, on winning… right now I can’t really focus on that until the end of the season,” Marleau told television analyst Drew Remenda in January. Nabokov made similar statements to the Merc’s Mark Purdy shortly thereafter. In a market like Toronto, Vancouver, Philadelphia, New York or Boston, the fate of two of the team’s best players would be a weekly topic of discussion until resolution. In San Jose, fans were in the dark. Expectations centered around the camaraderie and talent inside the locker room, and the honesty and integrity of the front office and the organization.

As it turns out, there was uncertainty on Marleau’s side as well. “I think I always wanted to come back, there wasn’t any talk of anything else. I didn’t know how San Jose felt about things until after the season, and we started to have contract talks,” Marleau said in Thursday’s conference call. “All through the playoffs, I wasn’t sure whether I would be back for sure.”

It is a shocking sentiment to learn that Marleau was unsure whether or not he was wanted back. The franchise leader in nearly every offensive category, the NHL’s leading game winning playoff goal scorer since 2001, one of the most underrated defensive/2-way forwards in the league… San Jose should have an egg timer set to go off every 15 minutes in order to remind them to ask Marleau to play out his career in San Jose, a la Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman.

In his typical low-key fashion, Marleau played down that uncertainty. “It was just the way it is.” He added that his main goal was to win, not becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. “I think we have the team here to win. It works both ways, we help each other out, the organization and myself.”

Sharks center Joe Pavelski nearly put Team USA over the top in the Olympics, and he finished in a similar fashion this season for the San Jose Sharks. After signing a 4-year contract extention, Pavelski said he wanted to keep the team together and achieve more postseason success. “I have really enjoyed my time in San Jose, every year it seems to get a little better,” Pavelski said.

“A lot of the players are feeling the same way, they want to stay. They have been here for a long time… we want to accomplish the ultimate goal,” Pavelski added on Thursday’s conference call. “It will be fun to try to do it together.”

With the Sharks moving in a different direction from Evgeni Nabokov, next year’s lineup will have new challenges. “Every year there are changes, obviously Nabby has been the backstop back there for quite some time. It is really tough to see a player like that leave… I think everyone has a lot of respect for what he has sone.” Pavelski said. “Whatever happens, we have to get the job done.”

Pavelski said the contract negotiations came together fairly quickly, with both sides “wanting the same thing”. He mentioned that his 4 year, $16M contract fit into the salary structure of the team. He demured when asked about a “hometown discount” and salary comparison’s to Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler, and said this was a different team. “There are areas where you have to cut back in certain ways, if this was a little help then that is a good thing”.

[Update] Wilson Continues to Structure Sharks, Pavs & Patty’s contracts show their commitment to the system – SJsharks.com.

DOH Podcast #105: Evgeni Nabokov departure, offseason trades, and the Dudes on Hockey roast of Jon Swenson

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2010_0623.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss the news that Evgeni Nabokov will not be re-signed in San Jose, speculate on veteran goaltenders that could come in to platoon with Thomas Greiss, examine offseason trades that have hit the wire and those that could be pending, and interview Sharkspage editor Jon Swenson on roster possibilities and the Evgeni Nabokov rumor posted last week that turned out to be spectacularly false on the 105th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team, or download the MP3 file directly here.

Fight Notes – June 24th

OAKLAND'S ANDRE WARD ADVANCED TO SEMIS IN SUPER SIX BOXING TOURNAMENT

ANDRE WARD EARNED A 12-ROUND UD WIN OVER ALLAN GREEN SATURDAY

– June 2010 might be one of the most significant months for Bay Area fights sports in recent memory. Last Saturday at Oracle Arena, former Olympic gold medalist and WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward (22-0, 13KOs) dominated veteran Allan Green (29-2-0, 20KOs) en route to a 12-round unanimous decision win in the Super Six Tournament.

This Saturday the consensus #1 ranked heavyweight in mixed martial arts Fedor Emelianenko (31-1-0, 8KOs, 16subs) faces off against the consensus 9th ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1, 4KOs, 7subs) on a Strikeforce/M1-Global co-promoted card that also features the top woman in mixed martial arts Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, a participant in the 2009 fight-of-the-year candidate Josh Thomson, and what should be an entertaining rematch between San Jose’s Cung Le and Sacramento’s Scott Smith. Many consider Fedor Emelianenko the most dominate competitor in the history of the sport.

Earlier this month also saw the return of professional boxing to San Francisco for the first time in 6 years. Talented free agent Karim Mayfield (13-0-1, 8KOs) and former San Jose Sabrecats arena football player Tony Hirsch (12-3-1, 6KOs) dominated overmatched opponents, and an entertaining Jonathan Alcantara (4-2-1) lost a controversial decision. It was a small scale return to a destination that used to be the cradle of boxing worldwide.

– With a failure to launch for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Showtime’s World Boxing Classic Super Six Tournament has been one of the most entertaining aspects of boxing for all the right and wrong reasons. The drama has been at once organic and manufactured, honest and brutally dishonest.

In the first stage alone, fantastically documented on the second video episode of Fight Camp 360, Nottingham native Carl Froch earned a jaw dropping 113-115, 112-116, 111-117 unanimous decision after being thoroughly outboxed by Michigan-born Andre Dirrell. On the same night Germany’s Arthur Abraham possibly ended the career of former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor with a devestating knockout, 2:54 into the final round. It was the second straight brutal, late knockout suffered by Taylor. It was a loss devestating enough to force him out of the Super Six Tournament, eventually to be replaced by veteran Allan Green.

To complete the first of three opening round tournament stages, Andre Ward met the #1 ranked Super Middleweight and tournament favorite Mikkel Kessler for the first title fight to be held in Oakland in 42 years. Polled by Sharkspage.com, boxing insiders Dan Rafael of ESPN and Steve Kim of Maxboxing.com both gave the clear edge to Kessler. Outside of Oakland, few gave Ward an opportunity to even last 12 rounds. Ward proceeded to pick apart the top Super Middleweight in the division, and pick apart the prevailing boxing sentiment with blinding handspeed and pinpoint accuracy. Two fights after outslugging a slugger in Edison Miranda, the multi-dimensional Ward outboxed what many thought was a more complete Kessler. After battering him inside, Ward stopped Kessler in the 11th round to earn the WBA Supper Middleweight Championship.

The fireworks, good and bad, did not die down in the second stage of the Super Six Tournament. 70 miles from his hometown of Flint, Michigan, Dirrell met the then undefeated knockout puncher Arthur Abraham (31 wins, 25KOs, 80.6% knockout ratio) at Joe Louis Arena. Dirrell frustrated Abraham, poured on more offense than he did against Froch, and was dominating the scorecards until Abraham landed an illegal punch to the head in the 11th round. Dirrell had slipped to one knee in the corner, and he was dazed and out on his feet after the blow. A teammate of Ward’s and a bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics, Dirrell earned a critical 2 points with the win after Abraham was disqualified. In 2 Super Six contests, Andre Dirrell has two of the most unusual results on record.

In the second fight of the second stage, WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler both got what they were hoping for. Limited athletically, Froch got an opponent that would stand in front of him and bang. A humble and respectful Mikkel Kessler, a “gentleman warrior”, got the opportunity to avenge only his second professional defeat and regain the WBC title in front of a vocal hometown Danish crowd. The action was back and forth throughout the fight, but the 12th round was a candidate for round-of-the-year according to Showtime. With decisions all over the map, both fighters tried to end it in the ring without taking more than 2 steps in a row backwards. Froch did not respect the power of Kessler, and he stood firm trying to get off as many power shots as possible. Kessler moved in and out slightly, trying to load up as much snap on his jab and momentum on his overhand right as he could. After the dust settled, Mikkel Kessler emerged with a win and 2 points on a 115-113, 116-112, 117-111 unanimous decision.

