Gonna leave a pinned comment here since many have pointed this out to me. Jan Rutta is a right-handed defenseman, not left-handed like I said in the video. That’s on me for not confirming that piece of info, and it does make it more likely that he plays over someone like Mukhamadullin. Lines might look something closer to: Ferraro-Emberson Walman-Benning Thrun-Rutta
Two things: 1. Video is great, although I'm more convinced Walman and Emberson will switch spots in the lineup, at least to start the season. 2. I'd suggest either getting a new stationary mic if you can afford it or just attaching your current one to something so it doesn't move - the quality can be rough and jarring sometimes, especially if I have your videos on in the background while I'm doing something else. Thanks teach!
I’ve been watching your classes for several years now and have absolutely no issue with the microphone you use during classes! Just keep up the great work, which I have no doubt you will. Also, congratulations on the impressive rise in your subscribers and views per videos. Glad to see more fans are following your channel.
Hey Professor, I agree. The defensive corps should be marginally better depending on how some of the question marks turn out. Will Benning be the guy he was prior to his hip injury? Will Thrun make any progress towards being more consistent if not an offensive threat (personally I would be satisfied this year if he could improve his defensive zone coverage)? Will Shakir finally get his chance and if so where is he at in his development? Can Emberson pick up where he left off when he got hurt last year? Can Ferarro improve his consistency? Too many questions really to have high hopes for this group but, if all the stars align we might get lucky and have the most improved D corps in the league. Considering how bad they were last year that is a low bar but, at the upper end of potential outcomes from this group that would be my ceiling for them. Vlassic is one of my guys. Prickly, surly and often hostile to reporters but, for most of his career he was among the very best defenders in the league which is why team Canada chose him twice for the Olympics. Unfortunately the end of his playing career like so many other great professional athletes he is a shadow of his former self. Before he was a loved Sharks player now he is reviled and trashed because he doesn't want to hang 'em up. Former San Francisco Giant's pitcher and current color TV analyst Mike Krukow said there are two schools of thought around when to retire. One is to make your team tear the jersey off your back because you will miss it like hell when you are no longer a player. Two, retire while you still can play. Leave something in the tank and go out on your terms before you cannot play and people start to dislike you. I don't know which is right. I think that answer is only answerable for each individual. When Marc Eduard does hang 'em up he will be one of the last links to the former glory days of the Sharks when teams came to California and had to run the gauntlet of California teams. Pete Clovis, CA
For me, its not that I'm upset that Vlasic wont retire, but I would respect him having a bit more self awareness. He's been playing bad, its no secret to anyone. For him to still feel very entitled to a lineup spot is more so where my dissatisfaction stems from.
@@professorhockeytotally understand that but, honestly you have not been happy with him for the last few years prior to that interview you mentioned. There is good grounds for not being a fan of the guy given that the last 5 years have not been great for him or the team. It might be that he is egotistical enough that he is disassociated from his reality as a player? Having never been elite at anything I can't imagine not being at least remotely aware of when I am not performing well. I mean at some point cognitive dissonance has to begin to get through when you are a healthy scratch a lot right? I would think? It reminds me of the former Oakland A's Cy Young winning pitcher Barry Zito who signed a mega deal to come across the bay and play for the San Francisco Giants. I never watched other teams so I had no idea what kind of a pitcher he was only that he had been a part of some great A's teams and had won a Cy Young which is a huge accomplishment for a major league pitcher. I was just a little stunned when Zito arrived with the Giants throwing 89 mph without pin point control and was regularly getting rocked for 4-6 runs. He was arguably the worst pitcher on the Giants and remained so for the bulk of his 10 years with the Giants. Yes, 10 friggen' years!! At the end of his career the Giants started winning World Series and his last two years he finally showed some success and was decent. I think he even won a start in the Giants first World Series championship. I hated that guy. He was getting a massive amount of money and contributing nothing virtually. He regularly posted a losing record as a Giant starter. I think like the Giants and Zito the Sharks paid Vlassic when he wasn't really worth the contract. Virtually only the first two years of his deal did he play up to scratch. I guess that when a player is playing really well there is the desire to keep payroll costs down so you can acquire more talent to put the team over the top to win a championship with the understanding that the organization will "take care of you" on the back end for being a loyal soldier and taking less when you were clearly worth more? I don't know. Just spit ballinghere?
Hey Prof, which pieces do you think will be part of the D-core in our competitive window (say 5 years from now)? You think Emberson, Thrun, Muk, and Dickenson would be a legit top 4? I know 3 are lefties and we haven’t seen Dickenson yet (or Muk much), but you think they can be counted on, or we’ll need to bring another piece?
Great stuff as always Proessor. Just one correction -- Jan Rutta shoots right, not left. I'd really like to see Grier try to be aggressive and reach for a true RD top pairing prospect or young player. Anything short of Celebrini, Smith, Musty, Dickinson, Haltunnen, Mukhamadullin, Eklund, and the 2025 SJ 1st would be fair game.
Meh maybe for some. I’m totally fine with him collecting his money, he was underrated and underpaid for ages so I’m glad he’s getting paid. It would be different if we were strapped for cap space of course lol. Hope his bad attitude doesn’t rub off on the young guns tho
I think Rutta gets a lot of starts and so does Vlasic but Shakir and Benning will get integrated into those roles for Shakir the amount of games he’s going to play and Vlasic was decently well when played rested but those multiple starts would get to him and Benning well coming off that hip surgery we will see how his training camp goes hopefully makes a fully recovery
Jan Rutta is not a lefty. Rutta shoots right. He is a right handed shot. Mukhamadullin or Thrun will likely start in the AHL and be a call up just due to the plethora of left shots, and it would be better to give either 24 minutes of ahl time than 17 minutes of nhl time. Rutta will definitely be in the starting lineup if healthy, though.
Yeah I address that mistake in a reply elsewhere. Considering that, you are probably right about Rutta playing, and it would almost certainly be Thrun > Mukhamadullin in terms of lineup choice.
@professorhockey I think Muka is the better player, but I also think that's why he gets top pairing ahl minutes over bottom pairing nhl minutes. Similar to Bystedt or Musty, giving them top end minutes in lower leagues will be better for their development then low minutes in top leagues. Unless, of course, Musty makes it impossible to send him back to juniors
Huh, you’re right. I felt like I checked that at some point last year and saw he was a lefty who could play both sides, but maybe it was the opposite. That’s on me, my bad.
Definitely not the most impressive D core but still looking better than last year. I am hoping that you’re right with some of the pressure off of Ferraros back maybe it can help improve his play. Also really hoping Thrun and Muk make some strides this year. I’m surprised the sharks didn’t go out and try and get a player like Boquist to shore up that right side. I imagine that next year will be the time when they start prioritizing defenseman and maybe try to snag one with a draft pick or in a trade.
I think it’s likely that, unless they have a must pick forward like Celebrini, the Sharks go D with their first rounder next year. If so, they will probably just look for some “bandaid” type options for the next year until that first rounder + Dickinson come up
Last year the Sharks insisted on giving Hoffman and Labanc a lot of opportunities in the lineup even though they were not going to fit into the bigger picture. Maybe that was a David Quinn thing?? I wonder what that means for the defense this year. Will the Sharks still give a lot of playing time to Rutta and Benning to possibly move them later at the deadline? Vlasic should be waived. He’s been checked out for years. Everyone knows it. Teams aren’t even calling about him because it isn’t worth the effort to clear cap space…he’s lost the fire to compete as a professional.
Gonna leave a pinned comment here since many have pointed this out to me. Jan Rutta is a right-handed defenseman, not left-handed like I said in the video. That’s on me for not confirming that piece of info, and it does make it more likely that he plays over someone like Mukhamadullin.
Lines might look something closer to:
Ferraro-Emberson
Walman-Benning
Thrun-Rutta
Good video professor.
He rarely misses
Great analysis and did not pull any punches. Subscribed
Two things:
1. Video is great, although I'm more convinced Walman and Emberson will switch spots in the lineup, at least to start the season.
2. I'd suggest either getting a new stationary mic if you can afford it or just attaching your current one to something so it doesn't move - the quality can be rough and jarring sometimes, especially if I have your videos on in the background while I'm doing something else.
Thanks teach!
