San Jose Sharks Season Review: Scott Hannan
Jan 31, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan (27) checks Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw (65) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a long and lengthy NHL career for Scott Hannan, but for the past couple seasons, time has been catching up with him.
Hannan, who was originally drafted in the first round by the San Jose Sharks back in 1997, returned to the Sharks back in 2012-13 to provide a veteran presence on the blue line. While Hannan has done so, his play has been on the decline.
Today’s NHL is a fast-paced game where speed is a required asset. Hannan’s foot speed has declined substantially and he served as a sixth or seventh option for San Jose last season.
Hannan appeared in 58 games with the Sharks during 2014-15 and registered two goals and five assists with 26 penalty minutes and an even rating. Hannan has seen his ice time drop drastically over the last few seasons. This past season saw Hannan receive his lowest ice time of his 16-year career with just 16 minutes and 19 seconds.
In fact, Hannan hasn’t averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time since the 2011-12 season with the Calgary Flames.
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Furthermore, Hannan’s possession numbers have shown a steady decline in his play as well. Last season, Hannan was one of the worst players on the Sharks with a Corsi For percentage of 47.9 percent. This comes off the previous season where he had a Corsi For percentage of 50, which was still at the bottom of San Jose players.
The new-age NHL has surpassed Hannan’s skill set, where he was known as a solid, shutdown defenseman. Today, and especially in San Jose’s system, the blue line is expected to move the puck up to the forwards, and Hannan can’t do that consistently enough any more. He was part of the reason why the Sharks defensive corps struggled so mightily last season, ranking 24th in goals against.
Hannan has been a model NHL professional throughout his career, including some spectacular seasons early in his career. His recent play with the Sharks shouldn’t overshadow his early battles with Peter Forsberg and the Colorado Avalanche where Hannan helped lead the Sharks to many postseason victories.
Hannan was a grinder who played 626 games with San Jose, registering 30 goals and 116 assists with a plus-43 rating while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time. While his play has certainly declined to the point where he might have to consider retirement, it’s been a solid NHL career for Hannan who never has possessed any spectacular traits.
But time catches up to all athletes and for Hannan, that point has now arrived.