San Jose Sharks forward grades for midway point of season

Dec 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center

(19) congratulated by San Jose Sharks bench after he scored the winning goal during the overtime shootout against the Dallas Stars at SAP Center at San Jose. Sharks won 3-2 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

In the first half of the 2013-2014 season the San Jose Sharks forwards never failed to impress us with scoring. As a team, the Sharks have accumulated a total of 119 goals in 38 games which is good for 5th in the league so far. The most amazing part of this lofty number is that for a majority of the first half of this season, the Sharks have been without the services of a top-six, even top-line forward on any given night. Since the Western Conference and Pacific Division standings are so tight, the importance of every goal cannot be expressed enough. Every point in the standings is crucial.

There is a little bit of concern in the offensive department, though. The top-line composed of Tomas Hertl, Joe Thornton, and Brent Burns and sometimes Joe Pavelski has accounted for the majority of the Sharks’ scoring. When compared to the other three lines, mostly the bottom two, it isn’t even a close race. The Sharks are top-heavy, which can greatly detriment a team’s goals to win the cup. If the top-lines stop producing, the bottom six forwards need to do their part. Forward depth is key, and the Sharks need to address that problem. Here are the offensive numbers for each line so far (so you can see the difference):

Line 1: Burns-Hertl-Thornton Line 2: Marleau-Couture-Pavelski Line 3: Kennedy-Wingels-Havlat Line 4:Brown-Desjardins-McCarthy

But now, let’s look at how each individual forward does on the report card for their respective performances through the 1st half of the NHL season. Go to the next page to begin the San Jose Sharks grades.

All statistics courtesy of extraskater.com, nhl.com, and the San Jose Sharks official website unless otherwise noted.

Mike Brown

Nov 5, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; Buffalo Sabres center

(8) and San Jose Sharks right wing

(18) fight during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF%, CF% rel, are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Lets get one thing out of the way, if you didn’t already notice Brown’s terrible amount of points, then you must be reminded that Brown was traded to the Sharks to fight and be physical, not to score. Doug Wilson‘s motives of Brown’s presence in the lineup must be taken into account when grading his performance, we can’t fail him for not scoring because he isn’t supposed to and that is reflected in his insanely low TOI/60.

With injuries to two major regular physical presences on the Sharks’ roster, Raffi Torres and Adam Burish, the Sharks were forced to fill the hole left by their absences. They experimented with Matt Pelech from the AHL Worcester Sharks, but he wasn’t the answer. It became a bigger problem and the Sharks traded a 4th round pick to acquire Mike Brown from the Edmonton Oilers.

Mike Brown isn’t terrible when he is on the ice, but he is far from good. His mediocre corsi for % and rel of 47.7% and -4.7% in all situations goes to prove that the Sharks keep possession of the puck more when Brown and his fourth line teammates are not on the ice. However, when the game is close (within a goal in the first two periods, tied in the third) Brown’s possession numbers jump to a CF% of 54.6% and a CF% rel of +2.0% which are very good.

In Brown’s NHL career he has tallied 17 goals and 12 assists in 307 games played, so one could say that his 2 goals for every 27 games played that he has going this season could turn out to be a career year for the right winger. Since PDO tends to move towards 100 as the season progresses, he is due for some offensive output.

Grade: B

 Andrew Desjardins

Dec 12, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; Minnesota Wild center

(28) and San Jose Sharks center

(10) are separated by the referees during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF%, CF% rel, are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Desjardins and Brown essentially have the same role on the team, both fight, both hit hard, and both aren’t expected to score frequently. However, when compared to Brown’s corsi statistics, Desjardins clearly has a lot  more trouble possessing the puck when he is on the ice, 5v5.

Desjardins does his job well, though. He is probably the hardest hitter on the Sharks team, and, in turn, when he is in play, the Sharks energy level certainly goes up. He was one of the players who stood up for Dan Boyle after Maxim Lapierre of the St. Louis Blues dangerously boarded Boyle.

He also tallies assists way more frequently than Brown does. Desjardins’ corsi numbers are so much lower than Brown’s only because Desjardins’ ice time is significantly higher than Brown’s. Still, his CF% rel is way below even, which will lower his grade noticeably.

Grade: B

Brent Burns

October 19, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Brent Burns (88) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks defeated the Flames 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Brent Burns, the product of a genius coaching move by Todd McLellan last year, has been exceptional at forward so far this year. Up until October 19th, when Burns sustained an upper body injury that ended up sidelining him for 13 games, the Sharks were rolling offensively and went 7-0-1 with Burns in the lineup. After his injury, the Sharks went 6-3-4 and dropped in the standings noticeably. From these numbers alone, it’s clear that Burns presence in the lineup positively affects the Sharks, noticeably.

If you aren’t convinced with Burns’ effectiveness on offense, just look at his corsi numbers. His CF% is a whopping 62.8% which is 3rd best in the league among players that have played more than 21 games. He is way ahead of guys like, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Justin Williams, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and teammate, Joe Thornton. Those are all guys that are crucial pieces to their respective team’s success. Brent Burns has been one of those for a while now, and it was confirmed again by his 1st career hat-trick against the St. Louis Blues.

Not only is he dangerous offensively, but he is also one of the hardest hitting guys in the Sharks’ lineup. After his hat-trick, Burns went 8 games without scoring a goal, if not for that, he would have a solid A.

Grade: Very high A-

Logan Couture

Dec 29, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center

(39) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

For a while now, Couture has been categorized as the future of the San Jose Sharks franchise. When all the core veterans become to old and stop producing, tons of pressure will be put on the 24-year old forward. However, lately Couture failed to find the net for 10 straight games. If his usual shooting percentage (which is around 12%) was at work during this goalless streak, he would have had 6 more goals, which would put him around the top 10 goal scorers in the league. Couture is 6th in the league in the number of shots he takes, but he is 66th in the league in goals. This goal-less streak was the result of posts, hot goalies, and just bad puck luck.

Perhaps Couture’s most unique attribute to his game as a forward is his ability to block shots. He ranks 2nd in the league among all forwards for blocked shots with 47. Some of these blocks save games for the Sharks. Although, Couture is having a bit of an off year in scoring so far he makes up for it with his assists and blocked shots. His goal-less streak has ended and he is bound to start producing at his regular rate soon.

Grade: B+/A-

Martin Havlat

Nov 23, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing

(9) takes a shot on goal during the second period of the game against the New Jersey Devils at SAP Center at San Jose. The San Jose Sharks defeated the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Marty Havlat’s play has seen way, way better days. Back in the 2010-11 season, the year before the Sharks traded for him, Havlat netted 22 goals and 40 assists. Now, as I’m sure you have heard and noticed, Havlat has tons of trouble scoring goals and staying of the IR for that matter. Out of a total of 169 games that the Sharks have played since they acquired Havlat, he has only played in 101 of them, or 60%.

There is no other way to put it: the trade for Marty Havlat has turned out to be a complete bust. At the end of this season or at the trade deadline, the Sharks should seriously consider buying him out or trading him away.

Grade: F 

Tomas Hertl

Oct 8, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) shoots the puck between his legs past New York Rangers goalie

(43) during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. The San Jose Sharks defeated the New York Rangers 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

As we said last time we graded Tomas Hertl’s performance, wow. People expected Hertl to be good, but no one expected him to be this good.

At only nineteen years of age, Hertl potted his first career NHL hat-trick in only his 3rd NHL game making him the youngest player since Jimmy Carson in 1988 to score four goals in a game. It wasn’t a fluke either, Hertl has continued to score at a regular pace and was leading all rookies in goals before he went down in a knee-on-knee collision with Dustin Brown that could possibly have him out for the rest of the season.

It’s a shame that Hertl is hurt since he was a major part of the Sharks’ seemingly unstoppable top-line. When he is on the ice, the Sharks create 6.9% more corsi events than when he is off the ice. Hertl also draws a lot of penalties, as seen by his +8 penalty +/-.

Before his injury, Hertl was arguably the favorite to win the Calder trophy. He would also have probably made the Czech national team for the olympics in February, but his injury will definitely have him out for Sochi.

Grade: A

   Tyler Kennedy

Dec 5, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Jose Sharks center

(81) skates with the puck as Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman

(44) pressures during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Pittsburgh won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

I like Tyler Kennedy’s game. He is always one of the fastest players on the ice and he uses his speed very well to create scoring chances. For a fourth/third line player the amount of offensive play he produces is very good.

So far this year, Kennedy has shot the puck on net 84 times which is a lot considering that his average ice time is near the bottom of the Sharks roster. As a result of his low goal total and high amount of shots, his shooting percentage is terribly low this year. His average shooting percentage over the course of his career has been about 7.7% which is more than double of what he is shooting now. Kennedy’s PDO is considerably below 100 which also means that his offensive output should increase substantially as the season wears on.

Grade: B+ 

Patrick Marleau

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Patrick Marleau has been absolutely sensational this year. Talks during the offseason and the beginning of this season centered around him and if he should be re-signed or not. So far, Marleau is certainly making his case to stay in a teal jersey for his 17th year in a row. If the Sharks are not to re-sign him, they would be making a huge mistake.

