From the moment he took over as the Sharks’ new coach, David Quinn promised to bring a winning culture back to San Jose.
And since Mike Grier’s first day as the team’s new general manager, he has insisted the Sharks aren’t in the middle of a complete rebuild but rather a journey to “get better.”
With that being said, Quinn’s task at hand is a challenging one as the 2022-23 NHL season gets underway: Win while also developing a roster that hopefully can be successful for the foreseeable future.
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“We’re always trying to win, right?” Quinn told KNBR’s “Murph & Mac” on Thursday when asked if the Sharks are in the middle of a rebuild, trying to win now or a little bit of both.
“But obviously, you always have the big picture in mind. So when you’re a coach, you want to win every game. But I also understand when you’re the general manager, and you’ve got your eye on the short term and the long term, there’s a balancing act.”
Grier promised he wasn’t in San Jose to tear everything down when he was first introduced as Sharks GM in July. He has kept his word, though that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some changes -- most notably, trading longtime defenseman Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes on July 13.
That move freed up plenty of salary cap space for San Jose, allowing them to make offseason additions like Oskar Lindblom, Nico Sturm, Markus Nutivaara and Matt Benning to pair with the veterans already on the team and San Jose’s crop of young prospects.
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As Quinn said, it’s all a balancing act as the team looks to return to the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2019. And he believes that if the Sharks play to their potential this season, barring injuries, they have a shot at doing so.
“That certainly is what Mike’s job is, and he and I are in constant communication [as] to what we need to do here to have short-term success but also balancing that with having long-term success,” Quinn continued. “Obviously, everybody recognizes the situation we’re in, and it’s a little bit different than it’s been over the last 20 years.
“But we want to win now. We’re going to keep fighting, and I think if we play a certain way and stay healthy, I think we’re going to make the playoffs.”
Quinn noted that SAP Center is well known around the NHL for its rowdy fans and electric atmosphere. By the season’s end, he hopes to have given the Shark Tank something to cheer for.
“This organization has had so much success, basically from the infancy stages of the organization, that there’s a passionate fan base here … There’s been a high standard set,” Quinn said. “... I think Mike’s done a really good job in adding some pieces here that will turn this thing around a little bit sooner than maybe people think.”
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After starting the season 0-2 in Prague, the Sharks will have a chance to improve upon their early record as they face off against the Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday night.