San Jose Sharks 24-25 First Quarter Player Grades

[@hpshovecraft]

Thanks for the great overview, Professor. I don't see much of the Sharks beyond the 10-minute condensed game videos, so this was very informative for me.

[@kenjackson6256]

Sorry Professor, I forgot to send in my quarterly tuition now that my scholarship has run out. Excellent in-depth analysis as usual. Between your classroom sessions and FearTheFin, I can Sharks-geek out to my heart's content. Keep up the good work!

[@professorhockey]

I will extend your scholarship another year since you have been a model student

[@kenjackson6256]

@@professorhockey Gosh thanks Professor, here's an apple for ya🍎!

[@Wes_the_Bes]

Class is now in session 😎

[@sonofmar]

I feel so bad for Ferraro. I met the dude at an event one time and he is so down to earth and such a nice guy. I will always root for him, I just wish he could be put in a place to succeed on the Sharks like you mentioned. He seems to be personally carrying the terribleness of the end of Doug Wilson's tenure with him and it is sad to see (even though we also have Goodrow back now).

[@EB-yx4fn]

Mannn harsh but fair on Ferraro! Still love the guy though; it's pretty bittersweet to see how he's from the old plan

[@Flyboy245]

Great to see that I’m not the only one who recognizes blackwood being better in reality than on paper. So glad to hear a comparison to Karlsson and how bad he was (his tenure was before I started watching your channel, so I didn’t hear the opinion). Will be interested to see if it rings true

[@tjue4607]

Very good! Nice job as well Professor, over 2k followers. Keep up the great work.

[@sharxboy]

For the best future of our franchise I believe we need to draft in the top 4 in 2025, but I'll never ever root for a poor result. Let's go Sharks!

[@professorhockey]

Maybe the Sharks will take Viktor Eklund if they fall below top 4.

[@MichaelMolasses]

Congrats on 2.02k subs man! to many more!

[@professorhockey]

Thanks!

[@mattblom3990]

If Ferraro knew you professor, he'd be proud to even have that "D"!

[@professorhockey]

Haha, I don’t think he’d be happy either way

[@lousassole4061]

Please forgive me professor , I’m a day late.

[@sjtakada]

Thanks professor, they are pretty fair gradings, although I'm surprised Rutta didn't get F. BTW, do Mike Grier and Ryan Warsofsky get any grading at this point?

[@professorhockey]

I usually save that for end of season

[@prosperfireson]

Hey Professor, We are definitely trending the right way as a team and I think it is reasonable to expect that we will be steadily improving even despite bumps in the road common when inexperienced or rookie NHLers play full time. A bit off topic but, I stumbled on a Sharks interview with Patrick Marleau from his home in Florida on the eve of his number being retired. I found this because they did one with Joe Thornton as well and I have to say that both interviews were good and very emotionally charged. Both men did a long interview alone and then a second decent length interview with their wives. Did you see any of those? They are worth your time I think. Very revealing look at these two men who became near and dear to Sharks fans hearts. Pete Clovis, CA

[@professorhockey]

I watched some of the Thornton interview with Demers, which was fun

[@ponyboy9765]

Can’t be too mad at some of these grades. Overall a much improved team. I think the only thing I would change would be a lower grade for Wennberg. I was definitely hoping for a little more from him. It’s kinda crazy to think if I we could pick up one more solid winger we could actually have a fairly respectable top six. I actually have liked Toffoli more as a third liner so I’d keep him there. Saw someone suggest moving Grundstrum up to the second and I definitely don’t hate the idea.

[@professorhockey]

Yeah, Wennberg definitely could have got a C+

[@JapaneseAmericanaJiuJitsu]

I think the other thing Wenberg has is his consistent faceoff percentage - I notice Warsofsky puts him in critical face offs.

[@dylanhaswell6653]

Midterm season for players!

[@TheCheapNomad]

Will you do a Warsofsky and Grier grades?

