San Jose Sharks Training Camp Focus: Is This Finally the Year?
The San Jose Sharks are coming off another disappointing playoff run . For a team like the Sharks it is cup or bust year in and year out, and last year was just another wasted opportunity. With training camp set to begin this Sharks team is ready for what the future holds, and there are definitely things to focus on heading into the regular season.
The San Jose Sharks begin Training Camp today. For us as for many fans of NHL teams this time of year they are filled with optimism and anxiety for this upcoming season. They have yet to experience a soul crushing loss or a season destroying injury, so for many fans their cup hopes are still intact.
Last years Stanley Cup Finals exhibited that now more than ever any team has an opportunity at winning the cup. So this year more than ever it seems that lots of teams have adopted the mantra of “you get in, you can win”, even though realistically their teams are closer to first overall pick than they are to being legit Stanley Cup contenders.
For the most part, actual NHL franchises are realists and this time of year is when players return to the ice and prepare themselves for the grueling grind of the regular season. The practice time that these teams get during camp is essential, considering that teams do not schedule many practices during the season. So this is the time of year that where things like the power play and penalty kill are straightened out.
Along with polishing the play among the roster regulars this time is also invaluable when it comes to getting the younger skaters acclimated with their new system. For the first time in a long time it seems that there is some hype surrounding the Sharks farm prospects, and it is definitely something to pay attention to during the next few weeks.
The Sharks have also made some additions from outside the NHL. These players are looking to move up in the organizational ranks during this upcoming training camp.
The San Jose Sharks recently released the roster of players who will be attending camp. San Jose is heading into another season with a fairly strong roster full of very good players. It seems that they are settled with this current core, but there are still questions surrounding the edges of this roster.
How Healthy is Joe Thornton?
Joe Thornton’s return to the Sharks probably tops the lists of their worries heading into camp this year. Thornton, arguably made the largest impact out of the forwards group last year until his injury on Jan. 23rd. He tore both his right ACL and MCL which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Thornton was hitting his stride after coming off a similar injury he suffered during the end of the 2016 – 2017 season.
The Sharks survived without the 39 year old center, but were definitely hindered by his absence down the stretch. Realistically the San Jose Sharks should start to think beyond having Jumbo on the roster, but still it is difficult for one to imagine not having the old grey beard sporting a teal sweater. For years he has been the heart and soul of this club, and his presence on the ice and in the dressing room has been and still is the key to the Sharks success this season.
Thornton has been recovering from this injury for a long period and he claims in an interview on The Athletic by Sharks beat writer Kevin Kurz that he feels good coming into the upcoming season. It seems as if Jumbo feels confident in his abilities to produce for a team looking to compete for their first Stanley Cup.
It is more than likely be paired with longtime line mate Joe Pavelski, along with Evander Kane, who will be skating with Thornton for the first time, as this will be Kane’s first full season in Teal.
This new line combination is an area of focus throughout this offseason and has the potential to become one of the most damaging lines in the NHL if Jumbo can stay healthy.
Are the Defensive Pairings Set in Stone?
Last season the Sharks compiled another year where they performed very well statistically in their own zone. Much of that success is due to the stellar play of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun who were consistently matched up against opposing team’s first lines.
It also seems that Joakim Ryan has gelled well on the left side of Brent Burns. So one would think that there aren’t very many questions heading into camp, but the Sharks have a few intriguing young defensemen looking to make an impact in the upcoming weeks.
The Sharks signed Dylan DeMelo in the offseason to a 2 year 2 million dollar signing per capfriendly. Ostensibly, the team has its pairs settled for the upcoming season, but still there are some names to keep an eye out during training camp that are looking to crack the lineup.
Players like Jeremy Roy is coming off a significant injury but has a high ceiling, Nick DeSimone who played very well with the Barracuda last season, and of course fan favorite Tim Heed. This is the last chance for a player like Heed to make a name for himself since he is no longer waiver eligible. The Sharks are unlikely to have him sit in the press box for another season when they might be able to compile assets for him via trade.
A lot of the excitement surrounds this defensive group because of the presence of the Sharks 2018 First Round pick Ryan Merkley. He lit up the ice during the recent Vegas Rookie Faceoff and one should be excited to get to see him take reps with the big boys. It’s been a very long time since the Sharks have had a true “Blue Chip Prospect” within their farm ranks.
This Sharks team is looking to perpetuate the defensive success they’ve established under Head Coach Pete DeBoer.
What Will the 4th Line Look Like in 2018 – 2019?
