Sharks face old problems in new season
These are not your grandfather’s, father’s or even funky uncle’s Sharks.
Annual playoff participants for the better part of two decades — and occasional Stanley Cup posers — this season’s edition shows dubious promise heading into Thursday’s opening of training camp.
Long gone are franchise pillars Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. They’re not here to save San Jose anymore. The Sharks, refusing to label it a rebuild, embark on a third-year reset while patiently waiting for new players to emerge and burdened by unmovable contracts for a number
of key players.
General manager Doug Wilson’s front office and Bob Boughner’s coaching staff will have a close eye on at least five headline developments as the team prepares for the Oct. 16 regular-season opener against Winnipeg at SAP Center.
Evander Kane controversy: Assuming the team’s leading scorer is found not to have bet on hockey by the league — an investigation sparked by accusations from his estranged wife, Anna Kane — the question is, how does the team move forward amid reports that some teammates don’t want him back?
Finding a trade partner seems unlikely, and the Sharks need Kane’s production, so it’s possible everyone is just going to have to make the best of it. Kane and the Sharks have three weeks to figure it out.
Fresh look in goal: The Martin Jones era is finally over. The Sharks hope to rebound from three years of loitering at the bottom of league in puck-stopping stats. Adin Hill was acquired from Arizona, and familiar face James Reimer was signed to form a new tandem.
Hill, 25, has only 49 games of NHL experience. He’s an aspiring starter who is determined to prove he’s ready. He’s 6-foot-6, and the Sharks like his ability to compete and stop high-traffic chances. That’s an admission pucks will find their way into dirty areas, and San Jose defensemen aren’t a stout group. Reimer, 33, appeared in eight games following a trade-deadline acquisition in 2016 and accompanied the Sharks to their only Stanley Cup Finals. He left enough of an impression to warrant a longer stay this time, and probably more responsibility. Hired help from outside:
San Jose ventured into the free-agent market and signed forwards Nick Bonino, 33, and Andrew Cogliano, 34, who combine for 26 NHL seasons and 1,747 games (32 fewer than Marleau’s league-record 1,779, just for kicks). The move allows Bonino and Cogliano to take pressure off youngsters who really weren’t ready (and presumably still aren’t), to free up Logan Couture from energy-sapping defensive-zone shift starts and to add much-needed strong character support in the locker room.
The key will be how much each has left in the tank. Cogliano scored three and five goals, respectively, in the past two seasons. Bonino, drafted by San Jose in the sixth round in 2007 and dealt before breaking in, had 10 goals and 26 points for Minnesota last season. Add Reimer’s signing, too, as an effort to strengthen the fractured locker room.
Which youngsters will produce? The Sharks force-fed rookies into the lineup last season and got little in return. Aside from Nikolai Knyzhov becoming a regular on defense and speedy forward John Leonard showing flashes (three goals, 13 points in 44 games), nine other rookies combined to score one goal and six points in 45 games.
Young forwards Alexander Barabanov, Rudolfs Balcers, Noah Gregor and Dylan Gambrell need to contribute early to solidify spots, and San Jose certainly would welcome another surprise or two — William Eklund? Jasper Weatherby?
High-salaried players must lead the way: Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Couture and Kane are all signed to multiyear, bigticket contracts. They all need to raise their game for the Sharks to compete. And don’t let prime-age offensive-minded forwards Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc and Tomas Hertl off the hook. Everyone needs to do what they do, and do it better.