The San Jose Sharks return Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Brent Burns, veteran center Joe Thornton and all-star goaltender Martin Jones, but their success this season ultimately could hinge on the performances of depth players.
The Sharks lost their all-time leading scorer, Patrick Marleau, 37, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent July 2, and will need others to step up.
That task falls to a group of young forwards, including Tomas Hertl, 23, who had an NHL career-low 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 49 games last season; Joonas Donskoi, 25, who had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 61 games; Chris Tierney, 23, who had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 80 games; and Timo Meier, 20, the No. 9 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, who had three goals and three assists in 34 games.
Forward Melker Karlsson, 27, also will be expected to pick up some of the slack. He had 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 67 games last season, his third in the NHL.
Secondary scoring helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their history before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. But that wasn't the case last season during their six-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round, when Hertl, Tierney and Donskoi were held without a goal, and Karlsson and forward Joel Ward each had one.The drought came at a time when Thornton and center Logan Couture each was playing through an injury.
Thornton had a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, and missed the final three regular-season games and first two playoff games. The 38-year-old signed a one-year contract worth $8 million, according to his agents, to remain in San Jose on July 2. He had 50 points (seven goals, 43 assists) last season and no goals and two assists in the playoffs.
Couture, who had 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) in 73 games last season, was hit in the mouth by a deflected shot against the Nashville Predators on March 25. He missed the final seven regular-season games but returned for the playoffs.
Burns led the Sharks in points (76) and assists (47), and tied center Joe Pavelski for the lead in goals (29) during the regular season. He had three assists in the playoffs.
Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (eight years) and Jones (six years) each signed a contract extension July 1; each could have become an unrestricted free agent following this season. Vlasic, 30, had 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 75 games last season, and has 254 points (53 goals, 201 assists) in 812 games in 11 seasons with San Jose. He's part of an impressive top four on defense with Burns, Paul Martin and Justin Braun.
"[Vlasic] can play in all situations and has blossomed into a very trusted player on both sides of the puck," general manager Doug Wilson said.
The Sharks lost defenseman David Schlemko to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft (he was later traded to the Montreal Canadiens), so coach Peter DeBoer will need to figure out his third pair during training camp, with Dylan DeMelo, 24, and Brenden Dillon, 26, considered the frontrunners.
Jones, 27, is 72-46-10 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 130 games for San Jose after being acquired in a trade from the Boston Bruins on June 30, 2015. The Bruins acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings four days earlier.
"We've been competitive every year since I've been on this team, and I don't see us dropping off in the near future," Vlasic told the Sharks website. "I see us being very competitive many years down the road."
That task falls to a group of young forwards, including Tomas Hertl, 23, who had an NHL career-low 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 49 games last season; Joonas Donskoi, 25, who had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 61 games; Chris Tierney, 23, who had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 80 games; and Timo Meier, 20, the No. 9 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, who had three goals and three assists in 34 games.
Forward Melker Karlsson, 27, also will be expected to pick up some of the slack. He had 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 67 games last season, his third in the NHL.
Secondary scoring helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their history before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. But that wasn't the case last season during their six-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round, when Hertl, Tierney and Donskoi were held without a goal, and Karlsson and forward Joel Ward each had one.The drought came at a time when Thornton and center Logan Couture each was playing through an injury.
Thornton had a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, and missed the final three regular-season games and first two playoff games. The 38-year-old signed a one-year contract worth $8 million, according to his agents, to remain in San Jose on July 2. He had 50 points (seven goals, 43 assists) last season and no goals and two assists in the playoffs.
Couture, who had 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) in 73 games last season, was hit in the mouth by a deflected shot against the Nashville Predators on March 25. He missed the final seven regular-season games but returned for the playoffs.
Burns led the Sharks in points (76) and assists (47), and tied center Joe Pavelski for the lead in goals (29) during the regular season. He had three assists in the playoffs.
Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (eight years) and Jones (six years) each signed a contract extension July 1; each could have become an unrestricted free agent following this season. Vlasic, 30, had 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 75 games last season, and has 254 points (53 goals, 201 assists) in 812 games in 11 seasons with San Jose. He's part of an impressive top four on defense with Burns, Paul Martin and Justin Braun.
"[Vlasic] can play in all situations and has blossomed into a very trusted player on both sides of the puck," general manager Doug Wilson said.
The Sharks lost defenseman David Schlemko to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft (he was later traded to the Montreal Canadiens), so coach Peter DeBoer will need to figure out his third pair during training camp, with Dylan DeMelo, 24, and Brenden Dillon, 26, considered the frontrunners.
