The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Drew Remenda on the Sherwood Trade and Expectations in San Jose

Episode Date: January 20, 2026

San Jose Sharks color analyst Drew Remenda joins The Sheet to explain why the San Jose Sharks might be the most fun team in the NHL right now. From the emotional fallout of the Bobrovsky–Nedeljkovic goalie fight to the belief, chemistry, and identity forming inside the Sharks’ room, Remenda details how culture, camaraderie, and trust are driving this unexpected surge. He also breaks down what the Kiefer Sherwood trade signals from Mike Grier, why rewarding players matters during a rebuild, and how San Jose’s belief system is pulling fans — and wins — back into the mix.If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Flames_Nation🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Okay, let's get to us. We've been looking forward to talking to all day long. He is a color analyst for the San Jose Sharks. Tie 99 in another universe as well. He is a great Drew Remenda with a kick-ass Bruce Lee shirt as well. True Remedy. Enter the dragon, Drew Remenda. Oh, man.

He's my guy. Yeah, one inch. The one-inch punch, baby. The one-inch punch, Bruce Lee. I saw Enter the Dragon when I was about 12 years old. I went home. begged my mom and dad i'll quit hockey i'll quit baseball quit everything and i will i just want to take karate it's all i want to take and my dad said no and when i asked him why he said he said

because you'll use him on your brothers and i went yeah of course i'm the baby i'm the baby in the family yes and so i didn't take it i didn't start taking martial arts until i was 23 24 And I'm glad to tell you, I've got, like, I don't know how many Bruce Lee T-shirts I've got, like, a lot. But I'm proud to tell you that I am undefeated on the heavy bag at kickboxing. Wow. I never paid a glove on me. Now, are you like a Green Hornet Cato Bruce Lee fan too, or is it just the karate movies? Basically the movies.

I mean, the sad thing about Bruce Lee is that he died in 1973, July 20th, 1973. and that was before he passed away before Enter the Dragon was universally released and he never knew the great success that he had but um any Bruce Lee movie I'm you know I love game of death I am that we saw Karima Jule Jabbar oh that was such a yeah yeah amazing the kick I think we all saw that went what the hell holy smokes but also like Enter the Dragon still is the one for me so yeah no yeah Listen, great look, no surprise coming from someone who always has the great look. It was great catching up with you and Randy last week in Washington. It was a great scene again. I bored Drew and Randy for, what, a period and a half of the Washington game last week. No, you didn't. With thumb stories, surprise, surprise.

So we were just talking about, before he came on about the San Jose sharks, and Greg can speak more eloquently. It's his point, but I think he's right. This flat out looks like the most fun team in the NHL right now. And you look at the bench, like Nadelcovich and Bobrowski here, going at it and there's the cutaway to the bench or Sofsky can tell he's got like a sideways smile because he played, you know, it was like

but he's got to be the coach, but not the kids, man. That was those kids were like, that was saying like, it's been an incredible season for Macklin Celebrini. That may have been in a sea of like, I'm going to the Olympics, I'm going to win the heart trophy, I'm going to the playoffs. That might look like it was the most

his most fun moment that he's had so far this season. How did you see the whole thing? After the game, we had a shot of him as they were going to the Alex Ndorf, which was coming off, the ice. He was standing there waiting for him and just gave a huge hug and had that big smile on his face. It was fantastic. You know, I'm one of those guys where when I'm looking at what the sharks are doing now and the culture, we talk about culture a lot, we talk about identity a lot, and I think there are two different things.

but the culture of the room, and I asked Ryan Reeves this, and Ryan Reeves has been tremendous for the San Jose Sharks coming in and helping build this culture up. It started last year with Tyler Tofoli and Berkeley Goodrow and Mario Ferraro's maturation. Yom Rood was there for a bit. We had a culture growing in that room, especially with Will and Maclin and the vibe they bring.

