Mar 28, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) shoots past Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann (8) during the first period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest news regarding the San Jose Sharks dropped on Friday afternoon when they announced a lease extension with the City of San Jose regarding the use of SAP Center. Following that press conference, owner Hasso Plattner met with the media and you can read some of the highlights here.
Otherwise, it was a fairly quiet weekend for the Sharks but there are a few, brief updates that emerged.
Coaching News
Recently, the biggest news across the entire NHL coaching front is Mike Babcock has been given permission to speak to other teams. The deadline is May 25 and the Sharks would be dumb not to request permission to speak to Babcock and gauge his interest.
Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada wrote about the top contenders for Babcock. Friedman mentions how he wouldn’t be surprised if San Jose was one of the first teams to seek permission, but doubts the Sharks will be in the running.
This would seem logical since I’m sure Babcock has had conversations with his former assistant Todd McLellan about the state of the franchise and what’s going on. Plus, the Sharks probably won’t be able to make Babcock the kind of financial offer he’s looking for. Regardless, San Jose still needs to meet with Babcock at some point to at least perform their due diligence.
Friedman lists the top contenders as the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres.
More from Sharks News
- Norris Trophy odds show Erik Karlsson a step above the rest
- Red hot Couture provides a much needed boost
- Sharks return to SAP in sight
- Ryan Donato shines in his revenge game
- Tomas Hertl is off to a hot start
World Championships
The IIHF World Championships continued over the weekend and the Sharks will have representation in the quarterfinal round.
Team Canada and Brent Burns are the top team at the tournament thus far as the Canadians have won all six games while scoring 39 goals in the process. Burns leads all Canadian defensemen with a plus-six rating and five assists.
Meanwhile, Tomas Hertl and the host nation of the Czech Republic will also be moving on. Hertl has featured in all six games and has posted one goal and two assists. The Czechs sit in third place in Group B with a 4-1-1 record.
Finally, Ben Smith and the United States are moving on after sitting atop Group A with 15 points thus far. Smith has played in every game for the Americans, but has yet to register a point.
The teams have one more game of preliminary round action before the quarterfinals begin on Thursday.