That long and winding road ended up in Oakland for the final fight in the second stage of the Super Six. Allan Green was expected to be a difficult opponent. A veteran with a reach advantage, a powerful left hook, and a mean steak every bit as capable as matching that of Ward. The two were orginally scheduled to meet on April 24th, a date that was postponed when Ward suffered a knee injury. At the time Green questioned the validity of the injury, “I don’t think this is a fight Andre Ward and his people ever wanted.”

After his first Bay Area fight in San Jose, Andre Ward said he was not just fighting for Oakland or the east bay, but that he was fighting for the south bay, San Francisco and the north bay as well. With 3 of his last 4 fights in Oakland, Ward is hoping to garner support from those Bay Area fans to help re-establish Oakland as a destination for high profile boxing. The Olympic gold medalist drew 7,818 fans to Oracle Arena for his fight against Miranda in May of 2009, and with a number of Danish visitors 10,277 watched his upset of Kessler for the WBA crown in November.

8,797 fans nearly filled the lower bowl of Oracle Arena for Ward-Green on Saturday night, and unexpectedly the buzz inside the building was a notch higher than it was against Kessler. After a pause to sync up with the Showtime television broadcast, Ward began the first moving well side-to-side while staying out of the range of Green. In the second, Ward started to initiate contact after several clinches.

The Showtime broadcast described him as a volume, more techincal puncher, but from the third round on Ward buried his head into the chest of Green and unloaded from inside. The crowd ooh’d and ahh’d at intermission as slo-mo replays showed left uppercuts and right hooks land flush to the head of Green.

The route was on from the fourth round on. Green landed a left hook in the fourth, which was acknowledged by Ward, but his feet were planted into the canvas. “I did expect a little more from him,” Ward said after the fight. “That wasn’t the gameplan to fight so much inside. We wanted to go inside from time to time during the fight, I saw in the second round he stayed there along the ropes the whole round. I thought if I could stay inside this would be my game, I could really wear him down.”

That was most evident in the fifth and sixth. Ward began stalking Green around the ring, landing 8 straight punches in the fifth before Green let off a shot. The “bullying” continued in the sixth as Ward pushed him into a corner and landed a 6-punch combination. Kessler complained of frequent head buts by Ward, including one that lead to the eventual stoppage. Green said he spoke “jive” inside the ring, and new how to fight an American style of fight. Against Ward, often criticized for a lack of toughness early in his career, he had to deal with a head up against his chin and the occasional high elbow and forearm during scrambles in tight.

“I hit a wall in training camp,” Green told Showtime after the fight. “I had 3 training camps since December (with the postponement). I knew coming into this fight I wasn’t at my best. I trained hard, but I don’t think I did it effectively.” The Tulsa born Green came in two pounds under at 166, while Ward weighed in at 167.75.

The final 40 seconds of the tenth round was slugged out inside of a phone booth in the corner, but the occasional punch by Green was smothered by the volume and pressure from Ward. The Oakland native finished with a 53-170 advantage in jabs landed and thrown, to 17-61 by Green, 214-350 to 131-268 advantage in power shots, and a 267-520 to 148-327 advantage in total punches landed/thrown. Green attempted only 6 combinations (3 in the final two rounds), to Ward’s 42.

It was not a pretty effort by Green, or a spectacular upset for Ward as was his fight against Kessler, but it was a business-like effort. It helped Ward become the first Super Six competitor to advance to the knockout round. “I definitely felt that he stopped trying to win, and I really, really wanted the three points (for a stoppage),” Ward told the media.”I wanted to get the referee to stop the fight. He has had a lot of amateur fights, almost 30 pro fights, he was trying to survive.”

He gave himself a B for his effort, but the strength, power and versatility in his game validates the approach that got him to this point in some respects. Ward often repeats a fighting philosophy of Bruce Lee, “to be formless, like water”. Lee, one of the first martial arts instructors in the United States to train non-Asian students, also broke down the benefits and restrictions of numerous martial arts and put them into practice for his own teachings. Hospitalized after a neck injury, Lee examined and diagramed various attacks in judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, kung-fu, and several other styles. Instead of sticking to a strict, formulaic ritual fighting style, he would adapt on the fly given the situation and the opponent in front of him.

“As a matter of generalship you should try to fight a type of contest which least suits the fighting abilities of your opponent,” Lee said in his treatise on martial arts, Jeet Kune Do.

An intellectual boxer at heart, Andre Ward has adapted that style towards the squared circle. It has added significance with the fact that Bruce Lee opened a martial arts school in Ward’s hometown of Oakland in 1964. Lee’s legacy still looms large via students and fans in the city to this day.

The next test will come in the third and final opening round stage of the Super Six against friend and fellow 2004 Olympian Andre Dirrell. Dirrell was in attendance at the fight, and in the post-fight press conference he said that he would have an answer for Ward. Questions about whether it would take place in Oakland, Michigan, or a neutral location will make for must-see viewing on a future Fight Camp 360 episode.

Poole: Andre Ward’s successful WBA title defense ugly, yet beautiful – Oakland Tribune.

“Ward’s a really interesting and unique fighter,” Showtime analyst Al Bernstein said. “He’s so versatile. He and (trainer) Virgil Hunter are so clever. They’re like a football coach and team that know how to change up, depending on the opponent. They find a weakness and do whatever is necessary to take advantage of it.”

The champion fought mostly from in close, neutralizing Green’s punching. Ward consistently walked the Tulsa, Okla., fighter into one corner or another, or against the ropes, jabbing and hooking and reaching down for the occasional uppercut.

– A day up North – Steve Kim for Maxboxing.com.

– Andre Ward will be a guest today on CSNBA’s Chronicle Live talk show along with Earthquakes GM John Doyle and Strikeforce fighter and Sacramento native Scott Smith.

FEDOR EMELIANENKO TRAINING IN RUSSIA FOR SAT. FIGHT IN SJ - PHOTO M1-GLOBAL

2-TIME BJJ, 2-TIME ADCC HW CHAMPION FABRICIO WERDUM - PHOTO JON SWENSON

Via the Strikeforce/M1 Global Fedor vs Werdum event website, M-1Global.com and Showtime Sports:

STRIKEFORCE/M1-GLOBAL FEDOR VS. WERDUM FIGHT CARD
June 26th, 2010
HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA

Showtime Main Event Broadcast
Fedor Emelianenko (31-1-1) vs. Fabricio Werdum (13-4)
Cris Cyborg (9-1) vs. Jan Finney (8-7)
Scott Smith (17-6-1) vs. Cung Le (6-1)
Josh Thomson (16-3-1) vs. Pat Healy (23-15-0)

Preliminary Card
Yancy Medeiros (8-0-0) vs. Gareth Joseph (4-2-0)
Bobby Stack (6-1-0) vs. Derrick Burnsed (5-0-0)
Bret Bergmark (5-1-1) vs. Vagner Rocha (5-0-0)
Ron Keslar (5-1-1) vs. Chris Cope (3-1-0)

– Fedor Emelianenko, ‘The Last Emperor’, finally directs his procession to San Jose for a Bay Area debut on Saturday. Fedor is a figure many consider not only the top-ranked heavyweight in mixed martial arts, but also the top competitor in the history of the sport. He has cut a devestating swath through 3 MMA organizations (Pride FC, Affliction, Rings), and Saturday night he looks to take his second stroke at the Strikeforce Heavyweight division inside HP Pavilion.

