Breaking down the San Jose Sharks ahead of NHL Free Agency.
Pending free agents
Unrestricted: 12 | Restricted: 6 | See full list
[teamleaders league=”nhl” team=”sj” season=”2013″]
Sharks overview
Despite making the playoffs for 10 straight years, the San Jose Sharks are now in a rebuild phase, which general manager Doug Wilson says should have happened a while ago. The Sharks always seem to be a contender, but fall apart in the playoffs — San Jose has never been to a Cup final. After taking a 3-0 series lead against Los Angeles in the first round, the Sharks dropped four straight to lose out in seven games, and the Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup.
That defeat has likely resulted in the end of an era for the Sharks. Rumours are that captain Joe Thornton and veteran winger Patrick Marleau are on the market. Both signed three-year extensions this year and have no-trade clauses, so they’d have to agree to being moved. Martin Havlat could be on his way out, and the Sharks have already traded the rights to 37-year-old to defenceman Dan Boyle to the New York Islanders.
But the Sharks are so good and deep, that a “rebuild” doesn’t mean what it might in a different market. They already have some of the best young players in the game — Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl, among several others. The question now is whether the older generation will remain part of the plan, or if the goal is for the Sharks to get what they can for them now in hopes of having an even stronger chance at the Cup a couple years on.
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| Click player positions to see depth chart | ||
Areas to address
It’s really more of a team culture issue than anything else. As much as they might seem like a throw away cliché, Wilson really does seem prepared to rethink his hockey team, focusing on the young stars that could make San Jose more than just a good team that gets far enough. He’s told his vets that it might not be in their best interest to stay, because the team is taking a step back from focusing on winning the Cup, so they can focus on becoming a team that actually has the right tools to win it.
The team will focus on developing its young core, even though its veterans — like Thornton and Marleau — are still putting up incredible numbers. If Thornton and Marleau are willing to waive their no-trade clauses, they’ll each be a prime target for any team that is looking to win now and offer some of the pieces the Sharks will need to win later. Any action for the Sharks this off-season will come this way, so don’t expect much to transpire through free agency.
Possible signing targets
None, really. Their game plan is not free agency. It’s developing the young core and getting back assets for their veterans via trade.
