Final grades
Too many Sharks players fell short of expectations
Most members of the San Jose Sharks organization — players, coaches, and staff members — might not experience a more challenging season in their professional careers than the one they just endured.
From being away from home for the first few weeks of the season to living with strict protocols on a day-to-day basis, the Sharks hope they’ll never have an ordeal like this again.
That’s especially true of the on-ice product, as the Sharks (21-28-7) were seventh in their eight-team division and 26th in the overall NHL standings.
That said, the Sharks did have some individual bright spots in an otherwise dreary season that saw them miss the playoffs for the second straight year. The Sharks had an effective top line by th end of the season and saw a rookie defenseman take ownership of a spot inside the team’s top four and never let it go.
Here are our letter grades for Sharks players, the coaching staff, and the front office for the 2020-2021 season.
Centers
Tomas Hertl — Was arguably the Sharks’ best forward when he was healthy. Had 32 points in his final 33 games following his comeback after a positive COVID-19 test. Was the Sharks’ faceoff leader at 55.2 percent and became the Sharks’ No. 1 center this year. (A-).
Logan Couture — Was the Sharks’ best player through the first two months of the season before his production dried up. Finished with 31 points in 53 games, as his 0.58 points per game average was his lowest since his rookie year in 2009-10. Injuries and fatigue played a role. Worked to help to improve the team’s culture. (B-).
Dylan Gambrell — Proved to be a responsible two-way third line centerman but finished with just five goals and 12 points. Could return as a fourth-line center in the fall, although he is a restricted free agent and might be exposed in the expansion draft. (C-).
Patrick Marleau — The Sharks’ icon provided stability at the fourth-line center position and his versatility came in handy at times for coach Bob Boughner. Still, he had just nine points in 56 games, and although his reduced role played a part in his statistics, one must wonder if this is the end. (D+).
Joel Kellman — Took a step back on the Sharks’ organizational depth chart. Had two points in seven NHL games. Is under contract for another season. (D).
Alexander True — Showed flashes but never seized the fourth-line center role during the season. A pending RFA who could be re-signed for organizational depth purposes. (D).
Fredrik Handemark — Handemark, a pending unrestricted free agent, had one goal in eight NHL games. Perhaps not the return the Sharks were expecting when they signed him out of Sweden last year. (D-).
Wingers
Evander Kane — Had the best season of his NHL career despite a very public bankruptcy filing. Led the Sharks in goals (22), assists (27), and points (49). Had 40 points and just 14 penalty minutes over his final 43 games. (A).
Rudolfs Balcers — Proved to be a solid addition to the Sharks’ top-nine forward group and finished with 17 points in 41 games. With a $735,000 cap hit this season, Balcers gave the Sharks more bang for their buck than most other players. (B).
Alexander Barabanov — Has seven points in nine games for the Sharks and fit well on the top line with Hertl and Kane. Smart, skilled player. Should be, at the very least, a top-nine winger next season. (B).
Matt Nieto — Was a reliable two-way forward and penalty killer before an injury wiped out his season after 28 games. Would not be surprising to see Nieto, a pending UFA, return to San Jose in the fall. (C).
John Leonard — Might have been better off spending the year in the AHL but had a decent season — all things considered — with 13 points in 44 games as a first-year pro. Impressed the Sharks with his hockey sense and two-way game. (C).
Noah Gregor — Started the season as the Sharks’ thirdline center, which was too big of a role for him at this stage of his career. Showed potential as a winger but consistency was the biggest issue. (C-).
Kevin Labanc — Made some improvements, particularly on the defensive side, but was another player who needed to make a bigger impact as a top-six forward. Spent time in the bottom six near the end of the season and might be best suited as a third-liner on a deep team. (C-).
Timo Meier — Was not consistent enough. One game he would be great, and the next he’d be invisible. Although his production was down, with just 31 points in 54 games, Meier too often did not play a detailed enough game or use his size to his advantage. (C-).
Ryan Donato — Had 20 points in 50 games as he gradually saw his ice time reduced over the course of the season. Was scratched for the final four games. Is a pending restricted free agent and could be with another team next season. (D+).
Jeffrey Viel — Had 23 penalty minutes in 11 games but became less impactful the more games he played. (D).
Kurtis Gabriel — Injected some needed energy and toughness for a stretch midway through the season but never played again after an ugly game vs. Arizona on March 27. Was replaced in the lineup by Viel. (D).
Marcus Sorensen — Had a good year in Sweden before the NHL season began but was mainly used on the Sharks’ fourth line. Battled injuries. A pending UFA, his time in teal is likely over. (D).
Incomplete grades: Sasha Chmelevski, Joachim Blichfeld, Ivan Chekhovich, Lean Bergmann.
Defensemen
Mario Ferraro — Moved into a top-four role in his second pro season as his average time
on ice jumped more than six minutes to 22:26. Helped form the Sharks’ top shutdown pair and also had 16 assists, second-most among all defensemen. The Sharks couldn’t have asked for much more. (A-).
Nikolai Knyzhov — Made the team out of camp and never let go of his spot. Made mistakes but impressed with his skating ability and work ethic. If nothing else this year, the Sharks found a defenseman who will fit nicely into their top four next season and can play with Erik Karlsson. (B).
Brent Burns — Had 29 points in 56 games this season but that was partly because his offensive zone starts were down as well, from close to 3.4 per game just two years ago to 1.9 this season. Led the Sharks in time on ice at over 26 minutes a game, but there were moments when fatigue caught up to him. (B-).
Marc-edouard Vlasic — Improved as the season went on as he started to average close to 17 minutes per game, which might be his sweet spot going forward, for the final month. Was the third leading penalty killer among Sharks defensemen. Had just six points in 51 games. (C-).
Erik Karlsson — Got off to a slow start and never found a rhythm, finishing with 22 points in 52 games — not close to enough for the league’s highest-paid defenseman. Like Burns, offensive zone starts were down. Will surrounding him with better players next season translate into greater production? The Sharks better hope so. Certainly, the power play has almost nowhere to go but up. (D).
Radim Simek — Played well at times but will benefit from a four-month offseason to get his health and his game back in order after another trying year. (D).
Christian Jaros — Was better in his last three games than he was in the first four. Is an RFA and it wouldn’t be a to
tal surprise to see the Sharks bring him back for depth purposes. (Incomplete).
Other incomplete grades: Brinson Pasichnuk, Nicolas Meloche, Greg Pateryn, Jake Middleton.
Goalies
Martin Jones — Too inconsistent. Had a slow start, then was solid for most of March but mediocre for most of April. Had a save percentage of .896 for the third straight season. Sharks say they’ll explore all avenues to improve the position. Days in San Jose appear to be numbered. (D-).
Josef Korenar — Overcame a shaky start to his NHL career in April but calmed down as he gained more experience. Will be a factor in the competition for the backup job at training camp in the fall. (C).
Incomplete grade: Alexei Melnichuk.
Coaches
Boughner and his staff were tasked with fixing the Sharks’ culture and getting the team to play to an identity. The Sharks made strides in both areas, although they went 3-11-3 to finish the season. Boughner and his staff deserve credit for keeping everyone on the same page through a trying season, starting with the challenge of holding a training camp in Scottdale, Arizona. On the ice, the Sharks scored more goals at even strength on a per-game basis than last season but were still among the NHL’S worst at keeping the puck out of their own net. Their penalty kill took a step back from last season but was still OK. The power play, though, got worse as the year went on. Ultimately, did the Sharks underperform given their roster flaws? Probably a little. But with an improved foundation, the Sharks should be in a better spot for the start of next season than they were at the start of 2020-2021. (C).