AGING AND REBUILDING
THE GREY STREAKS IN
Joe Thornton’s beard will soon be a more appropriate color for the Sharks than their trademark teal. As it stands now, the average age of San Jose’s core veteran skaters of Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Logan Couture, Evander Kane and Marc-Edouard Vlasic is 31. Not ancient, but the catch is they’re all signed for the next five years or more – at major outlay, eating up about half the team’s salary cap.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS: No team in the NHL has such a wide disparity between its prime-time players and its supporting cast. The Sharks need players who can deliver reliable minutes in the bottom-six forward group and on the third defense pairing. The system is devoid of elite prospects who are ready, so GM Doug Wilson’s pitch to free agents is more about playing time than compensation. LONG-TERM NEEDS: There’s trouble on the home front. Burns was San Jose’s top player this season, and he’s been a rock for the Sharks for nearly a decade. But he’s 35, and he can see the 18th tee from where he’s standing. There’s no blueline prospect depth to speak of, and the Sharks are thin at the NHL level. There’s no goalie of the future in the system, and Martin Jones is coming off back-to-back subpar seasons. The future is dire in the crease. CAP SITUATION: When RFA Kevin Labanc gets the raise he deserves, the Sharks will have about $12 million to spend on support players, but they’re not going to get any young blue-chippers. San Jose needs to sign at least seven more players to round out its 23-man roster, so the average deal has to be in the $1.7-million range.
IN THE SYSTEM 2020-21: Noah Gregor put his NHL speed on display in limited ice time in 28 games with the Sharks. He’ll be one of two or three youngsters sure to be among San Jose’s bottom-six forwards. DID YOU KNOW: It seems like defense prospect Ryan Merkley has been around forever, but he doesn’t turn 20 until August. He dropped outside the top 100 in Future Watch this year.