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  • When will the San Jose Sharks-Los Angeles Kings be great again?

    When will the San Jose Sharks-Los Angeles Kings be great again?

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    SAN JOSE – A small but boisterous group of Los Angeles Kings fans took over a section in the upper deck of SAP Center. Their chants began before the game ever started, and only grew louder after their team scored a pair of first period goals against the San Jose Sharks 18 seconds apart.

    It was one of the few reminders Thursday of the once-great rivalry that existed between the Sharks and Kings, one that’s gone mostly dormant in recent years.

    The Sharks went on to lose 2-1 to the Kings on Thursday, marking their sixth loss in seven games to Los Angeles, which moved one step closer to clinching a playoff spot for the third straight season. The Sharks, meanwhile, moved one step closer to officially finishing in 32nd place in the NHL’s overall standings.

    Klim Kostin scored his eighth goal of the season with 1:52 left in the third period to cut the Kings’ lead to one. That drew a rise out of the announced crowd of 12,266, but the Sharks could get no closer, as they lost for the 11th time in the last 12 games.

    The Sharks and Kings met in the playoffs four times in six years between 2011 and 2016, paving the way for the geographical rivalry to become one of the most heated in the NHL. Full buildings, star players, deep teams, and all kinds of hate.

    It was hard, heavy hockey as both teams gave no quarter, and didn’t ask for any in return. Just great theatre.

    So, when will it happen again?

    When both teams are good at the same time, which might not be for a while.

    The Kings began their rebuild in 2018, turning over their roster as they began to refill the cupboard with prospects like Akil Thomas, who scored his first NHL goal Thursday, Arthur Kaliyev,
    Quinton Byfield (after winning a lottery), Alex Laferriere, and Brandt Clarke. They gave a big contract extension to Adrian Kempe, acquired Kevin Fiala via trade, and signed Phillip Danault as a free agent.

    The Sharks, for all intents and purposes, really didn’t start the rebuild until early 2022 when they cut ties with Evander Kane. Other veterans like Brent Burns, Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl were all gone within two years.

    Really, the only Sharks remaining from the last playoff series with the Kings are Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture.

    The Sharks are building around a core that doesn’t have much of a history with the Kings, outside of some of the battles the Barracuda and Ontario Reign had in recent years.

    It’s going to take time for the Sharks to become competitive again, and who knows when they’ll make the playoffs and meet in a playoff series.

    Most of the central figures in the hey day of the rivalry are long gone.

    Stars like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, so instrumental to the rivalry, are still in Los Angeles. But Jonathan Quick was traded and Dustin Brown, who Sharks fans hated, retired.

    Conversely, players Kings fans did not like, such as Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Burns, are no longer with the team.

    Do Kings fans really hate any of the new Sharks players? Do Sharks really loathe any of the new era Kings?

    We’ll see how good the Kings are once the Sharks’ window for being a competitive team opens up again.

    The game’s changed, too. There’s less fighting overall, and some of those heavy players have been replaced, smaller skilled players.

    Both home buildings used to be absolutely packed for games between the Sharks and Kings. Thursday’s game drew and it was that small section of Kings fans that made the most noise.

    Sharks fans chimed in with the occasional “Beat L.A.” But the home didn’t do much to stir up the home crowd, with just 14 shots on goal in three periods.

    Luke Kunin did fight Andreas Englund at the 12:32 mark of the second period, but the Sharks didn’t gain much momentum from that dust-up.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Driver of construction vehicle dies in Highway 101 crash

    Driver of construction vehicle dies in Highway 101 crash

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    The driver of a construction vehicle died Sunday in a crash off Highway 101 in Novato, the California Highway Patrol reported.

    The crash happened at about 7:40 a.m. when the driver was heading south near the Nave Drive overcrossing. The driver went off the road and struck a tree, and the vehicle caught fire, said CHP Officer Jonathan Langley.

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    Cameron Macdonald

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  • San Jose Sharks collapse in historic fashion, lose in OT

    San Jose Sharks collapse in historic fashion, lose in OT

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    SAN JOSE – Devin Cooley nearly earned his first career NHL win for his hometown San Jose Sharks inside the arena he visited dozens of times as a kid.

    Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Nothing has been for the Sharks this season.

    The Sharks took a four-goal lead early in the second period, frittered it all away, then saw Seth Jones score at the 18-second mark of overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a stunning 5-4 win on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.

    In 2,749 games as a franchise, including playoffs, the Sharks’ loss on Saturday marked the first time in team history that they led by as many as four goals and still lost.

    In a season of excruciating lows for the Sharks (16-46-8), Saturday’s loss had to be the most gutting.

    “You can never take your foot off the pedal,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “I don’t think we did it too much, but enough to get them back in the game.

    “Overall, I liked our game. They were opportunistic, and we got a little bit away from what we were doing early in the game to build the lead that we did. But they made plays when they needed to.”

    Thomas Bordeleau scored twice in the first period and Fabian Zetterlund had two goals and an assist, but the fragile Sharks’ losing streak now is at seven games as they fell five points back of the Blackhawks (20-46-5) for 31st place in the NHL standings.

    “Just need to play 60 minutes the same way, stay aggressive,” Bordeleau said. “We can’t be losing that game.”

    It first appeared that Saturday’s game become a rare laugher in the Sharks’ favor.

    But after Zetterlund scored his second goal of the game and his 20th of the season, firing a wrist shot past Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek to give San Jose a 4-0 lead at the 1:24 mark of the second period, the Blackhawks started to find their legs.

    Ex-Sharks winger Ryan Donato scored his 11th of the season at the 6:45 mark of the second period, and Tyler Johnson added his 16th of the season.

    Jones’ fifth goal of the season at the 6:20 mark of the third period cut San Jose’s lead to one — a shot that Cooley wanted back.

    “When I get really excited I start to sit back really low and that opens up holes underneath, and so every single day we’ve been working to be more upright and it seals the holes,” Cooley said. “I knew exactly what I needed to do and instead I sat back and it goes right through the arm.”

    Phillipp Kurashev then scored with 47 seconds left in the third period to tie the game 4-4, completely demoralizing the Sharks.

    No player felt worse about Saturday’s collapse than Cooley, the Los Gatos native who had about dozen family members in attendance.

    Cooley made nine saves in the first period but stopped just 17 of 21 shots in the second and third periods. Jones’ game-winner came on the first shot in overtime.

    “The team was dialed in. I thought they played amazing,” said Cooley, who was making his second career NHL start, “and I just couldn’t make the saves I needed to.”

    Cooley, 26, a Los Gatos native, became the first individual from Santa Clara County to play for the Sharks when he started for San Jose last Sunday in Chicago. He made 26 saves in what turned into a 5-2 Blackhawks win.

    After Saturday, his future with the Sharks is cloudy at best. The team, now with 12 games left, might also want to get a look at another goalie in the system, perhaps Eetu Makiniemi with the Barracuda to back up Mackenzie Blackwood, who will almost certainly start Tuesday’s home game against the Dallas Stars.

    Cooley needs a contract for next season, and it might not come from the Sharks who already have Blackwood, Vitek Vanacek, Magnus Chrona and Georgi Romanov locked up. Makiniemi, who came to San Jose in 2022 in the trade that saw Brent Burns go to the Carolina Hurricanes, is a restricted free agent.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Green bubbles, Apple Pay and other reasons why America says Apple is breaking the law

    Green bubbles, Apple Pay and other reasons why America says Apple is breaking the law

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    By David Goldman | CNN

    New York — “Buy your mom an iPhone.”

    That was Apple CEO Tim Cook’s famous response at Vox’s 2022 Code Conference, when a reporter complained that her mother couldn’t see the videos she texted to her mom’s Android phone because they were grainy and slow.

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    Patrick Perron

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  • ‘Unacceptable’ start dooms Sharks in loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

    ‘Unacceptable’ start dooms Sharks in loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

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    The San Jose Sharks came alive a little bit too late Saturday night.

    With the Sharks looking listless for most of the first two periods and trailing the Columbus Blue Jackets by two goals, defenseman Henry Thrun scored at the 11:42 mark of the third period to give his team a badly needed spark.

    But the Sharks could not find the equalizer as Columbus goalie Daniil Tarasov made 39 saves to help hand San Jose a 4-2 loss on Saturday at Nationwide Arena.

