2024 World Juniors round-robin play is over! How are the San Jose Sharks prospects at the WJCs doing?
Also, the Sharks have six prospects at World Juniors, third in the NHL. Is that the most in franchise history?
But before we get to that, Sheng talks about his (unimpressed) impressions of Sharks games this week (2:40). Is 10 Goals Against Watch back (7:00)?
What’s the next major coaching challenge for David Quinn this season? And how is that related to San Jose Sharks forwards who are offense-first (9:30), that they want to play defense-first?
Logan Couture is getting close (20:00).
Also, we talk about keeping an open mind about Mario Ferraro on the power play (23:45).
UPDATE: We talked Ferraro BEFORE his injury against the Avs tonight.
Then, Keegan gives his grades on how San Jose Sharks prospects have fared so far in WJC round-robin play: What does he think of Will Smith (37:00), Eric Pohlkamp (42:30), Kasper Halttunen (43:07), Filip Bystedt and Mattias Havelid (48:36), and Jake Furlong (51:30)?
Finally, we take a historical look at the San Jose Sharks at the World Junior Championships (54:30).
The Sharks have six prospects at the 2024 WJCs, but that’s not their most-ever. What positives can we gather from San Jose’s stacked 1995 and 1996 WJC classes? What are the cautionary tales from the 2015 WJC class?
There was also a three-year stretch where the San Jose Sharks had zero World Junior prospects.
Also, history suggests that Sharks fans should take notice of late-rounders Furlong and Pohlkamp being selected by deep national teams for the World Juniors.
Happy New Year!
2 Comments
good episode! (haven't watched it yet)
San Jose Sharks have become the California Golden Sharks and should wear those retro jerseys with the losing colors of the California Golden Seals during some of these really bad games. Sheng and Keegan, you must emphasize the comedy sides of this tragic season. Quinn himself must have to laugh at some of the puck luck and referee calls that Sharks have suffered this dismal season. It will start getting better and their luck will turn in late January. The world junior prospects and Mukhamadullin give Sharks fans some hope, and perhaps Thrun will really help the defense cut down on goals against. I hope Mike Grier promotes Mukhamadullin early so that he adapts faster to NHL speed of game.