San Jose Mercury News

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San Jose Mercury News

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Sharks Set to Open Season with New Faces

With the conclusion of a somewhat disappointing preseason, the San Jose Sharks are set to begin the regular season with an away game against the Colorado Avalanche. 6 new players are expected to make their regular season debuts in this game, highlighted by star offseason trade acquisition Dany Heatley. A strong supporting cast of preseason signings are also among this bunch, with checking forwards Manny Malhotra, P.J. Axelsson and Jiri Novotny and depth defencemen Dick Tarnstrom and Daniel Tjarnqvist. Newly-signed forward Rob Niedermayer could also feature in the season opener, while Dan Fritsche has been assigned to the Worcester Sharks after a disappointing preseason effort. These newcomers are expected to bring not only depth but added dimensions of testosterone, truculence, belligerence, intensity, physicality, pugnacity, tenacity, loquacity and other various ridiculous noun-adjectives found lacking in many Sharks playoff contests in the past few seasons.

Rumours are also swirling around the Shark Tank over a possible trade for a skilled forward. While no official confirmation has been made yet, anonymous and possibly nonexistent sources are suggesting that it may be a currently unsigned Russian forward.
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Sharks Acquire F Alexander Radulov

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The San Jose Sharks have made a splash on the trade market, acquiring holdout forward Alexander Radulov from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a first and second round draft pick and center Torrey Mitchell. Radulov was immediately signed to a 4-year, $1.4 million deal. He is expected to play on the right side on either of the top two lines, bringing a boost to a Sharks powerplay that is currently languishing at a 7.7% rate, second-worst in the league. So far Radulov has failed to tally a point in two straight games but the San Jose coaching staff has been impressed with his effort in practices.

The Sharks have also condemned the recent injury of newly-signed forward Rob Niedermayer by Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski. Sharks coach Todd McLellan described the alleged hit from behind as 'dirty, disgusting, deplorable and absolutely despicable'. While league officials noted the excellent use of alliteration, no further discipline was announced for Wisniewski beyond the five minute major received on the hit.
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18 Games In

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The San Jose Sharks have had a decent start to the season, going 10-7-1 despite early-season struggles and trailing the Anaheim Ducks for the Pacific Division lead solely by virtue of games played. After a dismal start on special teams, the resurgent powerplay is clicking at 20%, good for 13th in the league. The penaltykill is tied for the middle of the league at 16th, a clear area of improvement for the team. Offense has not been hard to come by - with 59 goal for, the Sharks are leading the league in goalscoring and only a few spots behind in goals per game.

It's perhaps no surprise that Dany Heatley has taken over the league lead in point scoring with big Joe Jornton feeding him passes, but more shocking is the fact that Jumbo Joe is leading the team with 10 goals while Heatley has racked up 18 assists to Joe's 10. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been a stable presence on the back end, scoring 13 points with a +6 rating and 6 T-G. Newcomer Alexander Radulov has 7 goals in 16 games and Jiri Novotny and P.J. Axelsson have been solid contributors on checking lines. Manny Malhotra and Daniel Tjarnqvist have struggled at times. A more consistent effort from the depth players in the organization will be sure to vault the Sharks into top spot in the division over the hated Ducks and that **** Corey Perry.
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Doug Wilson Takes Over Reins

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With the Sharks mired in mediocrity, the club recently announced the firing of rookie head coach Todd McLellan. The move came as a surprise to some hockey experts, most notably those who weren't paying attention to the Sharks' dismal sub-.500 record and uninspired performance on special teams. Former head coach Doug Wilson, who recently gave up his general manager role to take on a more direct role as assistant coach, will be taking over the reins for the remainder of the season and quite possibly longer.

Wilson is expected to bring an air of familiarity back to a club that has at times struggled with team chemistry. Having acquired most of the players on the current roster in his tenure as GM, Wilson knows how to motivate and address their personal quirks, such as Joe Thornton's love of medicinal herbs and Rob Blake's fondness towards aging. Recent reports from Sharks' insiders indicate that Wilson has already begun revitalizing the locker room with a strict but fair regimen. While the managerial staff will give Wilson his due time to tinker with the existing roster, patience may be running thin unless the Sharks go on an impressive run back into playoff contention. If the coaching change cannot motivate the players, perhaps a strong gust of trade winds will do the trick.
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Halftime Review

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Just over half of the season has come and gone, so it is time to review the Sharks' performance this season. One word can sum it up - disappointment. At 4 games under .500 and 11 points back from a playoff spot, the Sharks are looking at the possibility of missing the playoffs for the first time since the lockout. And should the Sharks miss the playoffs, their fans will not even have a high first round draft pick to look forward to, although some may prefer the 15 goals provided by Alexander Radulov this season.

The teams' struggles have led to both a coaching change and major player movement. Just a week ago, long-time Shark and former captain Patrick Marleau was traded to the New York Rangers after nearly 12 seasons with the team. Sharks' management was quick to point out that although the trade was a pure hockey decision based on team and player performance and not a knee-jerk reaction, there are no hard feelings between Marleau and the team. Coming back from the Rangers are defensemen Michal Rozsival and Dan Girardi. Although Rozsival is perhaps a less well-known and respected player, his point totals so far this season have exceeded Marleau's on a largely offensively challenged Rangers team, and he is expected to breathe life into a struggling powerplay.

By the Numbers

Special teams have been one of the Sharks' weaknesses so far this season. The powerplay is running at a disappointing 17.7%, 10th in the Western Conference despite a strong first unit led by Thornton, Heatley and Boyle. The penalty kill has performed better, managing 81.5% efficiency or 6th in the West. However, some of those same players doing the work on the penaltykill have been disappointing at even strength. Checking forwards Scott Nichol and Manny Malhotra are tied for a team-worst -13, with Nichol racking up a team-leading 65 PIM with only a single fighting major. The poor performance from these depth players led in part to the dismissal of head coach Todd McLellan, but so far replacement Doug Wilson has not managed to eke out better performances from the bottom six. Waiver-wire acquisition Jamal Mayers has yet to contribute significantly, putting up two dismal games before sitting the last affair out in the press box.

As expected, Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton have lead the charge offensively, putting up point-per-game numbers and each providing a team-leading 20 goals. The offense from all of the top six forwards has dried up over the past 10 games, but winger Devin Setoguchi still has managed a respectable 29 points in 44 games, thanks to an early-season hot streak. Joe Pavelski is the only disappointment so far, managing just a .5 PPG pace.

On the blue line, Dan Boyle is on pace for just 40 points this season, which would be his lowest total since the lockout. New acquisition Michal Rozsival has made an immediate impact, putting up 3 assists in 4 games. Dan Girardi, though not expected to contribute immediately, has been solid with a +3 rating in 4 games. Their performances have sent struggling youngster Marc-Edouard Vlasic to the bottom pairing, as his -5 rating is a team-worst for the four defensemen who have been with the Sharks all season long. Veteran Rob Blake has been a great performer, but at 40 years of age and potentially sitting on a non-playoff squad, his time with the Sharks may soon be coming to an end.

With three upcoming games against teams vying for playoff spots in the Western conference, it's time for the Sharks to put their early season struggles behind and get their frickin' laser beams attached to their heads.
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Re: Halftime Review

Post by CapsGM »

SharksGM wrote:With three upcoming games against teams vying for playoff spots in the Western conference, it's time for the Sharks to put their early season struggles behind and get their frickin' laser beams attached to their heads.
You need to start thinking less like this:

Image

And more like this:

Image
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SHARK ATTACK

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Sharks Fans Riot in Streets after Uneventful Trade Deadline

A herd of enraged Sharks fans roamed through the streets of San Jose after learning that the Sharks had made no moves whatsoever at EHEC's trade deadline. Several storefronts had their windows smashed as fans demanded the resignation of the entire Sharks management staff for failing to either acquire a solid veteran presence for a playoff push or dump an overpaid veteran to tank for the remainder of the season. The mob dispersed by 9 PM as the participants rushed home to get to bed in time to wake up the next morning for their high-paying Silicon Valley jobs.

Sharks Claim Playoff Spot with win over rival Predators
The surging Sharks have been streaking so hard recently that they have made a delicious sandwich of two slices of winning streaks seductively wrapped around a juicy patty of Olympic break. While biting into this terrible metaphor tonight, the Sharks earned a 5-3 win over the hated Nashville Predators. Former Predator Alexander Radulov was named the third star of the game and said something outrageously offensive.

Who's Hot, Who's Not
Youngster Derek Joslin has been on fire since replacing Rob Blake in the lineup. In 20 games this season, Joslin has 8 points, a +9 rating, 34 hits and 27 takeaways with just 6 giveaways. While fellow rookie Logan Couture had a less auspicious start to his NHL career, racking up little more than fighting majors in his first 30, the last 10 games have seen a marked improvement in his play. Over that span Logan has produced 3 goals, 4 assists, 17 hits and 12 takeaways.

Who's cold? Vanilla Ice, baby. Jiri Novotny is also battling self-esteem issues while seldom-used backup Thomas Greiss is slumping after having already forgotten about playing in the Olympics.
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Regular Season Recap and Grades

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Record: 39-36-7, 85 points (9th in West, 19th overall)
GF: 250 (8th in West, 15th overall)
GA: 242 (9th in West, 17th overall)
PP: 17.66% (12th in West, 18th overall)
PK: 80.97% (9th in West, 21st overall)

Overall this was a dismal season for the Sharks, who could not have been expected to miss the playoffs with the quality of the available players. Rookie head coach Todd McLellan received some of the blame, not even lasting to the Christmas break before being fired. While the club's record improved under former GM-turned-coach Doug Wilson, the poor quality of special teams play ultimately kept the Sharks 3 points out of a playoff spot. A post-deadline run culminated in a 5-4-1 record over the last 10 games, with inconsistent performances in must-win games ultimately sealing the Sharks' fate.

Individual Player Ratings

Forward
Center

Joe Thornton
82 GP, 41G, 59A, 100P, +10, 34PIM
67 HG, 112 HT, -16 TA-GA, 35 SB, 55% FO%, 17 mins TOI/G

A+

With the 3rd 100-point season of his NHL career and a second Art Ross trophy, the only thing missing from Jumbo Joe's season was a trip to the playoffs. He can hardly be blamed for the Sharks' failure to reach even the first round, though, as he played a crucial role in the Sharks' late-season surge, coming back from 4th in league scoring to win the Art Ross by a 6 point margin. His efforts on the defensive side improved from previous seasons as well, along with his willingness to take the body, win faceoffs and remain disciplined.

Joe Pavelski

82 GP, 17G, 34A, 51P, +28, 44 PIM
38 HG, 76 HT, -27 TA-GA, 22 SB, 50.8% FO%, 14 mins TOI/G

B-

Despite his fairly impressive stat line, Mini Joe's season was in many ways a disappointment. His ample plus-minus rating is tempered by a poor individual performance on the defensive end, and his goals and points both declined from last season's total. A long cold streak in the middle of the season no doubt contributed to the Sharks' terrible record during that stretch.

Manny Malhotra

80 GP, 6G, 15A, 21P, +2, 28 PIM
91 HG, 67 HT, 3 TA-GA, 32 SB, 54.3% FO%, 14 mins TOI/G

B-

After signing a 5-year deal at $1.4 million per, more was expected of Manny Malhotra. Like both of the Joes, his performance was poor during the middle of the season but improved towards the end. Given his ample ice time, more was expected in the scoring department and as a checking forward. Next season will be crucial for Manny as he will have challengers for the 3rd line center role. His saving grace is that he still outperformed many of his linemates on the bottom two lines.

Jiri Novotny

68 GP, 3G, 8A, 11P, -9, 43 PIM
60 HG, 43 HT, 22 TA-GA, 8 SB, 58.1% FO%, 10 mins TOI/G

C+

By the extra stats, Novotny was amongst the best Sharks' checking line forwards. Despite this, he was a -9 on the season and went through frequent slumps, being demoted to Worcester a number of times. Some more consistency would cement Jiri's spot on the roster next season.

Jamal Mayers

D

Acquired on waivers from Toronto, Mayers was even more maddeningly inconsistent than Novotny, providing great efforts one night and nothing but untimely penalties the next. Mayers will be testing the free agent market.

Scott Nichol

F

With 4 points and a -14 in 48 games, it appears Nichol's time in the NHL is over.

Left Wing

Dany Heatley

81 GP, 43G, 42A, 85P, +31, 93 PIM
55 HG, 132 HT, -36 TA-GA, 22 SB, 17 mins TOI/G

A

Another 40 goal campaign for Heatley earns him an A, along with a team-best +31 rating. Dany was brought in to score and score he did. Nonetheless, he could stand to play with more of an edge while taking fewer penalties.

Alexander Radulov

80 GP, 31G, 29A, 60P, +11, 42 PIM
29 HG, 110 HT, -31 TA-GA, 15 SB, 16 mins TOI/G

B+

30 goals for Radulov is largely in line for expectations after the slick Russian forward was brought in from Nashville. Like Heatley, he was a non-factor in his own end and could stand to become a more well-rounded player.

Logan Couture

56 GP, 7G, 16A, 23P, +3, 116 PIM
75 HG, 73 HT, -1 TA-GA, 19 SB, 50% FO%, 13 mins TOI/G

B-

An impressive AHL stat line saw Couture brought up to the NHL perhaps a little too early for his own good, as the youngster struggled in his first month in the big leagues. Nonetheless, he finished with respectable numbers and should see a much bigger role next season with renewed confidence. Needs to take fewer penalties as his role is more than just an enforcer, though 9 wins in 14 bouts is nothing to sneer at.

P.J. Axelsson

75 GP, 3G, 6A, 9P, -10, 38 PIM
39 HG, 59 HT, -24 TA-GA, 18 SB, 12 mins TOI/G

D

A defensive winger who was supposed to shore up the bottom 6 and PK, Axelsson struggled all season long and will be hard pressed to remain in the league with his poor defensive play.

Right Wing

Devin Setoguchi

82 GP, 29G, 38A, 67P, +16, 74 PIM
37 HG, 102 HT, -31 TA-GA, 31 SB, 16 mins TOI/G

B

While just missing the 30 goal mark this season, Devin put up a solid campaign and increased his point totals by 2 from last season, despite playing fewer minute with Joe Thornton. The streaky youngster needs to improve his consistency, having gone for a 24 game stretch without scoring a goal. His defensive play is also suspect and a very similar stat line to fellow forward Radulov nonetheless includes 32 more penalty minutes.

Ryane Clowe

82 GP, 18G, 18A, 36P, +2, 98 PIM
166 HG, 102 HT, +28 TA-GA, 33 SB, 15 mins TOI/G

B+

Almost the polar opposite of his counterpart Setoguchi, the hulking Newfoundlander put up modest offensive numbers for his lofty contract but played well nonetheless. Clowe led the team in hits and was second for takeaways and shot blocks by forwards. Although he will certainly continue to see decent ice time, his role on scoring lines may be challenged if he is unable to produce at a better clip next season.

Scottie Upshall

61 GP, 11G, 12A, 23P, +23, 52 PIM
82 HG, 47 HT, +21 TA-GA, 32 SB, 10 mins TOI/G

A

Jettisoned from the Coyotes for his somewhat larger contract, Upshall was acquired midway through the season for a late draft pick and immediately became a fan favourite. Upshall brought leadership and stability to a bottom 6 that struggled all too often through the season. Upshall should continue to be relied upon in a third line role next season.


Defense

Dan Boyle

80 GP, 11G, 41A, 52P, +3, 73 PIM
68 HG, 117 HT, -21 TA-GA, 73 SB, 25 mins TOI/G

B+

Boyle's second full season with the Sharks saw him put up good point totals, albeit lower than last season's 57 point effort. Boyle is a fundamentally sound defenseman but did struggle at times covering the league's top forwards, so perhaps a pairing with a more defensively sound partner is in order.