Emelianenko’s confidence is not overbearing. Despite pure knockout power, and explosive takedowns and submissions, he does not need to make a show for the cameras. In fact, a slight smile and a hint of nonchalance may be the kiss of death for an opponent inside the cage.

“Outside his rigorous training schedule — he spends hours honing various boxing and martial arts styles and runs 10 miles a day — Emelianenko’s life can seem at times to more closely resemble that of a traditional Russian peasant,” Michael Schwartz wrote in a January 2009 profile for the New York Times. “He reads Orthodox Christian literature and relaxes at a banya, or Russian bathhouse.”

Emelianenko has emerged from some of the most whithering moments in a ring or a cage, and he often dismissed them as business as usual, just another day at the office. Offensively, he has knockout power in both hands, explosive judo throws, and a peerless submission game. But his strongest attribute may be his ability to make adjustments and take advantage of any opportunity afforded him by an opponent.

In his last two fights, Fedor has mixed in an element of misdirection. After staying on the end of Andrei Arlovski’s punches in the first round of Affliction’s Day of Reckoning event in 2009, Arlovski pressed his luck and attempted a flying knee up against the ropes. Emelianenko lowered the boom with an overhand right that knocked the former UFC champion out in mid-air. Against a game Brett Rogers in his Strikeforce debut in Chicago, a bloodied Fedor timed him coming in and earned a spectacular knockout 1:48 into the second round.

This has to be a daunting prospect for his opponent Fabrico Werdum. In even the best of circumstances, odds for a Werdum win are going to be slim. A submission grappling phenom with size and improved power, Werdum has to take notice of Demian Maia’s recent performance agaist Anderson Silva in UFC 112. Maia has possibly the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu adopted for MMA, but if you can not close the distance on a striker and take him to the mat, it doesn’t matter.

Werdum slugged it out for a unanimous decision win over 6-foot-4, 265-pound ‘Giant Silva’ in 2009 (a meeting that deserved a rematch), but Fedor is on another planet skill-wise. Staying inside on the feet is Werdum’s best option. Surviving 20-30 second increments, Werdum has to stay alive long enough on the off chance a stray neck or an arm presents itself.

– Excellent Sherdog.com reporter Loretta Hunt interviewed several fighters during the media day Wednesday. Cung Le talked about his stunning knockout loss to Scott Smith after dominating him early in the fight, he also cracked on the recent Rampage-Rashad UFC headline fight that failed to live up to overhyped expectations. Porto Alegre, Brazil native Fabricio Werdum was also interviewed by LH. Through a translator Werdum discussed a 7-month delay and turning down a fight after Fedor and M1-Global decided to continue negotiations, talked about how his style of BJJ matched up well with his opponent and how he had experience defeating Fedor’s heavy handed brother Sharkspage favorite Aleksander Emelianenko in Holland.

Also on Sherdog video, San Jose’s Josh Thomson discussed his strategy for Pat Healey, and Fedor Emelianenko spoke with Greg Savage Tuesday in LA. Emelianenko talked about his training camp, his preperation and the work his coaches have done for Werdum, whether he thinks this is a pure striker vs pure grappler matchup, and how he likes fighting in the United States.

– Mini-tale of the tape: Fedor Emelianenko — age 33, hometown Stary Oskol, Russia, weight 232, height 6-foot-0, reach 74 inches, record 31-1-1 (16 submissions, 8 knockouts), style Combat Sambo (International Master of Sport), Judo (black belt and Master of Sport) and boxing, fight team Red Devil Sport Club, history WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (present), Pride FC Heavyweight Champion (2003-2007), Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix winner (2004), Rings Absolute Tournament (2002), Rings Heavyweight Tournament (2001), notable wins including 5 former UFC Heavyweight champions (Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, i-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) as well as Mirko ‘Crocop’ Filipovic (2005) in the most anticipated bout in MMA history.

Fabricio Werdum — age 32, hometown Porto Alegre, Brazil, weight 242, height 6-foot-4, reach 76 inches, record 13-4-1 (7 submissions, 4 knockouts), style BJJ (black belt), Judo (black belt), fight team Kings MMA/Chute Boxe, history back-to-back Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world SSHW champion (2003, 2004), 2-time ADCC submission grappling HW champion (2009, 2007), notable wins Antonio Silva (2009), Gabriel Gonzaga (2008, 2003), Aleksander Emelianenko (2006), Alistair Overeem (2006).

– One bit of inside baseball to keep an eye on, especially after female boxer Ella Nunez came in 11.5 pounds overweight for a fight last weekend in Oakland. Many consider Werdum’s poor showing against rising contender Junior dos Santos in October 2008 evidence that Fedor is not facing top competition in the division.

Fabricio Werdum weighed in for that fight at 256 pounds, 12 pounds over the 242 pounds he weighed in for a November 2009 bout against Antonio Silva. Being a few pounds over an average weight after an 8-10 week training camp is a warning sign, even for a heavyweight. Werdum rededicated himself to improving his fitness after signing with Strikeforce, and as the photo above shows he was shredded on the scale as a result. According to training videos, he has also been working to add mass.

Other fighters to keep an eye on Fedor Emelianenko weighed in at 232 for his November bout with Brett Rogers, Josh Thomson came in at 153 for Thomson-Melendex II. Thomson mentioned in an interview with CSNbayarea.com that overtraining is a concern for him, and his trainers at AKA are not above kicking him out of the gym. Cung Le came in at 184 for his ‘Evolution’ main event with Scott Smith. It should also be noted that ‘Cyborg’ came in 7 pounds over for a April 2009 fight with Hitomi Akano. A very game Akano came in at a pound and a half under the limit at 143.5lbs.

– Exclusive: Fedor “not looking past” Werdum – Tatame.

– Werdum steps up training for fight vs. Emelianenko — will it matter? – Josh Gross for SportsIllustrated.com.

It seems each time a fighter prepares to meet Fedor Emelianenko in the ring, something changes. Whatever it was he did to earn a shot at mixed martial arts’ top heavyweight fighter is, rather suddenly, not enough.

This power of persuasion is how Emelianenko, the 32-year-old Russian heavyweight who is unbeaten since December 2000, usually begins his march to victory. Well before he can unleash his speed and power, make use of his uncanny leverage and eerie ability to remain calm in the face of giants attempting to rip him from consciousness, Emelianenko claims a distinct advantage by the sheer force of his reputation — even if he says otherwise.

– More notes on Strikeforce, a link to a hockey podcast, and notes on Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski re-signing will be posted soon. Me and Max Giese wil be at NHL Draft in LA tomorrow (Max is there, I am going to be on the road soon.)

Sharks moving on from starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov after 10 seasons

SAN JOSE SHARKS GOALTENDER EVGENI NABOKOV WILL NOT BE RE-SIGNED

The San Jose Sharks announced today that negotiations to re-sign starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov were over. In an article on SJsharks.com, it was announced that the team would move in another direction with in-house unrestricted free agents (Marleau, Malhotra, Nichol, Wallin) and restricted free agents (Pavelski, Setoguchi) left to sign. There are also a number of quality unrestricted free agent goaltenders (Ellis, Mason) that will be available on the market July 1st.

