The San Jose Sharks franchise has long been defined by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau; however, in recent seasons, both Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture have stepped up their games.
As it relates to fantasy hockey, Pavelski and Couture are rated as the two highest Sharks forwards according to Yahoo’s fantasy rankings. Pavelski checks in at number 20, while Couture slots in four spots lower at number 24.
Demetri Fragopoulos of Dobber Hockey explained even further why Pavelski and Couture could be solid options in your fantasy hockey draft as he discussed the categories where certain forwards should thrive.
With regards to Couture, Fragopoulos identified him as one of his top goal-scorers for the upcoming season.
"It is time for the new blood to take control and lead this team. Nothing against Joe Thornton orPatrick Marleau, they are excellent in a supporting role. Couture has hit the 30 goal mark twice before and he will have to do so again to show everyone what the future will be like in San Jose."
Obviously, Fragopoulos has high hopes for Couture who was the Sharks second-leading scorer in 2014-15 with 27 goals and 67 points. Couture is also a shot-generating machines as he led all San Jose players with 263 shots on goal.
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Pavelski is a player who does a little bit of everything for the San Jose Sharks. He scores goals as he’s led the Sharks in scoring the past two seasons with 41 and 37 respectively. He produces on the power play as he finished second in the league with 19 goals on the man advantage, and tied for fifth with 31 power play points.
Furthermore, Pavelski plays in all situations as he was the San Jose leader in ice time by forwards with 20:08. Similar to Couture, Pavelski put a ton of rubber on goal, registering 261 shots, while also blocking 82 shots as well.
Basically, Pavelski will fill up the entire stat sheet for you, which is a great sign for fantasy owners. With Marleau and Thornton getting up there in age, expect new head coach Peter DeBoer to lean on Pavelski and Couture for production.
The Sharks will be looking to bounce-back from their disastrous 2014-15 season, and Pavelski and Couture will be expected to carry the load. That means plenty of opportunities for them to put up big numbers, which will delight fantasy players everywhere.
If Pavelski and Couture have the types of seasons that many expect, the San Jose Sharks should be in great shape to return to the postseason.
Next: Sharks Place Four On Fantasy Top 100