Editor’s note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to KeynoteUSA Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
BUFFALO, NY – Guess who’s coming to the (Sharks) dinner?
It’s always a big deal who takes who to dinner at the NHL Scouting Combine.
Viewed as a sign of a team’s interest in a top prospect (for example, the Sharks traded Will Smith, whom they picked at No. 4, and Leo Carlsson last year), it’s also a red herring.
The Montreal Canadiens famously didn’t wine or dine their eventual top picks of 2022 and 2023, Juraj Slavkofsky and David Reinbacher, respectively, in their Draft years.
The Sharks, however, were once again transparent with their intentions in this combine.
“They probably bring out Celebrini every night,” a league source joked.
In fact, Sharks director of amateur scouting Chris Morehouse confirmed they pulled Celebrini just once. Morehouse also noted that Celebrini was the only 2024 NHL Draft prospect they had lunch with this week.
Celebrini, by the way, told San Jose Hockey Now that he ate chicken at the Buffalo Chophouse restaurant.
But anyway, the combine is a storm for all kinds of rumors: Here’s what SJHN heard this week about the Sharks’ coaching search, their free agents and the prospects they interviewed.
On Wednesday, a source told San Jose Hockey Now that Ryan Warsofsky was the “favorite” for the head coaching job. Another source told SJHN it was all down to Warsofsky and Marco Sturm, who Elliotte Friedman said Friday she had also heard of.
Friedman also noted that Jeff Blashill had received a second interview with the Sharks. As of Wednesday, SJHN had also heard that Blashill had not yet been ruled out.
A league source told SJHN yesterday: “I think Sturm is deep in the process.”
Another source confirmed that Warsofsky and Sturm appear to be the main candidates.
With the draft on June 28 in Las Vegas and the start of NHL free agency shortly after, expect a decision soon from the Sharks head coach.
As for free agents, a source confirmed that the Sharks are looking to bring back RFA prospect Brandon Coe.
Sharks director of player development Todd Marchant said as much in an upcoming episode of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, which will be released Sunday.
There is also interest from San Jose in bringing back UFAs Ryan Carpenter and Justin Bailey, although both could also test the market to see if they can get better offers.
A league source told SJHN that the Sharks have not approached local UFA goalie Devin Cooley, although that doesn’t mean much yet as free agency is still more than three weeks away.
With the scouting combine out of the way (general manager Mike Grier was here all week), I’m sure deciding on a head coach and taking care of his free agents will be at the top of his to-do list.
Finally, from a variety of sources, SJHN has tracked down about a quarter of the 70-plus prospects the Sharks interviewed at the combine.
Up front they spoke, in alphabetical order, with forwards Cole Beaudoin, Kamil Bednarik, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Berkly Catton, EJ Emery, Cole Eiserman, Michael Hage, Konsta Helenius, Emil Hemming, Jett Luchanko, Julius Miettinen and Marek Vanacker.
On the back end, the Sharks interviewed defensemen Gabriel Eliasson, Alfons Freij, Cole Hutson, Adam Jiricek, Stian Solberg, Veeti Väisänen and Carter Yakemchuk.
Forwards Trevor Connelly and Kevin He were not interviewed.
They also didn’t speak to goalkeeper Mikhail Yegorov, forward Luca Marrelli and defender Anton Silayev this week, but…
Silayev was not invited to the combine because he is a KHL prospect, but the big defenseman will interview with the Sharks before the draft.
Yegorov, who backs up the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, reported that he spoke with the Sharks during the season.
Marrelli has also spoken to the Sharks before, not just this week.
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