“Nabby has been a big part of this team for the past 10 seasons and played an important role is our successes. This decision boils down to a dedication of dollars in a salary cap system and under this system, teams can’t keep everyone,” San Jose Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson said after a meeting with Nabokov.

There was silence on Evgeni Nabokov’s status after a June 1st update on the blog of beat writer David Pollak. Nabokov’s agent Don Meehan told Pollak that they had not yet heard from the Sharks, but did not expect to until the middle of June. The next week Sharks President/CEO Greg Jamison noted that individual player meetings had begun, but the organization and the hockey staff was still in the analysis phase.

This blog reported last Monday that multiple sources believed the Sharks were leaning towards re-signing Evgeni Nabokov. There were subsequent media reports that the Sharks were undecided on Nabokov, and another that the parties were on a different page financially, but attempts to confirm them were unsuccessful. Now that the organization is moving in a different direction, there are going to be as many that are shocked inside HP Pavilion as outside it. Greg Jamison said the decision would come down to conversations and analysis with the coaching staff, individual player meetings, and with contributions from the hockey staff. He said the organization would need to “to formulate a strategy going forward.”

That strategy no longer involves a former Calder winner and Vezina runner-up, the franchise leader in games played (563), wins (293), saves (13463) and shutouts (50). As noted earlier on this blog, “Evgeni Nabokov has faced more shots and played more minutes with a San Jose Sharks crest on his jersey (14757, 32492), than the next four goaltenders combined (Irbe, Shields, Vernon and Toskala).”

The decision was not wholly unexpected. After averaging 70 starts and 43.6 wins over the last 3 regular seasons, Nabokov is being judged in the same manner as the rest of the franchise, on postseason success. The landscape for starting goaltenders in the NHL may have changed. While Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco are two respected, talented and experienced netminders, the postseason success of Jaroslav Halak, and unheralded Michael Leighton, Antti Niemi and Brian Boucher might have caused many organizations to rethink how their teams are constructed from a salary cap perspective.

“We are excited about the goaltenders coming up through our system and we will also keep an eye on assets that may become available in the coming weeks,” Doug Wilson said of the announcement.

This decision comes after the recent trade of Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis for promising Danish forward Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. HabsInsideOut chronicled the wrath of the media and fans towards GM Pierre Gauthier. The city was buzzing after the trade of a player many believed carried the team into the later rounds. A handful of comparisons were made to the difficult decision the San Jose Sharks had to make in 2003 when a trio of #1’s came to the fore at the same time, Evgeni Nabokov, Miikkka Kiprsuoff and Vesa Toskala.

At the time, this blog said of the Kiprusoff trade, “Creating a goalie competition is one of the main reasons the Sharks are battling for first in the Pacific Division. It worked somewhat for Shields-Vernon. With Miikka lighting the league on fire one would have to think it would have worked for Nabokov-Kiprusoff as well.”

Now the Sharks are in a position with two quality, but unestablished, young goaltenders in Thomas Greiss and Alex Stalock. The Sharks historically have developed goaltenders at a slower pace. To establish a competition in net and get back to a position of pushing their netminders to earn starts, San Jose may have to dip into the free agent market. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun offered a look at the most likely free agent goaltending candidates.

And that might be the intriguing play come the first week of July: Will these free-agent goalies hold out for more money or grab hold of the first secure job offered to them? With so many goalies available, teams might have the upper hand in terms of salary negotiation. That’s fine with Ellis, who hopes to sell himself as a bargain so as to find a good fit.

“I’m hoping to find my niche where I’m a cheaper option than the $4 million and $5 million guys, maybe an option for a team that’s feeling the cap crunch,” said Ellis, who turns 30 on Saturday. “I’m not a huge money guy. I live in Omaha, Neb., in the summertime. My most important thing is to find a team who I can win with.”

The trade of Halak to St. Louis shocked starting goaltender Chris Mason. “They gave us every indication they wanted Chris to be the guy,” Mason’s agent Tom Laidlaw told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It was reported by HNIC’s Elliotte Friedman that Mason was looking for “3 years, $11.25 million from St. Louis… Blues decided to commit that money to someone who was 25, not 34.” This was similar to news that Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier did not even contact Jaroslav Halak’s agent Allan Walsh prior to the trade with St. Louis. According to reports, Gauthier believed Halak was out of their price range without negotiations.

The Sharks went in a different direction. After planning for a future without Nabokov, they gave him and his agent time to prepare for the NHL Entry Draft June 25-26th, and the start of free agency on July 1st. Nabokov was the most vocal player expressing a desire to return as the team cleaned out their lockers on May 26th.

“(The ball) is not in my court really, it is up to the organization. Then after that, it will be in my court. It is their decision, then my decision. It is a weird situation, I haven’t been in that situation in a very long time. To be honest, I don’t know what is the right way to answer,” Nabokov said at the time when asked about his future. Now that future will be undertaken with a different team.

[Related] San Jose Sharks 2010-11 contract status/salary cap chart – Sharkspage.

[Update] San Jose Mercury News beat writer David Pollak has more today from GM Doug Wilson and Evgeni Nabokov. According to Pollak, Nabokov told him he had no regrets during his time spent with the organization, and he did not see this move coming. General manager Doug Wilson said the team was interested in trading or signing a free agent goaltender, and not relying entirely on younger goaltenders.

“I just need to move on with the rest of my life and make the decision that’s best for my family,” Nabokov said. “That’s part of the business and we’ll see how the things are going to go.

“For me personally,” he added. ” it’s been good years in San Jose. This organization has been nothing but good to me and I have no regrets.”

[Update2] TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported via twitter on Thursday that along with St. Louis, San Jose was the other “major suitor” for Halak. McKenzie confirmed the report to Sharkspage, but did not have any furthur information about the discussions. Montreal Gazette beat writer Dave Stubbs also told Sharkspage that reporters were in the dark on the Montreal side. Doug Wilson has said multiple times over the years that his staff keeps a “ghost roster” of every NHL player and the needs of each NHL team in the event an opportunity arises. Wilson made a similar comment in a response to a question from Dave Pollak regarding Halak.

[Update3] In 2005-06 Halak played 20 games for the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the ECHL before he was called up to the AHL, at times in front of as few as 800 fans. The Ice Dogs had a very small, rabid fan base, but the team struggled due to a lack of marketing and an oversaturation of entertainment options in the region. They also had to compete with 2 more popular NHL franchises in Anaheim and Los Angeles, and they eventually folded in 2007. In Montreal, the Canadiens finished second in the league with a 21,273 average attendance at the Bell Centre.

[Update4] More from CSNCalifornia’s Jaymee Sire with video from Doug Wilson: BREAKING NEWS: Sharks to Part Ways with Nabokov:

Doug Wilson: Well it’s an organization decision and you take a look at what the trends are in this league and the dedication of dollars to that position. And Nabokov’s been an outstanding player for us and responsible for some great successes. And we have to take a look at where we’re at and where we’re going and we wish him nothing but the best in true appreciation for him. We’ve got some very good young goaltenders coming. There’s quite a few goaltenders that we expect to be available to build our tandem going forward. And it comes down to dedication of dollars, not only this upcoming year but going forward the next four or five years.

Jaymee Sire: How hard was that conversation you had with him?

DW: Well I have great respect for him. It’s the least favorite part of my job. But he’s a man that, as I say, I admire and we had a conversation face-to-face and that conversation will be kept confidential.