Usually playing alongside Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski on the second line, Marleau has never failed to find the net. Currently, he leads the team in goals and is tied for second in points, he has showed no signs of slowing down. With his current shooting percentage and shots that are perfectly sustainable, he is on track to score around 34 goals, which would be one of his best seasons in the goal department.

Another upside to Marleau’s play is his ability to stay in the lineup. Being a top-six forward, the Sharks rely on him heavily to produce in any given game. Injuries have not taken away from Marleau’s production as he has played in every regular season game for the Sharks in the last 5 seasons. It would be nice if he could teach Havlat a thing or two about injury prevention.

Grade: A  

Matt Nieto

October 19, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Matt Nieto (83) controls the puck against Calgary Flames left wing

(47) during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Just like John McCarthy, Nieto has been alternating between the Worcester Sharks and the San Jose Sharks. The rookie out of Boston University was given the chance to make the team due to open roster spots resulting from injuries to Adam Burish and Raffi Torres. Nieto was impressive in his first slate of games and even scored his first NHL goal in the process. Then his scoring and shot attempt rates plummeted and Nieto found himself demoted to the fourth line and finally to the AHL.

But once again, with Tomas Hertl likely out for the rest of the season, Nieto will likely be in the lineup for an extended period of time. There is no better time for Nieto to prove himself in the NHL than right now. And personally, I hope he stays for a while because his game can only progress upwards from now on.

If he can use his speed on the attack well, we should see Nieto rewarded with more ice-time and as a result more offensive production.

Grade: B/B+

Joe Pavelski

Oct 17, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Sharks 4-3 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

The first thing that jumps out at me when I take a close look at Joe Pavelski’s statistics is that he has been playing with an incredibly high PDO. Over the course of a season the law of averages kicks in and PDOs should even out to 100. If this happens with Pavelski, his scoring tear is most definitely going to slow down sometime in the second half of the season.

Pavelski is currently sitting one goal behind Patrick Marleau for the team lead and 3 goals ahead of Tomas Hertl, who will be out for a while. The second-line forward is in the midst of a career year. His highest goal total for a season was 31 (2011-12) and if he keeps this pace up somehow he will finish the season with 36 goals. If you add on his acceptance to Team USA for the Sochi olympics, there is no reason to fail this forward’s performance for the first half of the season.

Grade: A 

Joe Thornton

Dec 5, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) skates up ice with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

Joe Thornton is a helper, and he is arguably the best assister in the game right now. He has been quietly passing big names on the all-time assists leader board left and right. As of right now (January 5th), Thornton ranks 25th in NHL history with a grand total of 829 assists. If Thornton keeps up the same pace of assists that he has going right now, he should be able to jump Bobby Clarke and Denis Savard.

The first-line so far this season has caused opposing teams endless troubles. Why? Because Thornton centers that line and sets his wingers up for scoring chances at every possibility. He is a player that makes everyone that plays around him better and the central playmaker of this Sharks roster. His whole playing style is depicted in the picture above: stickhandling beautifully and head-up scanning for the pass.

Thornton was one of the players that was at the center of all pre-season talks. Since Thornton is a pending unrestricted free agent at age 34, many people were speculating about the probability of the Sharks re-signing him for next year. If his performance so far hasn’t convinced the front office to keep him for at least another year, I don’t know what will. Same goes for the Team Canada for the Sochi olympics.

So far in the first half of the season, no opposing team has been able to find an answer for Thornton’s passing abilities as seen in his through-the-roof corsi numbers.

Grade: A+ 

Tommy Wingels

Dec 23, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center

(57) works the puck around around the Colorado Avalanche goal in front of Colorado Avalanche goalie

(1) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Stats:

PDO is save% + sh%, pen+/- is (penalties drawn – penalties taken), and to understand Corsi, corsi rel, corsi for % read this article. CF% and CF% rel are taken when the game is 5v5 close (within one or 2 in first period, tied in third).

After Hertl went down, my best guess for who would step up to fill the big absence was Tommy Wingels. However, shortly after Hertl was confirmed to be out for a while, Wingels went down with an unknown injury and was recently placed on the IR, which is not a good sign at all.

Regardless, Wingels was turning into a solid 3rd line forward for the Sharks, one that could be looked upon to produce during offensive slumps. In the Sharks first losing streak of the year, Wingels was the only player that seemed to be playing with a good amount of energy and, as a result, he racked up goals during that time and gave the Sharks opportunities to gain some overtime points.

He is already in the middle of a career year, hopefully when he comes back from injury (we don’t know when he will) he will continue his productive scoring from where he left off.

Grade: A

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