Boedker move a demotion or tinkering?
NEWARK, N.J. » Mikkel Boedker’s nose and ears are back in the doghouse. His legs and tail will be joining him eventually if he doesn’t add some compete and consistency to his game.
After spending all of training camp on the Sharks second line with Logan Couture, Boedker was demoted to the third line Saturday, halting the momentum of his bid for a comeback season in his second year with the team.
The move felt like deja vu all over again as Boedker was benched for the third periods of two games last year while serving as a healthy scratch four times, including two Stanley Cup playoff games against the Edmonton Oilers.
While this looks like another setback for the Sharks 2016 free agent signee, DeBoer insists it’s just product of early-season line tinkering.
“We’re not afraid tomove guys around depending on the night, how they’re going, the success, how it feels on the bench,” the Sharks coach said. “That’s going to continue to be fluid.”
DeBoer is a chronic tinkerer. He’s always moving his wingers up and down the lineup based on performance. But therein lies the problem: Boedker got demoted because isn’t “going” right now and we’re just five games into a season in which he really needs to prove himself.
Saturday, he got demoted because he was losing battles and races and coughing up the puck. Instead of going after the puck with hard determination, he would lunge with his stick. By the end of the game, he was the only Sharks player with a sub-50 percent possession rating.
He wasn’t much better Tuesday as the Sharks entire third line, which included Timo Meier and Chris Tierney, produced possession ratings below 37 percent.
On the season, Boedker is one of just three Sharks forwards with a sub- 50 percent possession rating (49.07 percent), along with Joel Ward and Jannik Hansen. A MUELLER SIGHTING » The Sharks will see a familiar face here Friday night: Mirco Mueller, their No. 1 pick in 2013.
On the surface, things finally seem to be turning in Mueller’s direction: he’s playing in the NHL and the Devils are one of the league’s best surprises, having won five of their first six games.
But a deeper look suggests it’s more of the same for the 22-year- old blue liner.
Through six games, Mueller had the worst possession rating on the Devils active roster (38.10 percent) and he’s already served as a healthy scratch twice. DYLAN DEMELO LOOKS LIKE HE’ S OUT OF LUCK AGAIN» After acquitting himself well as the Sharks sixth defense in themiddle of the 2015-16 season, the team traded for Roman Polak at the trade deadline. Then, they signed David Schlemko in the offseason.
This year, DeMelo is getting leapfrogged by Tim Heed, who appears to have a grip on the sixth defenseman spot. As solid as DeMelo has been in his three years with the Sharks, Heed just has more upside. He’s quicker, he’s got a rocket from the point, and he’s adding a new dimension to the Sharks’ top powerplay unit. As a result, DeMelo isn’t likely to rejoin the lineup without an injury. He’s taking his bad fortune like a pro.
“It’s frustrating, for sure. I’ve been doing this for a little while now and I want to play and be out there with the guys. Youhave to play to get better, right?” DeMelo said. “It’s a tough decision for the coaches, obviously. In an ideal world, they’d love to play everyone. With the depth we have, unfortunately, guys have to sit out.” TOUGH DAY FOR TRAGIC ALLY HIP FANS » The Sharks awoke to the news Wednesday that Gord Downie, lead singer of the iconic Canadian rock band, the Tragically Hip, had died at age 53 from brain cancer.
“Everyone knew it was going to come, but it’s still a tough day,” Logan Couture said. “I got a text from my dad after he passed away. He was obviously very upset because he’s amassive fan.”
The news also triggered an emotional response from Joe Thornton, who developed a friendship with Downie after meeting him during his rookie season with the Boston Bruins in 1997-98.
“Tough one,” Thornton said with a crack in his voice after practice Thursday. “It’s sad.”
Thornton and Brent Burns attended the thirdto-last Tragically Hip concert on Aug. 15, 2016 and hung out with the charismatic frontman after the show.
Burns tried to put Downie in perspective for non- Canadians. “He’s our Bruce Springsteen,” Burns said.