SAN JOSEIt hasn't been a season to remember for Jason Demers.
After making some noticeable strides in his game in the second half of last season, the 23-year-old Sharks defenseman has been scratched in seven of the previous nine games headed into Saturday night against Phoenix, where hes likely to sit again.
Simply put, Justin Brauns impressive play has pushed Demers out of a jobat least for the time being.
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I asked Demers on Saturday morning if it was a little bittersweet seeing the team do so well, with an 8-1-1 mark in its last 10, while he patiently waits for his chance to jump back in the lineup.
Yeah, for sure, a little bit. You always want to play every game, but some things are out of your control, he said. The team is winning and we just want to keep getting two points and moving up in the standings.
Were all in the same boat and all moving in the same direction, so, for sure, its hard to sit out, but you want to see the team win first.
If you missed yesterdays post on Sharks Talk, Todd McLellan said that while hes pleased that Braun has come in and given his team some solid depth on defense, he does worry a bit about players like Demers, who have not seen the playing time that they would probably have liked to at this point.
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Things can change at a moments notice, though, and Demers knows that he has to keep skating those extra minutes after practice when some of his teammates have already hit the showers for when his time comes.
Were all professionals here, so its just about staying on your toes and keeping that game mentality in practice every day and getting in that extra work after, he said. Its staying sharp on the mental side of it.