    After the Sharks pulled goalie Magnus Chrona for the extra attacker, Alex Nylander scored an empty net goal with 1:05 left in regulation time to seal the Blue Jackets victory.

    “Just really not engaged physically,” Sharks coach David Quinn said of the first period. “I thought we give them way too much room, way too much respect. It was easy for them, too easy.

    “But I thought as the game went on, we got more engaged, we were more physical when we needed to be.”

    The Sharks now continue their road trip Sunday in Chicago against Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks.

    “We’ve got to get ready from the start. Our first period is not acceptable,” said Sharks winger Fabian Zetterlund, who scored his 18th of the season in the second period, of Saturday’s loss. “We know that and we’ve got to get better for tomorrow’s game.”

    Chrona, making his fifth straight start for the Sharks with Mackenzie Blackwood still on injured reserve, finished with 16 saves as San Jose lost for the 12th time in 13 games.

    The Sharks were down 2-0 in the second period when Zetterlund scored at the 11:48 mark to cut the Blue Jackets’ lead to one.

    But Johnny Gaudreau scored the eventual game-winner just 3:15 later, collecting a loose puck off the end boards and beating Chrona to give Columbus its two-goal lead back.

    Nylander and Gaudreau each had three points and linemate Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist in the win.

    The Blue Jackets (23-33-11) have now beaten the Sharks (16-43-7) in five of their last six meetings dating back to the start of the 2021-2022 season.

    Mikael Granlund and Mario Ferraro assisted on Zetterlund’s goal, and Kevin Labanc assisted on Thrun’s goal for his first point in 10 games since Jan. 13 when he scored against the Ottawa Senators.

    The Sharks lost 4-3 to the Blue Jackets on Feb. 17 in San Jose, as Jenner scored with 13 seconds left in the third period to put Columbus ahead to stay.

    The loss was the first of nine straight for the Sharks, who entered Saturday in last place in the NHL’s overall standings. The Blackhawks (18-44-5) are the NHL’s 31st-place team.

    Chrona entered Saturday with a 1-3-1 record and a .897 save percentage in five games this month. He started the first two games of this road trip, losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, in which he stopped 63 of 71 shots for a .887 save percentage.

    INJURY UPDATE: Defenseman Jan Rutta and forward Mike Hoffman, both injured, sat out another game Saturday. Rutta has missed four straight games with a lower-body injury and it’s unclear if he’ll be available to play Sunday in Chicago or Tuesday in Nashville. Hoffman (mouth injury) missed his third straight game.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Airbnb is banning the use of indoor security cameras in the platform’s listings worldwide

    Airbnb is banning the use of indoor security cameras in the platform’s listings worldwide

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    By GAETANE LEWIS | Associated Press

    NEW YORK  — Airbnb said Monday that it’s banning the use of indoor security cameras in listings on its site around the world by the end of next month.

    The San Francisco-based online rental platform said it is seeking to “simplify” its security-camera policy while prioritizing privacy.

    “These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community,” Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of community policy and partnerships, said in a prepared statement.

    Airbnb had allowed the use of indoor security cameras in common areas, as long as the locations of the cameras were disclosed on the listings page. Under the new policy, hosts will still be allowed to use doorbell cameras and noise-decibel monitors, which are only allowed in common spaces, as long as the location and presence of the devices are disclosed.

    Airbnb expects the policy update to impact a small number of hosts because the majority of its listings do not report having indoor security cameras.

    The policy change will take effect April 30.

    In its fourth-quarter earnings report last month, Airbnb said its bookings and revenue rose, and the company said demand remains strong.

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    Associated Press

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  • Sharks trade Anthony Duclair to Tampa Bay Lightning for prospect, third-rounder

    Sharks trade Anthony Duclair to Tampa Bay Lightning for prospect, third-rounder

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    SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks on Thursday made their first significant move before the NHL trade deadline, dealing forward Anthony Duclair and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2024 third-round selection and minor league defenseman Jack Thompson.

    Duclair was one of a handful of pending unrestricted free agents on the Sharks roster and figured to be one of general manager Mike Grier’s most attractive trade pieces.

