|
|
9/15 Training Camp
Notes
Let the games begin, time to start thinking
contracts
Sharks Training Camp kicked into full swing this
past week, with players reporting for initial practices and inter-team
scrimmages at Sharks Ice on 10th street south of downtown. 50+ players are
working to land one of the 23 roster spots that will be filled for San Jose's
opening night game on October 3rd. Most of those 23 slots are committed to
veteran players, but a handful of prospects are hopeful that they'll catch the
eye of Sharks head coach Todd McLellan and his staff.
Players are
divided into two groups in order to make practices more manageable, as well as
to create even scrimmage teams. Group A notables include Patrick Marleau, Logan
Couture, Jason Demers, Raffi Torres, and Scott Hannan. Group B includes Joe
Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Tyler Kennedy, Brent Burns, Dan Boyle, Marc-Edouard
Vlasic and Antti Niemi. Not surprisingly, Group B has dominated most of the
scrimmage play, which started last Friday.
The most notable line
combination has been Thornton, centering Burns and off-season acquisition Tyler
Kennedy. Kennedy, the long-time Pittsburgh Penguin forward, was the biggest
fish Sharks GM Doug Wilson landed over the summer. McLellan seems intrigued by
the thought have having Kennedy try to bolster the Sharks scoring with the help
of the team's best setup man and their converted defenseman who blossomed up
front at the end of the 2012-13 season.
You may get a chance to see
how that line does on Monday night as the Sharks travel to Vancouver to
kick-off the pre-season schedule with a game in British Columbia. NHL Network
is scheduled to broadcast the game live, starting at 7:00pm.
The rest
of the Sharks week looks like the following:
MON., SEPT. 16
10:15
a.m. - Group Two practice @ Sharks Ice (East)
7 P.M. - GAME @ VANCOUVER -
TV: NHL NETWORK
TUES., SEPT. 17
Day Off
WED., SEPT. 18
10 a.m. - Group 1 practice @ Sharks Ice
11:30 a.m. - Group 2 practice @
Sharks Ice
THURS., SEPT. 19
10 a.m. - Group 1 practice @ Sharks
Ice
11:30 a.m. - Group 2 practice @ Sharks Ice
FRI., SEPT. 20
9:15 a.m. - Group 1 practice @ SAP Center
10:30 a.m. - Group 2 practice @
SAP Center
7:30 P.M - GAME VS. ANAHEIM DUCKS - SAP CENTER
SAT.,
SEPT. 21
9:15 a.m. - Group 1 practice @ SAP Center
10:30 a.m. - Group 2
practice @ SAP Center
7:30 P.M - GAME VS. PHOENX COYOTES - SAP
CENTER
SUN., SEPT. 22
Day Off
MON., SEPT. 23
10 a.m. -
Group 1 practice @ Sharks Ice
11:30 a.m. - Group 2 practice @ Sharks Ice
TUES., SEPT. 24
9:15 a.m. - Group 1 practice @ SAP Center
10:30 a.m. - Group 2 practice @ SAP Center
7:30 P.M - GAME VS. VANCOUVER
CANUCKS - SAP CENTER - TV: NHL NETWORK
It's Never too Early to Start
Talking Dollars
Wilson spent a good deal of time getting players
signed to deals that help round out his lineup including inking Pavelski,
Couture and Torres to multi-year deals. His real work lies next summer when his
three most notable veterans all become unrestricted free agents.
That
list includes Thornton, Marleau and Boyle. Thornton tops the payroll this
season with a $7 million paycheck, followed by Marleau at $6.9 million, and
Boyle at $6.66 million. A deal for Thornton is almost a given, but things get
interesting when it comes to the other two.
Marleau's future will
largely be dictated by his performance this season. Wilson remains extremely
loyal to his veterans, but he has to decide if committing a large portion of
his salary cap space to the 16 year vet is worth it. Come playoff time, Marleau
has been a world beater one year, and a goat the next. His biological clock
isn't as concerning as Boyle's, but it's still something to consider.
Marleau, like the other two, will undoubtedly demand a multi-year deal. His
roots are based in San Jose, and he'll want to finish his career in the Bay
Area. Marleau and Wilson will need to work and long and hard to figure out
what's amicable for both sides.
Boyle's situation is much more
complicated. He had a down year, and his age is starting to show. His offensive
numbers were down, and $7 million a season is a lot of money to commit to a
defenseman whose career is battling Father Time.
Boyle was thought to
be a trade target of several teams last spring, but his big money contract made
him tough to move. Only Wilson knows if he was a trade option, but history
suggests that anyone is game.
Shelling out big dollars to a 37
year-old blueliner is probably unlikely, so Boyle will need to decide if San
Jose is in his future. It makes sense for Wilson to ask for a discount from
Boyle and his agent.
If he's smart, Wilson figures out how he's going
to play these situations by December so he can chart a path on how he uses them
come spring time. All three have no-trade clauses, but each could agree on
moves if the two parties decide that longer term deals are not in the cards.
The Dinged
Defenseman Brad Stuart is not participating
in practices, as he nurses an undisclosed injury. Martin Havlat is expected to
miss time as well as he continues to recover from off-season hip surgery.
No Bull
The Sharks affiliate San Francisco Bulls held
open tryouts at the cow Palace on Sunday. Several hopefuls from around North
America and Europe kicked off the open tryout, with the hope of landing a full
time spot on the ECHL team's roster. One player from the tryout is guaranteed a
spot on the team's roster from a pre-season game.
>> 2013 Training Camp
Center
 |
|
| What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