Michal Rozsival

81 GP, 9G, 35A, 44P, +31, 26 PIM
142 HG, 87 HT, +17 TA-GA, 53 SB, 23 mins TOI/G

A

Acquired from the New York Rangers in the Patrick Marleau trade, Rozsival had the best season of his career both quantitatively and qualitatively. The only caveat is that the better part of his numbers - 26 points and +18 - were put up while still with New York. Nonetheless, the slight drop off in his play after the trade still left him as a top defender on the team and his pro-rated stats with the Sharks would have produced a respectable 36 points and +26. Little more is expected from Rozsival than to continue the good work next season.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic

79 GP, 7G, 29A, 36P, +11, 34 PIM
123 HG, 90 HT, +1 TA-GA, 69 SB, 24 mins TOI/G

A-

Statistically, the smooth-skating Vlasic had an excellent season, equalling his career-high in points from last season and playing well defensively. The only mar on his record was a rough stretch of games at the midway point of the season when much of the team struggled as well. Otherwise, Vlasic was easily the most consistent contributor on the back end.

Doug Murray

80 GP, 1G, 17A, 18P, -3, 30 PIM
145 HG, 34 HT, +35 TA-GA, 64 SB, 19 mins TOI/G

A

Not much more can be expected of Murray than what he delivered. Murray was second on the team and first in defensemen in hits, lagging only Dan Girardi in takeaway differential. His small minus is the only blemish on his record, but Murray could have done little more on the offensive side than provide his career-high 18 points.

Dan Girardi

81 GP, 5G, 21A, 26P, +3, 28 PIM
114 HG, 34 HT, +57 TA-GA, 55 SB, 16 mins TOI/G

A+

The second key piece of the Marleau deal, Girardi put up a +13 rating in his half-season with the Sharks while nearly equaling his career high in points and putting up a whopping +57 takeaway differential. Girardi should see plenty of ice time next season but may be challenged to put up similar numbers with emerging rookie Derek Joslin.

Derek Joslin

36 GP, 2 G, 12A, 14P, +15, 18 PIM
57 HG, 28 HT, +31 TA-GA, 16 SB, 16 mins TOI/G

A

The most surprising part of 23-year old Joslin's season is that the offensive defenseman performed even better in his own end than in putting up points. While his offensive production dried up in the last 15 games of his time up with the big club, a repeat of his defensive statistics over the course of a full season would guarantee the youngster a permanent spot in the Sharks lineup. The only question is whether he can manage the workload over a 82-game season.

Goaltenders

Evgeni Nabokov

75 GP, 31-33-9, 2.84 GAA, .892 Save%

B+

Nabokov's numbers dropped as part of a league-wide war on goaltender save percentages. Nonetheless his save % ranked 9th in the league for starting goaltenders. Perhaps more might have been expected given Nabokov's contract, though, and his dismal performance in shootouts may have cost the Sharks a playoff berth.

Thomas Greiss

9 GP, 6-3-0, 2.92 GAA, .903 Save%

Incomplete

The German backup played well in limited action mostly against bottom-feeders. Still, he should remain the Sharks' backup into next season.
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Sharks Draft A Resounding Success

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Even before the conclusion of the inaugural EHEC entry draft, the Sharks' management team were claiming victory, having restocked an utterly empty forward prospect cupboard with all kinds of delicious cookies. Here to break down the story is an axe-wielding maniac.

John McFarland - C/RW, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
With the 44th pick, the Sharks were fortunate to have talented sniper John McFarland fall into their laps, especially because sharks don't have laps. The former OHL #1 pick has seen his star fall since being penned as the next Crosby/Esposito/Kessel/Stamkos/Tavares, but his raw talent was too much to ignore midway through the second round. His statistics took a dip last year, no doubt partly due to some depression caused by having to live in Sudbury, Ontario. There are also questions as to the Richmond Hill native's consistency, determination, drive and dedication. We caught up with a Sharks scout who answered those questions about his consistency, drive, determination and dedication. "We interviewed John and asked him about his determination, drive, consistency and dedication. He answered that he has no issues with his drive, determination, dedication and consistency. So to summarize, he has no issues with his dedication, consistency, drive or determination."

Jack Skille - C/RW, Chicago Blackhawks
The former #7 overall pick in 2005 was acquired in a trade for checking line center Manny Malhotra. It was felt that Logan Couture was ready to pick up Malhotra's penaltykilling duties, while the younger and cheaper Skille has enough offensive talent to line up on the right side of any of the top 3 lines. Skille will in fact probably start his next season (and probably last as a rookie) on the third line with the aforementioned Couture.

Charlie Coyle - RW/LW, South Shore Kings (EJHL)
The Sharks only pick of their own saw them pick up 6'3 power forward Charlie Coyle from the EJHL in the 3rd round, #72 overall. A cousin of Tony Amonte, Coyle's game compares favourably to fellow American Erik Cole. A speedster with size and skill, Coyle nonetheless has a few years of development ahead of him before he's NHL ready. One Sharks scout said the youngster could be as talented as Devin Setoguchi, but with a much larger frame and a willingness to use it.

Tomas Filippi - C/LW, Liberec Jrs (CZE)
Much to the dismay of some fans, the Sharks traded beloved checking line winger Scottie Upshall to the Colorado Avalanche for a 4th round pick, used to select Tomas Filippi. The Czech forward has drawn comparisons to countryman and namesake Tomas Plekanec. However, yet more anonymous scouts said they envisioned Filippi as a two-way forward with perhaps as complete of an offensive game as the previous two Sharks' selections and certainly no less of a bullet shot. Filippi is also viewed as being more NHL-ready than the project Coyle.

Matt MacKenzie - D, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
The Sharks' final selection of the draft in the 5th round, MacKenzie is a smooth-skating defenseman with an edge. The gnarly Canadian showed much improvement in his offensive game this past season and could become a fan favourite if his development rounds out as expected, which should happen unless his kinda crazy gung-ho attitude gets an important bone broken. MacKenzie is expected to spend another year or two in juniors rounding out his game before moving on to the AHL.

While the Sharks undoutedbly lost some (fairly expensive) fourth liners to acquire some of this depth, fans can look forward to the upcoming free agency period to plug these itsy bitsy tiny holes in the lineup, probably with some duct tape, used coat hangers and bits of string.

edit: Ceiling boost goes to MacKenzie, 10 SH + 10 CH
Last edited by SharksGM on Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by Virtual Jarmo »

Entertaining piece, Dan. Good stuff.
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Sharks Acquire Lidstrom

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The Bay area is buzzing with the news that the Sharks have completed a trade-and-sign for defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The 6-time Norris Trophy winner surprisingly became available after new Detroit Red Wings management announced movement in a new, youth-oriented direction. The 40-year-old Lidstrom, also a Conn Smythe winner and captain of a Stanley Cup winning team, has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the possibility of an additional year.

The signing came at a cost, however. In order to acquire Lidstrom's rights before the UFA period and to fit his new contract under the salary cap, long-time Shark Doug Murray was sent to Detroit along with promising goaltender Harri Sateri. Upon being informed of the deal, Murray burst into tears but was quickly consoled upon learning that there are nice areas in Detroit. Sharks management have yet to release an official press release, but word is that the thought of acquiring possibly one of the top 5 defensemen of all time had excited the coaching staff to actually kind of embarassing levels. Speculators are predicting that Lidstrom will see time with either Michal Rozsival or Daniel Girardi, with a strong second pairing of Vlasic and Boyle accompanying them. Doug Murray is probably relishing the idea of putting together a powerplay unit of Thornton, Heatley, Lidstrom, Boyle and does it even matter who the fifth guy is?

In other news: A bear attacked an ice cream truck today, making off with a box of Klondike Bars. Nobody was seriously injured.
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Sharks 2010 Prospect Rankings

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1. Logan Couture - C
Projection: Elite two-way/shutdown center
Comparable: Jordan Staal, with a little less speed and open-ice hitting

2. Jack Skille - RW/C
Projection: Versatile forward
Comparable: Derek Joslin as a forward; Chuck Kobasew with Ales Hemsky's stickhandling

3. Derek Joslin - D
Projection: #4-5 two-way defenseman
Comparable: Jack Skille as a defenseman; Roman Hamrlik

4. John McFarland - RW/C
Projection: 2nd/3rd line RW
Comparable: Devin Setoguchi with more jam

5. Alex Grant - D
Projection: #4-5 defensive defenseman
Comparable: Jared Cowen or Daniel Girardi

6. Thomas Greiss - G
Projection: Backup goaltender
Comparable: A. Backup

7. Charlie Coyle - W
Projection: Speedy bottom 6 winger
Comparable: A poor man's Erik Cole

8. Tomas Filippi - LW/C
Projection: Versatile forward
Comparable: Alexei Ponikarovsky with a better shot

9. Matt MacKenzie - D
Projection: 6th/7th PP specialist/enforcer
Comparable: Dick Tarnstrom on steroids

10. Nick Petrecki - D
Projection: 7th defensive defenseman/enforcer
Comparable: More skilled but less physical Andrew Alberts

Honourable mentions: Patrick White, Jonas Junland, Tyson Sexsmith, Alex Stalock
Dishonourable mentions: Justin Braun, Dominik Bielke

Organizational strengths: Depth, two-way players
Organizational weaknesses: Top-pairing defensive defensemen; lack of starting goaltender; playmaking forwards;
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Sharks Complete Training Camp; Set to Bite into Regular Seas

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With the preseason at an end, it's time to review who's in, who's out, who's hot, who's not, and who's completely baked out of their minds (Joe Thornton).

LW:
Dany Heatley, Alexander Radulov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Raffi Torres

No real surprises here, although Ponikarovsky equalled Radulov's production (3g, 3a) in 5 preseason games to Radulov's 6, raising a few eyebrows. Nonetheless, Poni will start the season on the 3rd line with Logan Couture, where he'll be expected to pitch in a few points while being defensively responsible. Raffi Torres will grind it out on the 4th line barring injuries.

C:
Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Petteri Nokelainen

Also raising eyebrows during camp was Logan Couture, who played all 8 games and led the team with 9 points and 17 PIM. Logan looks ready to dominate and may turn his 3rd line into a 2A/2B situation with Joe Pavelski. Pavelski himself disappointed some during camp, picking up just 1 goal in 7 games and a dismal -5 rating. His 58.4 faceoff percentage is encouraging but the team will expect him to provide more than just assists.

Petteri Nokelainen impressed some with 3 points in 8 games as a 4th line center and a forward-leading 4 T-G rating. His -5 rating caused some concern, but that can be attributed to centering mostly rookies straight out of junior. His 40% faceoff percentage will need much more work.

RW:
Devin Setoguchi, Ryane Clowe, Jack Skille, David Moss, Rob Niedermayer

Perhaps the weakest position in an overall strong forward group, nobody in this group particularly disappointed or impressed. Former 8th overall pick Jack Skille looks ready for NHL duty after spending nearly 200 games in the AHL, with a solid +4 rating. He should join a fearsome 3rd line with Ponikarovsky and Couture. Considering that neither Clowe nor Setoguchi made particularly eye-opening contributions on offense, the top 3 right wing spots may rotate throughout the season. After playing just 5 minutes last year before a season-ending injury, Rob Niedermayer looked understandably rusty and will battle AHL star David Moss and perennial grinder Jiri Novotny for the 12th forward spot.

G:
Evgeni Nabokov, Thomas Greiss

Again few surprises here. Nabokov looked solid in 3 wins, while Greiss was unspectacular but considerably better than the rookie competition. If Nabokov falters, expect Greiss to see 15-20 games worth of action this season.

To the AHL:

Alec Martinez, Alex Grant, Alex Stalock, Tyson Sexsmith, Tomas Filippi, John McFarland, Charlie Coyle

The three Alecx's were given opportunities to stand out and mostly failed to do so. Grant was solid defensively through 5 games, but did not to enough to unseat veteran Dan Girardi. Martinez produced a miserable -5 in 4 games and at age 23 will need to make serious strides in the AHL to earn a position in the organization. Stalock and Sexsmith were abysmal and will spend their seasons in the AHL, barring injuries. Filippi was the only standout amongst the three 2010 draftees, scoring 3 points in 4 games, but looked several steps behind defensively. Clearly none of the three are physically ready for the NHL, but with a year of minor-league seasoning they could be ready to compete.
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1/7 season review

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It's 12 games into the season and time to review just what's been going on in Shark land.

With a 7-2-3 record, the Sharks are sitting comfortably in... 4th place in the Pacific? What the hell? Evidently it's not going to be an easy fight for the division title. As expected the Kings are rolling along early in the season, but the surprising Stars and persistent Phoenix are all within a point of each other.

Perhaps the most shocking statistic so far is that the Sharks have not allowed a single powerplay goal. A surprising level of team discipline is partly to blame, as the unusually truculent sniper Setoguchi leads the team with 5 minor penalties.

Evaluating the new additions, Nicklas Lidstrom has fit right in posting 8 assists in 12 games, although he and Michal Rozsival have not yet gelled enough to rack up a plus rating. Jack Skille was a terror on the 3rd line, but a promotion to the second has had him quiet in the past few games. Nokelainen and Torres have performed admirably on the 4th line, tied for second in takeaways by forwards and contributing on the perfect PK. However, noted manic depressive Torres is reportedly in the dumps over his 0 points to date and has responded by racking up the giveaways of late. Alexei Ponikarovsky has put up a respectable 4 goals so far while leading the team in hits. All in all the offseason was good to the Sharks.

From the returning crew, youngsters Derek Joslin and Logan Couture have picked up right where they left off. Couture has scored a surprising 3 powerplay goals on the point for the second unit and racked up 3 wins in 3 fights while manning the top PK shift and winning over 57% of his draws. Couture has been likened to the Little Ball of Hate himself, Pat Verbeek. Dany Heatley has been doing his usual thing, scoring 8 of the team's 41 goals while driving safely.

On the minus side of things, both of the Joes have struggled. Jumbo is on a cold streak, putting up less than a point per game. Meanwhile, mini Joe has equalled Jumbo's point totals while supplying a team-worst -7. Partly to blame is the defensive duo of Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Despite all kinds of chemistry, they have equalled Pavelski's defensive futility with matching -7 ratings. Vlasic has been especially pitiful, with just 2 points and a single takeaway to compare with 8 giveaways. A few more games like that and he'll be finding himself in quite the pickle, pun fully intended.

Finally, on the goaltending side, Nabokov has continued to lead his team with consistent displays of mostly mediocre goaltending at a slight discount from last season. This reported is unimpressed and needs a drink.
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Shark Bites at the Half

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With 40 games played to date, the Sharks are just one game shy of the halfway point of the regular season and have vaulted themselves into the top spot in the Western Conference with a 9 game winning streak, trailing only the stingy Tampa Bay Lightning in the race for the President's Trophy. The key to the Sharks' success? Scoring shitloads of goals, of course. The Sharks are on pace to score nearly 300 goals (295 to be exact), a mark that would shatter the previous team record of 265 set in 2005 and come near the Sabres' post-lockout record of 308 set in 2007.

The vicious, carnivorous fish are doing this all by rolling 3 lines of scoring talent. As a result, 7 forwards have tallied 10 goals or more, with Logan Couture putting up 27 points as a 3rd line center and 2nd PP unit point man. Prospect John McFarland, called up to provide more offense on the 2nd & 3rd lines, has scored 4 times in 12 games, putting him on pace for well over 20 in a full season. New additions Ponikarovsky and Skille have struggled to put up points, relatively speaking, but the man they call Poni is still on pace for a respectable 19 goal season playing just 13 minutes per game.

The bigger story (no pun intended) is in the net. After struggling at times last season and ultimately missing the playoffs, starting goalie Evgeni Nabokov began a summer of intense, emotional eating, gaining 30 pounds of solid, slapshot-absorbing fat. The extra volume has allowed him to literally cover more of the net, whether lying recumbent in a Greco-Roman pose to take away the bottom half or posing like Rodin's Thinker to take away the top half. Whatever it is, his training regimen has paid dividends, leaving him tops in the league in wins and top 5 in GAA and save %.