    Duclair entered Thursday with 16 goals and 27 points in 56 games but had been playing his most productive hockey of the season over the last three-plus weeks since the Sharks returned from their bye week on Feb. 12.

    In the last 10 games before Thursday, Duclair led the Sharks with seven goals, 10 points, and 26 shots on net. With Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture both unavailable, Duclair has been playing mainly on a line with Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund.

    Those three combined for nine points, with Duclair collecting two goals and two assists, in the Sharks’ 7-6 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. The Sharks led 6-3 before they allowed three third-period goals.

    Thompson, 21, has appeared in 46 American Hockey League games this season for the Syracuse Crunch, recording 32 points and 12 penalty minutes.

    Thompson will report to the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, to start his tenure with the organization.

    Thompson was a third-round draft choice by the Lightning in 2020 and made his NHL debut with Tampa Bay earlier this year on Jan. 6 in his lone game for the team. He has one year left on his entry-level contract and is set to become a restricted free agent in 2025.

    Thompson ranked second on Syracuse’s in both points and assists, and led the team’s defensemen in both categories. Over two AHL seasons, he played in 118 games, scoring 56 points (13 goals, 43 assists).

    The NHL trade deadline is Friday at noon (PST), and a handful of other Sharks players could also be on the move to contending teams.

    Alexander Barabanov could be the next Sharks player to be traded, as he was set to be held out of Thursday’s game with the New York Islanders as a precaution against injury.

    Other Sharks’ pending unrestricted free agents include forwards Matt Hoffman, Kevin Labanc, Justin Bailey, Ryan Carpenter, Radim Simek and Oskar Lindblom. Simek and Lindblom were assigned to the Barracuda in October.

    Barabanov has spent the last three-plus seasons with the Sharks after he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in April 2021 for forward Antti Suomela.

    In his first two-plus seasons in San Jose, Barabanov had 93 points in 147 games as he played mostly in the Sharks’ top-six forward group.

    This season, though, Barabanov suffered a broken finger on Oct. 24 and missed just under six weeks, and has largely not been able to recapture that same scoring touch with just three goals and 10 points in 38 games.

    Barabanov is in the second year of a two-year, $5 million contract he signed with the Sharks in May 2022.

    Asked about a report that he would like to go to a contending team, Barabanov said, “Yeah, this I think is part of the business. I just work every day and we’ll see what happens.”

    The Sharks are on their way to missing the playoffs for a fifth straight season and entered Thursday in 31st place in the NHL’s overall standings with a 15-39-7 record.

    “It’s how it works, you know? I’m fine with it,” Barabanov said of players in his contractual position. I’m ready for any option.”

    Before Thursday’s trade, Duclair said he’d be open to signing with the rebuilding Sharks this offseason. On July 1, Duclair, or any UFA, can sign with any team.

    Duclair, who does not want to talk about a new contract until after the season, hasn’t ruled anything out.

    “I made it clear to (general manager Mike Grier) that I’ll keep the door open, keep my options open, and then we’ll see come July 1,” Duclair said. “I’m not counting out anybody or closing doors on anybody. I think that’d be stupid of me. But I’ve enjoyed my time here, I think everybody knows that I enjoyed the boys, enjoyed this organization, and would definitely be open to coming back.”

    A handful of former Sharks players still have homes in the area and are part of the organization, formally or informally. That appeals to Duclair, who would like to remain in a familiar area for some time after playing for seven teams in his first 10 NHL seasons.

    “It’s a nice tight-knit community, and the biggest thing I like is how ex-players come back and they’re part of the organization,” Duclair said. “You don’t see that on every team or every organization. Obviously, (the Sharks have) some legends sticking around and walking the hallways, so that’s some motivation.

    “You kind of see how (guys), even post-career, stick around and love the organization. That’s something that I’d like to be a part of.”

    Magnus Chrona started in net for the Sharks against the Islanders with Kaapo Kahkonen, another pending UFA who could be dealt before the deadline, backing up. Quinn said he wanted to reward Chrona after he made 36 saves in the Sharks’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on March 2.

    The 27-year-old Kahkonen, now in his fourth full NHL season, is 6-20-3 in 31 games this year with a .895 save percentage. He’s in the second and final season of a two-year, $5.5 million contract he signed with the Sharks in 2022.

    Please check back for updates on this developing story.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Minnesota Wild star scores late, hands Sharks frustrating loss

    Minnesota Wild star scores late, hands Sharks frustrating loss

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    The San Jose Sharks faced some headwinds in their game against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.

    The Sharks were playing their second game in as many nights — just like the Wild were — but were also dealing with an illness now running through the locker room, sapping some of the team’s energy.

    The biggest obstacle, though, was the play of Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who recorded his third hat trick of the season to help hand the Sharks a disappointing 4-3 loss at Xcel Energy Center.

    With the Sharks leading 3-2, Kaprizov scored at the 2:38 and 16:01 mark of the third period, with the second goal completing the hat trick and putting the Wild ahead to stay as San Jose was sent to its seventh straight loss.

    “When you don’t have it, you’ve got to find a way to hang around and I thought that’s what we did,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “It was just unfortunate. They’ve got Kaprizov and we don’t.”

    Anthony Duclair, Mikael Granlund, and Nico Sturm all scored for the Sharks (15-39-6), who managed just 15 shots on net as they completed a two-game road trip with a 0-1-1 record.

    The Sharks led the Wild on two occasions Sunday, including in the third period as the two teams traded goals.

    After Duclair scored his 14th of the season 23 seconds in for a 3-2 Sharks lead, Kaprizov tied it, one-timing a pass from Matt Boldy past goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, who made 28 saves for the game.

    Kaprizov’s third goal of the game was also his 29th goal of the season, as he became the fifth-fastest active player to 300 career points. Having now played 258 games, he’s behind only Sidney Crosby (219), Alex Ovechkin (237), Connor McDavid (240) and Evgeni Malkin (240).

    “He’s a phenomenal player,” Sturm said of Kaprizov, his one-time Wild teammate. “That third goal, that’s him. He gets lost as the third guy high, there’s a puck battle, and he’s got the smarts to where he just waits for the puck to squirt out to him.”

    The Sharks now start a three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars.

    The Sharks were without center William Eklund, who came down with an illness Sunday. With Eklund unavailable, Kevin Labanc drew back into the lineup after he was a healthy scratch Saturday in Dallas and Luke Kunin moved into Eklund’s role as the Sharks’ second-line center.

    Eklund had goals in each of the last two Sharks’ games and for the season has 10 goals and 27 points in 58 games.

    Sunday’s game was Kahkonen’s first against his former team. He was drafted by the Wild in 2014 in the fourth round and played three-plus seasons in the organization before he was acquired by the Sharks two years ago for defenseman Jacob Middleton.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • San Jose Sharks goalie exits game vs. New Jersey Devils

    San Jose Sharks goalie exits game vs. New Jersey Devils

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    SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood exited Tuesday’s game with the New Jersey Devils late in the first period and was later ruled out from returning.

    The Sharks did not provide an official reason why Blackwood left the game, but it appeared the goalie was injured making a save on Devils center Jack Hughes.

    Blackwood stopped on a Hughes shot with 2:28 left in the first period, got up, and then skated toward the Sharks bench during a television timeout. After he reached the bench, Blackwood walked toward the Sharks dressing room and threw his stick down.

    Blackwood was credited with 13 saves in the first period before he left the game. Kaapo Kahkonen came off the bench to replace Blackwood for the final 2:26 of the first period but did not have to make a save.

    The Sharks took a 1-0 lead shortly after Blackwood left the game, as Nico Sturm scored his fourth of the season off an assist from Alexander Barabanov at the 18:17 mark of the first.

    Kahkonen started the second period as Blackwood did not come out of the Sharks’ dressing room.

    On its third shot of the period, New Jersey tied the game, as a bad change by the Sharks led to a Devils 2 on 1. Jesper Bratt then took a pass from former Sharks winger Timo Meier and scored his 22nd of the season at the 3:29 mark.

    Just 37 seconds later, Jack Hughes took advantage of a Sharks turnover and beat Kahkonen for his 19th goal of the season as the Devils took a 2-1 lead.

    Blackwood was playing in his 35th game of the season Tuesday as he had remained mostly healthy for the first four months of the season.