But when Ryan Reeves is coming in, and now and Alex Wendberg from last year and the growth of so many players, hey, Vincent Day Arna, and his comeback last night, his first game in 23. They have provided some much-needed, courage isn't the right word. Comority, brotherhood, love. That's the word Ryan Reeves have used. I asked him about why his culture important, a good culture important. And he said, because you can't win if you don't love each other and these guys guys they love each other they are they are a great group together they laugh like crazy all the time you know i've been on teams that you know as as i've told you guys before and you guys know my record part of the coaching staff that lost 100 games

quickly anybody the history of the national hockey league that i've seen those i've seen those cultures that go the other way right you can't help it because it's human nature but the culture of our team right now because of The young guys and that vibe that they bring and the veterans and how it's molding together and you've got the grumpy old guys with the young guys, it's been terrific. And when Alex Nadelcovic comes out of the net and goes after Rodriguez for the hit on the back of Vincent D'A. That's, I asked Alex at the end of the game about that.

I know he and Vinny are really close. And he said, it didn't matter who it was. I was going. And that's what we do. playing Tampa tonight. It happened when Moser took a couple of runs at Maclin Salabrini when they were in San Jose. Got spanked 7-2 in that game, but the Sharks still made a statement that game. So how close were you then, if that was Adelkevich's response?

How close were you to going after Goldie in the booth down the hall? You know, he's right next to me. You know what the funny thing was? I don't think Randy O'Mire. Randy Mueller, great dude, you know, Western Canadian. We have great guy, terrific broadcaster, and that's a great broadcast team. But the look on his face, because Randy was the old school guy, right? He's old school, D-Man.

He was, you know, 18-year-old for their new Dernard geek, was no shrinking violet. The look on his face, he was. Oh, yeah. Head on a swivel. Who's coming? It's like. He's waiting for like, Brad May and Matt Barnaby to come, Gordonley come storming out. out of person.

He ruined with Basil McCrae back in the day he was telling us. He was like, he was, okay, what are we doing now? It was so much fun to watch. So has the enthusiasm of the team infected the market again? Because like, San Jose, for those I don't remember, I mean, it was like one of the most enthusiastic and dependable markets in the NHL for a very long time during the Thornton Marlow years. Great place to watch a game.

Great, hugely supportive of the state. team and then the team you know licked donkey nuts for like six seasons and now they're and now there's your clep sack um and so like when i was out there and granted some of that was during covid like there was definitely like an atrophying of the fan base yes have they all come back or is it still a gradual process of people understanding a how good macklin is is and then be like that this is a legit contender again. First, thanks for trying to get me fired again from the sharks for using that analogy. Second, you know, I don't take any money for that team.

If Plattner's got a problem, tell him to send all this stuff to that. I don't have anything to do with the sharks. Mr. Plattner, thank you very much for bringing me back. Let's just say that and just start from there. I don't know, really know Greg very well. I'm just enjoying. Anyway, when we were 1171 and 2, you never saw that team either. But anyway, when you look at the sharks and the market they're in, got the Warriors, you got the Niners.

You used to have A's, but you've got the Giants. You've got Cal and Stanford. You've got a heavy competition for your sports entertainment dollar. But when you look at this year, and especially now as we get back, into it we're going to have a lot of home games coming up i am told that we have more sellouts than not and that's a great thing those afternoon games are fantastic we were we were we do what all was kind of joke what's it going to be like Tuesday against Columbus you know on a Tuesday evening against Columbus well Columbus was in the building a couple of weeks ago and it was a Tuesday and it was

packed fans are coming back and it's hey guys you know as well as I do if you win they will come to watch you play simple as that they want to cheer for the winner. They want to cheer for it. But Macklin certainly brings a new element. Will brings a new element. Ask Rob, just the way we are now as a team. As you said, Jeff, we are an exciting, fun team to watch. We are a high event team.