Another aspect of the Sharks' game that has improved is truculence, also known as pugnacity, belligerence, testosterone and meat-headiness. 6 of the Sharks' more offensive-minded forwards have posted negative takeaway differentials, it's true, but the other 6 regulars have more than made up for the slack. Only Nik Lidstrom is a minus in this stat for defensemen, and we'll forgive him this flaw in exchange for his 29 points. Logan Couture has also steadily terrorized the opposition with his fists of fury, winning 7 of his 10 fights so far and registering a Gordie Howe Hat trick to boot.

Reporting from Silicon Valley, this is Buster Hymen's long-lost 3rd cousin twice removed, Ivana Humpalot.
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Sharks in Frenzy at the Deadline

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Who's in: Erik Cole, Pavel Kubina, Niklas Kronwall, Ivan Telegin
Who's out: Dan Boyle, Dan Fritsche, Alex Grant

That's the bottom line for an exceptionally busy deadline for a team just one point shy of the league lead. With speedy sniper Devin Setoguchi having already been dispatched to the Canadiens for francophone boy wonder Guillaume Latendresse, coach Doug Wilson was open about the team's philosophy:

"It's all about being a tough team to play against in the playoffs. We need players not just with skill but with strength, smarts, grit, determination and so many big, juicy intangibles you can almost taste them. Mmmm. Yeah. So... in... tangible." Wilson had no further comments as he remained jaw agape and salivating for the remainder of the interview.

From the perspective of skills, the Sharks have certainly lost offense from Boyle and Setoguchi, but even current season stats smile on the Sharks' new acquisitions. Newcomers Kubina and Kronwall have put up 22 points each this season, just 5 shy of Boyle's modest (by his standards) total of 27. And while Erik Cole is 3 goals short of Setoguchi's current total of 22, he brings the same blazing speed but with an added nose for the net, not to mention the 3 rows of razor-sharp oblique, serrated teeth that all Sharks are famous for. And with the trade deadline gone, Cole is secure in the knowledge that he need not face the terrible specter of potentially being traded to Edmonton until July.

We polled some of the new Sharks about what the team needed to do to earn an important win against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. Their answers may surprise you:

"We just need to go to the net, get shots on goal and skate hard," offered Erik Cole.
"We have to keep it simple, skate hard and get in the shooting lane," said Niklas Kronwall.
Pavel Kubina disagreed. "I think it's important to get shots on their net and keep them away from our net. Plus skate hard."
Ivan Telegin had surprising insights for a rookie struggling with his grasp on English. "We... skate hard. Shoot puck. Go to net."

Upon being informed they would be healthy scratches tonight both due to their inconsistent play and to make room for the newcomers, forwards Alexei Ponikarovsky and Guillaume Latendresse made sad, mopy faces and went to sulk in the corner. Latendresse donned a beret and made an unconvincing mime of purchasing and eating a fresh baguette, while Ponikarovsky wept silently into his borscht.
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Dissecting Sharks - A Post-Mortem Analysis

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117 points in the regular season - an all-time high for the Sharks, tying their record set in the 2008-2009 season despite a more competitive division and league. 286 goals for and just 204 goals against, averaging a full goal per game better than their opponents. This same team is now packing their bags and getting ready to go golfing - no, not in the second round as usual, but even more pathetically in a 1st round upset by a division rival who presented little challenge during the regular season.

But enough griping and moaning. What went wrong? The obvious answer is that the Sharks (32-4-5 in the regular season, equivalent to 32-9 in the playoffs less shootout wins) won just 2 of their home games and 1/3 on the road. For those keeping track, that's less than a .500 playoff record. How did this happen? Let's start with a quick glance at the powerplay stats during the series game-by-game:

1/7 13 shots 0/5 6 shots
0/5 4 shots 0/5 6 shots
0/3 6 shots 1/3 8 shots
0/6 6 shots 0/1 1 shot
1/8 13 shots 1/2 4 shots
0/5 7 shots 1/4 4 shots
0/5 7 shots 1/4 8 shots

Which column is which? I'll spare you the suspense - the leftmost two columns are from the league-almost-leading Sharks offense. A miserable 2 goals on 56 shots on the powerplay for a 3.6% shooting percentage - in other words, Dallas goalies were pitching a much better save percentage on the PK than even strength, to the tune of 96.4%. The conversion rate was a similarly pathetic 2/39; just over 5%. Meanwhile, despite getting fewer opportunities the Stars scored twice as many powerplay goals, converting on 4/24 tries for a passable 16.7% efficiency and mediocre (but not awful) 10.8% shooting.

Now the obvious question is who do we blame? The answer is complex and multifaceted, although one might suspect it's all just Nabokov's fault. His .864 playoff save % is only truly topped by Tuukka Rask's amazingly awful .81 (in 3 games) and is uncomfortably sandwiched between former Shark Kiprusoff (.861, but a full goal against more at 3.8) and fellow Russian Ilya Bryzgalov (who with a .868 was somehow able to stumble his Coyotes into a game 7 win). Despite this, NHL media rated Nabokov's performance a 7.24/10, second only to Martin Brodeur, who mysteriously earned just 7.28 with his 1.50 GAA and .913 save %.

Is it really all Nabokov's fault? Not entirely, in fact. One remarkable stat is that not a single Sharks center managed over 48% on faceoffs. Defensive specialist Logan Couture lead the pack at 47.2%, over 10% worse than his regular season average. Couture managed 9 takeaways and 5 giveaways, a reasonable defensive effort, but the two Joes combined for an embarassing 20 giveaways and just 6 takeaways.

In the other end of the rink, Couture's 60 regular season points translated into a big fat zero in the playoffs, while Pavelski managed just 1 goal and 2 assists. Jumbo Joe was able to silence some of his critics, leading the team with 8 points. Some of these critics would still point out that none of those 8 points came during 3 of the critical games (Games 1, 4, and 7), all of which were losses.

Is the defense corps to blame? Surprisingly, it seems not. Michal Rozsival put up a surprising 7 points, good for second on the team, while his partner Lidstrom managed 5 and an even rating. Second pair stalwarts Kronwall and Kubina combined for 5 points and an even rating - not particularly spectacular, but their 33 takeaways with just 5 giveaways indicate that defensive coverage wasn't a problem. 3rd pairing defenders Vlasic & Girardi managed plus ratings in just 10-13 minutes per game, making up for occasional giveaways with timely shot blocks.

So who's at fault here? It's hard to blame a disappointing result in an admittedly tight series, but if we here at the San Jose Mercury News can editorialize a little more strongly, it may be time to look at supposed veteran playoff warriors Joe Pavelski and Dany Heatley getting outscored and outworked by third line grinders Guillaume Latendresse and Jack Skille, both 23 years young. It's clear some Sharks *cough*Nabokov*cough* have more soul searching to do over the offseason than others, and with time running out on veterans like Lidstrom and Nabokov, these players may not have earned a chance at redemption. An ominous tumbleweed rolls in the background as the scene fades to a black background with a teal-coloured question mark.
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Shark Bites at the End :(

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It's been an eventful postseason and post-postseason in Sharks land. While the main club faltered and ultimately bowed out in game 7 against the hated rival Dallas Stars, the baby Worcester Sauce/Sharks were vastly more successful, powering their way to their first ever Calder Cup win. Leading the charge were several promising prospects. '10 draftees Charlie Coyle and Tomas Filippi placed second and third with 19 and 18 points each at forward, while older defensemen Derek Joslin and Alec Martinez contributed an impressive 17 and 16 respectively in just 20 games. These four figure to either be in the mix at training camp or - if the GM's patience does not last - to be traded for help on the big club. Fellow forward Ivan Telegin contributed a more modest 6 goals and 12 points in 18 games, but his team leading 30 takeaways and +19 TA-GA mean he'll be a virtual lock for a roster spot in San Jose come October.

Also of note, the four man veteran unit of Evan McGrath, Jonas Junland, Rob Niedermayer and Lasse Kukkonen each placed a remarkable +16 rating or better. Niedermayer is headed to free agency and at 36 unlikely to be re-signed, while Lasse "Lassie" Kukkonen will come home (ha ha) for one more year with his impressive performance.

In more relevant news on the big club, NHL pundits were shocked to find promising rookie forward Logan Couture dealt to the Winnipeg Whatmacallits or Wombats or whatever. Some claimed it showed a remarkable lack of patience from the rookie GM, while others noted a steep drop off in Couture's numbers (if not his effort) in the playoffs. Most fans were relieved to find that the Sharks had acquired an equally promising rookie forward in return. Evander Kane, selected 4th overall in 2009, will have big shoes to fill but could well provide more offensive flair from the 3rd line center position. Also headed to Sharks land is hulking defenseman Derek Forbort, himself a 15th overall selection in what is now acknowledged to be a deep 2010 draft. Forbort earned comparisons to former shark Rob Blake and current mainstay Michal Rozsival for his hard shot, solid defense and thundering hits. He also resembles Stanley Cup game-winning goal scoring forward Michael Rupp, most notably in his height and handedness.

Next up for the Sharks is the 2011 NHL entry draft. With a talented core of winger prospects - McFarland, Telegin, Coyle and Filippi - along with a bumper crop of offensive defensemen, the Sharks are not considered to be lacking in any position except perhaps goal. Having swapped former goalie-of-the-future Thomas Greiss for Al Montoya (an enigma wrapped inside a mystery covered in riddles and a light dusting of "what the fuck man?"), there is no clear successor to the Evgeni Nabokov. Tyson Sexsmith's backstopping of the Worcester Sharks to a Calder Cup raised some eyebrows - as any goalie posting a 16-4 record would - but many credited his success to a deep and talented defense corps. Sexsmith will be given at least one more year to prove this wasn't the case, as Joslin and Martinez are unlikely to return to the fold. If Sharks brass aren't confident in his abilities on June 25th, they may opt to select one of the promising young Gibsons. Another intriguing case is that of Swedish second league star Magnus Hellberg, who has several main advantages. Firstly, he's fuckin' huge and at 6'5 could easily cover half of the net lying down. Secondly, he's already 20 and could step right in to a backup spot in the AHL, pushing young Sexsmith to the limit. Finally, his name literally means Big Hell Mountain, so he probably breathes fire and shoots lightning bolts out of his blocker.

With the recently acquired ATL 2nd at #33, the Sharks may choose to fill one of the lessing pressing voids in the organization. One such hole is a stay-at-home, shutdown defenceman. While none of the current defense corps are slouches in either end of the rink, Niklas Kronwall is perhaps the only one to put the fear of god into opposing forwards the way Douglas Murray used to. 6'8 Taylor Doherty remains the only prospect in this category, and he could see himself joined by a similar behemoth in Jamieson Oleksiak - a 6'7 monster who scouts say is just as nasty as Doherty while also an accomplished skater with playmaking skills. The departure of Logan Couture could also see a checking line forward enter the mix. Miikka Salomaki might fit the bill. He's a consistent and tenacious midget from a land known for producing accomplished checking line forwards. If he's not available, Alexander Ruuttu could be a lesser clone, albeit less talented. While no relation to famous skate-biting pest Jarkko Ruutu or his more talented brother Tuomo, he is the son of obscure Sabres forward Christian Ruuttu, who you probably don't remember as the guy who made this incredible pass.

Summary: Picks at #25 and #33
Targets: G John Gibson, G Magnus Hellberg, D Jamieson Oleksiak, F Miikka Salomaki, F Alexander Ruuttu
Last edited by SharksGM on Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by Femur »

nice! very funny, yet so much information...
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Exclusive insider notes on the Sharks' 2011 draft

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1st, 25th OV: Oscar "The Klefbomb" Klefbom - A 6'3, 200 pound Swedish defensive machine. Hits like a truck and (stick)handles like one too. Shoots like a howitzer. Eats like a horse and drinks like a ... cat? What the hell?
Natural born leader. Intangibles to fill an Olympic-sized pool. Needs to work on being better than Nik Lidstrom and Kronwall combined. Not nearly ready for the NHL but LD is already a stacked position, so he'll start in the A. Some scouts favoured Gibson heavily here but management reportedly wanted Hellberg or bust (taken 18th overall by the hated Dallas Stars). Some fans irritated at selection of another defenseman at what is now a deep position; some fans should shut up and appreciate the wisdom of front office.

2nd, 33rd OV: Acquired in the Kane/Couture Forbort/Girardi swap and almost immediately dealt away to Chicago before the draft as part of a package for Cam Barker. Barker, a former 5th overall pick, should figure in the Sharks' top 4 if he's not also immediately dealt. Once considered a top flight offensive defenseman, Barker has reinvented his game with a keen physical edge. Skating has improved immensely but still gets caught out of position too much and the offense hasn't developed much past a solid shot. Could see time with Nik Kronwall, who'll move to the right side, or one of Rozsival/Kubina.

3rd, 74th OV (from VAN): Rickard Rakell. Pick acquired prior to draft in swap of brute Guillaume Latendresse for speedy sniper Mason Raymond, who once hit a guy in first grade and made him cry and felt bad and never did it again. Rakell's another Swede, this time a solid RW/C. Not too big at 6' 191 but could fill out his frame (ed. note: hackneyed phrase needs to stop; consider inserting photography/painting pun re:frame mention). Has some grit and skill. Jack of all trades - good at everything, but doesn't excel in any area. Will block shots and throw hits but sometimes lazy on the backcheck. Another year or two and he'll be a bottom 6 winger in the NHL or AHL superstar. Decent on draws but likely not enough to play full time, though could pinch in as a 4th line C in an emergency.

4th, 115th OV (from TB via CBS) - Hard-working midget C/RW Colten St. Clair. Acquired for P.J. "The Axe" Axelsson, another violently-nicknamed Swede. A risk as an American high schooler, St. Clair already shows determination and intangibles and such in his own end. Scouts are hoping the flashes of skill will ripen into a blossom of epic proportions (ed. note: possible mixed metaphors?). Excellent speed mitigates size concerns. Will have to work hard to make the NHL at his height but some claim he could be like Sven Baertschi with an extra 6 months of development.

4th, 118th OV - Asian sensation D Zachary Yuen will please Bay area fans after the loss of Devin Setoguchi. Mature, solid all-around game. The only question is if he can keep improving in junior and become the leader of his club. At 6'0, not an imposing physical presence like Klefbom but still gives an honest effort. Could make the jump straight to the AHL to hone skills if junior career doesn't pan out.

5th, 124th OV - Czech goalie Jaroslav Pavelka. Looks like Hasek some nights, Cechmanek others and Jean Racicot too often. Playing style reminiscent of backup Al Montoya. Not likely to become a starter but could be an option next year if Worcester's Sexsmith/Stalock tandem fail to make the jump to the NHL.

5th, 145th OV - RW Phillipe Hudon - A French-Canadian winger who opted to ply his trade in a US prep school, Hudon does the little things coaches like and Pierre McGuire loves way too much. Set to play in Cornell next year, Hudon did not light up the high school circuit and so is best projected as a ferocious fore- and backchecker with a bit of an edge. Must have some potential for untapped offense given the talent still on board at this stage.

6th & 7th, 175 & 205 OV - Michael Paliotta & Aleksi Rossi - One is a solid defensive defenseman with few frills in his game and no offense to speak of but good instincts in his own zone. The other is exactly the same. Both are unlikely to develop into powerplay quarterbacks but could be part-time bottom-pairing defensemen or, at worst, regular AHLers.
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Sharks 2011 Prospect Rankings

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Time to see how deep the shark tank goes again - it's a 2011 prospect ranking! Maximum 50 NHL games played to qualify.

Graduated from last year: Logan Couture (awesome but traded for Forbort & Kane), Jack Skille (roster player), Derek Joslin (3rd pairing defenseman off to Chicago for Cam Barker). Also traded are Alex Grant (for Niklas Kronwall) and Charlie Coyle (also part of the Barker deal), Nick Petrecki (swapped for Alec Martinez) and Thomas Greiss (for Al Montoya).

The new list:

1. D Derek Forbort - 8B
Projection: All around stud defenseman
Comparable: Rob Blake, not as nasty but a little more polished.

