The Sharks’ average age is 27.91, making them the ninth-youngest team in the NHL. Grier signed veteran free agent forwards Tyler Toffoli, 32, and Alexander Wennberg, 30, to help mentor younger players such as Celebrini.
Toffoli has 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 50 games; Wennberg has 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 52 games.
“I think the veterans have done a good job of keeping the group together,” Grier said. “They are a lot of the guys setting an example. I think they also feed off the energy of the young guys. I think Mack and Will [Smith] come in every day, and [Fabian] Zetterlund and [William] Eklund, they come in and they work. For young kids, they’ve been able to kind of put losses behind them and show up and be ready to work and have fun.
“As an older player, I think it’s almost contagious to have some of that exuberance of someone who’s not, you know, 29-, 30-years-old and been beaten down by the League, and maybe not guys take for granted being in NHL. But these young kids, every day, it’s like Christmas for them. They wake up, they’re excited to come to the rink and be in the League. It’s worn off on our group. It’s a positive for sure.”
Despite being last in the League standings, Grier said he’s pleased with 37-year-old Ryan Warsfosky, who is in his first season as coach after being an assistant the previous two seasons.
“I think Warsofsky has done a really good job, I think his staff’s doing a good job,” Grier said. “I think from right away from Day 1 in camp, I think you guys saw the up-tempo of the pace and pushing guys to work and give more. I think he holds these guys to a standard of competitiveness and work ethic. He’s also installed some structure in a system that the guys are trying to grow into and play. He’s been good. I think he’s done a good job.
“We’re a young team, and we have young players playing key moments and a lot of minutes. I think he’s done a good job communicating with those guys and helping develop them and, at the same time, making sure that the veterans and the older guys feel valued and important.”
Warsofsky also coached four seasons in the American Hockey League prior to his arrival with the Sharks. He won the Calder Cup as an assistant with Charlotte in 2019, then with Chicago as head coach in 2022.
“I think I’ve grown a lot,” Warsofsky said. “I’ve got more experience in the 53 games now of what the expectation is in our group each and every night. I’ve grown with living with some results, which can be extremely frustrating, especially when we’re in hockey games.
“[I’m] learning how hard it is to win this league. It’s something that our group is learning, [and] myself is learning.”
Sharks have ‘played a little better than our record,’ GM says
Despite their current record, San Jose Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson believes that the team has actually been performing better than their win-loss record shows.
In a recent interview, Wilson stated, “I think we’ve played a little better than our record indicates. We’ve had some tough breaks and some close losses, but I truly believe that we have the talent and the drive to turn things around.”
The Sharks have faced some tough competition this season and have been plagued by injuries to key players. However, Wilson remains optimistic about the team’s potential and is confident that they have what it takes to make a strong push in the second half of the season.
With a roster full of talented players and a coaching staff dedicated to success, the Sharks are determined to prove their doubters wrong and climb up the standings. Only time will tell if they can live up to Wilson’s belief that they have been playing better than their record indicates.
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