So you're entertained when you come watch us. So they are coming back. Our team has done a great job on promoting themselves, but also our organization has worked their tail off to bring people back. And it's just going to get

better from here if, you know, this, this year is any indication. Are we ahead of schedule? Yeah, I hear you're talking about Vancouver. And you're right. Ryan Marsowski kind of brought that up the other day, Jeff, without mentioning Vancouver. They don't want to be a one and done team here. They want to be built for multiple cup playoff runs. And that's what you have to, you have to work toward. And I think Mike's doing that, especially with the trade he made. Well, that's just it. Like the thing about yesterday, too, I mean, everything was about the San Jose Sharks yesterday. This just happens sometimes, right?

There's the key for sure with San Jose's top of mind. We're watching San Jose sharks face off against the defending Stanley Cup champions. And that happens. Plus, De Harnay and Matthew Kuchak, that goes back to Oilers, Panthers. And like that, that continues too. Like, sometimes it just happens with certain teams where you're goofing around the Rubik's cube. You're like, oh, I just got a side.

That was it for San Jose yesterday. Oh, shit, I just got a side. That was awesome. The other thing about the San Jose sharks with that trade, there's two ways that I look at it. One, it's a reward. And two, it's a new expectation. Like one, it's Mike Greer saying, okay, you guys have exceeded expectations. Here's your cookie.

But two, now that you have this cookie, there's an expectation that this is serious and we're pushing. 100%. Is that accurate? exactly yeah and I've been in the room in 93-94 when we traded when I was assistant coach when we trade that was when we made the playoffs Greg and that we weren't doing what you were saying the the we made the playoffs but before that we made the trade for ulf down who was fantastic for us I love Alfie Delvin he was just great and he that was a big trade and you knew in immediately in the room because we had a bunch of veteran guys

And you can feel it in the room that, hey, Dean Lombardi's doing something to help us. He's doing something to get us going and giving us what we need. And you guys see it in every room that you're in. You see it when a team's approaching the playoffs or trying to make a push to the playoffs and they make a trade, the guys know, okay, thank you very much. Our GM's got our back. He's helping us out. But you're right.

It does raise the expectations. Although right now with our team, I'm not so sure that with the way that they are, the way that they're built, the way that they think, that you can raise the expectations much anymore. And I go back to Alex Wendberg, who early in the season, the sharks beat the Seattle Cracken, and we interviewed them after the game. And I asked them about the team. What's going on with the team right now? Because it seems like something good has happened. It was early in the year. And he said, we know who we are.

We believe in each other. We know if we play the right way, we can do terrific things. I said it more articularily than he did, of course. But when you look at, of course, I'm a professional. When you look at, when I heard that, and that belief system is something that you guys know, it's so strong. If you have a strong belief system,

if you don't want to let that guy down next to you, you're going to play your ass off for them, and that's what they've been doing. A quick pick up on the on the on the on the on the on the situation when I saw that contract extension my first thought was it's not the end of the rebuild but it's I'm going to paraphrase like Winston Churchill it's not the end but it's the end of the beginning of the rebuild because now it's not just picks and prospects now it's about we're signing players and normally

how many times do you look at the San Jose sharks and say venberg's here to get traded a trade deadline Now it's no, no, no, he's here to play and he's here to sign an extension. Yeah, absolutely. You look at, we're kind of wondering this year going in. Last year they trade Zetterland, who was 20 goals for the sharks, and McGillotill stop chuck in, and we're all going, Zach, who? And he's playing his ass off, and he's done a fantastic job on that fourth line with a reason,

good role, and they are an identity line. We had Granlin, it's CC, a lot of guys that the sharks brought in that might turn into either prospects or draft choices, So we were wondering this year, and Doug Waite earlier in the season was saying, who works for us, was saying, yeah, we're ahead of schedule, basically. We're going to have some tough decisions to make. But the great thing is that Mike analyzes everything. And they went to work and they make the trade. But obviously with Alex Wendbert, the way he plays, how he controls the puck, never gives it up.

We'll love him to shoot it more. I got to tell you a quick story. Yeah. We're in Philadelphia. And Scotty Hartnell, who I love to death. What a great dude he is. He's doing, because Brian Boucher, he's doing the T&T stuff. So Scottie Hartnell is doing TV for them.