    Beset by injuries the last two years, Blackwood hadn’t played in this many games in one season since 2020-2021, when he went 14-17-4 for the Devils in a non-playoff year for the organization.

    Please check back for updates to this developing story. 

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • NHL trade deadline: Where things stand with Sharks’ pending free agents

    NHL trade deadline: Where things stand with Sharks’ pending free agents

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    The looming NHL trade deadline in three weeks has the potential to be an anxious time for a handful of San Jose Sharks players – and others around the league on non-playoff-contending teams — who are pending unrestricted free agents.

    Anthony Duclair, though, isn’t stressing out. The Sharks winger has been traded four times in his 10-year NHL career, including in 2015 and 2019 when he was shipped from one team to another on the eve of the deadline.

    “For me, it’s just another year. I just try to have fun with it now,” Duclair said. “I don’t get nervous or anything like that. I just try to enjoy the process and whatever happens, happens.”

    Now in 2024, the speedy Duclair is a prime candidate to be on the move again, as the Sharks, in next-to-last place in the NHL’s overall standings, try to recoup assets for a handful of players who are pending UFAs.

    “Where we are, we don’t — if we can avoid it — (want to) let UFAs walk for nothing,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said last month. “So if we can get something back that will help us down the road, we’ll definitely look to try and do that.”

    Here’s a look at where things stand for some of the Sharks’ pending unrestricted free agents.

    Anthony Duclair, winger

    CONTRACT STATUS: In the final year of a three-year, $9 million contract

    AGE: 28

    CAREER NHL STATS: 131 goals, 147 assists in 537 games (has 17 points in 47 games this season before Thursday’s game in Calgary)

    THE SKINNY: Duclair, who represents himself in contract negotiations, said earlier this week that he and the Sharks have not had any discussions regarding an extension. “I haven’t heard anything at all. I’m sure a conversation will happen soon,” said Duclair, who, now on his seventh NHL team, is looking for a contract with some term.

    “Obviously, everybody knows I’m looking for a home where I can spend the next few years. That would be my ideal situation,” he said. “But I also know that I have to earn that right, so obviously these next three weeks are pretty important. The way I play, the way I conduct myself, so I just want to focus on that.”

    Duclair is keeping all options available, including re-signing with the rebuilding Sharks should that opportunity arise. San Jose will have some cap space available and Duclair has fit in well with a team in transition.

    Still, Duclair will be 29 in August, and Grier will be wary of giving out a contract that takes a winger into his mid-30s considering where the franchise is at right now.

    “I’m open to anything,” he said. “Obviously, I have to do what’s right for myself and we’ll go from there, but I’m definitely open to anything right now.”

    Kaapo Kahkonen, goalie

    CONTRACT STATUS: In the final year of a two-year, $5.5 million contract

    AGE: 27

    CAREER NHL STATS: Record of 48-58-14, .900 save percentage, 3.27 goals against average in 127 games (is 6-15-2, with a .905 save percentage, 3.43 GAA in 25 games this season)

    THE SKINNY: Kahkonen, like Duclair, said he has not heard of any discussions with the Sharks regarding a contract extension.

    “Nothing new, really, from my end. I’m just kind of focusing day by day on practice and games, trying to get ready and be as good as I can. We’ll see what happens.”

    Kahkonen has shown this season that he can be a contributor to a playoff-contending team, either as a capable backup to an established No. 1 goalie or as a 1A-type netminder.

    Kahkonen’s record is unsightly, but he has only received an average of 1.92 goals in support per game so far this season, lowest among all goalies who have played at least 10 games. Wednesday, Kahkonen, in his 25th game, made 39 saves in a 1-0 Sharks loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

    Among the 34 NHL goalies who have played at least 25 games this season, Kahkonen is sixth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes. The top five are Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom, Boston’s Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, and Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko. Pretty good company.

    If he isn’t traded, Kahkonen said he’s keeping the door open to re-signing in San Jose.

    “I haven’t thought about that yet. I’m not saying no, I’m not saying absolutely,” Kahkonen said. “I don’t want to close any doors because I don’t think you ever want to do that. But we have to go through this month first because then everything will be much more clear after that.”