[Update5] 9 goalies who could be on the move July 1 – NHL.com. A poll from the article asks — Who is the top free-agent goalie?

Who is the top free-agent goalie?

Marty Turco: 13.63 %
Evgeni Nabokov: 51.72 %
Michael Leighton: 12.08 %
Chris Mason: 11.12 %
Antero Niittymaki: 6.21 %
Dan Ellis: 5.24 %

NHL announces San Jose Sharks 2010-2011 Schedule

The NHL announced today the schedules for all its member clubs. As previously announced, the San Jose Sharks begin their season with a home and home series against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Stockholm, Sweden. The Sharks will have to wait until November 24th to get their first look at the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, the team that eliminated San Jose from the 2009-10 playoffs.

The Sharks play on back to back nights 14 times during the season, with nine times having both games on the road. They twice play a home game followed by a road contest at Anaheim, and once they head to Calgary after a home game. The only time they play the second game at home is the season ending home and home against Phoenix. The two games in Stockholm wrap up the back to back contests.

All times Pacific

10/8/10 12:00 vs. Columbus (in Stockholm)
10/9/10 12:00 @ Columbus (in Stockholm)
10/16/10 19:30 vs. Atlanta
10/19/10 19:30 vs. Carolina
10/21/10 18:00 @ Colorado
10/23/10 19:00 @ Edmonton
10/24/10 17:00 @ Calgary
10/27/10 19:30 vs. New Jersey
10/30/10 19:30 vs. Anaheim

11/2/10 17:00 @ Minnesota
11/4/10 17:00 @ St. Louis
11/6/10 19:30 vs. Tampa Bay
11/9/10 19:30 vs. Anaheim
11/11/10 19:30 vs. N.Y. Islanders
11/13/10 19:00 vs. Calgary
11/15/10 19:30 vs. Los Angeles
11/17/10 18:00 @ Colorado
11/18/10 17:30 @ Dallas
11/20/10 19:30 vs. Columbus
11/24/10 19:30 vs. Chicago
11/26/10 19:00 @ Vancouver
11/27/10 19:00 @ Edmonton
11/30/10 19:30 vs. Detroit

12/2/10 16:30 @ Ottawa
12/4/10 11:00 @ Montreal
12/6/10 16:00 @ Detroit
12/8/10 16:00 @ Philadelphia
12/9/10 16:00 @ Buffalo
12/11/10 19:30 vs. Chicago
12/13/10 19:30 vs. Dallas
12/15/10 17:00 @ Nashville
12/16/10 17:30 @ Dallas
12/18/10 17:00 @ St. Louis
12/21/10 19:30 vs. Edmonton
12/23/10 19:30 vs. Phoenix
12/27/10 19:30 vs. Los Angeles
12/29/10 17:00 @ Minnesota
12/30/10 17:30 @ Chicago

1/1/11 18:00 @ Los Angeles
1/3/11 19:30 vs. Vancouver
1/6/11 19:30 vs. Buffalo
1/8/11 17:00 vs. Nashville
1/9/11 17:00 @ Anaheim
1/11/11 19:30 vs. Toronto
1/13/11 19:30 vs. Edmonton
1/15/11 19:30 vs. St. Louis
1/17/11 13:00 @ Phoenix
1/20/11 19:00 @ Vancouver
1/22/11 19:30 vs. Minnesota
1/26/11 19:30 @ Los Angeles

2/1/11 19:00 vs. Phoenix
2/2/11 19:00 @ Anaheim
2/5/11 10:00 @ Boston
2/8/11 16:00 @ Washington
2/9/11 16:00 @ Columbus
2/11/11 16:00 @ New Jersey
2/13/11 14:00 @ Florida
2/15/11 17:00 @ Nashville
2/17/11 19:30 vs. Washington
2/19/11 19:30 vs. Colorado
2/22/11 16:00 @ Detroit
2/23/11 16:00 @ Pittsburgh
2/25/11 18:00 @ Calgary

3/1/11 19:30 vs. Colorado
3/3/11 19:30 vs. Detroit
3/5/11 19:30 vs. Dallas
3/8/11 19:30 vs. Nashville
3/10/11 19:30 vs. Vancouver
3/12/11 19:30 vs. N.Y. Rangers
3/14/11 17:30 @ Chicago
3/15/11 17:30 @ Dallas
3/17/11 19:30 vs. Minnesota
3/19/11 19:30 vs. St. Louis
3/23/11 19:00 vs. Calgary
3/24/11 19:30 @ Los Angeles
3/26/11 18:00 @ Phoenix
3/31/11 19:30 vs. Dallas

4/2/11 19:30 vs. Anaheim
4/4/11 19:30 vs. Los Angeles
4/6/11 19:00 @ Anaheim
4/8/11 19:00 @ Phoenix
4/9/11 19:30 vs. Phoenix

San Jose Sharks trade enforcer Brad Staubitz to Minnesota for 5th round draft selection

BRAD STAUBITZ REGISTERED 4G, 5A AND 186PIMS OVER 2 SEASONS IN SAN JOSE

BRAD STAUBITZ FIGHTS KRIS BARCH - PHOTO JON SWENSON

The San Jose Sharks traded 6-foot-1, 215-pound forward Brad Staubitz to the Minnesota Wild Monday afternoon for a fifth round selection (129th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In two seasons with the Sharks, Staubitz registered 4 goals, 5 assists and 186 penalty minutes. According to his fight profile on hockeyfights.com, Staubitz earned 20 fighting majors in the NHL with a 7-4-9 record.

“Brad is a tough, physical forward who earned the respect of his teammates night-in and night-out,” San Jose Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson said of the bruising winger. “We want to thank him for his efforts on behalf of our organization and wish him all the best moving forward.” Staubitz was signed by the Sharks on September 19th, 2005 as a free agent.

Staubitz is a controversial figure in some circles after a brutal Mar 19th, 2009 fight with pesky Nashville Predators agitator Jordin Tootoo. Both squared off at center ice, and Staubitz rained down a series of hard lefts that battered the 200-pound Manitoba native. On many of the blows, Staubitz followed through with an elbow at the end of each punch. In a subsequent general managers meeting in Toronto, Nashville Predators GM David Poile suggested such “UFC style” tactics be banned from the NHL.

One agenda item that will be brought up Wednesday, time permitting, is the issue of NHL fighters using UFC-style tactics. The Nashville Predators were upset last season when they felt San Jose Sharks winger Brad Staubitz(notes) used his forearms to punch Jordan Tootoo in a fight. Sharks GM Doug Wilson was upset the Predators complained to the league about it.

“We brought it up with the league that we thought he was hitting him with his forearm,” Predators GM David Poile said Tuesday. “Doug doesn’t see that, but that’s what I saw on the film. I asked the league, is this something we should talk about? I haven’t heard a thing about it until now.”

It was a borderline call either way. In muaythai kickboxing and MMA elbows are thrown as much to cut than to inflict damage (search the Sharkspage youtube channel for examples). In boxing there have been several instances of a competitor starting to throw an MMA or a kickboxing strike, before correcting themselves. With the number of professional athletes participating in crosstraining with MMA and kickboxing, a firm ruling from the NHL is not an unreasonable request. Blows thrown in a hockey fight with a bare fist are much more dangerous.