2. RW/C John McFarland - 8C
Projection: Streaky top 6 two-way sniper
Comparable: Justin Williams with jam

3. W Ivan Telegin - 7.5C
Projection: Top 9 grinder with playmaking skills
Comparable: Guillaume Latendresse with talent

4. D Oscar Klefbom - 7B
Projection: Bottom 4 defenseman; future captain
Comparable: Pavel Kubina with more discipline

5. LW/C Tomas Fillipi - 7C
Projection: Bottom 9 all-arounder
Comparable: Alexei Ponikarovsky but grittier

6. R/C Rikard Rakell - 6.5B
Projection: Bottom 6 all-arounder
Comparable: Marcus Nilson

7. D Nikita Zaytsev - 6A
Projection: Safe bottom pairing defenseman
Comparable: A poor man's M-E Vlasic

8. D Zachary Yuen - 7.5D
Projection: Bottom 4 two-way defenseman or career AHLer
Comparable: Ryan Murphy minus the skating skills or a more physical but less skilled Dan Boyle

9. R/C Colten St. Clair - 7D
Projection: Boom or bust sniper
Comparable: Bryan Little but even softer

10. G Jaroslav Pavelka - 7.5C
Projection: 1B starter
Comparable: Al Montoya

Honourable mentions: Kevin Hayes, Matt Mackenzie, Philippe Hudon
Dishonourable mentions: Aleksi Rossi, Phil Varone
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Re: Sharks 2011 Prospect Rankings

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SharksGM wrote:Comparable: Justin Williams with jam
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Game 1 down, 81 to go

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The Sharks season opener was going exactly as planned. With 12 minutes to go in the 3rd, San Jose's hometown squad were carefully nursing a 4-3 lead like a nurse shark nursing a baby nurse shark. Then... all hell broke loose. Noted agitator Mason Raymond told Ryan Stone "I was named after the way I hammered your mom" and that he'd "make like my name and smash your ass into pieces". The godawful puns were too much for the deeply religious Stone to bear and he immediately dropped his gloves. After nervously picking them back up and apologizing for his clumsiness, Stone tripped over his stick and accidentally head-butted Raymond in the jaw, knocking out the foul-mouthed Shark instantly. Mayhem ensued as Ryane Clowe grabbed the nearest Coyote (Lauri Korpikoski) and rearranged his bones into a dreamcatcher. Rookie Joe Basaraba took hold of a surprised and innocent-looking Alexei Ponikarovsky before pounding his face into a bloody mess. Michal Rozsival and Sergei Gonchar flailed their wrists at each other like sissy Euros while Nicklas Lidstrom and Ed Jovanovski kind of just stood there and talked about their kids.

The wreckage of discarded equipment took the better part of two commercial breaks to clean up. The atmosphere remained tense as Alexander Radulov stepped onto the ice fresh off of scoring the last game-leading goal. At the other end of the rink, noted shit-disturber Kyle Quincey was hatching an unspeakably vile plot. As Radulov scooped up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated past centre ice, Quincey charged ahead with purposeful strides and a really nasty look on his face. What happened next was shown live in hundreds if not thousands of households but so far has proven to be too extreme to be re-broadcast. The nefarious villain Quincey jammed his stick through one of Radulov's skates, sending him careening off balance. Next, Quincey jumped on top of Radulov's free leg, pinning it to the ice. Quincey grabbed his stick with both hands once more and thrust his arms into the air, letting loose a blood-curdling barbarian scream of terror. Radulov's leg was wrenched out of its socket and shattered in 5 places, unleashing an appalling fountain of viscera and synovial fluid. Startled onlookers could do nothing but watch in amazement. Cooler heads soon prevailed as the referees escorted Quincey to the penalty box, assessing a 5 minute major for intent to injure. For whatever reason, Quincey's actions did not earn him a game misconduct and he returned to the ice 5 minutes later after the Sharks embarrassingly squandered a golden opportunity to extend their lead. Just minutes later, Boyd Gordon sent the Shark Tank into a frenzy by tying up the game on a ridiculous pass from Shane Doan. The night seemed headed for either more insanity or at least an unsatisfying conclusion when Erik Cole decided to take matters into his own hands, accepting a breakaway pass from Joe Pavelski and deking the pants off of Ilya Brygalov. His goal - just shy of the 59 minute mark - sealed an unsatisfying home opener victory for the Sharks against their hated landlocked rivals.

Speaking after the game, Sharks coach Doug Wilson began to calmly asses the situation before being informed that the league had apparently already decided not to suspend Quincey for the most appalling hit in hockey history. Wilson remained aghast for a few seconds before launching into a profanity laced tirade against league management, violence in sports and 'those ********** fat cats in Washington ******** * ****** ** ***** *******'.

So far, all of the Kings' horses and all of the Kings' men have been unable to put Radulov back together again. Sharks mangagement continue to question why the Kings' medical staff were called in in the first place, describing it as a clear conflict of interest.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

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+5 internets.
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Re: Game 1 down, 81 to go

Post by Commish Bub(NYR) »

SharksGM wrote:...an appalling fountain of viscera and synovial fluid...
Any way this could be NON-appalling? :lol:
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A Fifth of the Way

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It's 16 games into the season and the San Jose Sharks are predictably in a fierce battle for the Pacific Division lead against hated rivals Phoenix and LA. Despite a hot 12-3-1 start to the season - including a 6 game winning streak - several big changes have rocked the Sharks lineup. Shortly after Alexander Radulov's horrifying season-ending injury in the first game of the season, top prospect John McFarland was sent packing to St. Louis for former 40 goal-scorer Brad Boyes and a 2nd round draft pick. The move was criticized as panicky and short-sighted, particularly as McFarland has gone on to score 9 points with the Blues (albeit with an alarming -9 rating) while Boyes has managed just 7 points and 2 assists in 15 games with the Sharks. The extra draft pick did not even last a month with the Sharks, as it was packaged with another spare 2nd and sent to Tampa Bay for top prospect Jaden Schwartz, whose game has been likened to Joe Pavelski. The move now has two of Atlanta's former 1st round picks of the 2010 draft on the Sharks, and we could soon see Schwartz' slick passes feeding Derek Forbort's cannonading slapshot on the point on the powerplay.

Having acquired a future Joe Pavelski, the next step was clearly to trade the struggling center/winger for some added punch on the forward ranks. That punch is no less than not-quite-so-hated California rival Anaheim Ducks' center Ryan Getzlaf. A Stanley Cup winner and point-per-game player, Getzlaf's smooth dangles and gritty checking meld together like smooth, creamy peanut butter and chunky, crunchy peanut butter into one delightfully contrasting dessert. The price for acquiring Getzlaf was the addition of hot-blooded youngster Evander Kane, another former Atlanta draft pick whose hard-nosed two-way play is matched only by his propensity for pointless penalties. Sharks management is betting that this depth down the middle - two players who have combined for 19 points so far this season - will be supplanted by Getzlaf's 15 points and incredible 35 takeaways. Jack Skille will take over the 3rd line center role and hopes to continue his remarkable 50 assist pace.

Who's Hot:

Dany Heatley: 10G, 5A, +7 in 16 GP
Nicklas Lidstrom: 11 points, +10 T-G in 16 GP
Jack Skille: 1G, 10A, +10 T-G in 16 GP
Mason Raymond: 4G, 4A, +8 in 16 GP and under 10 mins/game
Al Montoya: 2-0-0-1, 1.29 GAA and .915 sv % in 3 GP

Who's Not:

Alexei Ponikarovsky: 3 points, 19 PIM in 15 GP
Ryane Clowe: 1G, 5A, -3, 32 PIM in 16 GP
Joe Pavelski: 2G, 5A, -3, -9 T-G in 16 GP

Surprising Stat:

San Jose's 37 goals against in 16 games are tied with LA's 37 (albeit in 19 games) for the best defensive mark in the Western Conference.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by SharksGM »

Weekly team report

Who's hot

Brad Boyes is looking steady with 3 points in 3 games last week.

Who's cold

Pavel Kubina has played 22 games without a goal. Alexei Ponikarovsky is sliding on a 15 game streak without registering a single point. Jack Skille has lost his sights and is now 12 games without a goal. Ivan Telegin has lost his sights and is now 8 games without a goal. David Moss has lost his sights and is now 7 games without a goal. Ryan Getzlaf has lost his sights and is now 5 games without a goal. Al Montoya hasn't got a chance to start in the last five games. Mason Raymond has lost his sights and is now 9 games without a goal. Nikita Zaytsev has been a healthy scratch in his last five games.

Trainer's room

Alexander Radulov remains sidelined with leg injury.

...

No further comment required.
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Half of a Shark

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With the Sharks having finally reached the halfway point of their season, ti's time to review what transpired during the head and what one might expect for the tail besides a solid chunk of shark poop.

The Sharks currently sit solidly in a playoff spot but disappointingly tied for 6th place in the West. On pace for a 106 point season, the Sharks stand to finish 11 points and 5 spots back of their performance last season. Of greater concern is a 119-105 goals for-against tally, which puts them on pace to allow more goals (210) than last season (204) and score nearly 50 fewer (238 vs 286). After a torrid start, the Sharks have struggled in virtually every aspect of their game lately, going 5-5 in their last 10 and seeing their excellent special teams fall to, well, right where you'd expect - 6th place in the West. The good news is that the Sharks' point percentage is just 1% back of a three-way tie for second (with Columbus far in the lead), so a good stretch of wins could well see them right back in the division lead.

Much of the drop-off in offense is of course due to the loss of last year's 35 goal scorer Alexander Radulov. The remainder can be credited to Ryane Clowe's sharp decline - on pace for just 8 goals after a 30 goal campaign last season. One might also look to the ill-motivated trade for Ryan Getzlaf, who has scored just 6 goals in 24 games since being acquired from Anaheim. While the Ducks themselves have struggled, Evander Kane has put up equal offensive numbers to Getzlaf, while Joe Pavelski racked up 10 assists before suffering a serious injury. Similarly, while Brad Boyes has tallied a respectable 13 goals and 12 assists since being acquired from St. Louis, more was expected of the 1st-line winger. In the same time frame, sophomore John McFarland has put up 11 goals and 30 points centering the Blues' second line while earning just 1/10th of Boyes' salary.

Of perhaps greatest concern is that goaltender Evgeni Nabokov's save percentage is down a whopping 1.7% from last season's apparently Vezina-worthy .902. This places Nabokov 17th among goalies who have played 10 or more games. Backup Al Montoya has performed no better despite facing weaker competition.

The Sharks resume their season today visiting the Chicago Blackhawks. Jack Skille - a solid 6th in forward scoring on the team as a 3rd line center - will face off against former Sharks Manny Malhotra and Charlie Coyle, while Cam Barker is expected to miss at least two more weeks with a groin injury and Derek Joslin will be a game time decision. The Sharks have 5 other games on tap before the All Star break at the end of January. The remaining two weeks of the month will be crucial in determining just where the Sharks are headed in February as the trade deadline looms ever closer. Will the Sharks acquire the elite offensive threat they've been missing this season? Or will they limp into the playoffs and lead their fans to disappointment once again? Only time will tell.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by Calgary.Flames »

Good read.
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Mark of Storm Moen 'em Down, Kommissar

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If there's one thing the Sharks crave more than anything, it's fresh seal me...err, playoff success. If you could be even more specific, they desire a chance to redeem themselves after last season's bitter disappointment - going down 3 games to 2 and eventually losing in 7 games to the 8th seeded Dallas Stars. But to do that they'll first need to earn top seed in the Western conference, a feat made difficult by the resurgence of the Columbus Blue Jackets (up by a win with 1 more GP) and stiff intra-divisional competition from defending champ Phoenix Coyotes (3 points back with an extra GP) and perennial contender Los Angeles Kings (tied with 2 extra GP). Meanwhile, an Anaheim team wracked by injuries is set to miss the playoffs while 8th seed spoiler Dallas is headed straight for a lottery pick, much to the Sharks' chagrin.

The neck-and-neck race for the Pacific Division lead has forced all three contending teams to make significant changes to their lineup and the Sharks are no exception. Management has not been shy about moving players since the embarrassing defeat last postseason, shedding key players over the offseason (Couture, Girardi) and even during the season (Pavelski, Kane), all with the goal of edging closer towards the Stanley Cup. It's not surprising, then, that the Sharks were actively seeking out new blood weeks before the February 27th deadline.

The first new fin in the tank is, like the last, an old one - Marco Sturm. Ole Mark Storm brings a boatload of German experience with him, having been drafted by the Sharks nearly 16 years ago and 9 years later becoming part of the package to acquire Joe Thornton. While Sturm is familiar with the organization, he'll meet no familiar faces from that time, as veteran Ryane Clowe started his NHL career after the Sturm-Thornton swap. Sturm doesn't have the same speed he did a decade ago, but he should provide a more dependable veteran presence and a more complete game than the forward he was traded for (Mason Raymond) and serve as depth in case of injuries. So far, Sturm has produced 6 points and a +6 in 10 games with San Jose, along with an eyebrow-raising 18 PIM. Do sharks even have eyebrows? Or eyelids?

The next new inhabitant of the tank is Mike Komisarek, who is something of a tank himself. The hulking, bruising defenseman was acquired in a similar deal as Sturm - nearly straight up for a similar but younger player acquired by the Sharks during the offseason (Cam Barker). While Komisarek lacks the offensive upside of Barker, his extra nastiness and defensive focus should come in handy come playoff time when checking is tighter and penalties few and far between. Komi has put up an assist and an impressive +7 in 10 games since the trade while taking just two penalties.

The finally piece of the puzzle is undoubtedly Travis 'Travis' Moen. TSN's Bob McKenzie fell out of his chair upon learning he had been traded to the Sharks... again. Moen was last spotted in shark territory in 2009, where he contributed roughly diddly squat in the Sharks' Stanley Cup run, which distinguished itself from the 2011 version only by being a game shorter. Evidently San Jose fans are going to have to hope his game has matured since then. If so, he may prove to be the one thing the Sharks have lacked since their franchise began - a name that double as a good source of gardening puns.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by Commish Bub(NYR) »

Note to self: Create more gardening puns.
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Sharks Parade down San Jose's Main Street, Whichever One Tha

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The San Jose Sharks have won the 2012 EHEC Stanley Cup.

Those are 11 amazing words to read considering the Sharks' 0 series wins in the two inaugural EHEC seasons. But this year the veteran-laden squad finally managed to put it all together in May & June, erasing their previous failures with a 4-2 series win against a hungry young Winnipeg squad. Sharks fans everywhere counted down the seconds in game 6 as the Jets desperately attempted to tie the game with an empty net and erupted into celebration with seconds to go. While some briefly regretted that the Sharks couldn't seal the series on home ice - one of the few regrets Sharks have regarding seals - all were overjoyed to see former captain Joe Thornton hoist not just the Stanley Cup but his very own Conn Smythe trophy.

Thornton, who came into this season with 61 points but just 13 goals in 83 career playoff games, finally put it all together and finished with 9 goals and 23 points in the Sharks' 21 playoff games. He was helped along by a squad with an average age just shy of 30 and only 3 players under 25. Amongst them, Nabokov (36, soon to be 37), Rozsival (33), Sturm (33) and Ponikarovsky (32) are some of the older veterans to pick up their first Cup win. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom adds to his impressive trophy case with his 5th Stanley Cup, having already earned four in his 20+ year tenure with the Red Wings (one with teammate Nik Kronwall). Travis Moen and Ryan Getzlaf earned Cups #2, having both been a part of divisional rival Anaheim's run in 2007, while Kubina added to his pre-lockout 2003 Cup ring.

The Sharks' run to the cup featured an impressive 16-5 record on the backs of solid team defence and reliable goaltending from Nabokov, who allowed just 53 goals over the span - 12 of those coming in two 6-goal blowouts. After dusting off an underperforming St. Louis team in 5 games, the Sharks were challenged by a tough and experienced Phoenix squad ready to defend their own first Cup title. Despite giving up games 1 and 3 of the series, the Sharks charged back to win three straight games and racked up win #4 in 6 games. The momentum continued against Columbus, where the Sharks won game 1 in a 6-1 blowout and followed with 3 razor-thin one-goal victories to close out a surprising sweep against the Jackets. The Sharks waited impatiently for the Pittsburgh - Winnipeg series to produce a winner and a competitor in their first ever Stanley Cup Finals.

