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Meet the 2015-16
Sharks Taking a look at the offense
The 2015-16 NHL Regular Season gets underway on
Wednesday night when the Sharks travel to Southern California to take on their
rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. As the San Jose tries to rebound from their
worst season in over 10 years, we take a quick look at the players that will
adorn the teal and black this season. Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson didn't
dismantle his underperforming roster, but he did retool some of the lineup as
the team tries to get back in the playoff hunt after getting bumped last
season. San Jose looks to a blend of veterans, youngsters and new free
agents.
We start with the forwards, who will make up the Sharks front
lines.
Left Wings
Nikolay
Goldobin
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
HIFK Helsinki |
38 |
11 |
10 |
21 |
12 |
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It's still undecided if Goldobin will make the big
club to start the season, but all signs suggest that he will. The young Russian
has been solid in training camp this season, and provides the Sharks with a
skilled puck-handler that can create offense. After a year split between
Helsinki and Worcester, Goldobin should provide the Sharks with a 3rd line
scoring threat that they've been sorely missing. The big question will be how
well Goldobin adjusts to the rigors of the NHL where the pace is fast, the
hitting is harder and there are 82 games on the regular season schedule.
Patrick Marleau
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
82 |
19 |
38 |
57 |
12 |
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The former Sharks captain had a letdown season in
2014-15, seeing his goal production from 33 goals the prior season to a paltry
19 last year. It seems that as Marleau goes, so go the Sharks. If they are
serious about getting back to the playoffs, Marleau needs to find that scoring
touch that abandoned him last season. Head Coach Peter DeBoer played Marleau on
a line with Logan Couture and Joel Ward for most of the preseason in order to
help kick start Marleau, who won't have the same defensive responsibility as
his centerman (Couture) and will have some grit on his off wing in Ward.
Matt Nieto
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
72 |
10 |
17 |
27 |
20 |
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With a full NHL season under his belt, Nieto won't
have the youngster excuse to lean on this season. His 10 goals were step in the
right direction, but the winger needs to step up his defensive zone coverage,
which was a liability last year. The Sharks still haven't figured out where to
play him, so he'll jump from the top line to the 4th line and everywhere in
between until the youngster establishes some consistency to his game.
Raffi Torres
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
5 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
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This is Torres' second full season as a Shark, but
after being acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes back in 2013, the journeyman has
only played in 16 games for San Jose. After suffering a knee injury in the 2013
playoffs, Torres missed all but 5 games last year as he tried to rehab. Torres
has been used sparingly in the preseason as the Sharks try to ease him back
into the lineup, but they may have more time to make the transition. Torres was
assessed a match penalty in the Sharks final preseason game against Anaheim,
and could face additional punishment because of his history with suspensions.
Centers
Logan Couture
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
82 |
27 |
40 |
67 |
12 |
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Entering his 6th full season, the Sharks centerman has
established himself in the locker room and around the league as one of the bona
fide leaders of this team. He'll need to back that up by improving on his 27
goal, 40 assist last season, which should be considered a down year for the guy
the Sharks are depending on to put the puck in the back of opposing team goals.
Couture is 5 years removed from his career high 32 goal season in 2011, but
he's considered the guy that's supposed to carry the Sharks offensively. He's
talked about a more prominent role as a leader, but the only way that happens
is if he steps up his game this season. It's just lip service otherwise.
Tomas Hertl
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
82 |
13 |
18 |
31 |
16 |
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What looked like a promising career, hit a detour last
season as Hertl spent the majority of the year trying to find his way after
suffering a catastrophic knee injury in his rookie campaign the year prior. The
young Czech played tentatively, especially in open ice, which is where Kings
headhunter Dustin Brown cut his season short with the knee-on-knee hit that
tore up Hertl's knee. If Hertl intends to make some noise this season, he'll
have to re-establish the fearlessness that led to the 15 goals he scored in his
first 37 NHL games. While not exactly lighting it up in the preseason, Hertl
did look good in camp as he played with more aggressiveness in front of the
net.
Melker Karlsson
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
53 |
13 |
11 |
24 |
20 |
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One of the few bright spots last season was Karlsson,
who emerged as an all-around player who could be counted on in both the
offensive and defensive ends of the ice. His big issue is the undisclosed
injury that he's been dealing with all of training camp. The centerman hasn't
appeared in any games or practices. It's safe to say that the young Swede will
start the season on the injured reserve and no timetable has been announced on
his rehabilitation schedule.
Joe Pavelski
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
82 |
37 |
33 |
70 |
29 |
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Arguably the best player on the ice for San Jose last
season followed up his 41 goal breakout season in 2013-14 with a 37 goal encore
last year. Pavelski is in the prime of his career and is poised to grab the
leadership reigns from the team as head coach Peter DeBoer gets set to name a
team captain. Pavelski is the odds on favorite to have a C stitched onto his
sweater as the teams open the regular season. He's not too old, not too young,
and commends respect in the locker room. The only issue that naming Pavelski
captain, is that it could become a distraction for a player that has been one
of the few consistent performers on the team. Will the pressure that goes along
with having to lead, distract him from his ability to deliver? Patrick Marleau
was a great example of a player who was better off without the C.
Joe Thornton
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
78 |
16 |
49 |
65 |
30 |
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After last season's soap opera between Thornton,
General Manage Doug Wilson and former head coach Todd McLellan, this year may
be down right boring. Thornton lashed out at Wilson at the end of last year's
disastrous regular season, exposing a rift that was either the root of the
team's dysfunction or a well contained way for Thornton to try and shift some
of the focus away from his struggling teammates. When the smoke cleared,
Thornton and Wilson were still standing, and McLellan became an afterthought in
San Jose. As for his performance, Thornton's numbers lagged his normal point
production. The 16 goals and 49 assists were the lowest totals in his 10 year
stay in San Jose. The hope is that a new coach will grant the big centerman
some more freedom to do what he does best, which is to pass the puck. DeBoer
doesn't seem too interested in changing things for his most seasoned players,
so perhaps the reduced obligations will spark Thornton's game.
Chris Tierney
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
43 |
6 |
15 |
21 |
6 |
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The Sharks are looking for more from their second year
center, but they'll still afford him some slack given his upside. Tierney was
expected to fill in as part of the Worcester Express last season, but he ended
up playing in 43 games and held his own against older competition. The 21
year-old saw more and more ice time as the Sharks season began to unravel, and
established himself as a viable option as a 4th centerman. Tierney may spend
time in the AHL this season, but he's positioned himself as a long term
component for the Sharks in a season or two.
Tommy Wingels
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
75 |
15 |
21 |
36 |
40 |
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Another one of the bright spots for San Jose, Wingels
matched his 2013-14 output, but played a more prominent role in the Sharks
offense. He is slowly climbing the leadership ranks and emerged as more of a do
as I do type of player by letting his play do the talking. Wingels adds a level
of grit that most of the skill players don't provide, but he doesn't sacrifice
talent to get you the edge that the Sharks consistently lack. With another
season under his belt, look for Wingels to have a bigger season statistically,
and more responsibility in leading younger players.
Right Wings
Mike Brown
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
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Mired by injuries, the Sharks forward had a season he
would soon forget. after sustaining an upper body injury in the second week of
the season which cost him 18 games on the injured reserve, Brown broke his
fibula against Edmonton on December 9th. The leg break would sideline him for
another 47 games. He would play in only 12 games last season, and didn't
account for a single point of offense. His purposes isn't to provide scoring
pop, but rather to add a little muscle to the Sharks lineup. With the addition
of Frazer McLaren, even that role could diminish.
Joonas
Donskoi
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
Karpat (SM-liga) |
58 |
19 |
30 |
49 |
10 |
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The Finnish boy wonder has done nothing by impressed
the Sharks brass during the preseason. There's no guarantee that the 23
year-old will even make the opening night roster, but he's made it difficult
for the Sharks management to demote him to the AHL. Donskoi was seasoned in the
Finnish Elite League the past 6 seasons, where he started playing
professionally as a 16 year old. He's done nothing but progress overseas, and
now he has a chance to help spark a youth movement in San Jose as players like
Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton inch closer to retirement. Keep an eye on this
kid and he'll be a regular in the Bay Area before you know it.
Barclay Goodrow
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
San Jose |
60 |
4 |
8 |
12 |
35 |
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Goodrow was a scoring machine in junior, so it makes
sense that the Sharks will want to give the kid a longer look. Problem is,
there may not be room. Goodrow played in 60 games for San Jose last season, but
didn't produce much in terms of scoring. His size limits him as a grinding
option, so he'll either need to bulk up or figure out how to be more consistent
offensively if he wants to stick with the big club. There is too much
competition, and some seasoning with the Barracuda may be a better development
plan for Goodrow.
Ben Smith
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
Chicago / San Jose |
80 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
2 |
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Smith will start his first full season with the Sharks
after being acquired at the trade deadline last year. Smith moved to a team
that had more opportunity for him, but he got to watch his former teammates in
Chicago win a Stanley Cup. Smith was acquired to add some scrapiness to
listless lineup last season. He's one of those in-between players that is more
role player than offensive or defensive solution. What you get is a lunch pail
style player who won't cheat you with a lack of effort. Smith could see some
time in the press box, but he's a guy that you need to lead by example. A
perfect player to help guide some of the younger players on the roster.
Joel Ward
2014-15 Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
PIM |
Washington |
82 |
19 |
15 |
34 |
30 |
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Ward comes to San Jose as a free agent signing after
spending the last four season in Washington where he helped the Capitals make a
lengthy run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring. Ward recorded a career
high 49 points two seasons ago, then fell a goal short of a 20-goal season last
year. Ward spent most of the preseason playing along side Logan Couture and
Patrick Marleau, which gives the Sharks an interesting offensive weapon. That
line has a bit of flash, skill and grit, which may make it tough to defend.
Which of those attributes do you key on when throwing a defense out their to
combat it? The one big question mark will be Ward's age. He turns 35 on
December 2nd.
Check in tomorrow for a look at the Sharks defense.
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