Mm-hmm.

And that is a big deal because they clearly-- Like the way to play defense in the NHL this year is be a tree trunk and be able to skate, and the Sharks got that.

Trouba of that nature is not the best of skater, but he's very physical, and we've seen his physicality, the Trouba train.

And although the foot speed isn't great, he can move the puck, he can shoot a puck, he can be physical.

He gets in the way.

He rarely pulls himself out of position.

My only concern is if the foot speed gets him into total trouble.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And that is a big deal because they clearly, like, the way to play defense in the NHL this year is be a tree trunk and be able to skate, and the Sharks got that.

Trouba of that nature is not the best of skater, but he's very physical, and we've seen his physicality, the Trouba train.

And although the foot speed isn't great, he can move the puck, he can shoot a puck, he can be physical.

He gets in the way.

He rarely pulls himself out of position.

My only concern is if the foot speed gets him into total trouble.

Yeah.

He would be worth the full max against the salary cap if he chose to go down that road.

Yeah, you're exactly right.

And I don't know, that just seems a little bit lost on things where it doesn't start until next season.

And the part that I remember when the Sharks were signing players like Truba and trading for Darnell Nurse and signing Mason Marchman, people are like, oh my God, they're signing so much.

I think like 10 or 12 million in dead cap and players come off the board after this upcoming season.

So sure, yeah, you've paid Macklin Celebrini the most in the NHL right now when Kel McCarran and Quinn Hughes are about to get paid.

And McDavid, who I think is done taking $12 million deals, is going to get paid very soon here.

Is this the season? Should we expect that?

Right.

I know, l- like Auston Matthews a- and Connor McDavid, those guys, they, they've kinda set the standard lately.

Obviously with Leo Karlsson, the five years, and then Bedard gets five years.

That just seems to be the new standard.

And for players 20 years, 21, 22, right? Like, five years is perfect because i- i- in this situation for Macklin, right, you get one year of the ELC left, and then you get five years, and you get one year of UFA status bought out from Macklin Celebrini, right? So that gives him a chance...

This is something that Mike Grier said too, to not only assess where he's at financially and a chance to get paid again, but, like, brutally, honestly, Mike Grier also said that this is a chance for him to evaluate the San Jose Sharks in five years to see if they're still competing.

When you look at Leo Carlsson and when you look at Conor Bedard, right, these guys are so young, they're gonna get paid a second time.

Uh, is he ready to jump into that, you know, defense and be that leader, or are they gonna be going out at the deadline to try to find another guy to kinda help bolster that blue line?

[laughs]

Yeah, no, it's tough.

Uh, you know, Mike alluded to that a little bit.

Just it, it, it's honestly just become kinda standard in sports.

A lot of front loading, uh, especially for young players.

Obviously, the Leo Carlsson deal was structured that way, and I, I think that's part of where Mike Kreuger referenced where the landscape changed.

I mean, he, he...

Um, but I wonder, you know, Max, when you're watching sort of the intricacies of his game, is there anything that really stands out to you on a night-to-night basis that, uh, that we don't see if we don't get to watch him as often as you do?

Right

... gets to take off the cage from college.

So he's, he, uh, in the words of Mike Greer, he's, quote, "A young pup." Um, he-- They didn't commit to him going back to North Dakota, but I'd be shocked if he didn't.

Um, he'll have a bigger role this year.

He'll, he'll go back to the World Juniors to play for Canada once again, and he knows what to expect now.

And, and similar to what I just said about Stenberg, like he's going against 20, 22, 23 year olds as a 17-year-old.

That's a big difference, and now he's got some NHL eyes on him.

Yeah.

Right

... gets to take off the cage from college.

So he's, he, uh, in the words of Mike Grier, he's quote, "A young pup." Um, he, they didn't commit to him going back to North Dakota, but I'd be shocked if he didn't.

Um, he'll have a bigger role this year.

He'll, he'll go back to the World Juniors to play for Canada once again, and he knows what to expect now and, and similar to what I just said about Stenberg, like he's going against 20, 22, 23 year olds as a 17-year-old.

That's a big difference, and now he's got some NHL eyes on him.

He's got the Sharks development staff that'll watch him, give him pointers, work with him.

Right