The toughest challenge came from the Eastern Conference Champion Winnipeg Jets, an even more defensively-capable squad and one of the youngest in the league at average age of 25 - more than 4 years less than the Sharks. The energetic Jets put up a solid fight, stunning the Sharks with their own 6-1 blowout in game 1 and tying the game with an empty net in game 4 and setting up a Patrice Bergeron overtime winner. Nonetheless, the Jets' formidable defenses were not matched by their mostly inexperienced offense, as they dropped games 5 and 6 by a single goal each to end two wins short of their first ever Stanley Cup.

While the party will continue throughout the weekend in wherever the hell San Jose's parade route happens to be, the Sharks' organization is gearing up for what might be their most intriguing offseason to date. With captain, top defenseman and future (Detroit Red Wing) hall of famer Lidstrom set to retire, the Sharks' defensive depth will be tested as youngsters like Oscar Klefbom, Alec Martinez and Nikita Zaytsev earn more ice time. Similarly, there are rumblings that the Sharks are wary of re-signing Evgeni Nabokov to a multi-year deal, especially given his justifiable demands for a raise. But in the meantime, the floats will continue to roll down, uh, 1st Street, I guess.

============================

Pleasant Surprises of The 2012 Playoffs:

Patrice Bergeron, C, WPG - 10G, 17A, 27P, +6 in 24 GP (leading scorer)
Erik Cole, RW, SJ - 12G, 6A, 18P, +8 in 21 GP (leading goalscorer)
Rick Nash, LW, CBS - 9G, 5A, 14P, +21 T-G, 8 SB, +6 in 15 GP (Selke-alike in playoffs)
Zach Bogosian, D, WPG - 2G, 10A, 12P, +33 T-G, 27 SB, +7 in 24 GP (top defensive defenseman)
Scott Niedermayer, D, CBS - 4G, 9A, 13P, +14 T-G, 15 SB, +1 in 15 GP (top offensive defenseman)
Jack Campbell, G, WPG - 12-7, .911 sv %, 2.04 GAA (top goalie, probably top rookie too)

Better Luck Next Year:

Alex Burrows, W, CBS - 1G, 1A, -5, -15 T-G, in 13 games
Blake Wheeler, W, BOS - 1G, 0A, -3, -13 T-G in 11 games
Brian Rafalski, D, BOS - 2G, 0A, -5, -5 T-G in 11 games
Steve Mason, G, CBS - 8-7, .872 sv %, 3.05 GAA
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Mocking Your 2012 EHEC Draft (ha ha)

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Fresh from the press to compete with rival Dallas (?) newspaper's mock draft, here's the Mercury's top reporter Trisha Takinawa with a look at projections for the 2012 EHEC Entry Draft. We'll provide both the predicted pick and our views on how the draft should go.

#1 Minnesota Wild
Should take: W Nail Yakupov, because he's the best damn player in the draft.
Will take: W Nail Yakupov, because he's the best damn player in the draft. Also pairs well with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kirill Kabanov.

#2 Ottawa Senators
Should take: C/LW Mikhail Grigorenko, because he's the second best damn player in the draft.
Will take: RW/C Filip Forsberg, because he's a natural fit with Kadri and Spezza.

#3 Colorado Avalanche
Should take: D Ryan Murray, because that porous D desperately needs help while the offense doesn't.
Will take: D Ryan Murray, because it makes too much sense.

#4 Dallas Stars
Should take: RW/C Filip Forsberg, because he's the BPA in this projection.
Will take: C/LW Mikhail Grigorenko, because he's the BPA in the next projection.

#5 Toronto Maple Leafs
Should take: LW/C Alex Galchenyuk, because he's the BPA in this projection and can fill in as an excellent second liner or alongside Taylor Hall, although Rielly certainly deserves a look.
Will take: C/LW Alex Galchenyuk, because they don't need a goalie and Murray's gone already.

#6 Washington Capitals
Should take: C/LW Brendan Gaunce, because he's a better fit as a #2C and fills a need for a hard-checking forward after Ovechkin's departure.
Will take: D Morgan Rielly, because Gregory Hofmann's not much worse than Gaunce and Rielly should put up 50+ points alongside Markov.

#7 New York Islanders
Should take: D Morgan Rielly - BPA and a fills a need as a capable two-way defender on a defense corps full of one-trick ponies.
Will take: C/LW Brendan Gaunce, who also fills a need on a team lacking two-way forwards.

#8 New Jersey Devils
Should take: G Andrei Vasilevski, because they really need a great starter to make up for that mediocre defense.
Will take: D Olli Maataa as an NHL-ready defender, and gambling that none of the teams between #9 and their next pick at #12 need a goaltender.

#9 Florida Panthers
Should take: D Olli Maataa, as the best defensive defenseman on a team needing help in that area and willing to forego offensive talent.
Will take: LW/RW Teuvo Teravainen, because Pavol Demitra is dead and Michael Frolik is unlikely to keep putting up 90+ point seasons.

#10 Edmonton Oilers
Should take: D Mathew Dumba, whose inconsistency is more than made up by incredible talent comparable to the best defensemen in the draft and fills in a spot vacated by the trade of Stephen Johns.
Will take: D Jacob Trouba, a less spectacular but safer bet to put up points on a defensive squad which is excellent in their own end but less so on the offensive.

#11 Anaheim Ducks
Should take: LW/RW Teuvo Teravainen, who's still available in this projection and is a perfect replacement for Saku Koivu when he inevitably retires next season.
Will take: G Andrei Vasilevski, because they really do need a goalie. Sorry New Jersey, you gambled and lost.

#12-13 New Jersey Devils
Should take: D Hampus Lindholm and Cody Ceci, who with a single boost will provide as much offense as the departed Cam Fowler - and with three first round picks, why not swing for the fences?
Will take: D Mathew Dumba and G Oscar Dansk, having missed the boat on Vasilevski and finding a defenseman capable of pairing with the rock-solid Maataa and putting up 50-60 points.

#14 Buffalo Sabres
Should take: D Jacob Trouba, having more than enough in the forward department and desperately needing offense from the D. Also BPA, conveniently enough.
Will take: D Cody Ceci, whose ceiling surpasses Trouba's.

#15 Philadelphia Flyers
Should take: LW/RW Phillip Di Giuseppe, a stalwart penalty-killing presence on a team full of forwards whose only consistent habits are throwing hits that land them in the penalty box.
Will take: LW/C Radek Faksa, who fits the mold of a Flyer forward perfectly.

#16 San Jose Sharks
Should take: LW/RW Cristoval Nieves - fresh off a Cup win and with no pressing needs to fill, Nieves is the kind of project who could replace Heatley's goalscoring in a few years.
Will take: G Anthony Stolarz, who has a lot of work ahead of him but projects as at least a rotating starter.

#17 Nashville Predators
Should take: C/LW Zemgus Girgensons, the most consistent offensive talent left on the board for a team starving for goals.
Will take: C/LW Zemgus Girgensons, the clear BPA at forward with the best defensive players gone.

#18 Chicago Blackhawks
Should take: G Anthony Stolarz, needing a starting-calibre goaltending prospect of their own.
Will take: LW/RW Nicolas Kerdiles, a solid two-way winger in an organization known for uncovering diamonds in the rough.

#19 Columbus Blue Jackets
Should take: LW/RW Anton Slepyshev, the kind of player who could replace David Backes' scoring and physicality - or maybe even Nash's, if the rumours are true.
Will take: C/LW Adam Gilmour, an out-of-the-blue selection but the kind of power forward who can fit anywhere in a lineup.

#20 Minnesota Wild
Should take: RW/LW Thomas Wilson, a crash and bang winger who can create space for the talents coming through the Minnesota system.
Will take: LW/RW Phillip Di Giuseppe, the best two-way winger left in this projection, perfect for a team with forwards who only like to play in one end.

#21 Carolina Hurricanes
Should take: C/LW Radek Faksa, the top talent left on the board and a solid power forward who'll perform despite his inconsistency.
Will take: D Hampus Lindholm - a team with a pro roster this good can afford to swing for the fences.

#22 Phoenix Coyotes
Should take: G Oscar Dansk, the best value on the board for when Bryzgalov breaks/retires/fucks off to Russia.
Will take: LW/RW Anton Slepyshev, as the Coyotes value big power forwards and aren't afraid of the Russian factor.

#23 Washington Capitals
Should take: LW/RW Nicolas Kerdiles, a power forward project who'll complement the safer pick in Gaunce quite nicely.
Will take: RW/LW Thomas Wilson, a tougher forward and elite penalty killer and surer bet than Kerdiles, albeit one whose compete level is questioned.

#24 Minnesota Wild
Should take: C/RW Jarrod Maidens, a risky project but the kind of player who projects to be a coach's favourite who can slide anywhere in a top 6.
Will take: D Griffin Reinhart, who fills a need for a dependable and physical right-handed defenseman.

#25 Dallas Stars
Should take: RW/LW Samuel Kurker, a long-term prospect who could fill out to bring the kind of game lost in James van Riemsdk and David Booth.
Will take: C/LW Tomas Hertl, who'll fit nicely into the lineup when Ribeiro and Gomez come off the books.

#26 Philadelphia Flyers
Should take: C/LW Stefan Matteau, a physically dominant beast who could lineup alongside Di Giuseppe on a second or third line.
Will take: G Malcolm Subban, a talented netminder who can elevate his game in the playoffs and share playing time with top prospect Calvin Pickard.

#27 Columbus Blue Jackets
Should take: C/LW Adam Gilmour, who slides quite a bit lower than in the other projection. Good news for Jackets fans.
Will take: D Matt Finn, the most talented defenseman left on the board and one who could replace the ageless Scott Niedermayer.

#28 Tampa Bay Lightning
Should take: D Griffin Reinhart, excellent value at the end of the first round on a blueline lacking much depth past the top two.
Will take: Your guess is as good as mine, but LW/RW Cristoval Nieves seems like a Tampa Bay kind of forward despite his inability to play center.

#29 New York Rangers
Should take: C/LW Tomas Hertl, who could fill in his solid two-way play with Sami Pahlsson aging and Patty Marleau off to greener pastures.
Will take: C/RW Jarrod Maidens, more of a risk but exactly the kind of player who can fit into New York's new offense-first philosophy.

#30 San Jose Sharks
Should take: G Malcolm Subban, an upgrade on a goaltending prospect pool higher on quantity than quality.
Will take: RW/LW Samuel Kurker, who reminds fans of a young Ryane Clowe.


Final "Should Take" List

#1 Minnesota Wild - RW/LW Nail Yakupov, because he's the best damn player in the draft.
#2 Ottawa Senators - C/LW Mikhail Grigorenko, because he's the second best damn player in the draft.
#3 Colorado Avalanche - D Ryan Murray, because that porous D desperately needs help while the offense doesn't.
#4 Dallas Stars - RW/C Filip Forsberg, because he's the BPA in this projection.
#5 Toronto Maple Leafs - LW/C Alex Galchenyuk, because he's the BPA in this projection and can fill in as an excellent second liner or alongside Taylor Hall, although Rielly certainly deserves a look.
#6 Washington Capitals - C/LW Brendan Gaunce, because he's a better fit as a #2C and fills a need for a hard-checking forward after Ovechkin's departure.
#7 New York Islanders - D Morgan Rielly - BPA and a fills a need as a capable two-way defender on a defense corps full of one-trick ponies.
#8 New Jersey Devils - G Andrei Vasilevski, because they really need a great starter to make up for that mediocre defense.
#9 Florida Panthers - D Olli Maataa, as the best defensive defenseman on a team needing help in that area and willing to forego offensive talent.
#10 Edmonton Oilers - D Mathew Dumba, whose inconsistency is more than made up by incredible talent comparable to the best defensemen in the draft and fills in a spot vacated by the trade of Stephen Johns.
#11 Anaheim Ducks - LW/RW Teuvo Teravainen, who's still available in this projection and is a perfect replacement for Saku Koivu when he inevitably retires next season.
#12-13 New Jersey Devils - D Hampus Lindholm and Cody Ceci, who with a single boost will provide as much offense as the departed Cam Fowler - and with three first round picks, why not swing for the fences?
#14 Buffalo Sabres - D Jacob Trouba, having more than enough in the forward department and desperately needing offense from the D. Also BPA, conveniently enough.
#15 Philadelphia Flyers - LW/RW Phillip Di Giuseppe, a stalwart penalty-killing presence on a team full of forwards whose only consistent habits are throwing hits that land them in the penalty box.
#16 San Jose Sharks - LW/RW Cristoval Nieves - fresh off a Cup win and with no pressing needs to fill, Nieves is the kind of project who could replace Heatley's goalscoring in a few years.
#17 Nashville Predators - C/LW Zemgus Girgensons, the most consistent offensive talent left on the board for a team starving for goals.
#18 Chicago Blackhawks - G Anthony Stolarz, needing a starting-calibre goaltending prospect of their own.
#19 Columbus Blue Jackets - LW/RW Anton Slepyshev, the kind of player who could replace David Backes' scoring and physicality - or maybe even Nash's, if the rumours are true.
#20 Minnesota Wild - RW/LW Thomas Wilson, a crash and bang winger who can create space for the talents coming through the Minnesota system.
#21 Carolina Hurricanes - C/LW Radek Faksa, the top talent left on the board and a solid power forward who'll perform despite his inconsistency.
#22 Phoenix Coyotes - G Oscar Dansk, the best value on the board for when Bryzgalov breaks/retires/fucks off to Russia.
#23 Washington Capitals - LW/RW Nicolas Kerdiles, a power forward project who'll complement the safer pick in Gaunce quite nicely.
#24 Minnesota Wild - C/RW Jarrod Maidens, a risky project but the kind of player who projects to be a coach's favourite who can slide anywhere in a top 6.
#25 Dallas Stars - RW/LW Samuel Kurker, a long-term prospect who could fill out to bring the kind of game lost in James van Riemsdk and David Booth.
#26 Philadelphia Flyers - C/LW Stefan Matteau, a physically dominant beast who could lineup alongside Di Giuseppe on a second or third line.
#27 Columbus Blue Jackets - C/LW Adam Gilmour, who slides quite a bit lower than in the other projection. Good news for Jackets fans.
#28 Tampa Bay Lightning - D Griffin Reinhart, excellent value at the end of the first round on a blueline lacking much depth past the top two.
#29 New York Rangers - C/LW Tomas Hertl, who could fill in his solid two-way play with Sami Pahlsson aging and Patty Marleau off to greener pastures.
#30 San Jose Sharks - G Malcolm Subban, an upgrade on a goaltending prospect pool higher on quantity than quality.