    Kevin Labanc, winger

    CONTRACT STATUS: In the final year of a four-year, $18.9 million contract

    AGE: 28

    CAREER NHL STATS: Has 82 goals, 141 assists in 464 games (Has seven points in 32 games this season)

    THE SKINNY: Labanc, who will be a healthy scratch for an eighth straight game Thursday, wants a change of scenery and it would not take much for another team to pluck him off San Jose’s roster.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • College basketball: UCLA holds off Cal Bears 61-60

    College basketball: UCLA holds off Cal Bears 61-60

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    BERKELEY — Cal fought back from a 14-point second-half deficit but could not close out a season sweep of UCLA on Saturday afternoon in the final meeting of the in-state rivals before they head off to new conferences next season.

    The Bruins (13-11, 8-5 Pac-12) prevailed 61-60 in a game that had four lead changes in the final 1:05, preventing the Bears (10-14, 6-7) from winning for the fifth time in their past six games in front of 9,280 fans at Haas Pavilion.

    UCLA won its fifth straight game and is 7-2 since losing to the Bears at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 6.

    Cal has not swept both games in a season against the Bruins since the 2011-12 season, and won’t get the chance anytime soon. The Bears will play in the ACC next season while UCLA moves to the Big Ten.

    Fardaws Aimaq put the Bears in front 55-53 on a putback of his own miss with 1:05 left before the Bruins called timeout. They went right to big man Adem Bona, who scored from the post and converted a free throw for a 56-55 lead with 50.4 seconds left.

    Aimaq then tipped in a miss by Jaylon Tyson, giving the lead back to Cal with 45 seconds left. But guard Dylan Andrews sunk a mid-range jumper and UCLA was back in front 58-55 with 25.3 seconds left.

    Tyson, who led the Bears with 16 points, missed on a contested drive to the basket and Lazar Stefanovic made two free throws for a 60-57 lead with 16.4 seconds left. Sebastian Mack inched the lead to four points by making the second of two free throws with 4.5 seconds to play.

    Cal’s Jalen Celestine made a running 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left.

    The Bears trailed 50-41 when Tyson triggered an 8-0 run that pulled them within a point.

    He scored on a backdoor dunk off a pass from Aimaq then returned the favor, assisting Aimaq on a 3-point basket. Finally, he fed Jalen Celestine for a 3-pointer that made it 50-49 with 5:56 to play.

    Tyson’s jump shot with 3:05 left put the Bears up 51-50, their first lead since 7-3. Stefanovic answered with a 3-pointer or the Bruins but two free throws by Aimaq tied the score at 53-all with 2:20 remaining.

    The Bruins led 35-24 at halftime as the Bears shot just 36 percent (8 for 22) in the opening 20 minutes. Tyson scored 10 points for Cal but his teammates combined to make just 5 of 17 shots as the Bears wound up with their lowest-scoring first half of the season.

    UCLA erased an early 7-6 Cal lead with an 11-0 run during which time the Bears missed three shots and turned the ball over three times against pressure. The lead swelled to 19-10 when Andrews made two free throws, capping a 15-2 surge with 11:42 left.

    The Bears pulled within 22-16 on a layup by  Aimaq with 8:36 left but the Bruins built their advantage to 29-16 with an 8-0 run that included a 3-pointer by Stefanovic.

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    Jeff Faraudo

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  • SF Giants utilityman wins salary arbitration case

    SF Giants utilityman wins salary arbitration case

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    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Utilityman J.D. Davis became the seventh straight player to win in salary arbitration, beating the San Francisco Giants on Thursday and getting a raise from $4.21 million to $6.9 million rather than the team’s $6.55 million offer.

    Joshua Gordon, Margaret Brogan, and Brian Keller made the decision one day after listening to arguments.

    Players lead teams 7-2 with eight cases pending.

    Davis, an Elk Grove native, hit .248 with 18 homers and 69 RBIs last year in his first full season with the Giants, who obtained him from the New York Mets on Aug. 2, 2022. A third baseman, first baseman, and outfielder, Davis, 30, is eligible for free agency after this year’s World Series.

    AL Championship Series MVP Adolis García and the World Series champion Texas Rangers avoided a Thursday hearing when they agreed to a $14 million, two-year contract.

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    The Associated Press

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