[@professorhockey]

Usually more of an end of season thing

[@xanatos27]

Too generous on Ceci & Wennberg imo. Too harsh on Celebrini, Toffoli, Thrun, and maybe even Eklund. Hoping Smith playing with Celebrini will help him develop further, though I think Goodrow is a weird fit on that line. I have liked the general team effort and the no quit attitude this season, feels like we've been in most of these games. I think it'd be interesting if you had a team overall grade at the end / on the bottom.

[@professorhockey]

I’m thinking I agree with you on Celebrini, I was probably too harsh with him honestly. A team grade would be interesting, I’ll think about it.

[@BradleyDDY]

I agree with most of the ratings. I feel like you overrate rutta a bit a D- is a bit generous.

[@professorhockey]

Perhaps F- is more apt 😂

[@BradleyDDY]

@ that’s more like it!

[@kenjackson6256]

@@professorhockey Whoa, that's harsh. How about an F+...

[@janbrittenson210]

B- for Toffoli is way too generous. He's been a no-show for quite a number games, and only the last couple of games decided to play to his ability. He's good when he's fired up and motivated to play. I think he's been a C- so far, something he will easily change if he continues to show up. If he doesn't, and in a few games slips back into float mode, he should be traded. Everyone can have a luckluster performance or feel a little burned out - they're all humans, no matter how much they're paid - but not for the better part of a month!!!

[@professorhockey]

I was actually going to give him a C+, only a little bit better than you. However, he’s still the Sharks leading goal scorer, and I guess that should count for something.

[@johnnyg383]

Where is Timothy Liljegren?

[@professorhockey]

I only wanted to review players who played at least 10 games this season (with exception to Celebrini) Liljegren hasn’t been with the team long enough to be fairly reviewed

[@johnnyg383]

@@professorhockeylooking forward then to your 2nd quarter review

[@metsunie]

Personally as of the quarter of the season done, I'd give Walman my MVP personally My most surprising player to Grundstrom My most disappointed in Ferraro I know ultimately Grandlund carried a lot of the offense for the Sharks this season and Blackwood as been good this season overall, but I just cant forget how absolutely dreadful last year waa with no top 4 dman. He's night and day compared to what we had, both offensively and defensively, and sure he only has 1 goal, and does some defensive mistakes at time, but in the vast majority of time he's one of the reason we're not stuck in the zone for 3 minutes straight anymore

[@professorhockey]

That’s fair, it is certainly a big improvement from last year where the Sharks had legitimately nothing doing on the backend.

[@metsunie]

@professorhockey honestly I'm already glad we can even debate on who can have that one so far, pale comparaison of last year where it was Grandlund's team mostly And congrats for the 2k! 🎉

[@TastyPotty]

You need to spring for an LCD behind you with proper graphics and a boom mic. You'll blow up.

[@teemup9247]

The board might have charm on it’s own. Look at the hockey guy for example.

[@TastyPotty]

@@teemup9247 Yeah, but that's a dude in his basement full of fuck tons of hockey memorabilia - that niche is filled.

[@sonofmar]

I personally like the old school feel of the whiteboard and mic holding

[@HitmanHockeyCards]

Smith should be a D easily. Im starting to think youve been sipping the grier/smith fanboy koolaid and are losing your honest edge cause you see how bad he has been and desperately look for any minute positives in his game hahaha Hes the Jan Rutta of the forward core IMO

[@ponyboy9765]

@@HitmanHockeyCards two weeks ago I would have agreed with you but he’s looked a lot better recently especially since being moved onto the wing with Celebrini. I think the coaching staff managed the first month or so of his career pretty poorly. Never should have been made the second line center and then got stuck in a third line with two grinders. I think he’ll keep getting better as the season progresses.

[@chulamente]

Goodrow should get a D. He rarely makes a play when he has the puck. Smith needs to go down to minors and learn how to play with bigger/stronger players. He gets knocked off the puck too easily, and he's bad on the boards. Kostin is the worst. He shouldn't even get on the ice let alone get a grade.

[@professorhockey]

Smith definitely has some issues with handling the physicality in the NHL, but I do think he’s turned a corner here. If they refused to send him down before, there is no way he gets sent down now.