Jones, 27, is 72-46-10 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 130 games for San Jose after being acquired in a trade from the Boston Bruins on June 30, 2015. The Bruins acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings four days earlier.
1. The two JoesThe San Jose Sharks outshot their opponents at 5-on-5 every season since 2009-10, the first for which shot-based metrics are available on NHL.com.
That success largely was because of their two top forwards, Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. During the past six seasons, the Sharks outshot their opponents 6,679-5,188 with Thornton on the ice (SAT differential of plus-1,491, seventh in NHL) and 6,754-5,568 with Pavelski on the ice (plus-1,186, ninth).
San Jose's share of shot attempts with Thornton on the ice was 56.28 percent compared to 50.08 percent without him. His plus-6.2 relative SAT% was seventh among those to play at least 100 NHL games in that time span. Pavelski was 40th (plus-4.2).
2. High-paced hockey
There's a statistic in basketball called Pace Factor, the number of possessions each team averages in a 48-minute game. In hockey, the equivalent statistic is calculated by counting the average number of shot attempts per 60 minutes of play.
From this perspective, the Sharks are considered a high-pace team. At 5-on-5, they averaged 58.21 shot attempts per 60 minutes and allowed 55.65 last season, for an average Pace Factor of 56.93, which ranked seventh in the NHL, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Sharks play at an even higher pace on special teams. Last season, they averaged 101.08 shot attempts per 60 minutes on the power play and allowed their opponents 107.36 shot attempts per 60 minutes while shorthanded, for an average Pace Factor of 104.22, which ranked fourth in the NHL.
The Sharks signed defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic to an eight-year, $56 million contract extension ($7 million average annual value) on July 1, according to CapFriendly.com. By the start of next season, San Jose will have $15 million in NHL salary cap space reserved for its top two defensemen, Vlasic and Brent Burns, who begins an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million average annual value) this season.
Coach Peter DeBoer deploys Vlasic and Burns in a diametrically opposed fashion, with Burns used more offensively and Vlasic more defensively.
Burns led Sharks defensemen last season (minimum five games) with an offensive-zone start percentage of 58.33. Vlasic (45.00) and regular partner Justin Braun (42.91) were the only Sharks defensemen with offensive-zone start percentages below 50.0.
On special teams, Burns led Sharks defensemen with an average of 3:35 per game on the power play, and Braun (2:07) and Vlasic (2:04) were the top two in shorthanded ice time per game.
Vlasic's most common opponent last season was Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, who won the Art Ross and Hart trophies. Vlasic faced McDavid for 59:46 of ice time in five games, according to Natural Stat Trick. For Burns, it was Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler, who usually plays against the opposition's best offensive players. Burns was on the ice against Kesler for 52:04 in five games.
Since entering the NHL in 1991-92, the San Jose Sharks have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 19 of 25 seasons, won six Pacific Division titles and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final once, in 2016.
All that's missing is the Cup, and it's seemingly becoming harder for the Sharks to win it. What will make this season more challenging is making up for the loss of forward Patrick Marleau, 37, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2 as an unrestricted free agent after 19 seasons in San Jose.
1. How will they replace Patrick Marleau?
With the departure of Marleau, the Sharks lost 27 goals and 16 power-play points (seven goals, nine assists) after finishing 19th in the NHL in scoring (2.67 goals per game) and 25th on the power play (16.7 percent). The onus to help provide scoring will be on forwards Logan Couture, Mikkel Boedker and Joonas Donskoi.
Couture scored 25 goals last season and hasn't reached 30 since he had 31 in 2011-12. He's also recovering from an injury sustained when he took a puck to the mouth against the Nashville Predators on March 25 that impacted him (two goals, one assist) during the Sharks' six-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round.
Boedker, who signed a four-year contract with the Sharks on July 1, 2016, had 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 81 games. The Sharks are hoping for a breakout season from Boedker, whose NHL career high of 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) came with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2013-14.
Donskoi, 25, had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 24 playoff games in 2016 but underachieved last season with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 61 regular-season games.
Thornton, 38, signed a one-year contract July 2 after playing 79 games last season. He saw his production decline from 82 points (19 goals, 63 assists) in 2015-16 to 50 (seven goals, 43 assists) and had surgery to repair two damaged ligaments in his left knee April 24. Though he's projected to remain the first-line center, Thornton's time there may be numbered if age and durability become issues.
Hertl has 124 points (59 goals, 65 assists) in 249 NHL games, but knee injuries limited him to 49 games last season. He proved capable with 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 81 games in 2015-16 and is another candidate to replace Marleau on the first power-play unit. If Hertl stays healthy, he could surpass 50 points for the first time in his NHL career.
3. Is their window to win the Stanley Cup closed?
The core is getting older and the competition in the Pacific is better. The Anaheim Ducks have won the division each of the past five seasons, the Oilers are on the rise after making the second round of the playoffs, and the Flames improved by trading for defenseman Travis Hamonic and goalie Mike Smith in the offseason. San Jose's window to win the Cup may not be closed, but it's smaller with a roster that has eight players age 30 or older, including three who are 36 or older.
Young forwards Timo Meier, 20, and Kevin Labanc, 21, who have played a combined 89 NHL games, are reasons for optimism, and each may receive an expanded role after splitting time with the Sharks and the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League last season.
The San Jose Sharks have made finding young forwards a priority the past two seasons at the NHL Draft, using nine of 11 picks on the position.San Jose's share of shot attempts with Thornton on the ice was 56.28 percent compared to 50.08 percent without him. His plus-6.2 relative SAT% was seventh among those to play at least 100 NHL games in that time span. Pavelski was 40th (plus-4.2).
2. High-paced hockey
There's a statistic in basketball called Pace Factor, the number of possessions each team averages in a 48-minute game. In hockey, the equivalent statistic is calculated by counting the average number of shot attempts per 60 minutes of play.
From this perspective, the Sharks are considered a high-pace team. At 5-on-5, they averaged 58.21 shot attempts per 60 minutes and allowed 55.65 last season, for an average Pace Factor of 56.93, which ranked seventh in the NHL, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Sharks play at an even higher pace on special teams. Last season, they averaged 101.08 shot attempts per 60 minutes on the power play and allowed their opponents 107.36 shot attempts per 60 minutes while shorthanded, for an average Pace Factor of 104.22, which ranked fourth in the NHL.
3. Different defensemen, different assignments
Coach Peter DeBoer deploys Vlasic and Burns in a diametrically opposed fashion, with Burns used more offensively and Vlasic more defensively.
Burns led Sharks defensemen last season (minimum five games) with an offensive-zone start percentage of 58.33. Vlasic (45.00) and regular partner Justin Braun (42.91) were the only Sharks defensemen with offensive-zone start percentages below 50.0.
On special teams, Burns led Sharks defensemen with an average of 3:35 per game on the power play, and Braun (2:07) and Vlasic (2:04) were the top two in shorthanded ice time per game.
Vlasic's most common opponent last season was Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, who won the Art Ross and Hart trophies. Vlasic faced McDavid for 59:46 of ice time in five games, according to Natural Stat Trick. For Burns, it was Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler, who usually plays against the opposition's best offensive players. Burns was on the ice against Kesler for 52:04 in five games.
Since entering the NHL in 1991-92, the San Jose Sharks have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 19 of 25 seasons, won six Pacific Division titles and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final once, in 2016.
All that's missing is the Cup, and it's seemingly becoming harder for the Sharks to win it. What will make this season more challenging is making up for the loss of forward Patrick Marleau, 37, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2 as an unrestricted free agent after 19 seasons in San Jose.
1. How will they replace Patrick Marleau?
With the departure of Marleau, the Sharks lost 27 goals and 16 power-play points (seven goals, nine assists) after finishing 19th in the NHL in scoring (2.67 goals per game) and 25th on the power play (16.7 percent). The onus to help provide scoring will be on forwards Logan Couture, Mikkel Boedker and Joonas Donskoi.
Couture scored 25 goals last season and hasn't reached 30 since he had 31 in 2011-12. He's also recovering from an injury sustained when he took a puck to the mouth against the Nashville Predators on March 25 that impacted him (two goals, one assist) during the Sharks' six-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round.
Boedker, who signed a four-year contract with the Sharks on July 1, 2016, had 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 81 games. The Sharks are hoping for a breakout season from Boedker, whose NHL career high of 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) came with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2013-14.
Donskoi, 25, had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 24 playoff games in 2016 but underachieved last season with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 61 regular-season games.
2. Can Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl stay healthy?
Hertl has 124 points (59 goals, 65 assists) in 249 NHL games, but knee injuries limited him to 49 games last season. He proved capable with 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 81 games in 2015-16 and is another candidate to replace Marleau on the first power-play unit. If Hertl stays healthy, he could surpass 50 points for the first time in his NHL career.
3. Is their window to win the Stanley Cup closed?
The core is getting older and the competition in the Pacific is better. The Anaheim Ducks have won the division each of the past five seasons, the Oilers are on the rise after making the second round of the playoffs, and the Flames improved by trading for defenseman Travis Hamonic and goalie Mike Smith in the offseason. San Jose's window to win the Cup may not be closed, but it's smaller with a roster that has eight players age 30 or older, including three who are 36 or older.
Young forwards Timo Meier, 20, and Kevin Labanc, 21, who have played a combined 89 NHL games, are reasons for optimism, and each may receive an expanded role after splitting time with the Sharks and the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League last season.
Though a number of those players won't reach the NHL for a few more seasons, the Sharks have several other young forward prospects closer to making an impact in the League.
1. Timo Meier, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 9 pick in 2015 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (NHL): 34 GP, 3-3-6; San Jose (AHL): 33 GP, 14-9-23
Meier, 20, scored in his first NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 16. He averaged 12:28 of ice time per game in the League and rarely saw power-play time. That should change this season following the departure of forward Patrick Marleau to the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent. Expect Meier (6-foot, 210 pounds) to get a shot at playing left wing on one of the top two lines and see significant minutes on the man-advantage.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
2. Daniel O'Regan, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 138 pick in 2012 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (NHL): 3 GP, 1-0-1; San Jose (AHL): 63 GP, 23-35-58
After four seasons at Boston University, O'Regan, 23, had a strong first professional season, leading American Hockey League rookies in points. He made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 21 and scored his first goal against the Calgary Flames on April 8. O'Regan (5-10, 180) is a natural center but could be moved to the wing to get him into the lineup.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
3. Joshua Norris, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 19 pick in 2017 NHL Draft
Last season: USA U-18 (NTDP): 61 GP, 27-34-61
Norris, 18, opened eyes with seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, and then dominated the fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine, finishing first in five of 14 events. A speedy skater with strength to protect the puck, Norris (6-1, 190) will play at the University of Michigan this season and likely for the U.S. at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Projected NHL arrival: 2019-20
4. Joakim Ryan, D
How acquired: Selected with No. 198 pick in 2012 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (AHL): 65 GP, 10-39-49
Ryan, 24, made a big jump last season, his second in the AHL. He was tied for fifth among AHL defensemen in points and his plus-27 rating was fourth. With David Schlemko lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft (and subsequently traded to the Montreal Canadiens), the opportunity is there for Ryan (5-11, 185) to claim an NHL spot.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
5. Rourke Chartier, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 149 pick in 2014 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (AHL): 67 GP, 17-18-35
Chartier, 21, made a nice impact in his first professional season and followed it with six assists in seven AHL playoff games. Chartier (5-11, 190) likely will see more ice time in the AHL this season, and how he handles those responsibilities will determine how quickly he's able to progress to the NHL.
Projected NHL arrival: Next season
1. Timo Meier, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 9 pick in 2015 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (NHL): 34 GP, 3-3-6; San Jose (AHL): 33 GP, 14-9-23
Meier, 20, scored in his first NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 16. He averaged 12:28 of ice time per game in the League and rarely saw power-play time. That should change this season following the departure of forward Patrick Marleau to the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent. Expect Meier (6-foot, 210 pounds) to get a shot at playing left wing on one of the top two lines and see significant minutes on the man-advantage.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
2. Daniel O'Regan, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 138 pick in 2012 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (NHL): 3 GP, 1-0-1; San Jose (AHL): 63 GP, 23-35-58
After four seasons at Boston University, O'Regan, 23, had a strong first professional season, leading American Hockey League rookies in points. He made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 21 and scored his first goal against the Calgary Flames on April 8. O'Regan (5-10, 180) is a natural center but could be moved to the wing to get him into the lineup.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
3. Joshua Norris, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 19 pick in 2017 NHL Draft
Last season: USA U-18 (NTDP): 61 GP, 27-34-61
Norris, 18, opened eyes with seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, and then dominated the fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine, finishing first in five of 14 events. A speedy skater with strength to protect the puck, Norris (6-1, 190) will play at the University of Michigan this season and likely for the U.S. at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Projected NHL arrival: 2019-20
4. Joakim Ryan, D
How acquired: Selected with No. 198 pick in 2012 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (AHL): 65 GP, 10-39-49
Ryan, 24, made a big jump last season, his second in the AHL. He was tied for fifth among AHL defensemen in points and his plus-27 rating was fourth. With David Schlemko lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft (and subsequently traded to the Montreal Canadiens), the opportunity is there for Ryan (5-11, 185) to claim an NHL spot.
Projected NHL arrival: This season
5. Rourke Chartier, F
How acquired: Selected with No. 149 pick in 2014 NHL Draft
Last season: San Jose (AHL): 67 GP, 17-18-35
Chartier, 21, made a nice impact in his first professional season and followed it with six assists in seven AHL playoff games. Chartier (5-11, 190) likely will see more ice time in the AHL this season, and how he handles those responsibilities will determine how quickly he's able to progress to the NHL.
Projected NHL arrival: Next season
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