Staubitz did not earn a start in the 2009-10 playoffs, and with a one-way contract he was a healthy scratch a number of times during the regular season. A one-dimensional player, he simply looked to take the heads off of opponents on a regular basis. A converted forward with above average speed, he never broadened his game enough to use some of that energy on the forecheck or in front of the opposition net. A positive attitude and regular media appearances made Staubitz a fan favorite in San Jose, even when he was not on the ice.

With the trade, the Sharks have increased the number of 2010 draft selections available to them to 5: 1st (28th), 3rd (88th), 5th via Car (127), 5th via Min (129), 5th via Ott (136). The 2010 NHL Entry Draft will be held June 25th and 26th in Los Angeles.

[Related] Sharks trade enforcer Jody Shelley to the New York Rangers for a 6th round draft pick according to TSN – Sharkspage.

[Update] According to agent Allan Walsh, Staubitz signed a 2-year contract today with Minnesota. He will play for former San Jose Sharks assistant coach and current Minnesota Wild head coach Todd Richards. Star Tribune beat writer Michael Russo quoted Minn GM Chuck Fletcher, “(Staubitz) can play a regular shift and bring some grit and energy to our team. It’s important component of successful teams. You want to have a balance. You obviously need skill, but we also feel we can upgrade our grit.” Where that leaves unsigned enforcer Derek Boogaard is an open question.

A bit of old school leaves the game, San Jose Sharks captain Rob Blake retires after 20 years

SAN JOSE SHARKS CAPTAIN ROB BLAKE RETIRED TODAY AFTER 20 YEARS

GRANATO, NABOKOV, MARLEAU, THORNTON, SETO, MURRAY, EMERSON ATTENDED

SHARKS PRES/CEO GREG JAMISON, GM/EVP DOUG WILSON, CAPTAIN ROB BLAKE

It is difficult to hold a low-key retirement ceremony when you are a first ballot Hall of Fame candidate and one of the best defenseman to ever lace up a hockey skate, but San Jose Sharks captain Rob Blake stoically announced his retirement in front of a small group of family and friends Friday at HP Pavilion.

“I was fortunate to play 20 years in the National Hockey League, but today I have to announce my retirement,” Rob Blake said. “It is not a bad thing, I was very fortunate to spend a lot of time with some very great players. For that, I am very thankful.”

After 20 years in the NHL, longer than the San Jose Sharks have existed as a franchise, the Ontario-born Blake finishes his career with 1270 games played (20th alltime by a defenseman), 240 goals (10th alltime by a defenseman), 537 assists, 777 points (19th among active players), 136 power play goals (behind only defenseman Ray Bourque 173, Al MacInnis 166), 1679 penalty minutes (25 fighting majors according to hockeyfights.com), 1 Stanley Cup Championship (Colorado, 2001), 1 Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman (Los Angeles, 1998), 7 Allstar Game appearances (2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1994), 3 appearances in the Olympics and 1 Gold Medal for Team Canada, and 5 appearances in the World Championships and 2 Gold Medals for Team Canada.

“I came into the league in 1993, I was thinking as I came in today how many times Rob Blake rained on our parade here in San Jose,” Sharks President Greg Jamison said at Friday’s ceremony. “I believe it was numerous times throughout the years.” Jamison also expressed the organization’s gratitude for the on-ice and off-ice contributions Rob Blake made during his final two seasons in San Jose. “On behalf of ownership and the organization, we want to thank Rob Blake for bringing to our team a class and professionalism that is universally recognized throughout the NHL and the hockey world.”

It was a shock to the system of many a Sharks fan when it was announced that Rob Blake would be migrating from socal to Northern California in the summer of 2008. Blake was a Los Angeles Kings icon, and a member of Colorado Avalanche teams that ousted and were outsed by the Sharks in the playoffs. Blake went on a tear against San Jose in the WCSF in 2002, 2 goals in game 2, 2 goals in game 3, a goal and an assist in game 4. It is a well worn hockey cliche but Blake was a player hated on the other team, yet one you would love to have on yours.

“Rob Blake and I go way back. It took about 5 years to convince him to come here, and it was well worth it,” Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson said. “The day he came to this organization, we are going to reap the benefits. The young teammates that played with him… they are going to carry forward the things they learned from you.” Doug Wilson finished with a statement that reflects why Blake was named captain this season. “What is great about the game of hockey, and great about a man like this, in hockey nobody thinks they are bigger than the team, and bigger than the game. It has been a privilege and an honor to have Rob Blake come and play for this team.”

More than the sum of his career ledger, Rob Blake also retires as one of the most complete defenseman ever to play in the NHL. A booming slapshot reminiscent of Al MacInnis or Al Iafrate, offensive instincts that could pick apart a defense a la Ray Bourque or Nicklas Lidstrom, or a feared presence in front of his own goal similar to Scott Stevens. Rob Blake was a 6-foot-4, 220-pound S.O.B. in front of his own net. With his retirement, the National Hockey League loses another old school link to the style and competitiveness of a bygone era.

Paired with a 21-year old Marc-Edouard Vlasic his first year in San Jose, Blake joined a potent blueline that notched its place in the record book. Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, Christian Ehrhoff and Marc-Edouard Vlasic became the fourth team in NHL history to have four defenseman reach 30 or more assists in one season. The chemistry between Blake and his defensive partner Vlasic developed quickly. In one radio interview, Vlasic talked about watching one of his favorite defenseman play growing up, Rob Blake. He mentioned he was a little awestruck to be playing alongside him.

In Blake’s second season in San Jose, he became the 10th captain in franchise history at the start of the year. After injury problems earlier in the season, he came into his own during the stretch run and the playoffs. Controversy followed his play against Colorado, and crease clearing efforts against Detroit and Chicago allowed the Sharks to finish with their best postseason performance in franchise history. Blake said he regretted not being able to bring the Stanley Cup to the Sharks. “We weren’t able to accomplish that in San Jose, and that’s your ultimate goal.”

Friday’s retirement ceremony was aired live on Comcast Sportsnet California and the NHL Network, as well as streamed live on CSNCalifornia.com, SJsharks.com and NHL.com. Rob Blake’s wife Brandy, San Jose teammates Devin Setoguchi, Evgeni Nabokov, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton were in attendance. Sharks development coach Mike Ricci, Bowling Green teammate and Kings assistant coach Nelson Emmerson, former Shark, Masterton trophy winner and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato, and former Kings teammate Glen Murray were also there to support Blake. Joining Greg Jamison and Doug Wilson to represent the Sharks front office, Sharks Majority owner Kevin Compton and his wife were in the audience to celebrate his career.

“I think when you joined the Sharks organization you set some standards on and off the ice that are second to none, we are going to have to live up to them,” San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said via telephone. The President and CEO of Hockey Canada, Bob Nicholson, thanked Blake for the number of times he represented his nation in international competition. Former Avalanche captain Joe Sakic also called in to thank Blake for his time playing with Colorado.

Video of the full press conference is available via CSNCalifornia.com here. The San Jose Sharks published video highlights of Blake’s career, a photo gallery and a report from the retirement ceremony. NHL staff writer Rocky Bonanno and LAKings.com’s Thomas LaRocca compiled an interactive timeline of Rob Blake’s career. A small Sharkspage photo gallery from the retirement ceremony is available here.

[Related] Rob Blake confirms retirement after 20 NHL seasons – Sharkspage.

[Update] Rob Blake: ‘It was a dream and I can sit up here and say I was lucky enough to live it’ – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

[Update2] Former King Rob Blake announces retirement from NHL – LA Times.

