OverDrive - Warsofsky on the Sharks' impressive ceiling, Celebrini's exceptional skill and the progression of the group

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

San Jose Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky joined OverDrive to discuss the Sharks' season, coaching the emerging talent on the team, Macklin Celebrini's incredible role, the veteran leadership making an impact, Yaroslav Askarov's ceiling in the crease and more.

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phone just got better. Here is Ryan Worsowsky. How you doing Ryan? Good guys, how you guys doing? We're doing very well. We appreciate you doing this and you know this I'm curious in terms of what you expect tomorrow night with the Leafs rolling through town and you know Like I said a couple weeks ago you were in town. I think it was a Monday night your group battled you end up winning that game Do you believe that redemption could be on the minds of the Maple Leafs tomorrow night? Yeah, I think so, you know, I think they're a pretty smart group. They're a talented group over there They're coming off a big win the other night

You know their their game has really matured, so it's not like we're catching a young team. I think they're going to be ready and I think we're going to have to match it and you know, it's going to be a tough test for us. Well, Ryan, you talked about, you know, a veteran team with the Toronto Maple Leafs. You've got some veterans in your lineup, but mostly you've got some kids that are, you know, still learning the game at the National Hockey League level. How patient do you have to be with the day-to-day teaching of them going through the process and their progression as they learn on the job?

Yeah, that's the word. That word patience is something that I've started to really learn in the National Hockey League, especially with the young group like you said that we have. They're just going to go through stretches, they're going to go through moments and games and where they're learning and their teaching moments and they have to learn from them and from Macklin to Will to the Cam Lunn that we just brought in. There's going to be some moments from here on out and there's been like that all year of teaching moments that hopefully they get into the situations that we've brought in, there's gonna be some moments from here on out and there's been like that all year of teaching moments that hopefully they get

into the situations that we've been in whether that's you know a lead in the third period or down a goal in the third period or feeling the momentum shift in hockey games you know when to make a play when not to make a play those are all big moments that ultimately you know end up you know helping to win hockey games or lose hockey games and you know I think putting the habits in the in the foundation and to win hockey games in the future has been you know the pressing need at the moment. Ryan you mentioned Celebrany how has it been dealing with him this year young guy coming in with high expectations the number one overall pick and he's been incredible how have you handled him like managing the

difference between teaching as you just mentioned and motivating and asking him to be your best player on most nights? Yeah well the good thing is there's not much motivation that I need to give him. He's a very self-driven you know kid that wants to get better every time he's on the ice. You, he drags guys into the fight just the way how competitive he is He wants to get better each and every day. He's extremely coachable You know, the one thing that has really impressed me is his 200 foot game, you know, very reliable defensively Yeah, he's he's made some mistakes, but he's learned some mistakes. He picks up things really quickly when you when you coach him

and teach him and he's a special, special player. But what I think is even more important that he's a special person and he wants to be the solution to get this team back to their winning ways. And he's driving it. He's getting more and more comfortable, obviously in the second half of the season since that four nations break of kind of being

our number one center after we traded Grandland. And there's been some frustrating nights, but he continues to push forward, comes to the rink with great energy, great passion, wants to get better. So he's been awesome, awesome to coach, awesome for our group. With Ryan Worsowski, the head coach of the Sharks leaves in San Jose tomorrow night.

And you know, the last two years, the first overall picks, highly touted, you know, Canadian kids go on to teams that are kind of rebuilding and retooling. And we've talked a lot about Bedard in Chicago and how, you know, we keep saying, you know, the Blackhawks, they got to help them, you know, they got to put them in a position to succeed because there's so much pressure on him. It feels like the same thing applies with Celebrini because he's so good. You guys obviously are struggling this year and you're not in contention for the playoffs, not that that was a surprise, but I'm curious how you plan on balancing this moving forward because right now he's running on adrenaline. Everything's fresh. Everything's been great

How do you balance, you know, allowing Celebrini to grow but also insulating him, making sure you put him with the right linemates so he can personally have success But then marry it with team success and team goals into the future you know i i i think the biggest thing you look around the league uh... if you want to have you know individual except uh... you know you need a teammate and team success come with individual success and uh... we've been preaching that all year and yeah i know the wind and uh... aren't you know where we want them uh... but where we're developing habits were

developing winning habits were way more competitive uh... than we've been in the years past. We're in hockey games. We're putting ourselves in situations, you know, in third period down a goal or upper goal to be in some tight situations where we can continue to learn and eventually win those hockey games. And as far as Mack, you know, I think individual goals are super important you know I want him to win the rookie of the year we're gonna help them get there you know the best way we can and like you said getting giving them some linemates

you know we brought into Foley this summer who's been a really good player for us and helped us a lot as far as you know helping these young players go through the process of the schedule grind and on and off the ice. And you've brought in Barclay Goodrow who's really helped these young guys. So we have some good veterans around them that have won Stanley Cups and I think our young guys kind of gravitate towards them and it's been good. And again, I know the wins have been frustrating to come by, but we really believe that we're

starting to really build and we have a big offseason And we're excited for the future here. I saw a tweet that you have a connection with Spencer Carberry and Bednar out in Colorado What's gone on is it South Carolina and the East Coast League that you guys were together in the same organization or in at different times? What's with that place that's developed you guys as coaches in the National Hockey League? Yeah, it's a special place, a special organization. You know, I worked for CARBS for three years and then Vezzy was before Spencer and you know, Cal McLean's on Calgary was there and you know, Rob Kinkan the president there kind of pieces it all together and You know, we got a great bond We we you know, we have a group chat going where we're talking quite a bit through the season and especially a lot in the off

season when usually we all try to get together and get back down there and Play around a golf and try to get better and learn from each other and you know I can't thank bed Z and carbs enough for what they've meant for me in my career and You know, you know supportive and obviously supportive. Obviously, I think Bedzie, I relate towards him a little bit. His first year in Colorado was pretty similar as far as the struggle. Obviously, Carbs has got a team in the top of the top right now. They're both great coaches, but they're great people and they want to help, they want to support you and if you have questions, they're there in a blink of an eye.

So we've got a special fraternity going down there and it's obviously a special place and a great organization. Ryan, what have you seen from the Russian, or Kerry Price we like to call him, you know, Askarov. He's been up and down for you uh... you know play thirteen games reset playing with the barracuda as well but when he gets the nl on a full-time basis what do you what do you think is ceiling is is uh...

certainly got some talent oh yeah big time he is a uh... an electric goaltender i would say is extremely athletic uh... you read the game extremely well. You could just tell he's got some really good natural instinct to reading the game and where the next shot's coming from. He's got some personality towards him.

He's ultra competitive. We obviously saw it there early in the season when he came up, played some really good games for us. And he, again, came into a new organization meeting new people new goalie coaches uh... you know a little dinged up there for the american league but uh... we know we've got a high feeling to be a really you know one of the better better gold tenors in our league and

uh... we're excited about his future for sure leaf sharks tomorrow night uh... should be a fun one enjoy it ryan really appreciate you doing this. Thank you. Yep, thanks, guys. Thanks for having me on. You got it, Ryan Warsawki, head coach of the San Jose Sharks. All new, all Canadian.

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