Could A Coaching Change Be The Answer For The Barracuda?
The San Jose Barracuda haven't been good this season, with a record of 11-20-7, and are in last place in the AHL's Pacific Division.
Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK - Could A Coaching Change Be The Answer For The Barracuda?The San Jose Barracuda haven't been good this season, with a record of 11-20-7, and are in last place in the AHL's Pacific Division.
The Barracuda lost their ninth straight game today with a 6-4 loss to the Colorado Eagles. The 'Cuda have just one win in January and have lost three of the nine games in overtime.
They have given up an AHL-high 153 goals and scored just 124. They've been rotating goalies to and from the ECHL to keep Magnus Chrona, Georgi Romanov, and Eetu Makiniemi from going too long without starting.
The issue is that the San Jose Sharks ECHL affiliate is the Wichita Thunder in Kansas. That is a lot of travel and a different style of league.
Danil Gushchin is the team's leading scorer with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 38 games. He is the lone representative at the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic that the Barracuda are hosting.
Ethan Cardwell is also having a nice season, with 26 points in 38 games.
Regardless of the nice snippets of seasons, the development of other prospects hasn't gone to plan. Thomas Bordeleau can't get into a good spot on the wing or center. Ozzy Wiesblatt, now injured, is looking like a bad first-round pick. He could barely stay in the lineup, whether by coach's decision or suspension.
The Sharks can't afford to have failed development at an AHL level. William Eklund spent last season in the AHL before becoming an NHLer this year. It looks like that is the plan with Shakir Mukhamadullin and more.
But who could replace John McCarthy if a change is made?
1. Patrick Marleau
Marleau joined the Sharks front office as a development coach and hockey operations advisor. He was seen at training camp working with the team on different aspects of the game.
He is already with the organization and familiar with what GM Mike Grier would want regarding development. He is the NHL's all-time leader in games played and will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.
He knows the game, the organization, and what it takes to be a professional hockey player for a long time.
If a change is wanted/needed, then Marleau could be the perfect candidate to replace John McCarthy.
2. Luca Sbisa
Luca Sbisa is a sneaky good option to replace McCarthy should the 'Cuda make a change at head coach.
Like Marleau, Sbisa is already part of the organization in a development coach role. Sbisa is a former first-round pick in the NHL, and although he never lived up to it, injuries limited him to 549 NHL games.
Sbisa has the same reasons as Marleau regarding understanding what development Grier is looking for from his AHL team.
The San Jose Sharks have not had a successful season with 11 wins, and the last thing they need is to bring the culture of a rebuild to their AHL team.
The Barracuda has too much talent and veteran producers to be last in the Pacific Division. At a minimum, being a competitive team and being around the AHL postseason is needed for the Sharks to get the most development out of the prospects in the AHL.
There is an apparent disconnect between McCarthy and the Barracuda. While his time in the organization as a player, assistant coach, and head coach has been good, it looks like it has run its course.
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