[Update3] Video: Upon his retirement, a tribute to Rob Blake’s nasty streak – Yahoo Puck Daddy Greg Wyshynski.

Max Giese: Sharkspage 2010 NHL Entry Draft Preview

The San Jose Sharks enter the 2010 NHL Entry Draft with only four picks in hand, but based on past history they could make anywhere from five-to-seven selections before it’s all said and done. General Manager Doug Wilson has future draft picks at his disposal to provide more ammunition for Sharks Chief Scout Tim Burke. San Jose has all of their 2011 and 2012 draft selections, plus an extra 6th rounder in 2011 after trading Jody Shelley to the New York Rangers. It is likely the Sharks will have an extra 2nd rounder in 2012 as compensation for not signing underachieving prospect Pat White.  GM Doug Wilson could utilize the abundance of picks in 2011 and 2012 to help fill the void this year, while targeting defensive-defenseman, and forwards with speed, skill and grit.

2010 SHARKS MOCK DRAFT

First round, 28th overall:  Jarred Tinordi, LD USNTDP, 6-5/203

Tinordi is the massive, physical stay-at-home defenseman the Sharks need.  He is the type of defenseman that goaltenders would love to have in front of them, an intimidating presence that protects his teammates.  He does not project to contribute much offensively in the NHL, but few are better in their own end. He moves well for his height, and he makes a pro-caliber first pass.  Has leadership qualities, and is a player teammates lean on to settle down and keep things together.

Third round, 88th overall:  Dalton Smith, LW Ottawa 67s, 6-2/195

A Chris Neil-like power forward, Smith is a big, strong winger who uses his large mitts for scoring and fighting.  He needs to work on his first step quickness, but scouts are intrigued by the meteoric improvements he made offensively this season. His presence in front of the opponents net could make him a filler on the powerplay in the pro’s.  Smith has shown the ability to adapt and play multiple roles and his strength/grinding style project well to the NHL.

Fifth round, 127th overall via Carolina:  Marcel Noebles, RW Krefeld Germany, 6-3/210

Big German winger with good hands and a scorers touch.  Fairly agile for his size and is determined away from the puck.  Early in the season he struggled with his coordination and lack of strength on his feet, but he developed late in the year into a playmaking threat.  Big wingers with soft hands and the ability to manufacture offense are a coveted commodity in any draft, and the Sharks are bound to take one of the many talented German prospects available this year.

Fifth round, 136th overall via Ottawa:  Brendan Woods, LW Chicago Steel USHL, 6-2/182

Woods missed the first half of the season with a broken femur and was slow to get his game back on track once he returned after Christmas.  Then in February he regained his strength and became one of the best draft eligible players in the USHL down the stretch.  Woods has the side profile of a 2-D cartoon character but does have a wide frame to fill out.  He shoots and hits hard and has a powerful skating stride.  The Sharks were one of a handful of NHL teams to make several visits to Chicago late in the season to see Woods.

Expert Predictions:

Redline Report has two scouting sources compile mock drafts every year.  This year one sees the Sharks targeting Portland left-winger Brad Ross with their first-round pick, because the organization could use a Steve Ott type to increase their grit factor.  In the other mock draft the Sharks were predicted to select Peterborough Petes forward Ryan Spooner, a slick offensive whiz who would help fill the void if Marleau departs via free-agency.

International Scouting Services has the Sharks taking Swedish defenseman Patrik Nemeth with the 28th overall pick in their mock draft.  “Nemeth is a gamble San Jose can afford to take with this pick.  A smart and big two way defender, Nemeth could be the potential replacement for Rob Blake in the not too distant future.  Nemeth has very strong pro-potential and would be a very smart selection”.

Ed Roberts, a Detroit-based scout for Redline Report predicts the Sharks will either draft Tyler Toffoli or Tom Kuhnhackl with the 28th overall selection.  “Toffoli could be the pick as one must consider the inside information Doug Wilson receives from Brian Killrea.  But I could also see them grabbing Tom Kuhnhackl because their German scout carries a lot of weight within the organization”.

Pat Edwards, an Illinois-based scout for International Scouting Services predicts the Sharks will take Jarred Tinordi 28th overall.  “San Jose needs a quality defenseman especially with Rob Blake retiring.  In addition, San Jose did not offer contracts to Julien Demers and Samuel Groulx.  The Sharks struggles against the team speed of the Blackhawks lead me to believe that taking a top-tier defensive talent would be there strategic play”.

David Burstyn, the Director of Scouting for McKeen’s Hockey predicts the Sharks will draft Alexander Petrovic at 28th overall.  “Petrovic has the size, natural aggression and improving skill-set to be on the Sharks back-end in the near future”.

Randy Gorman of McKeen’s Hockey predicts the Sharks will draft Jarred Tinordi 28th overall.  “Sharks could be interested in WHL prospects Alexander Petrovic and Quinton Howden, but Tinordi fills a need and is the type of defenseman the Sharks covet.”

Potential Picks at 28TH overall:

Jarred Tinordi, D USNTDP (USHL), 6-5/203

Think Mike Rathje with more of an edge and you have an accurate description of what Tinordi could possibly bring to the Sharks back-end.  He is a massive, physical stay-at-home defenseman that shuts down the oppositions top offensive threats and protects his teammates.  He will not contribute much offensively in the NHL, but he moves well on his feet and makes a good first pass.  Sharks are rumored to be interested although the rapid development of prospect Taylor Doherty could have them searching for a different ingredient in the first round.

Riley Sheahan, LC Notre Dame (CCHA), 6-2/202

Stock went down late in the season after he was charged with public intoxication and minor consumption.  Before the incident Sheahan’s character was believed to be one of his top attributes and he’s a sizable two-way centerman with great hockey sense and he’s very polished defensively.  Offensively his calling card is his playmaking ability, but it’s his maturity away from the puck that makes him an easy projection to the NHL.

Jaden Schwartz, LC Tri-City Storm (USHL), 5-10/180

The Sharks believe that hockey sense and character allow a player to thrive in the NHL, and Schwarz might be the smartest player in the draft.  He’s a tenacious playmaker comparable to a poor-mans Zach Parise.  Another thing working in Schwartz’s favor is that right now no scout within the Sharks organization is hotter than Pat Funk, who is responsible for uncovering recent gems Joe Pavelski and Alex Stalock.  Funk presides over the USHL for the Sharks, and if Schwarz is his guy he could be San Jose’s pick.

Charlie Coyle, RW South Shore (EJHL), 6-2/202

Despite coming out of a low level of hockey in the EJHL, Coyle is relatively a safe bet to at least be a third-liner in the NHL, and some see second-line upside in him as well.  He has good size and is a swift skater with quality two-way hockey sense.  His defensive awareness and willingness to engage physically bode well for his development but his offensive ceiling depends on if you believe his creative passing ability will translate to the NHL.

Quinton Howden, LW, Moose Jaw (WHL), 6-2/182

If the NHL had a combine similar to the NFL where players could see their stocks rise or fall because of their individual workouts, Howden potentially would be picked in the top ten.  He’s the type of prospect who when viewed in practice appears to have high-end physical gifts, but then he doesn’t do much with those gifts in the actual games.  Howden has good size, a long and powerful skating stride, and an excellent shot.  Some scouts see him as a fine two-way player who can fill many roles. He might be able to develop into a scoring threat that can be counted to come through offensively.  Other NHL teams think he plays below his size and physical tools.

