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In late January, the San Jose Sharks acquired forward Martin Kaut in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche. Kaut came to San Jose in search of a fresh opportunity after not receiving a true shot in Colorado. And it wasn't exactly a terrible move. Kaut scored 14 points in 19 AHL games, and five points in nine NHL games.
However, Kaut is now out of the Sharks organization, at least for the time being. The 23-year-old former first-round pick signed with HC Dynamo Pardubice in his native Czechia. Recently, he spoke with a Czechian news outlet where he revealed a rather disturbing directive from San Jose's AHL staff.
Kaut claims that his AHL coaches attempted to coerce him into fighting more. In fact, the former Sharks forward claimed one of his coaches hand-selected opponents for him to fight each game.
The former Sharks forward name-dropped Adam Klapka as an opponent chosen by one coach. Klapka, standing six-foot-eight according to Elite Prospects, is currently in the Calgary Flames organization.
Kaut pointed to his injury history as a reason he felt uncomfortable fighting. “I've had three concussions and an injured shoulder twice. If I had fought with the ones he was picking on me, I would have been beaten and injured,” he said.
The Sharks responded to these claims when reached for comment by The Hockey News. They acknowledged the claims made against them by Kaut in this interview. However, San Jose denied the allegations against their organization.
“Let us be unequivocally clear that no such direction was ever given or insinuated by the members of the Sharks or Barracuda coaching or hockey staffs,” the Sharks said in a statement to The Hockey News.
Kaut's contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice goes through 2025, according to the Czechian club's website. However, the Sharks retain the 23-year-old's NHL signing rights. After these claims, though, it's hard to imagine Martin Kaut back in the organization anytime soon.