I’ve been getting a lot of comments about the mic situation, I’m looking to make a change soon.
@@professorhockeyI honestly like the mic a lot!
I’ve been watching your classes for several years now and have absolutely no issue with the microphone you use during classes! Just keep up the great work, which I have no doubt you will.
Also, congratulations on the impressive rise in your subscribers and views per videos. Glad to see more fans are following your channel.
Insightful as always, Prof. It will be interesting to see how closely Coach W's lineup aligns with your projection. Keep up the good work!
Hey Professor,
I agree. The defensive corps should be marginally better depending on how some of the question marks turn out. Will Benning be the guy he was prior to his hip injury? Will Thrun make any progress towards being more consistent if not an offensive threat (personally I would be satisfied this year if he could improve his defensive zone coverage)? Will Shakir finally get his chance and if so where is he at in his development? Can Emberson pick up where he left off when he got hurt last year? Can Ferarro improve his consistency? Too many questions really to have high hopes for this group but, if all the stars align we might get lucky and have the most improved D corps in the league. Considering how bad they were last year that is a low bar but, at the upper end of potential outcomes from this group that would be my ceiling for them.
Vlassic is one of my guys. Prickly, surly and often hostile to reporters but, for most of his career he was among the very best defenders in the league which is why team Canada chose him twice for the Olympics. Unfortunately the end of his playing career like so many other great professional athletes he is a shadow of his former self. Before he was a loved Sharks player now he is reviled and trashed because he doesn't want to hang 'em up.
Former San Francisco Giant's pitcher and current color TV analyst Mike Krukow said there are two schools of thought around when to retire. One is to make your team tear the jersey off your back because you will miss it like hell when you are no longer a player. Two, retire while you still can play. Leave something in the tank and go out on your terms before you cannot play and people start to dislike you.
I don't know which is right. I think that answer is only answerable for each individual. When Marc Eduard does hang 'em up he will be one of the last links to the former glory days of the Sharks when teams came to California and had to run the gauntlet of California teams.
Pete
Clovis, CA
For me, its not that I'm upset that Vlasic wont retire, but I would respect him having a bit more self awareness. He's been playing bad, its no secret to anyone. For him to still feel very entitled to a lineup spot is more so where my dissatisfaction stems from.
@@professorhockeytotally understand that but, honestly you have not been happy with him for the last few years prior to that interview you mentioned. There is good grounds for not being a fan of the guy given that the last 5 years have not been great for him or the team.
It might be that he is egotistical enough that he is disassociated from his reality as a player? Having never been elite at anything I can't imagine not being at least remotely aware of when I am not performing well. I mean at some point cognitive dissonance has to begin to get through when you are a healthy scratch a lot right? I would think?
It reminds me of the former Oakland A's Cy Young winning pitcher Barry Zito who signed a mega deal to come across the bay and play for the San Francisco Giants. I never watched other teams so I had no idea what kind of a pitcher he was only that he had been a part of some great A's teams and had won a Cy Young which is a huge accomplishment for a major league pitcher.
I was just a little stunned when Zito arrived with the Giants throwing 89 mph without pin point control and was regularly getting rocked for 4-6 runs. He was arguably the worst pitcher on the Giants and remained so for the bulk of his 10 years with the Giants. Yes, 10 friggen' years!! At the end of his career the Giants started winning World Series and his last two years he finally showed some success and was decent. I think he even won a start in the Giants first World Series championship.
I hated that guy. He was getting a massive amount of money and contributing nothing virtually. He regularly posted a losing record as a Giant starter. I think like the Giants and Zito the Sharks paid Vlassic when he wasn't really worth the contract. Virtually only the first two years of his deal did he play up to scratch.
I guess that when a player is playing really well there is the desire to keep payroll costs down so you can acquire more talent to put the team over the top to win a championship with the understanding that the organization will "take care of you" on the back end for being a loyal soldier and taking less when you were clearly worth more? I don't know. Just spit ballinghere?
Hey Prof, which pieces do you think will be part of the D-core in our competitive window (say 5 years from now)? You think Emberson, Thrun, Muk, and Dickenson would be a legit top 4? I know 3 are lefties and we haven’t seen Dickenson yet (or Muk much), but you think they can be counted on, or we’ll need to bring another piece?
