Macklin Celebrini, Ryan Warsofsky Share Differing Thoughts on Player Buy-In

After the San Jose Sharks' difficult loss to the Ottawa Senators on Halloween night, coach Ryan Warsofsky blamed player buy-in for a portion of the team's disappointing play, but that has been rebuffed by Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini.

When asked if player buy-in was an issue, Warsofsky replied "Absolutely, we have to work on that." Later in the availability he added, "we'll go through our process and look at everything we can possibly do to get this team right."

Then, ahead of the Sharks' game against the Calgary Flames on Monday, Celebrini offered a different opinion. "I don't think there's a lack of buy-in," he told the media. "We just don't have as much energy and we're not really as connected as we should be. It all goes hand in hand."

While it appears that the coaching staff and players have differing opinions on what's happening, it could simply be a misunderstanding. One thing is clear though, whatever is causing the team's struggles needs to be corrected as soon as possible. While the Sharks are 7-7-1 after their first 15 games, their record doesn't tell the whole story. They're in the bottom third of the NHL in both goals for and goals against. While their special teams both rank in the top 10, it's not sustainable to rely specifically on a man advantage to score goals.  

It'll be interesting to see how the Sharks are able to bounce back against the Flames, and more importantly, whether they're able to get back on the same page as the season progresses. Warsofsky made a number of line changes heading into Monday night's game, and he's said that systemic changes are on the board as well. 

The Sharks may have different opinions as to what is causing their current struggles, but it's obvious that both players and coaching staff are committed to resolving the issues.