The San Jose Sharks Glide Forward With Some Help From Their Finns

The San Jose Sharks made some big splashes this  off season. They locked up and brought in quite a few players that are considered elite producers in the NHL. But they did make one signing that went under the radar, but has paid enormous dividends already early in the 2018 – 2019 campaign.

The San Jose Sharks signed Antti Suomela out of the SM-Liiga otherwise known as the Finnish Elite League on June 6, 2018. He impressed right away and earned his spot during training camp. Suomela exhibited his quick hands and impressive vision to the Sharks coaching staff which earned him the coveted 3rd line center role left by the departure of Chris Tierney.

During the course of the first few weeks of the season Suomela formulated some great chemistry with fellow countryman Joonas Donskoi. Their line has been one of the most effective lines in the entire league, regardless of who they have on their left wing. With the addition of Suomela, the San Jose Sharks have 3 solid lines that all generate offense in the opposing teams zone. This is a luxury that not many teams have around this league.

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After watching the first handful of games so far I’ve noticed that these two really complement each others style of play very well. Antti Suomela’s quick decision making with the puck and deceptive wrist shot are transitioning very well into the NHL.

At all strengths Suomela leads all skaters in the NHL in rebounds created with 10. Also he ranks 10th in iHDCF among all skaters at all strengths. These stats reveal how dangerous the newly acquired Shark can be when he has the puck on his stick.

This pairs well with Donskoi’s aggressive playing style. Donny isn’t afraid to crash the net and scoop up those created rebounds to turn them into high danger scoring chances.

He is also excellent at digging pucks out of corners in order to perpetuate the offensive zone pressure created by his teammates. With his new line mates, Joonas Donskoi seems to reaching the potential that Sharks fans have been getting glimpses of over the past 3 years while on San Jose’s roster.

Many expected this San Jose Sharks team to be good, but were unsure about the immediate impact of some of the new members of Team Teal. But the numbers illustrate that the Sharks 3rd line is legit, and will create headaches for opposing defenses all season long.

Excluding whoever gets put on their left wing this duo creates havoc in the offensive zone. When they are on the ice together they dominate possession. This Finnish duo has produced a monster 66.57 CF% and a 68.64 FF% rate over the first 8 games of the season.  They have compiled a total of 70 SOG, with a 69.25 SF% during the same amount of time. These two obviously feel comfortable with one another and have a knack for keeping pucks in play inside the opposing teams zone.

Not only do they drive possession for the San Jose Sharks, they are also getting very good looks at the opposing net minders, while simultaneously keeping things clean in front the Sharks crease. The two of them are responsible for creating 55 scoring chances, with 31 of them being considered highly dangerous opportunities.

They don’t give up many chances either with their SCF% being 69.17 and HDCF% at 70.54 respectively. These two are commanding with the puck whenever they are deployed by Head Coach Pete DeBoer.

These two have been extremely fun to watch during the early part of this season, and are likely to only get better with more time together. Their chemistry with one another isn’t all that surprising considering the two of them had conversations about playing together even before Suomela signed with the San Jose Sharks. But it’s still a relief to see the third line center role get settle this early, considering that was one of the biggest question marks heading into the 2018 – 2019 campaign.

It seems like the coaching staff feels comfortable slotting in Marcus Sorenson on their left side. But regardless of who they put there the numbers suggest that the Finns will be able to control puck possession and generate high danger scoring chances against the opposing teams defense. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m extremely enthusiastic about what’s still to come from these two imports.

All the stats used in this article were provided by naturalstattrick.com, check them out for more statistics pertaining to the San Jose Sharks and the rest of the league.