San Jose Sharks Head Coach Peter DeBoer is known for trusting his roster and rolling all four lines. This makes having competent skaters up and down the lineup a key for the Sharks success. Eric Fehr made a good fit for the team as the fourth line center, but signed with the Minnesota Wild during the summer. The team also parted ways with veterans Joel Ward and Jannik Hansen. This year’s team however seems to be taking a younger approach to fill out their lineup depth.
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Players like Mekler Karlsson, Marcus Sorensen, and Barclay Goodrow are all still on the Sharks roster and have the inside track on making up the fourth line. However, the Sharks have some interesting names in the farm system that could potentially see time on the big club this season. The San Jose Barracuda have a few young players like Rudolfs Balcers who played well down the stretch.
The Sharks also signed quite a few young free agents from outside of the NHL over the past year that are looking to get noticed during camp. 2016 second round pick and former University of Denver Pioneer Dylan Gambrell signed his Entry Level contract and should be penciled in as the 4th Line Center.
Russian centerman Maxim Letunov decided against playing in his final year of college hockey at UConn to join the Sharks club.
They also scouted Antti Suomela from the Finnish Elite League and are hoping his game can translate into the NHL.
All of these players are centers, which could help plug one of the few holes in the San Jose Sharks roster.
It is a very good sign that a team is filling out the depth of its roster with young skilled skaters. This team has some tough decisions to make when it comes to the composition of the fourth line. From the looks of it players like Karlsson, Sorenson, and Goodrow have the inside track over some of the younger guys, as they are not waiver exempt. But that doesn’t mean that these other guys can’t make the case for ice time with the big club.
Are These Sharks Ready to Take the Next Step?
The Sharks were unable to snag John Tavares during this years free agency period. In response to this, rather than overspending on Free Agents, San Jose instead extended the contracts of their core players and kept the money in-house. These players are expected to elevate their game and help this team on their current quest for a Stanley Cup.
Evander Kane was a huge acquisition at last year’s trade deadline. He signed a monster 7 year 49 million dollar contract during the offseason per capfriendly. The Sharks are banking on him to elevate his game and stay on the ice during this 2018 – 2019 campaign. It’s not unrealistic for Kane to be the Sharks leading scorer. He will most likely get first line minutes with Pavelski and Thornton. EK9 still has a lot to prove, but it’s obvious that the Sharks believe that he is a core piece for their future success.
Tomas Hertl also signed a 4 year, 5.6 million dollar extension this summer. The Sharks seem committed to the Czech forward and are hoping that he will continue to increase his offensive production. He meshed very well with center Logan Couture, and his proficiency in the face-off circle is immensely important for this team. Hertl has steadily evolved his game over the past few years, but the Sharks are looking for him to be more consistent in the offensive zone. Still they believe enough in the 24 year old forward to lock him down for the next half a decade.
Chris Tierney was an unsung hero for the Sharks last year. He quietly compiled 40 points and was part of one the best penalty kill units in recent memory. The Sharks definitely noticed his merits and rewarded them with a 2 year 6 million contract per capfriendly. Look for Tierney to improve on that career high this year with a raise in offensive zone starts at 5v5 and more power play time. He has earned more and more of the coaching staffs trust over the recent years and has become one of the Sharks key players.
Are We Ready to See More From These Young Sharks?
The San Jose Sharks are known for having an older core group of players. But last year there were a few young Sharks who had become mainstays in Peter DeBoer’s lineup. Players like Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc are looking to improve their NHL stock over the next few weeks. Both are coming off their first playoff appearances and are hungry to achieve more coming off a full off season with the team.
Meier is progressing into the elite NHL power forward he has been projected to become. His grit, size, and speed are perfect for the perpetually evolving style of play in the NHL. He put up 36 points, 21 of them being goals. One should expect Meier to make the jump and score around 30 goals on this Sharks team looking to prove they are still contenders.
Labanc on the other hand had a turbulent season for San Jose. He compiled 40 points but was often costly for the Sharks in their own zone. Still Labanc has a goal scorers touch and a wicked wrister to boot, so it is not hard to be optimistic about the kid from Staten Island. He is also heading into a contract year with his entry level deal expiring this summer. So look for The Banker to prove his worth this year on a roster that struggled to produce offense at times.
Next. Which Sharks Prospects Shined At The Vegas Rookie Shootout. dark
If all goes according to plan this roster is most likely what we will be seeing heading into camp. If all questions get answered, and things break the right way, why can’t the San Jose Sharks FINALLY bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup?