Alex and Ben return from holiday break to talk about where the Sharks are versus fan expectations. Why do many fans seem to think that this is a playoff team, though not one playing up to that idea. We have thoughts!

This week was just Ben and Colin, so we decided to answer reader questions! Primarily you wanted to know how we would grade the young forwards and what we think the Sharks will do with Tomas Hertl. Listen in and find out!

This week we talk about what we thought this team might be at the start of the season and what has actually happened. Who has been the best forward? Who has been the best defenseman? Who has been the worst regular? All this and more!

We talk about Evander Kane, mostly, but also throw in a little bit about the Sharks’ goalie deployment so far. Spoiler: We don’t quite get why Adin Hill was traded for if the team isn’t going to see what he is.

The #sjsharks COVID breakout is over and, in a relate story, the third pairing returns to being a tire fire. We talk about COVID, how the NHL mishandled the Sharks’ initial outbreak, and how the unimaginative coaching staff simply ignored the good that came from the unintentional youth movement of the last two weeks.

The San Jose Sharks found themselves in a strange position this last week: missing 6 or 7 starters and their head coach thanks to COVID exposure. And somehow they proceeded to use their AHL squad to go 2-1-1. And this is not a huge shock when you remember their bottom pairing is probably ECHL quality at this point.

But I digress. We talk about COVID, the team’s return of young William Eklund to Sweden, and a lot more.

The San Jose Sharks lost their first game of the season and are now 4-1-0. God Emperor William Eklund spent his first game in the press box. What does it all mean? Who knows, really. Nonetheless, we try to suss all this out in this week’s podcast.

One game, one win. Let’s start the playoffs, eh boys?

Or maybe not so fast. There were good signs in the first game of the season against the Winnipeg Jets, but there were also some of the weaknesses we’ve grown used to seeing over the last three years. Alex, Ben, and Colin discuss all of this and more while we wait patiently for the San Jose Sharks to, you know, play some more god-damned games.

Circling the Cup podcast begins its seventh (SEVENTH!) season of Sharks discussion after a long summer off. If, like us, the offseason has seemed jam-packed with drama and upheaval and you need a catch up on all of the changes, well, have we got the podcast for you. It’s a bit super-sized, but there is some fun stuff ahead for you, not just in this podcast, but the Sharks’ season as well.

Go Sharks!

I’m not sure how much we (Alex, Ben, and Colin) succeeded, but this week we tried to project what good came out of this season for the future of this team. That’s not a long list, though, so expect digressions.