Final "Will Take" List

#1 Minnesota Wild - RW/LW Nail Yakupov, because he's the best damn player in the draft. Also pairs well with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kirill Kabanov.
#2 Ottawa Senators - RW/C Filip Forsberg, because he's a natural fit with Kadri and Spezza.
#3 Colorado Avalanche - D Ryan Murray, because it makes too much sense.
#4 Dallas Stars - C/LW Mikhail Grigorenko, because he's the BPA in the next projection.
#5 Toronto Maple Leafs - C/LW Alex Galchenyuk, because they don't need a goalie and Murray's gone already.
#6 Washington Capitals - D Morgan Rielly, because Gregory Hofmann's not much worse than Gaunce and Rielly should put up 50+ points alongside Markov.
#7 New York Islanders - C/LW Brendan Gaunce, who also fills a need on a team lacking two-way forwards.
#8 New Jersey Devils - D Olli Maataa as an NHL-ready defender, and gambling that none of the teams between #9 and their next pick at #12 need a goaltender.
#9 Florida Panthers - LW/RW Teuvo Teravainen, because Pavol Demitra is dead and Michael Frolik is unlikely to keep putting up 90+ point seasons.
#10 Edmonton Oilers - D Jacob Trouba, a less spectacular but safer bet to put up points on a defensive squad which is excellent in their own end but less so on the offensive.
#11 Anaheim Ducks - G Andrei Vasilevski, because they really do need a goalie. Sorry New Jersey, you gambled and lost.
#12-13 New Jersey Devils - D Mathew Dumba and G Oscar Dansk, having missed the boat on Vasilevski and finding a defenseman capable of pairing with the rock-solid Maataa and putting up 50-60 points.
#14 Buffalo Sabres - D Cody Ceci, whose ceiling surpasses Trouba's.
#15 Philadelphia Flyers - LW/C Radek Faksa, who fits the mold of a Flyer forward perfectly.
#16 San Jose Sharks - G Anthony Stolarz, who has a lot of work ahead of him but projects as at least a rotating starter.
#17 Nashville Predators - C/LW Zemgus Girgensons, the clear BPA at forward with the best defensive players gone.
#18 Chicago Blackhawks - LW/RW Nicolas Kerdiles, a solid two-way winger in an organization known for uncovering diamonds in the rough.
#19 Columbus Blue Jackets - C/LW Adam Gilmour, an out-of-the-blue selection but the kind of power forward who can fit anywhere in a lineup.
#20 Minnesota Wild - LW/RW Phillip Di Giuseppe, the best two-way winger left in this projection, perfect for a team with forwards who only like to play in one end.
#21 Carolina Hurricanes - D Hampus Lindholm - a team with a pro roster this good can afford to swing for the fences.
#22 Phoenix Coyotes - LW/RW Anton Slepyshev, as the Coyotes value big power forwards and aren't afraid of the Russian factor.
#23 Washington Capitals - RW/LW Thomas Wilson, a tougher forward and elite penalty killer and surer bet than Kerdiles, albeit one whose compete level is questioned.
#24 Minnesota Wild - D Griffin Reinhart, who fills a need for a dependable and physical right-handed defenseman.
#25 Dallas Stars - C/LW Tomas Hertl, who'll fit nicely into the lineup when Ribeiro and Gomez come off the books.
#26 Philadelphia Flyers - G Malcolm Subban, a talented netminder who can elevate his game in the playoffs and share playing time with top prospect Calvin Pickard.
#27 Columbus Blue Jackets - D Matt Finn, the most talented defenseman left on the board and one who could replace the ageless Scott Niedermayer.
#28 Tampa Bay Lightning - Your guess is as good as mine, but LW/RW Cristoval Nieves seems like a Tampa Bay kind of forward despite his inability to play center.
#29 New York Rangers - C/RW Jarrod Maidens, more of a risk but exactly the kind of player who can fit into New York's new offense-first philosophy.
#30 San Jose Sharks - RW/LW Samuel Kurker, who reminds fans of a young Ryane Clowe.
Last edited by SharksGM on Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Are Critics of The Ovechkin Deal Hypocrits?

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Distracted from completing their 2012 EHEC Entry Draft predictions, the San Jose Mercury News' editorial board has deemed it worthwhile to respond to certain criticisms regarding their correspondents' views as posted on an online Dallas weblog. The reasons for this are really too complicated to explain to someone like you so let's get on with the story.

Detroit management was recently criticized for giving up an extravagant package for Alexander Ovechkin, arguably the league's top winger and one who makes his own extravagant package regularly (we're talking about his salary, you creep). However, Detroit brass lashed out at the critics earlier today, deeming them 'hypocrits', 'jealous guys' and 'asshole dog-fucking cretins' (note to self: fact check that last epithet before publishing).

After examining these claims, we find them lacking in several respects. Firstly, it's spelled hypocrite. Secondly, a hypocrite is a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs. An example of this would be someone who critiques a trade sending 3 arguably top 50 players for one top 10 player and then does the same themselves (or having already done so themselves). Since we have no such examples in the league, one would likely reach the conclusion that there are no hypocrites either, at least regarding this particular subject. Lastly, if one closely examines the particular circumstances regarding the alleged hypocrisy, one will find that the players in question are a future top pairing defenseman, top line forward and a #6 pick wherein one is guaranteed to find one of 4 top line forwards, one franchise defenseman and a franchise goalie - all three assets who may well be morons but are far from chopped liver, which is delicious but not very good at hockey and so is probably not a perfect metaphor.

In conclusion, just messing with you.
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San Jose Sharks Draft Preview

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Having completed not one but two projections of the entire first round of the EHEC Entry Draft, it's time to look at what the Sharks are set to do during EHEC's third entry draft. The Sharks have picks #16, 30, 58, 73, 79 and 97 in the top 100. With a relative rich stock of picks, the Sharks are well positioned to add great depth to a currently modest prospect crew or shake things up by combining picks to move up into the top 10 of what is said to be both a deep and top-heavy draft.

Team Needs

With Niklas Backstrom having recently been acquired from Stanley Cup runners-up Winnipeg, the Sharks are fairly well set in goal in the short term. The long-term goaltending pipeline does lack an elite goaltender, as none of the Sharks' under-30 crew is projected to fill Evgeni Nabokov's void quite the way Niklas Backstrom will. Backstrom himself is 34 and only under contract for one more year, so he has much to prove back in the West.

Nik Lidstrom's retirement is set to leave a gaping hole in the Sharks' defence. Oscar Klefbom - last year's #25 pick - is one option to fill this void, but the #16 pick may see some prospects with still higher ceilings drop to within the Shark's reach. Similarly, a penalty-killing specialist might be the pick here, as Komisarek is the only top talent left on the roster and could himself leave after this season.

The Sharks are fairly well set at center but could use some later picks to round out the depth if they are unhappy with Tomas Filippi in a 4th line C role. Solid options could be available as late as the 3rd round to fill in this role.

The right wing is the last area of particular concern for the Sharks, having lost season-long rental Brad Boyes in the Backstrom trade. There may not be a true #1 RW available in the latter half of the first round, but several two-way forwards should be available - players who could complement a pass-first center like Thornton or two-way beast like Getzlaf.

Draft projections: #16 Cristoval Nieves, Anthony Stolarz or Jacob Trouba; #30 - Samuel Kurker, Malcolm Subban, Matt Finn or Griffin Reinhart

Trouba is unlikely to drop as far as #16, but all of these other youngsters would have solid futures with the Sharks and could well be available in the mid to late first round. Matt Finn would be a crowd-pleasing pick for his name alone, while Griffin Reinhart would be an excellent value selection at #30 and an equally good fit with his mythical animal first name.
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Sharks Draft Review

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A Canadian, two Russians, two Americans, two Swedes, a Czech and a Slovak walk into a bar. It sounds like the start of a terrible joke with "Not another Cold War!" as the punchline and a monkey crushed under a piano while chasing a midget, but it's really the San Jose Sharks' 2012 draft class.

The lone Canadian? Jarrod "Iron" Maidens, 58th overall, a tough sunovabitch from Grimsby, Ontario (I shit you not - it's like naming a city Intenseville or UBERTOWN). A girly name made manly by a metal band so hardcore they named themselves after a torture device, or a boom or bust prospect with possibly the best two-way potential of any forward in the draft? We'll let you decide.

The Russians? Biggest news of the draft after the fantastic lobster pierogies in the hotel bar? Possibly. Goalie Andrei Vasilevski, 9th overall, was unlikely to fall to the Sharks' first pick at 16, so the 16th and 30th pick in the draft (plus a second rounder next year) were shipped off to Florida for the chance to draft the next Russian goaltending sensation - a fitting replacement for the soon to be unrestricted Evgeni Nabokov. Some pundits questioned the move, arguing that Niklas Backstrom is more than capable of taking over the goaltender for the next few seasons and the Sharks lost out on Cristoval Nieves (19th overall) and Nikolai Prokhorkin (30th overall), two potential star goalscoring left wingers. Some pundits can suck it.

The other Russian? Massive Russian defender Alexei Bereglazov 73rd overall, a defenseman who'll soon be putting the fear of Gord into forwards throughout the league. But first he'll need to fill out his skinny twig legs and crush some skulls in the AHL first.

The Americans aren't even all that American. Lukas Sutter blood courses with so much maple syrup he was born with diabetes and his placenta looked like a pancake. Of course, one wonders if his dual heritage and famous hockey family led to an overrated assessment of his skills. Maybe. But Sharks management saw fit to deal last year's (successful) third round pick Rickard Rakell to the Island to acquire this pick. Crazy? Probably. But if you squint hard enough, Sutter kinda looks like a lesser Ryan Strome. And if you squint even harder, your eyeballs might pop out, especially if I tell you that Jacob Montgomery (150th overall) is not entirely dissimilar to Jaden Schwartz in the way a rock resembles a hard place.

The Swedes? Two of the grindy types, unusual for that nation. Tobias "Don't call me Toby" Tornkvist, 79th overall, reminds some of a young Johan Franzen. Sharks' scouts see a young Ryane Clowe. We wish we could smell what they're smoking but let's hope they're right. Emil Lundberg, 97th overall? A less skilled but more reliable version of Jack Skille in some scout's books. We suspect they're just issues of Spiderman hidden inside Danielle Steele novels (who does that?).

The Czechoslovak? Well there's two of them and that's not a country. Still, considering they were the last picks of the 6th and 7th rounds respectively, not a whole lot is expected out of Martin Prochazka and Richard Mraz beyond a few extra consonants. Still, Prochazka does give off a bit of a David Moss vibe - a useful 4th line forward at the least - and Mraz has shown some talent at the hitty-punchy kind of game.

Overall, we're a little confused as to the Sharks direction. Sure, they picked up a potential franchise goalie, tough defenseman and a lot of grind-y forwards plus a few dice rolls at top six wingers in the later rounds. But with no picks in the first two rounds of next year's draft - said to be the best since 2003 -
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2012 Prospect Roundup

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The conclusion of training camp means one thing and only one thing - it's time to evaluate how the Sharks' prospect pool looks after another calendar year! With the remarkable turnover on the roster and a 50 game cutoff, things are looking spectacularly different. And perhaps not surprisingly considering the number of 2010 draftees left, one of the promising hoices from June's entry draft (Lukas Sutter) along with last year's #5 (Tomas Filippi) are off to Calgary for Kyle Okposo. Also missing from the list are Derek Forbort and Ivan Telegin (graduated), John McFarland (St. Louis) and Rikard Rakell (NYI, ironically traded for the pick used on Lukas Sutter). New to the list are mostly 2012 draftees, of whom there are a good number.

1 (NR) - G Andrei Vasilevski - 8.5B
Projection: Starting goaltender
Comparable: Something like Nikolai Khabibulin or Carey Price.

2 (4) - D Oscar Klefbom - 7.5 B
Projection: Top 4 defenseman
Comparable: Pavel Kubina with a crisp first pass and Swedish accent.

3 (NR) - L/C Jaden Schwartz - 7.5 C
Projection: Top 6 forward
Comparable: A lesser version of Joe Pavelski

4 (NR) - D Matt Killian - 7B
Projection: Top 6 defenseman
Comparable: A less physical Dan Hamhuis

5 (9) - RW/C Colten St. Clair - 7C
Projection: Top 9 forward
Comparable: Like Sven Bartschi or Marco Sturm in the offensive zone

6 (NR) - RW/LW Tobias Tornkvist - 7.5D
Projection: Bottom 9 winger
Comparable: Ryane Clowe

7 (NR) - RW/C Jarrod Maidens - 7D
Projection: Top or bottom 12 forward, who knows
Comparable: A more physical Justin Williams/better John McFarland if he pans out, or David Moss 2.0 otherwise

8 (NR) - D Alexei Bereglazov - 6.5C
Projection: Bottom-pairing defenseman
Comparable: Keith Yandle minus the talent

9 (10) - G Jaroslav Pavelka - 7C
Projection: Backup goaltender
Comparable: Still Al Montoya

10 (NR) - R/L Emil Lundberg - 6B
Projection: Bottom 6 forward
Comparable: A better-checking Charlie Coyle minus the lethal shot

Honourable Mentions: D Nikita Zaytsev (ex. #7), W Kevin Hayes (ex. HM), D Taylor Doherty (ex. NR)
Dishonourable Mentions: Come on, that's just mean.
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Sharks Offseason Wrapup

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The offseason is over. Hell, even the preseason is over. It's time to shake the cheetoh dust out of your bear, bust out a Mountain Dew and get to the business of analyzing your favourite hockey team, the San Jose Sharks of EHEC.

If you've been asleep these past 3 months, and I don't blame you if you were after the Sharks' glorious Stanley Cup Win, here's what happened:
  • Joe Thornton ate some fantastic brownies and practised his ventriloquism
    Dany Heatley passed his motorcycle road test
    Brad Boyes got traded away to the team that lost in the Finals, paving the way for a reverse Marian Hossa next season
    Niklas Backstrom was acquired to replace the dearly departed Evgeni Nabokov; hopes to avoid a regular Marian Hossa
    Lukas Sutter was drafted by the Sharks, saying how excited he was to finally be leaving Alberta and burning the bridges behind him. Two weeks later his rights were traded to the Flames
    Pretty much everybody who won the Cup did some of this
    Nicklas Lidstrom rode off into the sunset on the back of Heatley's bike. We hope he's okay but assume he's not coming back
So who's in, who's out? Well, with a team scraping the salary cap ceiling, not a whole lot was expected in the offseason. Whatever cap space was saved by the departure of Lidstrom was spent on upgrading Nabokov's $4 million salary to Backstrom's $6. Trade deadline acquisitions Mike Komisarek and Marco Sturm will start the season with the team, while scoring sensation Alexander Radulov is back after his season-ending injury in last year's very first regular season game. The Sharks will hope to avoid the 'game 1 season-ending injury' jinx this year as Radulov takes the departed Brad Boyes' spot in the lineup. Meanwhile, Swedish rookie sensation Oscar Klefbom is set to replace Lidstrom's place, if not at the same efficiency then at least at the same position. While nominally battling fellow youngsters Matt Killian and Nikita Zaytsev for the job, Klefbom as all but guaranteed a spot going into camp. His 5 points, +3, 8 T-G, 3 SB and 3/4 fight wins did nothing to change Sharks' management's opinion. While such a pace is unlikely to hold through the entire season, it's not unreasonable to expect at least 30 points from a full season of Klefbom, especially if he plays significant powerplay minutes as expected.

Fellow youngster Derek Forbort also raised some eyebrows with 6 points in 8 games from the blueline. However, his -2 and even T-G rating did not impress despite a team-leading 8 shot blocks. The normally stalwart defenseman showed more offensive flair but will likely begin the season paired with Pavel Kubina, who showed a remarkable willingness to play a tough, physical game. The 35-year-old Czech averaged two more takeaways per game than giveaways, easily the best mark on the squad.

On the forward end, Ivan Telegin was far and away the cream of the crop. With as many hits and takeaways as Kubina or Klefbom, Telegin also added 5 goals in 8 games, shooting a remarkable 25%. While such production may be unsustainable, a 50+ point campaign would help the Russian's contract negotiations next offseason.

One of a very limited number of offseason free agent acquisitions, Lee Stempniak was brought in as a depth winger and possible AHL-level scorer alongside Kyle Wellwood. While Stempniak's performance left something to be desired - 3 points and a -1 in 6 games of mostly 2nd line ice time - the team does have the cap space to keep him up. He will likely start the year on the pro roster and split time with fellow AHL callup David Moss. He is likely to be joined by rookie and former St. Louis Blue Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz, while perhaps not dominant, showed more than enough talent during the preseason to prove himself too good for the AHL, although he will likely struggle to earn more than 3rd line minutes in the absence of injuries. At this level, the 20 year old Schwartz is only expected to avoid being a liability iwth perhaps 10 minutes of ice time per night, easing himself into what should be a long NHL career.

Unfortunately, none of the long-shot rookies in camp did much to secure an NHL spot. While many showed flashes of talent, few played sufficiently well in both ends to warrant consideration for a spot. Winger Kevin Hayes was the best of the bunch with 3 points in 5 games; nonetheless he will begin the year on a very different Worcester squad. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevski is clearly not ready for the NHL, nor is he needed yet. He will likely spend the entire season backstopping the AHL Sharks. The remaining training camp rookies are either headed to the AHL if eligible or - in the cases of Lundberg, Prochazka and Maidens - back to juniors to hone their skills.