I'm talking to Scotty before, and I've known Scotty for a number of years. He's talking about Alex Menberg because they played together in Columbus. And he went, is he shooting anymore? And I went, no. And because he hangs on and hangs on and he looks to pass it off. And then he tells me a story about not shooting it in a game. I can't remember the game, but I have to interview Alex Wendberg on the bench because, you know, those bench interviews are so insightful.

And so I go downstairs and I asked him the first couple of questions. Alex is so great. He says he articularily, his articulation is fantastic. He's very good at bringing out some details. And then I said, hey, I got an ex-teammate of yours upstairs that I just talked to. He had a piece of advice for you. His name's Scotty Hartnell. and he starts to laugh right away.

I said, do you know any idea what the advice was? Anyway, yeah, probably shoot the biscuit. But Allison is great. Go ahead. So Drew, like, as I look at this team, and I'm blown away by their maturation as a contender, and I, you know, dollars to donuts, they probably make the playoffs in the West right now, which is something nobody would have predicted before the season. there still is a piece I think that is a glaring absence for this franchise and that's

the big stud blue liner you know you look around the west and whether it's it's it's a macar he's skin in or or you know what what Vegas throws out like it's a guy in minnesota everybody's not the yeah that we don't like to talk about that um so like so like I guess my question is like i mean obviously like sam dickinson's got a you know a high very high yeah but but do they ultimately have to go find that somewhere like do they go knock knock knock on on nashville's door and see if there's a way if things fall apart for the predators to get roman yosia out of there like like do they have to go find that guy do you think in order to really really level up as a contender in the west or can they be patient and maybe find the answer internally

It's a great question and I really can't give you a good, insightful answer. I think that they are very patient about their growing their prospects and we've seen it with what they've done with. Sam being in the lineup early in the season, what they did with Will Smith last year, Shakir Mukma Doolin. those even Luca Canioni who's playing very well with the barraccoon in the AHL but I don't know

I imagine Greg once they get to that point where they think they're going to be looking for a stud demand to put the points up because we do not produce a lot from the point for last night where we went crazy and Mario and Vinny got goals they don't produce a lot from the point I think we're one of the lowest scoring teams

as a matter of fact from defensemen so I imagine that's on their agenda, but I don't know if they would be looking to make a big, big move and sacrifice what they've got right now as far as that chemistry goes, as far as that culture goes, as far as some of the personnel that they think that they can grow it. I'm not sure if that's a great answer for you, but I don't see them, I don't see Mike Kerr getting impatient, you know what I mean, and trying to really push the envelope, especially in the next this year or next year.

But watch. Hear me out. Completely. Hear me out. It's going to blow me away. Hear me out. Eric Carlson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. What say you?

Back to the San Jose Sharks. I love Eric Carlson as a person. I didn't love him playing defense, defense. But I loved him when he got 100 points for the sharks. We're from a hundred points in the sharks. And they made a great trade and got a lot of good stuff back for him. Thank you, Eric. great dude but i'm not sure that he would let's go back to the culture i'm not sure that eric carlson

would fit into the culture right now with the san o's a sharks it's just and it's not he's not a bad guy he's a great guy love the dude but the way the sharks are right now um i'm i'm not sure that eric fits they're not on that carlson vibe i i don't i don't think so you know there are a lot more Matthew Schaefer than they are Eric Carlson. Oh, they are more Matthew Schaefer. Who isn't Matthew Schaefer? Like what team would go, Matt? We're good. We're good.

First of all, when you look at, it's funny too, because that that team that had Carlson on, like, you go back to, what, the 20, 23? 22 wins. Like, well, but the thing about it, I was looking at the roster the other day. I was watching a San Jose game and just like, I wonder how much of the roster they've actually turned over. It's like there's only two. There's Alex, there's Alex Ferraro and, and William Ecclund.

It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, sorry, Mayor Ferraro, they're all gone. Yeah.

