The San Jose Sharks appear ready to defend their Western Conference title in 2016-17.
The San Jose Sharks nearly won their first Stanley Cup in 2015-16 before running into the Pittsburgh Penguins. With a unique blend of defense and offense, the Sharks are one of the best teams in the NHL. Thanks to some extremely colorful personalities, the Sharks also have one of the league’s most entertaining teams.
After losing to the Penguins, the Sharks are going all-in to win a Stanley Cup while they still have Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. This could be the last run for this core of guys. Will the Sharks be able to make another deep playoff run in 2016-17?
Offseason Review
Here’s a quick review of what the San Jose Sharks have done this offseason.
Additions: F Mikkel Boedker (Avalanche), D David Schlemko (Devils), F Devin Setoguchi (PTO)
Losses: D Roman Polak (Maple Leafs), G James Reimer (Panthers), F Dainius Zubrus (free agent)
Retained: F Tomas Hertl, F Matt Nieto
Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
The Sharks were a bit aggressive on the first day of free agency, adding Mikkel Boedker and David Schlemko. Boedker has a lot of speed and should put up some nice numbers with the Sharks. Last season, Boedker tied his career high with 51 points and set a career-high with 34 assists and he should make the league’s fourth-best offense even more deadly.
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Schlemko is a bit of a risk on a four-year deal, but his cap hit of $2.1 million is a pretty good bargain. The Sharks needed an upgrade to their third pairing and Schlemko gives them that. He suppresses shot attempts and can even chip in a bit on offense. In 2015-16, Schlemko put up impressive possession numbers on a Devils team that finished second to last in possession. Sure, four years is a little silly, but the Sharks can afford to do that.
It appears the Sharks will go with Aaron Dell as their backup goaltender, but he isn’t experienced in the NHL. The Sharks have yet to find their backup goaltender and still have time to add one, though it is worth noting Martin Jones did well in the playoffs after getting rest following the Sharks’ deadline trade for James Reimer.
Retaining Tomas Hertl at a reasonable price allows the Sharks to have some cap flexibility. Look for him to have a breakout season this year and 50 points is a reasonable expectation for the young forward. Expect him to see time alongside Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton as the line’s left wing.
Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Player Spotlight: Brent Burns
Brent Burns had a breakout season in 2015-16, both on and off the ice. On the ice, Burns finished in third place in the Norris Trophy voting after leading all defensemen with 27 goals. He set career highs in goals, assists (48), and points (75) while leading all defensemen in postseason points (24).
Off the ice, Burns has become one of the most popular players in the league. Whether it’s his beard, his plaid suits, or his ridiculous antics, it’s becoming difficult to not love the NHL’s most interesting player.
A lot of his success is thanks to head coach Peter DeBoer. After Todd McLellan was fired, the Sharks hired DeBoer but Burns became worried he might be switched to a forward again but DeBoer chose to take advantage of Burns’ skills as a defenseman. The addition of Paul Martin has helped Burns become a better player on the blue line as well.
Burns will always be aggressive as it’s his greatest asset but also his greatest flaw. Martin is very sound defensively, allowing Burns to be aggressive while not having to be tentative. Burns led all Sharks defenseman in relative CorsiFor percentage at even strength.
His path to stardom has hardly been straight after the Minnesota Wild originally made him a defenseman before swapping him back and forth between forward and defense. San Jose did a similar thing before permanently moving him to the blue line in 2014 and that decision has paid dividends for the Sharks.
2016-17 Outlook
On paper, the San Jose Sharks lack any significant flaws. While they haven’t addressed their backup goalie vacancy yet, they have in-house options and that’s a relatively easy problem to solve. Their offense is going to be deadly and their defense should be even better than last season.
This is a Stanley Cup or bust year for the Sharks. They could be losing Thornton, Marleau, and Burns following the 2016-17 season. San Jose seems to have exorcised their playoff demons after an impressive postseason. That experience should suit them well this season. San Jose appears to be a better team than they were last season, but it’s do or die time for the Sharks. Anything less than a Stanley Cup appearance will be a disappointment.
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