I'm sure from the lack of Teal in the picture above as well as the lack of hockey blogging as of late, that you already realize by now that my beloved San Jose Sharks did not win the Stanley Cup. I had actually planned to continue my game coverage of the Western Conference Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks (pictured above) but after the first game, I thought it would be a waste of time so I waited for game 2, and then game 3, and by the time game 4 was over - so was the WCF and the Sharks season. Yes, the Sharks were felled in 4 games, not winning a single game against the Hawks who would go on to take the Cup in 6 games against Philly. As for the games themselves, they weren't horrible losses and the games were a lot closer than the scores revealed. But the quality of play just didn't merit me writing about it. And I still can't quite put my finger on it, why the games felt as static as they did. Was it because the Sharks didn't use their full potential or was it because Chicago was just the better team. The games were fast and the action was there, but it felt like I was watching a regular season game almost. With so much passion being put on the ice during the series against Detroit, this series felt empty. Even the story lines that showed up in this series weren't that great. Yes, Niemi was great in goal for the Hawks and Marleau finding the net was beautiful. But overall, it was just a very hollow experience.I can probably blame a few players on the Sharks defeat but overall the team play wasn't there. Though I am disappointed, I can't be totally upset with San Jose because they did find a way to make it all the way to the Conference Finals as well as beat one of their biggest adversaries in the Detroit Red Wings. Now that the season is over, General Manager Doug Wilson's work begins. Free agency starts on July 1 (another reason for me to celebrate) which means that everyone who's contract is about to expire has to accept an offer from the Sharks (if they get one) by this date or they can move on to another team. While there are a lot of players up for grabs, I'll go over some of the key keeps and drops I feel the Sharks should make.
Joe Pavelski (#8) - I'll give you an easy one to start off. Pavs scored 9 goals and 8 assists, carrying the San Jose Sharks through two rounds in the playoffs. He had 3 game winning goals including goals that forced overtime and won in overtime. Joe is a restricted free agent which means another team can make an offer on him but the Sharks have the opportunity to counter that offer. I don't see Wilson letting go of #8 anytime soon.
Evgeni Nabokov (#20) - This may surprise to you but I say that Doug Wilson should cut Nabby loose. Nabokov is an unrestricted free agent which means that if he doesn't get a contract after July 1, he is no longer a Shark. While I can't deny his stellar regular season play, putting three back-to-back 40 win seasons - he has not been able to step up his game with consistency in the playoffs. One big problem I see with Nabby is that he knows he is the #1 goalie for the Sharks. If you look at some of the great young goalies in the league like Anderson (Colorado), Niemi (Chicago), and Leighton (Philadelphia) they all had to fight for that starting position. Leighton was the back-up goalie to the back-up goalie! He wasn't even on the bench during games yet he was able to come out and take the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals and put up one major fight against Chicago, whose goaltender also had to fight for his position. The pressure from the guy behind you that might take your spot is an important part of hockey. You see it with even top guys like Marleau and Heatley, who are dropped down to the secondary lines while a guy that's hot (like the young Logan Couture) gets the opportunity to play on the top scoring line. It should be no different for the goalie and because Nabokov doesn't have the need to fight for his position, I truly wonder if he will ever be able to come out in the playoffs with his A game. Greiss is a strong back-up goalie, but the Sharks need to make a move for someone who is an up and coming goaltender who will fight every night for that W.
Patrick Marleau (#12) - Patty is an unrestricted free agent, in the same boat as Nabby but I think and know Doug should keep him. One major reason is that Patty is the face of the San Jose Sharks. If he was gone, it would be like going to Disneyland and not seeing Mickey. And Patty has given the Sharks everything they have asked of him. After his worse season ever in professionals (even worse than his junior career), Patty came back with a vengeance, scoring a record high 38 goals. After the Sharks shocking round 1 loss in the playoffs, Marleau's captaincy was taken away and huge speculations of a trade were swirling around the hockey world. Then when Wilson magically got one of the top scorers in Heatley without having to trade Marleau, talk of Patty's trade died down and shifted to how was he going to perform now that the C was no longer on his sweater. Apparently the loss of the extra weight from the felt "C" did wonders because Marleau scored 44 goals in the regular season (the first time he has ever scored over 40) and 8 goals in the playoffs (just one behind Pavelski). That's not even the half of it, Marleau has always been criticized for his play without the puck but this season his play has been phenomenal from great defensive plays and big hits to winning board battles and keeping on his man - Patty's game has reached a new level, one that should prove that he is an integral part of the San Jose franchise.
Rob Blake (#4), Niclas Wallin (#7), & Jay Leach (#28) - All three defensemen are unrestricted free agents that should be let go. I've always felt that San Jose's biggest weakness is with their D-Men. Just like with the forwards, you have your top 2 scoring lines, you have what is known as the top 4 defensemen. They are supposed to be big, defensively sound but they also need to be able to move the puck well, start plays, and offer the big blast from the point. Dan Boyle is your puck mover and play maker, Douglas Murray is your sound defensemen, Rob Blake is your big shot from the point, and . . . well they are kind of missing a truly sound 4th defensemen. Vlasic could have been that man but with the last two seasons, I truly doubt that now. As for the three I mentioned, I don't want the Sharks to get rid of Rob Blake but at 40 years old, I think he is going to retire. He is already a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, he has a Stanley Cup ring, and is considered one of the best defensemen in the entire league. I'd rather see Blakey go out on top while he is still playing well than stay in the league a few more years and have his game deteriorate.
That being said, the Sharks are really hurting for the one thing they need the most, a strong defensemen who can shoot the puck well. That's why they brought Blake over in the first place. While Murray could become that with practice, the Sharks need to build a better and stronger defensive core. Wallin and Leach were brought in for some added depth and in case of injuries to the other defensemen but I haven't been impressed with them at all. During the Chicago series, coach McLellan played seven defensemen (one more than usual) switching off Wallin and rookie Demers. I think Demers even as a rookie has some stronger values than Wallin who just seemed lost on the ice most of the time. Huskins was a big surprise this season since he was a no show due to a broken foot last season. It took him a while to get his game up but once he did, he became a pretty solid defensemen and even got involved in the offensive zone. Keeping the D-core I mentioned, I think the Sharks need to make a move for a strong and active D-man to replace Blake and to fully round out the Sharks back end players. Even two new D-guys would be great but to do that, they need to drop some of the dead weight they've been carrying around this season.
Devin Setoguchi (#16) & Brad Staubitz (#59) - Both restricted free agents, I think the Sharks need to drop Staubitz. Filling in a grinder style of role (which Malhotra and Nichol fill also) he has gotten the Sharks into more trouble than any other player I've ever seen. So much so, that he hasn't played since the early part of the season. He's big, likes to fight, and has rocks for brains - cut him loose now. As for Seto, I have mixed feelings about Seto. On one side he's a great goal scorer and his play without the puck has gotten better. On the other hand, you have rookies like Couture that have scored with more consistency for the Sharks than Seto. Being a part of the key second line, I think the Sharks can find someone better than Setoguchi in scoring and in overall play. I will give Seto this, when he gets into a scoring slump, he does everything he can think of to break it. Shaving his head, changing gear, nothing is off the table - and it usually works. If he stays or goes, I'll be okay with the idea because I know Wilson is going to do what is best for the team.
Manny Malhotra (#27), Scott Nichol (#21), & Jed Ortmeyer (#41) - The three newest players to the Sharks were all brought in to add some grit, energy, and to strengthen the third and fourth lines. They also brought some killer offensive with Malhotra scoring 14 goals, Nichol scoring 4, and Ortmeyer scoring 8. Malhotra is also the faceoff king which became a key part in the series win against Detroit. Nichol also isn't shabby at the dot, almost tying Malhotra on faceoff win percentage. All three are unrestricted free agents and are up for grabs. I will be shocked if Doug Wilson lets go of Manny Malhotra, he has been such a key part of the Sharks even though he wasn't brought in for that. Yes, we knew he was good at faceoffs and we knew he played with some jump but no one was expecting him to get 14 goals this season. That's just one behind Dan Boyle! Manny is a keeper. As for Scotty and Jed, I love them both and if it were my team would definitely keep Nichol, but I'm not quite sure if the Sharks need both of them or even either of them. With such a strong showing from the rookies of Worcester, the open slots are limited and a lot of guys are going to have to compete for these slots. I'm hoping they stay, especially Nichol, but I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson decides to cut them loose.
Overall, I love the current San Jose Sharks team but feel that major changes need to be made in respect to goaltending and defense. I'm curious to see if any of my predictions come true and what Doug Wilson has in store for San Jose. From what happened last year (almost 20 players were cut loose) I'm sure that he is going to do everything in his power to make San Jose a cup winning team. July 1st is almost around the corner and I'm getting stoked again about the San Jose Sharks and the 2010-2011 season.
Update: It's official, the Sharks captain Rob Blake is retiring after 20 years in the league. This definitive defensemen will be remembered for his powerful shot, strong defensive zone coverage, and will soon find himself in the hockey Hall of Fame. As for the Sharks, once again they will have to choose a second captain in only two seasons. Doug Wilson will also have to find a way to fill the large hole that Blake is going to leave in San Jose. Blake has always been my favorite defensemen so it's going to be hard to watch the game without him. Good luck Blake and I'm sure I'll still see you around the league!