With a lineup not significantly different from last season's, it's hard to imagine the Sharks dipping significantly in the standings. Backstrom will replace Nabokov, Radulov should provide more offense than the departed Brad Boyes and Oscar Klefbom looks set to replace at least part of the production lost from 42-year old Nick Lidstrom, if not the experience. Still, the Pacific division remains notoriously tough, as the Coyotes and Kings have not shed significant talent this season and finished only 6 and 4 points back last season, respectively. Given that, we expect the Sharks to finish in one of the top 5 spots in the conference again; whether they'll manage a second President's Trophy in a row remains to be determined.
Last edited by SharksGM on Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

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Oscar Klefbom wakes up Sunday morning, rolls out of bed and onto the floor. Ouch.

After his morning coffee, he feels a sudden rush of leadership and volunteers to spend the entire day drilling pucks at goaltenders Andrei Vasilevski (in from Worcester for the weekend because that place probably sucks) and Nicklas Backstrom. His enthusiasm rubs off and the two netminders also feel a remarkable increase in their ability to catch pucks with their teeth. As other Sharks trickle in for the impromptu practice, they marvel at the remarkable progress shown by the two goaltenders as they direct the defense in front of them with a mix of borderline insane barking and meaningless taglines from motivational posters. Hang in there, kitty.

Oh, I mean give those three the LE boosts.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by Commish Bub(NYR) »

SharksGM wrote:...(in from Worcester for the weekend because that place probably sucks)...
I've only driven through it...but I don't think you're wrong.
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Western Conference Down to the Wire

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Tonight is the final night of the EHEC regular season. Yet in the Western conference, only three of eight playoff seedings have been decided, contrasting with the boring East's 6/8. Crucially, all four home seeds are up for grabs, and while the President's Trophy has been clinched by the Pittsburgh Penguins for some time now, there's a lot more than pride on the line in the West.

The tightest race involves none other than your very own San Jose Sharks. Having won the President's Trophy last season on the very last day with a crucial home win against the Los Angeles Kings, this year's nailbiter will be an even tougher contest visiting division rival Phoenix. Both teams are tied in the standings, but even with the shootout point in play, tiebreakers won't be relevant - whoever wins the game will win the division. Whoever loses will go on to face the #5 seeded Los Angeles Kings in a brutal first round matchup. While the Kings have been struggling - relatively speaking - with injuries to key forwards like captain Dustin Brown and Kyle Beach, those roster spots have since been filled through savvy trade acquisitions like Shawn Horcoff, former captain Daniel Alfredsson and sneaky sniper Steve Sullivan. Shades of Brad Boyes filling in for Alex Radulov last season?

Interestingly, though, winning the toughest division in the league may not be enough to clinch the coveted #1 seed. The Calgary Flames hold a 1-point advantage and could win the conference by beating their Alberta rivals on the road. The Chicago Blackhawks are two points back of both Phoenix and San Jose. A regulation win would tie the Hawks with Phoenix on ROW, and with the season series split 2-2, the final tiebreak would be goal differential, which the Blackhawks currently own. Both Chicago and Phoenix have more ROW than San Jose, so any tie between da Sharks and the other two teams would leave San Jose looking up in a bad way.

As complex as the possible outcomes are, ultimately, the fate of the San Jose Sharks lies in their own slippery fins, muscular tails and sharp, jagged teeth. The road to a repeat could just as easily go through Los Angeles, Detroit, Columbus, or - in coach Doug Wilson's fondest dreams, we're sure - Anaheim or St. Louis. A loss tonight would make it three in a row for the Sharks, which is not an ideal way to enter the playoffs. However, the Sharks will return to their tank next week for a first round matchup, knowing that the weaker parts of their team's game - a 13th ranked penalty kill and 15th ranked power play - are just not going to matter much anymore. It's playoff time, baby.
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Sharks' Season in Review

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Sharks Roster Faces Major Overhaul

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After another disappointing first round exit to sandwich their memorable 2012 Stanley Cup win, the San Jose Sharks are facing one of their most eventful offseasons in some time. Despite having no picks in the top 80, a major shakeup was expected coming into the 2013 entry draft. A whopping 12 players on the NHL roster were facing free agency and the team could not possibly be kept whole and under the cap without some players being moved or at least taking major paycuts.

The most notable cap casualty is goaltender Niklas Backstrom. At a 6 million dollar salary, Backstrom's 2.52 GAA and .892 save % were worth the money. However, his 3.51 GAA and .857 playoff save % in six games were amongst the worst in the league, so Backstrom will be testing free agency. His replacements are likely to be internal candidates - star prospect Andrei Vasilevski, who also struggled in the AHL playoffs, and older backups Jake Allen and Al Montoya. Joining Backstrom in departing are depth players Marco Sturm and Pavel Kubina, as well as deadline acquisition Dainius Zubrus. Kubina is rumoured to be replaced by former Coyotes defenseman Francois Beauchemin, whose rights were recently acquired for a 5th round pick and is reported to be close to a deal.

Even these departures were not enough to stave off cap troubles. Forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Alexander Radulov and Kyle Okposo all received substantial raises totalling $5.5 million, while young star defenseman Derek Forbort received a much-deserved $2.5 million extra. The $1.5 allocated to Okposo are based largely on potential, since his adequate performance as a 4th line center this season was, well, still as a 4th line center. These raises were only partially upset by Mike Komisarek accepting a $300k pay cut in exchange for a 4 year extension, his abysmal -10 rating in 6 playoff games obviously having been attributed to Backstrom's weak performance.

The numbers simply did not add up and a radical change was required to keep the team under the cap. That change came just before draft day in a rather surprising move, as all-star forward Dany Heatley was shipped off to the Edmonton Oilers for speedster Andrew Cogliano. On the surface, the trade was lopsided in Edmonton's favour. Heatley has averaged just over 40 goals for the last 8 seasons and shows no signs of declining. Cogliano, while younger and a sharper skater, has only managed to crack 30 goals twice, and his production dipped last season. The saving grace in this deal is Cogliano's age and contract status - at 3.5 million with an option year, he is going to save the Sharks over $4 million dollars this season while likely not commanding a massive raise next. Furthermore, Heatley was rumoured to have given the Sharks notice that he wasn't interested in a long-term extension with the team despite his success with the team. This puzzling decision made it difficult to justify moving more salary to keep Heatley for at most one more year. Nonetheless, the Sharks will be hard-pressed to replace the 15 goals differential that is likely to result from this deal - those 15 goals represent a full 25% of the Sharks' differential this season.

If the rumoured deal for Beauchemin is in the vicinity of $2.3-2.7 million as expected, the Sharks' roster is expected to sit at about $2 million under the cap heading into free agency, so it's unlikely the team will make much of a splash on July 1st. Nonetheless, a depth pickup or two can be expected, or perhaps maligned winger Lee Stempniak will make his little-anticipated return to the pro roster.

Coming next week, we review the Sharks' whopping 4 picks in the 2013 draft. You might be surprised to learn that they're not half bad!
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Sharks 2013 draft review

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Having traded away both their first and second round draft picks in 2013 (all ultimately part of the deal to draft Andrei Vasilevski 9th overall last season), little was expected from the Sharks over the draft weekend. However, the shocking trade of Dany Heatley for Andrew Cogliano served notice that the Sharks were not going to swim silently this offseason.

The next big move came late in the second round. After cameras caught increasingly agitated fidgeting at the Sharks' table starting from the end of the first round, the wild gesticulating finally resulted in a firm handshake with Calgary's general manager - not surprising, since the Flames had just selected four prospects in a row from picks 46 through 49. Pick number 51 was sent to San Jose for a steep price: a second round pick in 2014, likely to be in a similar position, the Sharks' own third round pick - scheduled to be their first at #84 - and Alexei Bereglazov, a tough-as-nails Russian defenceman selected 73rd overall just last draft. In other words, a 50-60 overall, 73 and 84 overall for a 51 overall - not a fair exchange on paper, but what was the return?

At #51 overall, the Sharks selected Ian McCoshen, a Minnesota-born defenseman who suited up for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL last season. McCoshen's growth as a player rocketed him up the draft boards - from a 20 point campaign in 2011-12, McCoshen improved to 44 points in 2012-13, easily becoming Waterloo's top defenseman and indeed top player. McCoshen is an excellent skater, has NHL-redy size at 6'3 and rapidly improving skills in all areas of his game, especially his skating. However, the USHL is still far from the toughest junior league in the world, so McCoshen will likely require years of AHL seasoning if he is to reach the top 4 potential the Sharks see in him.

Having dumped their third round pick, the Sharks next selected 114th overall. Defenseman Niklas Brouillard, a Quebecker playing for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, scored 57 points in 68 games last season, good for 3rd on his team. However, Brouillard comes with no shortage of question marks - at 5'8, 150 pounds, Brouillard barely stands taller than Theoren Fleury but is a good 30 pounds lighter than NHL weight. Moreover, his -21 ratings was worst on his team by a margin of nearly 10. Nobody questions Brouillard's talent, but can he improve his defense enough to play a regular role in the NHL? If Ryan Murphy and Sami Vatanen can do it, than perhaps Brouillard can too. All in all, it is a risk well worth taking in the late 4th round.

The Sharks also sent their next pick packing - Nashville's 5th rounder went to bitter rivals Phoenix in exchange for negotiating rights with Francois Beauchemin. Beauchemin has since been signed to a one-year deal and will replace the departed Pavel Kubina as the team's 6th defenseman, battling youngster Nikita Zaytsev for playing time.

The Sharks' own 5th rounder had already been traded, although nobody's really certain what for. Maybe it was Stanley Cup Champion Travis Moen? Whatever, Nashville ended up with it at any rate.

The Sharks' last two picks in the 6th and 7th round remained. Pick number 174 yielded Blaine Byron, a skilled forward playing at a fairly low level in the CCHL. Despite his lack of experience with tough competition, Byron is surprisingl set to sign an entry-level deal and is rumoured to be a top candidate to earn a spot with the AHL Sharks next season. Byron already possesses a solid defensive game and his offensive skills are remarkable for his career progression. Byron compares favourably to current Sharks prospect Kevin Hayes, though at 6'0 Byron's size is merely average.

The Sharks' final pick was subject to inexplicable controversy and vigorous debate. After a near-fistfight between San Jose and Ottawa management over whether Laurent Dauphin was available, the Sharks finally ended up with PEI Rocket goaltender Antoine Bibeau. Bibeau earned the starting job this season with a .911 save % and 28 wins in 46 games, shaving a remarkable total of over 1.5 goals against per game from his '11-'12 stats and bumping his save % up by a whopping 0.04. At 19 years old, Bibeau was passed over last year and nearly made it another year, only being snagged with the 7th last pick of the draft. Bibeau should suit up for one more season in juniors before challenging for the starting role in the AHL in 2014.
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2013 Prospect Roundup

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Training camp is barely 2 games in, but as of yet there is little to report - the Sharks' youngsters so far have struggled against two division rivals inexplicably playing experienced, veteran rosters. However, this lack of news has allowed us to compile an early update to the Sharks' top ten prospect list. Remember, any youngster with under 50 games NHL experience qualifies, so this year's list features a reasonable amount of turnover. Gone are the #2 and #3 prospects, Oscar Klefbom and Jaden Schwartz - fortunately, they're staying with the team as NHL regulars, and Klefbom in particular had a spectacularly successful rookie season, putting up 50 points as a defenseman. Andrei Vasilevski remains the top-ranked prospect and will almost certainly begin the season splitting games with Jake Allen, if not immediately as a regular starter. Alexei Bereglazov (#8) is also absent from the list, having been dealt to Calgary for the Ian McCoshen pick - McCoshen debuts at #5 on the list.

Ratings, like Hockey's Future, assign a numeric value for the prospect's potential as well as a letter grade representing their odds of hitting that mark.

1 (1) - G Andrei Vasilevski - 8.5B
Projection: Starting goaltender
Comparable: Nikolai Khabibulin, but better, and with even more Cups to his name.

2 (4) - D Matt Killian - 7B
Projection: Top 6 defenseman
Comparable: Brian Campbell, minus the slick hands

3 (6) - RW/LW Tobias Tornkvist - 7.5C
Projection: Bottom 9 winger
Comparable: Ryane Clowe with more grit. Yes, more.

4 (5) - RW/C Colten St. Clair - 7C
Projection: Top 9 forward
Comparable: Still like Sven Bartschi or Marco Sturm in the offensive zone

5 (NR) - D Ian McCoshen - 8D
Projection: Top 6 defenseman
Comparable: Anywhere from Joe Corvo to a more talented Dan Hamhuis

6 (NR) - D Nikolas Brouillard - 7.5D
Projection: Powerplay specialist
Comparable: Somewhere between Sami Vatanen and Ryan Murphy, if he can learn to play defense.

7 (NR) - LW/C Blaine Byron - 6.5B
Projection: 3rd line winger
Comparable: Jochen Hecht (as a winger)

8 (NR) - C/LW Vladimir Ruzicka - 7D
Projection - Powerplay specialist/AHL superstar
Comparable: Andy McDonald with Alex Kovalev's consistency. Engimatic, if you will.

9 (10) - RW/LW Emil Lundberg - 6B
Projection: Bottom 6 forward
Comparable: Hard-checking, stone-handed Charlie Coyle

10 (9) - G Jaroslav Pavelka - 7C
Projection: Backup goaltender
Comparable: Third year in a row as an Al Montoya clone

Honourable Mention: LW/C Jacob Montgomery
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2014 Season Update

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With the calendar rolled over to 2014 and the regular season halfway through, it's time to review Sharks progress after the first three months of the season. The Sharks are 24-13-4, good for 52 points and tied for third in the Pacific division playoff race with new rival Calgary Flames. The 104 point pace is a downgrade over past seasons, but coach Doug Wilson is still confident in the team's fundamentals. "We've been a much better defensive team this season," said Wilson. "Second in goals against in the conference, with the best... what, second best goal differential in the league. Second to who? Boston? When did that happen? Well anyway, my only cause for concern is our 23rd ranked penalty kill, but it's been getting better, and to be honest I think the boys are just out of practice from not taking too many penalties in the first place. Boston? Boston? Christ, I need a drink. Is this thing still on? Fuck."

While the team's record may be a little disappointing, there is cause for optimism. Beyond outscoring the opposition by nearly a goal per game on average, the Sharks are averaging 28 shots per game while allowing only 18 - a whopping 10 shot differential, meaning that the team is dominating possession and not simply relying on pure offensive skill or luck to score goals.

Individually, only a handful of role players have truly disappointed this season - youngster Kevin Hayes having just been sent to the AHL after struggling with a fourth-line role. Offseason acquisition Francois Beauchemin also had his share of difficulties in a bottom-pair role, and in a rather surprisingly swift move, was dumped on waivers to the Toronto Maple Leafs (where his performance has improved). The move allowed the Sharks to sign former Florida cap casualty Keith Ballard, who has proven both more dependable defensively and also put up 15 points in 31 games. The less said about now-Montreal backup Jake Allen and his 14 goals against in 3 starts, the better.

On the positive side of the scoresheet, Jumbo Joe and Alex Radulov are at 40 points apiece, and while their giveaway numbers are less than sparkling, their +14 and +12 ratings suggest they are simply playing in the attacking zone most shfits. Rookie Tobias Tornkvist's offensive contributions have been modest - 5 goals and 8 assists - but he is 6th on the team in hits and won his first 9 fights of the season and career, earning a reputation as the toughest Swedish bastard since Ulf Samuelsson. Countryman Oscar Klefbom has dipped slightly in his sophomore season, but still posts a respectable 16 points in 32 games. Meanwhile, a healthy Derek Forbort has cemented his #1 defenseman position with 28 points in 41 games, on pace for a 56-point season if he remains injury-free.

On the other side of 30, captain Erik Cole has seen something of a resurgence. While his 20 points are not especially impressive, his defensive play has improved since his last disappointing season. Similarly, noted Newfie Ryane Clowe is headed for another season below 20 goals, but leads the team in hits and is second in blocked shots. Ivan Telegin trails by a single hit in his third season, but his offensive numbers have also improved, as he is only 4 goals away from breaking his previous best of 18. Finally, while top offseason acquisition Andrew Cogliano has not replaced Dany Heatley's offense - on pace for 26 goals and 58 points - he has posted respectable defensive numbers while playing left wing on two different lines and most recently anchoring the third line. In fact, of all of the Sharks' regular players, only Thornton, Radulov and sophomore Jaden Schwartz have more giveaways than takeaways (the remaining negatives having been banished to the American league), so the future looks bright for this squad. And we would be remiss to miss mentioning 19-year old Andrei Vasilevski's play in net. While he no longer leads the league in save %, his 2.17 GAA trails only Cam Ward, while he ranks second in games played. Not bad for a Russian with just a single season of pro experience behind him.

Oh yeah, the Kings and Coyotes are ahead in the division, but it's cool. We got this.
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San Jose Season in Review

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Just read the damn review from last season, it was the same. Excellent regular season performance followed by a sad and pathetic first round exit. The following player grades should help explain why:

Joe Thornton: A-. Jumbo didn't quite hit the point-per-game mark, but his two-way play was markedly improved from last season and he still led the team in scoring in the regular season, only missing by 1 point in the playoffs. His overall playoff performance was even better, despite the rest of the team's overwhelmingly shitty play.

Ryan Getzlaf: B+. While Ryan's individual effort was just as good as last season, especially on the defensive end, statistically his output took a dip. He still gets a solid pass because he was often saddled with mediocre linemates and given tough minutes.

Andrew Cogliano: A-. Andrew thrived with sheltered 3rd line minutes and a top PP unit role, putting up 31 goals and 70 points without cheating on his defensive assignments. Unfortunately, his play dipped noticeably during the playoffs.

Jack Skille: C+. An adequate 4th line center, but like Getzlaf, the results in the playoffs (0 pts, -4, 5 games) left much to be desired. Probably won't return at his price tag.

Alexander Radulov: B+. As usual, Alex put up goals and played no defense. With 4 goals and 7 points to lead the team in playoff scoring, his production is likely to keep him around for another campaign.

Jaden Schwartz: B. Like Radulov, Schwartz' regular season output was much the same as usual: 40 points, little defense and too many penalties taken during easy 3rd line minutes. However, Jaden's production took off in the playoffs, even before being placed on the top line with Alex & Joe, so he seems likely to return for a third season.

Ivan Telegin: B+. Quite the opposite of the above two, Ivan had a very strong start to the season, putting up career highs in goals, points and being nasty. However, his playoff performance was decidedly underwhelming.

Blaine Byron: C. Called up late in the season, Byron was another adequate 4th liner who put up surprising point totals (7 in 26) despite playing just 8 minutes per game. Unimpressive playoff performance leaves some work to be done in the offseason.

Justin Williams: ??. 8 points in 13 games before being injured and missing the playoffs. Headed straight to free agency at his price tag, so we'll never know if he could have turned things around.

Ryane Clowe: B. A standard performance from Ryane: just shy of 20 goals in the season, hit 45 points and played solid defense with 2nd/3rd line minutes. Had trouble getting it going in the playoffs, though he did score two goals.

Erik Cole: B-. Inconsistent during the regular season and the leader of a poor penalty-killing unit. Put in a good effort in the playoffs, but may be headed out after captaining another early exit.

Tobias Tornkvist: C-. Became a fan favourite rookie for his hitting and fists of fury, earning a reputation as a tough customer in his first year. Committed many brutal turnovers in the playoffs and seemed to have run out of energy. Needs to patch up holes in his game during the offseason to move up the depth chart.

Dainius Zubrus/Damien Brunner/Kevin Hayes/Lee Stempniak: F. Useless. Go away.

Derek Forbort: B+. Put up 50 points in the regular season but wasn't very efficient at stripping opposing forwards of the puck. Did a lot better in puck retrieval in the playoffs but somehow ended up -10 in 5 games. Huh? Needs to show that he doesn't need easy minutes or a Lidstrom by his side to excel in the postseason.

Mike Komisarek: B. Failed to score a goal in 87 games, but what were you expecting? Played good, disciplined but hard-nosed hockey in the regular season. Postseason performance left something to be desired.

Oscar Klefbom: A-. Offensive output declined from his rookie season, but still put up 40 points and played a more complete game... until the playoffs. Visibly reckless play yielded impressive 10 takeaways in the playoffs, but zero points and a -3 in limited minutes. Will certainly get another chance next season.

Keith Ballard: B-. A noticeable improvement over Francois Beauchemin, but didn't quite hit 30 points. Struggled as much as any other defenceman in the playoffs, though he was given a healthy heaping of minutes.

Niklas Kronwall: C+. Set a new career low in points for a nearly complete season with 16. Played solid defence throughout both seasons, but might be a cap casualty.

Michal Rozsival: C-. Declining performance in every statistical category and a hefty $4 million option mean that Michal is probably on his way out too. Somehow managed to be the only plus defenseman during the playoffs, but chalk that up to dumb luck.

Nikita Zaytsev: ?. Had an impressive run of 8 points in 9 games, then got scratched for a month and didn't score another point in the 12 games after coming back. Should get a more extended look next season with his very affordable contract and some departures.

Andrei Vasilevski: A-/F. Amazing, Calder-worthy regular season. Absolutely dreadful playoff run against a beatable team, even if they made it to the conference finals. Question marks surrounding his name after that playoff run. Had it come last season, maybe it would have just been chalked up to youthful inexperience, but a similarly poor performance in the Calder Cup playoffs last spring and the Sharks' early exit last year in front of Backstrom leave many intriguing questions on the table.

Erik Ersberg: B+. League-minimum backup did what he needed to do. Likely to be replaced by Craig Anderson next season.
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Re: San Jose Mercury News

Post by SharksGM »

Hope. Change.

Those are words that one could use to describe the San Jose Sharks' 2014 offseason, but that would be lame and cliched, so they won't be (except when they are). True, there has been some change - inevitable following a third disappointing first round playoff collapse in 4 years - but it's too early to know how hopeful Sharks fans should be. Although several more serious changes have been made to the roster compared to the previous offseason, which mainly saw minor tinkering, most of the core players - Joe Thornton, Ryan Getzlaf, Alex Radulov and Derek Forbort - will be back for the 2014 season.

That's not to say that change hasn't happened. For the second season in a row, the Sharks have swapped starting goaltenders. The shocker this time is that top prospect Andrei Vasilevski was the one to go (not that other shocker, sicko). Vasilevski, who posted an incredible regular season performance for a rookie goaltender - never mind a 19 year-old! - was traded to the division rival Vancouver Canucks, surely in part because of a dismal playoff run. The move has been criticized as impatient and impetuous, lacking in foresight and vision. Still, it did return two first-round picks who should turn out to be solid players in their own right, if not franchise goaltenders. Also, that criticism is bad and wrong, you jerks.

To fill the void left by Vasilevski's departure, the Sharks acquired the rights to Jonathan Bernier from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a package of late picks. Bernier himself had a fairly disappointing playoff run behind a talented Lightning defense, but is at least an average starting goaltender and should not need a significant raise to re-sign. The question that needs to be answered is whether the two picks acquired from the Vasilevski trade will be worth the potential downgrade to an older, more expensive and less talented starting goaltender.

In addition to these major moves, veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall and Michal Rozsival are moving on - Kronwall as part of the Vasilevski trade, and Rozsival to distant Toronto for a 4th round pick in what should be a deep 2015 draft. Forward Calle Jarnkrok was acquired during the draft for San Jose's own first round pick, while Jack Skille's rights were sent to Boston for depth defenseman Matt Smaby and yet another 2015 4th. There will evidently be some competition for spots on the blueline next training camp, and prospects like Matt Killian and Nikita Zaytsev are expected to compete for permanent roster spots.

Having gone through all of that verbose verbiage, here's a review of who the Sharks actually picked in the 2014 EHEC Entry Draft:

1st round, 10th overall - Acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for Andrei Vasilevski. Sent to Dallas for the 12th overall and Edmonton's 2nd round pick in 2015, to derisive cheers of Sharks fans who wanted to see two-way center Ryan MacInnis drafted. Dallas immediately picked MacInnis.

1st round, 12th overall - Retained and used to select Josh Jacobs, yet another American defenceman from Indiana Ice of the USHL. Jacobs was a somewhat under-the-radar pick, but also clearly the third best defenseman available in the draft behind Ekblad and Fleury. Jacobs has all of the tools scouts seek: a solid 6'2 frame, a strong skating stride, slick playmaking and puckhandling skills, good defensive instincts and a physical edge. The only issue is getting all of these skills together every night - Jacobs has yet to consistently dominate for stretches of weeks at a time.

1st round, 18th overall - Also acquired from Vancouver for Andrei Vasilevski. Used to draft Oskar Lindblom, a rugged two-way winger from Brynas. Oskar is said to be a jack-of-all-knives, a really versatile Swiss army trader who won't be a big home run or slam dunk because he's a person and not an action and also doesn't play baseball or basketball. He's good at every without being great at anything, like captain Erik Cole without his breakaway speed.

1st round, 26th overall - The Sharks' own first was sent to Calgary for Swedish forward Calle "Ironhook" Jarnkrok and ended up in Carolina, who selected Shane "Not Steve" Eiserman. Jarnkrok scored 35 points in 63 games with the Ottawa Senators this last season, but his game ignited after being sent to the Flames at the deadline, where he registered another 16 points in just 20 games, adding another 10 in 14 playoff games. A restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract, Jarnkrok should earn a hefty raise and is pencilled in as a top 9 forward, either as a right winger or in place of Andrew Cogliano on the third line. Much like Cogliano, his main asset is his speed, but he also possesses elite playmaking ability and a hard, accurate wristshot.

3rd round, 71st overall - Originally acquired from Dallas for Al Montoya, the Sharks selected Jayce Hawryluk, a competitive and aggressive two-way center from the Brandon Wheat Kings. Hawryluk, who underwent a sudden 4-inch growth spurt as he walked to center stage to pick up his Sharks jersey, could top out as a second line center. At the least, he should one day be a reliable bottom 6, penaltykilling forward.

3rd round, 88th overall - Nobody remembers how the Sharks obtained this pick. The point is, it was used to select yet another American, right-handed, offensive defenseman. Uh, hello? Aren't Killian and Jacobs enough? Whatever the case, Blake put up 30 points for the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL, and plays a game similar to countryman Jake Gardiner. Blake is a project, but if he manages to pick up the intricacies of defensive positioning at the NHL level, he could be a valuable powerplay specialist some day.

5th round, 146th overall - Finally a pick that wasn't acquired via trade. Jonas Johansson is a big, lanky Swedish goalie, much like Jonas Gustavsson - another goalie who is big, Swedish and named Jonas. Jonas (Johansson, not Gustavsson) projects as a reliable backup, not that we have any way of knowing that now.

6th round, 176th overall - Austin Poganski is yet another American from the USHL. Seriously? He shoots right, and apparently the Sharks' scouting staff listed him as a defenseman, which must be the only reason he was selected. It turns out he's actually a big, physical forward, with a hint of truculence and pugnacity and a smidgeon of goalscoring ability. He's no less of a project than Blake Siebenaler, though.

7th round, 206th overall - Since the Sharks obviously hadn't acquired enough Swedes or Americans, they picked up one more right shooter for good measure. August Gunnarsson is the younger brother of AHL superstar Carl Gunnarsson.
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Sharks Prospect Pool Full of Sharks

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Every year we list the top Sharks players with fewer than 50 NHL games played. Every year half of them get traded before they even play a game for San Jose. Why? Why do we care? Andrei Vasilevski was supposed to be a franchise goaltender. Now his corpse is rotting in a shipping container in Vancouver's port, for all we care. And what for? Just so we could marvel at the tantalizing prospect of rugged, handsome Swedish power forward Oskar Lindblom - part of the return for Vasilevski, but now property of the New Jersey Devils? All so that one enigmatic Russian goaltender could be swapped for another enigmatic Russian winger, as if there aren't enough of those on the Sharks? Oy vey, what a bunch of schmucks. Why I oughta... uh... make a list, yes, right.

1 (5) - D Ian McCoshen - 8B
Projection: Top 4 defenseman
Comparable: A delicious Montreal smoked meat sandwich, with a side of pickles and your grandma's latkes.

2 (NR) - D Josh Jacobs - 8C
Projection: Top 4 defenseman
Comparable: Smoked salmon one bite, pickled herring the next. And I like pickled herring.

3 (2) - D Matt Killian - 7B
Projection: Bottom 4 defenseman
Comparable: Vegan brunch, but the baked beans are delicious.

4 (NR) - C Jayce Hawryluk - 6.5A
Projection: 4th line center/PK specialist
Comparable: Textured vegetable protein.

5 (NR) - D Blake Siebenaler - 7C
Projection: Bottom-pairing D; powerplay specialist
Comparable: Ketchup chips.

6 (5) - D Nikolas Brouillard - 7.5D
Projection: Bottom-pairing powerplay specialist part deux
Comparable: Celery sticks with delicious chipotle mayo dipping sauce.

7 (7) - LW/C Blaine Byron - 6.5B
Projection: Still a 3rd or 4th line winger
Comparable: White bread with a token sprinkling of multigrain seeds, lightly toasted and buttered as desired.

8 (9) - RW/LW Emil Lundberg - 6B
Projection: Bottom 6 forward
Comparable: Hard-core fruit. Stone fruit I mean.

9 (10) - G Jaroslav Pavelka - 7D
Projection: Backup goaltender
Comparable: A mystery wrapped in dark chocolate and coated in ennui.

10 (NR) - G Jonas Johansson - 6B
Projection: Backup backup goaltender
Comparable: World's tiniest cheeseburger served to a below-averaged sized gerbil.
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Predictions - What Are They Good For?

Post by SharksGM »

113 points and a first round exit. That's what one can expect from the Sharks this season, going by the previous 4 - and as we all know, past performance guarantees future results.

In all seriouness, though, this Sharks team looks much like the teams of the last four seasons. Sure, changes have been made - experienced veterans have been let go and replaced mostly by fresh and younger blood, while the veteran Jonathan Bernier replaces stud rookie Andrei Vasilevski in goal. The biggest change is surely the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk, a top-tier goalscoring winger who will surely please fans pining for the days of Heatley & Thornton. Captain Erik Cole is gone as well, along with defensive stalwarts Nik Kronwall and Michal Rozsival. Cole's spot in the lineup will be taken by Kovalchuk, although Ilya is almost certainly to have a more regular role on the top line. Kronwall is replaced by the less talented but equally gritty Matt Smaby, while Rozsival's time should be split between competing youngsters Matt Killian and Michal Rozsival. Depth forwards have been shuffled around too - Jaden Schwartz is just now set to be replaced by Austin Watson of the Kings (via Calgary), while 4th line center ordinaire Jack Skille is replaced by anyone's guess, who cares? Quinton Howden will fill in for the suspended Ivan Telegin, as yet another addition from a Pacific division rival.

That is as complete a summary of the Sharks' offseason as you'll find, and leads us to boldly predict this starting lineup:

Radulov - Thornton - Kovalchuk
Telegin* - Getzlaf - Clowe
Byron - Cogliano - Watson
Howden - Betts/Winchester/Nattinen - Tornkvist

Klefbom - Forbort
Ballard - Komisarek
Smaby - Zaytsev/Killian

Bernier / Volden/Anderson

*suspended for the opening 3 games.

Only minor uncertainties remain over the Sharks' cap troubles holding on to a 22-man roster - only one of veterans Blair Betts and backup Craig Anderson can fit into the lineup at a given time. Nonetheless, this is much the same as previous' years rosters. Maybe the dynamic Russians centered by a fitter, stronger Jumbo Joe will average 100 points each. Maybe the younger, leaner, hungrier defense will eat more Campbell's chunky chicken soup and stop some goals. Maybe Bernier will put together a fine season in net before collapsing in the playoffs. But one thing is for certain - nothing is for certain anymore, although it's pretty damn likely. So expect to see your Sharks steamroll through the regular season like a rabid panda going through a nonsensical analogy covered in bamboo shoots, and leaves. I'm outta here.
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