Haven't seen any games since 2019. Hard to believe Vlasic is no longer the player he once was. He was probably the Sharks best drafted d-man.
Wish they drafted his cousin who plays for the Blackhawks. Hes pretty good
Yeah…it’s sad to see him now
Great stuff as always Proessor. Just one correction -- Jan Rutta shoots right, not left.
I'd really like to see Grier try to be aggressive and reach for a true RD top pairing prospect or young player. Anything short of Celebrini, Smith, Musty, Dickinson, Haltunnen, Mukhamadullin, Eklund, and the 2025 SJ 1st would be fair game.
So with Ceci??? 1st Ferraro-L, Ceci-R... 2nd Walman-L, Rutta-R... 3rd Thun-L, Benning-R... and your Mumu filling in where injuries happen.....
vlassic has played long enough to become the villain. the way hes dragging the team down will cast a shadow on his tremendous career.
I mean it's not like that Sharks have been pressed for cap space over the past 2-3 years. But yeah he's pretty terrible
Meh maybe for some. I’m totally fine with him collecting his money, he was underrated and underpaid for ages so I’m glad he’s getting paid. It would be different if we were strapped for cap space of course lol. Hope his bad attitude doesn’t rub off on the young guns tho
I think Rutta gets a lot of starts and so does Vlasic but Shakir and Benning will get integrated into those roles for Shakir the amount of games he’s going to play and Vlasic was decently well when played rested but those multiple starts would get to him and Benning well coming off that hip surgery we will see how his training camp goes hopefully makes a fully recovery
Rutta is a RHD. Interestingly, JD made the same error.
Maybe it was said somewhere that he was a lefty and we both just ran with it without verifying
Jan Rutta is not a lefty. Rutta shoots right. He is a right handed shot.
Mukhamadullin or Thrun will likely start in the AHL and be a call up just due to the plethora of left shots, and it would be better to give either 24 minutes of ahl time than 17 minutes of nhl time. Rutta will definitely be in the starting lineup if healthy, though.
Yeah I address that mistake in a reply elsewhere. Considering that, you are probably right about Rutta playing, and it would almost certainly be Thrun > Mukhamadullin in terms of lineup choice.
@professorhockey I think Muka is the better player, but I also think that's why he gets top pairing ahl minutes over bottom pairing nhl minutes. Similar to Bystedt or Musty, giving them top end minutes in lower leagues will be better for their development then low minutes in top leagues. Unless, of course, Musty makes it impossible to send him back to juniors
Correction: Rutta is, in fact, right-handed, so it is possible to run three pairings with a RHD on them.
Huh, you’re right. I felt like I checked that at some point last year and saw he was a lefty who could play both sides, but maybe it was the opposite. That’s on me, my bad.
Definitely not the most impressive D core but still looking better than last year. I am hoping that you’re right with some of the pressure off of Ferraros back maybe it can help improve his play. Also really hoping Thrun and Muk make some strides this year. I’m surprised the sharks didn’t go out and try and get a player like Boquist to shore up that right side. I imagine that next year will be the time when they start prioritizing defenseman and maybe try to snag one with a draft pick or in a trade.
I think it’s likely that, unless they have a must pick forward like Celebrini, the Sharks go D with their first rounder next year. If so, they will probably just look for some “bandaid” type options for the next year until that first rounder + Dickinson come up
Last year the Sharks insisted on giving Hoffman and Labanc a lot of opportunities in the lineup even though they were not going to fit into the bigger picture. Maybe that was a David Quinn thing??
I wonder what that means for the defense this year. Will the Sharks still give a lot of playing time to Rutta and Benning to possibly move them later at the deadline?
Vlasic should be waived. He’s been checked out for years. Everyone knows it. Teams aren’t even calling about him because it isn’t worth the effort to clear cap space…he’s lost the fire to compete as a professional.
Hey Prof when's our essay due
It’s summer break, no homework!
@@professorhockey So, pop quizzes start in September...?
Well if I told you that, they wouldn’t be pop quizzes
@@professorhockey 🤣🤣
Looks to much Like the Hockey Guy