The San Jose Sharks continued to tempt their fans with championship caliber stretches last season, but the playoffs once again proved to be too much for the Northern California club. The streaky Sharks have always had the talent, but they continue to lack the special ingredient to get over the top.
At first, the Sharks seemed to benefit from the lockout more than any other team. They opened the 2013 season by winning all seven of their January games. Patrick Marleau scored two goals in each of the Sharks’ first four, and he added one more in the club’s fifth contest. Marleau tallied 14 points in seven January outings, and yet he only tied for the team points lead at the time with Joe Thornton.
Unfortunately, February was not so kind to the Sharks. After looking like a juggernaut for seven games, San Jose sank back to .500 with seven straight losses. They hit a brick wall, and the offense never returned to its extraordinary January heights.
The Sharks were able to keep swimming primarily due to Antti Niemi‘s elite play. Niemi earned a Vezina nomination and tied for the league lead in wins with 24. Though he won a championship as a rookie in Chicago, he is only now reaching his prime. The 30-year-old Finn was a late-bloomer, but he is now unquestionably elite.
Of course, quite a few Sharks have been named elite in recent years. The team just never seem to be the sum of its’ parts. When one star gets hot, another is always snake-bitten.
For example, center Joe Pavelski followed up a 12 point January with a three point February despite playing five more games in the calendar’s shortest month. Pavelski averaged more than a point-per-game in the playoffs, but Patrick Marleau slumped with just three points in seven conference semifinals games against the L.A. Kings. Marleau stayed off the scoresheet for the final four games of the team’s doomed playoff run.
When playing to their full potential, the Sharks terrify other teams. However, San Jose far too often looks like a fish out of water. Eventually the responsibility for the disappointments in Silicon Valley must fall on head coach Todd McLellan.
McLellan has a sparkling 202-92-41 record in five seasons behind the bench, and he has never failed to get his team into the playoffs. His three division championships and two conference finals trips in five years are certainly accomplishments, but McLellan has yet to prove he can get the most out of his perennially talented team. The groceries have always been there, and it’s his job to cook the dinner. If this year’s meal is undercooked once again, he may not be back.
GM Doug Wilson emphasized his confidence in the current lineup by avoiding significant off-season changes. A draft day trade for Tyler Kennedy was the only significant move of the summer.
A few new faces should graduate from the youth ranks, and they might provide the missing spark. Czech center Tomas Hertl excels in nearly every aspect of the game, and he will make the transition from his home country’s Extraliga this fall. With a lethal shot, good vision and an underrated physical game, Hertl could be a Calder Trophy contender and a future star. Lightning quick Boston University product Matt Nieto will also get a long look in training camp.
Realignment will force the Sharks to be consistent this season. The Vancouver Canucks will join the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks among the Sharks’ most challenging division rivals, but the Edmonton Oilers should not be overlooked. With three first overall picks in their lineup, the Oilers could quite easily sneak by a sleeping Sharks’ team.
San Jose must finish inside the Pacific’s top three to guarantee themselves a postseason bid, but a fourth place finish should see them return to hockey’s second season with minimal issue. San Jose, L.A., Anaheim and Vancouver will all have designs on the division crown, and the gap between first and fourth could be very slim. Extended slumps could put the team on the golf course in April.
The Sharks have the potential to reclaim the division crown for the first time in three years, and a deep playoff run continues to be within their reach. While the outlook remains optimistic, the margin for error in San Jose is shrinking. With Thornton, Marleau and defenseman Dan Boyle aging, the Sharks could be one more failure away from an overhaul.
