Pavelski exits, Sharks struggle

Joe Pavelski's second visit to SAP Center in visiting colors Saturday night resurrected the question of whether his departure triggered the Sharks' slide.

Coincidence or not, San Jose has fallen from annual Stanley Cup contender after their former captain signed a threeyear, $21 million contract with Dallas on the first day of free agency in 2019. The Sharks weren't willing to offer a third year and Pavelski wasn't going to settle for two.

Leading the Stars in scoring with 21 points goes a way to dispel the Sharks' concerns they had that the 37-year-old wouldn't be productive in a third year.

Pavelski scored his first 355 goals and 761 career points with San Jose. The Sharks, who drafted the Plover, Wis., native in the seventh round in 2003, reached the playoffs in 12 of his 13 seasons. Pavelski led San Jose to its only Stanley Cup Final in 2016 during his first year as captain.

But with Pavelski's need for a new deal on the horizon, the Sharks signed Martin Jones, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Evander Kane, Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson to long-term deals within 24 months leading up to the captain's contract expiring.

A fractured locker room and consecutive non-playoff finishes followed. Is there a direct correlation? One ex-Sharks coach thinks so.

“Look at San Jose before and after Joe Pavelski and that tells you how important he is,” said Vegas coach Peter DeBoer, San Jose's bench boss from 2015-19. “At the end there everyone thought he can't keep up this pace for another three years.”

Pavelski has 402 career goals — second among all seventh-round picks behind Doug Gilmour (450) — and isn't showing any sign of slowing down. He's playing right wing on Dallas' first line. Pavelski still ranks second in Sharks history in goals, third in points and fourth in games played.

The numbers are nice, but all Pavelski cares about is winning.

“We've got a great group of guys, it's a lot of fun,” Pavelski said. “We like to see guys succeed. Winning is definitely more fun.”

Exactly how does Pavelski still maintain his elite level of play? Dallas coach Rick Bowness says it's nothing new from a player who always thinks the game as well any anyone.

“It's hockey IQ,” Bowness said. “More than anything, he knows where to be. If you don't read the play it doesn't matter how fast you are. He knows with his speed and experience where to be. And he's going to get there.”

Pavelski scored only 14 goals and 31 points in 67 games during his first year in Dallas, but he was his usual postseason threat when the Stars advanced to the Cup Final in 2020. Pavelski scored six goals and had 19 points in 27 playoff games.

He rebounded for a better second season last year — 25 goals and 51 points — but Dallas missed out on the playoffs. Pavelski and the Stars are determined to return this year. They won seven straight from Nov. 20 to Dec. 6 before losing their last two before Saturday.

“He keeps showing everybody what he's done his whole career, which is ‘doubt me, and I'll prove otherwise,' ” DeBoer said. “And that's what he's doing.”

Clearly, Pavelski isn't done. But when that day comes, is the Hockey Hall of Fame in his future? The U.S. Hall certainly will be calling.

“I'll tell ya, he's got Hall of Fame character, leadership and intangibles,” DeBoer said. “I don't know where he stands on the numbers on that list, but he's in my Hall of Fame.”