Yesterday, Craig Custance of ESPN tabbed Martin Jones as his most important San Jose Sharks player for next season. That particular article got me thinking about who the Sharks most important players will be during the 2015-16 season because let’s face it, San Jose will need many catalysts to come forth if they’re going to return to the postseason.
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the five most important players for the San Jose Sharks:
5. Brent Burns
Burns offered plenty of good and bad during his first full season back on the blue line in San Jose. On the positive side, Burns scored 60 points (17 goals and 43 assists) and all Sharks players with 23:57 of ice time.
On the flip side, Burns was a defensive liability at times as he finished the season a minus-nine and looked lost at times in his own zone.
Obviously, Burns has the talents to thrive on the back end, but he will need to be more consistent. A second season on defense should help Burns be more comfortable and pairing him with a steadying presence in Paul Martin should boost his confidence. Burns showed he has the ability to do so by being named the top defensive player at the 2015 IIHF Championships for Team Canada last May.
If Burns can provide the same level of offensive production and an improved defensive awareness, the Sharks will have a dynamic game-changer on their blue line.
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4. Patrick Marleau
By any metric, the 2014-15 season was one to forget for Marleau. After jumping out of the gates hot, Marleau sputtered the rest of the way and was one reason why the Sharks struggled to score at even-strength.
Marleau netted 19 goals and 38 assists in all 82 games, but was a minus-17, good for last on the San Jose Sharks. Marleau has been known as a streaky player throughout his career, but San Jose will be looking for a bounce back season.
The Sharks aren’t deep enough to endure another down season from Marleau, and it will be interesting to see where DeBoer decides to slot him within the lineup. Simply put, San Jose will need much more from Marleau who is still a dynamic player and face of the franchise.
3. Martin Jones
Jones is an obvious choice on this list as the goaltender is a critical person on any hockey team. However, Jones will be assuming the full-time starting position for the first time in his NHL career, and it will come with the team who has been his main rival for the past two seasons.
Jones’ small body of work suggests that he has the potential to thrive in his new role, but right now it is still just potential. Jones has a solid .923 save percentage and appears to be an upgrade over Antti Niemi, who manned the nets for San Jose during the past five seasons.
While Jones has great size at 6-foot-4, the Sharks will need to be better in front of their new netminder to give him a chance to settle into the full-time role. If Jones can replicate his success to this point, San Jose will be in an excellent position.
2. Joe Thornton
While Thornton continues to be the Sharks most dominant player in terms of possession, his play took a downturn last year. He did net five more goals last season, but his overall point total dropped 11 points and he went from a plus-20 to a minus-four.
Also, he had stretches where he was kept off the scoresheet entirely, including a seven-game streak at the end of February, which is unheard of for a player of Thornton’s caliber.
Thornton will always be at the forefront of this franchise whether he’s wearing the “C” or not, and the Sharks will need a big effort from him during the 2015-16 season. I fully expect that to happen as Thornton knows that this team is hungry and capable of winning the division.
1. Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Vlasic is the backbone of the entire blue line and will be counted upon to stabilize a defensive unit that struggled a year ago. The Sharks ranked 24th in goals allowed and will be breaking in a new starting goaltender, so Vlasic will need to be on top of his game.
Expect Vlasic to log big minutes next year as he’s a true, shutdown defenseman. San Jose will need to keep Vlasic healthy as he missed 12 games in 2014-15, but if they can, Vlasic is the kind of player who can elevate an entire team by locking up the opposing team’s best players.
Next: Martin Jones Pegged As Most Important Shark