Like they've turned over, they've turned over, they got rid of everybody. Everybody. I think too, with, with Eric, he's,

he's certainly on different path, right? I mean, he's, he's looking for, you know, one more shot to maybe get some glory in the playoffs. And,

and I don't know, we're not quite there yet. but we're a lot of fun and we're getting those. So much fun. Let me close on, and this, I'm going to be totally self-indulgent here and see if I can. Okay.

Because you've seen so many players for so many years, and you mentioned him earlier, Greg's eyes as your ball is going to roll back. All here comes one of these dumb questions. You mentioned Old Dallon. Ulf Dallon was the first player I ever saw do the 10-and-two skating. Yes, 10-2 all the time. Was he, was he the, like,

am I missing something? or was he the first? We had two guys on that team. Jeff Norton and Alfie Dahlin could do the 10 and 2 and would make Jeff Norton come out of his zone would automatically go 10 and 2 pick up the pass from Igor Larianov because we played five man units back then with Kevin Constantine. We were a five man unit team. And so it was always, that was a good story too.

So we started out that season 08 and 1 and Kevin Constantine's our head coach. first year head coach, brand new building. We got all these veteran guys coming in. And Igor's, Igor Larryanov is on our team, Sergei Makarov, Todd Ellick, those guys, right? And Kevin brings Igor in for a meeting and says, oh, eight, one, hey, what are we doing? And Igor goes, Kevin, because Kevin was like very straight ahead, work hard, right?

Like, four check, blah, blah, blah. Kevin, you have 15 other guys. who can dump the puck in. Give me Mac, give me Garpe, you know, and Garpa. Garpalov, yeah. Yeah, give me Nardi and give me the kid, Sandus, also much. He goes, let us do what we do. Okay. And Kevin, Kevin was very regimented. Like, you, if you were supposed to be on Quadrant J6, you've better been on Quadrant J6, not Quadrant G1. That's how, I mean, he was very, very regimented. Wow. The guys used to joke about it.

all the time. But so Kevin goes, all right. And as he's walking out of the office, Kevin goes, you got 10 games. And Igor goes, you'll only need one. And after that, they were an amazing five, right? Just the amazing five. And but he would, Norty would come out always with the 10 to 2, boom, pick it up, and then he'd be up the way. Alfi Dahlin would do it on one-on-once. He'd come in, and then he'd open up 10 to 2, and the guy wouldn't know what to do, and boom, he'd slide by. he was so great. The other thing about Alfie was, because I came from Hockey Canada

and came to the sharks. And I actually had Chris Draper's old skates with the blue, remember the blue tuck blades? Of course, yeah. Gretzky had those too, yeah. Yeah, so I had those, and I would wear them on the ice all the time. Alfie hated them so much that for all practice,

he'd just shoot pucks at my skates just to break that puck. Just in front of smash the tuck. You know what I mean? It went off my ankles. It's like, you know what he broke? Yeah. But they finally broke.

He was the happiest guy in the world when he broke them. Oh, that's amazing. Those are amazing stories. Listen, we got to hustle. I know you're busy. Miso no Kokoru. Mind like water. Bruce Lee.

Oh, nice. Stuck with me since those 70s movies. Great luck. My favorite Bruce Lee one? Can I just tell you my favorite Bruce Lee one? Of course. if I told you I was good, you would think I was boasting. If I told you it was, I was not good.

You'd know I was lying. Pearls, Greg Horsensky, pearls. Wait, right, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, right. What else you got? What? Oh, look at that. Is that your gym shirt, be honest. That's my workout shirt.

Yeah, that's my workout shirt. So, you know what? Don't mess with the guy in the gym that's wearing, like, the Bruce League here. Yeah, I mean, like, if I'm walking past the elliptical and I'm reading the back of that shirt, I'm like, that guy's a hotel gym badass right there. You're the best. Okay, you'll be well. Enjoy the rest of the day. Thanks for indulge you guys.

Great seeing, guys.