Calle Jarnkrok, C Brynas Jr. (SWE), 5-11/165

Tim Burke and the Sharks scouting staff felt shut out last year when they were not able to draft high enough to select one of the many talented Swedish prospects available.  Some scouts see Jarnkrok in the mold of Ryan O’Reilly in that he’s not the biggest or fastest prospect available, but he has sublime hockey sense and is a well-rounded prospect that should transition to the NHL quickly.  He’s a creative playmaker with soft hands in the offensive zone and he is also aware defensively.  Adding strength will be crucial for him going forward.

Beau Bennett, RW Penticton Vees (BCHL), 6-1/170

One of the best pure skaters in the draft and has all the requisite offensive skills to develop into a second-line scoring winger.  His great skills and offensive instincts make him a threat on the powerplay.  Will need to get stronger and prove that he can fight through tight checking games to make it in the NHL.

Konrad Abeltshauser, D Halifax (QMJHL), 6-5/190

One of the drafts biggest wildcards, Abeltshauser is seen as an early second rounder on some lists and is off of other team’s lists all together.  A lanky German born defenseman with great height and good puck movement, Abeltshauser maintains an active stick defensively but lacks physicality.  He would benefit from developing a mean streak but right now he’s a smooth, tall offensive defenseman with great potential.  Difficult to slot and is the type of prospect that the Sharks could jump on early with their first round pick or steal him in middle of the draft.

Tyler Toffoli, RW Ottawa 67s (OHL), 6-0/180

Has great anticipation and can finish with a quickly released shot.  Smart and skilled but could be more physically assertive.  The comparison to Brad Boyes is bang on.  Boyes has scored in bunches for the St. Louis Blues by trailing the play, finding the open seems and quickly releasing an accurate shot.  Expect Toffoli to do the same in the NHL, and one can’t help but think how good he would look on the wing of Logan Couture one day.  Couture’s playmaking ability and willingness to grind for the puck would mesh perfectly with Toffoli’s game.

Tom Kuhnhackl, RW Landshut (GER), 6-2/172

Would have been a lock to go in the first round this season well before the Sharks pick, had he remained healthy.  Injuries either kept him out of key international events or prevented him from showing off his full capabilities while there.  A team with a strong scout in Germany (San Jose) shouldn’t have a tough time projecting him.  Last year in Fargo for the World U-18’s, Tim Burke was next to me watching the Germans play.  Kunhackl had the puck down low in the offensive zone and Burke called out the move Kuhnhackl was going to use to score. Sure enough, it was exactly what Kuhnackl did.  That tells me Burke knows this kid inside and out.  Few players are better deep in the offensive zone and around the net as this German winger.  Smooth skater with a deceptive shot.  Must get stronger and rebound with a healthy season next year.

Alexander Petrovic, RD Red Deer (WHL), 6-4/193

Physically aggressive stay-at-home defenseman with great size and good mobility.  Has untapped offensive potential too, just needs to polish his decision making.  One of the more underrated prospects on defense out of Canada this year and will blossom as he adds strength.

Ryan Spooner, C Peterborough (OHL), 5-10/177

This creative playmaker unfortunately saw his season end prematurely when he broke his collarbone in his first game back after the CHL Top Prospects Game.  Lacks size but is one of the purest skaters and smartest players available in the draft.  Anticipates developing plays and is an elusive skater who can hit his top gear in one stride.  Good away from the puck and is an ace penalty-killer that will inject any lineup with energy.

Kevin Hayes, LW Noble/Green (NEHS), 6-3/200

Has the talent and size to go high in the first round but some think he’s all sizzle and no steak.  Very flashy and has great size but he plays on the perimeter too much.  His brother Jimmy is willing to park himself in front of the net and likely Kevin will do the same at the next level.  Some times these prep kids aren’t challenged enough and can score at will from the perimeter.  Once he’s challenged at a higher level of play, the physical aspect of the game should come along.

Brad Ross, LW Portland (WHL), 6-0/173

Fans who have wanted to see the Sharks play with more teeth and enjoyed what Scott Nichol brought to the lineup should be hoping that Ross is available when the Sharks make their pick in the first round.  He’s a nasty agitator who also has enough skill to play on the second-line.  Similar to Steve Ott and Steve Downie, Ross is chippy and disruptive with enough skill to contribute offensively.

Justin Faulk, RD USNTDP, 6-0/196

One of the most underrated players available in this years’ draft.  Strong defensively, doesn’t make mistakes and has a cannon from the point.  The comparisons to Kevin Shattenkirk are inaccurate as Faulk isn’t the type to quarterback the PP in the NHL.  However, he’s going to contribute offensively and play on the PP because of his puck smarts and howitzer point blast.  Doesn’t have the sheer height that some of his peers have but Faulk is built like a tank and hits like one too.

Phillip Grubauer, G Windsor (OHL), 6-1/180

The typical Sharks pick in goal.  Grubauer is internationally experienced, won a memorial cup and is German.  He is also an athletic butterfly goaltender with great lateral movement and is especially difficult to beat down low.  Grubauer will need to be coached up as he tends to lean over in his stance and he could further economize his movements.  That said he has the physical tools and requisite mental makeup to develop into an NHL starter.

Matt Mackenzie, LD Calgary (WHL), 6-1/190

Scouts were down on him early in the season when it looked like his development stalled but he rebounded with a strong second-half and won a lot of scouts over with his rapid progression in the WHL playoffs and CHL Memorial Cup.  He reads the play well, remains calm under pressure and has an active stick defensively.  Nothing flashy and he will need to work on his shot, but Mackenzie is a valuable prospect for his sturdy defensive play and consistently sound puck movement.  His hockey sense is his top attribute.

NOTES:

International Scouting Services (ISS) gave the San Jose Sharks a grade of a C in terms of what prospects are on the horizon.  While I can’t agree with their top five Sharks prospects or their belief that goaltending of all things is a weakness in San Jose’s developmental system, I figured it’s still worth sharing.  They list Taylor Doherty, Jamie McGinn, Phil Varone, William Wrenn and Tyson Sexsmith as the Sharks top prospects.  ISS had this to say about the Sharks organization heading into the draft.  “Depth could be better at all positions, but goaltending appears to be a weak area in the system”.

Max Giese was the lead scout at McKeen’s Hockey magazine before moving to the industry leading Red Line Report publication last year. He has scouted players for Sharkspage.com since 2006. The 2010 Red Line Report independent scouting review is available for order here.

[Update] Top four forward draft prospects have real marquee value – Red Line Report’s Kyle Woodlief for USA Today.

The top four overall spots on Red Line’s list this year are all forwards, and there’s some real marquee value in this group, so any team that wants to grab one of the premium forwards had better be prepared to make a bold move to trade up in the draft.

[Update2] No sure-fire No. 1 defensemen found on this year’s prospects list – Red Line Report’s Kyle Woodlief for USA Today.

The first thing that hits us when examining the top end of this year’s crop on the blue line is that it’s a decidedly mediocre class with no real candidates to become a true No. 1 defenseman at the NHL level. We’re probably being a bit harsh because the memory of the last two years of outstanding defense prospects (Victor Hedman, Dmitri Kulikov, Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian, Tyler Myers, Erik Karlsson, Luke Schenn, etc.) is still fresh in our mind — and these players certainly pale in comparison.

[Update3] Analysts Predict Top Draft Selections, NHL.com’s experts take a crack at predicting the first round – SJsharks.com.