2014-15 San Jose Sharks Preview

Oct 2, 2014 - 12:10 AM (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Jose Sharks certainly are taking an interesting approach in the wake of becoming just the fourth National Hockey League franchise to waste a three-games-to-none playoff series lead. They're not panicking or fully investing in a rebuild, but they sure are going (with apologies to Monty Python) for something completely different.

Carrying the burden of almost a decade of postseason disappointments -- capped by this ignoble bit of history -- the club's head coach (Todd MacLellan) and general manager (Doug Wilson) remained in place, while only a few select veterans were shown the door.

In another move that bucks tradition, the Sharks completely revamped their on- ice leadership structure not by selecting new players to wear the precious singular letters on their uniforms, but by stripping the captaincy from Joe Thornton, removing the alternate tag from Patrick Marleau and leaving the other "A" vacant after Dan Boyle signed as a free agent with the Rangers.

"We're starting this year with a clean slate," said McLellan to TSN of Canada back in August. "Coming into training camp, everyone is starting with no equity -- from rookies through all of the veterans."

Even though 15,000 strong at the club's recent fan fest indicates a level of forgiveness, certain parts of the schedule were not publicized in advance. That meant a sit-down with Wilson and scouting director Tim Burke wasn't as well-attended as it should have been given the near certainty that paying customers should be lining up 10 deep to question the braintrust.

But if the fans are so willing to return year after year despite unfulfilled expectations, what impetus does Wilson or anyone else have to enact real change?

FORWARDS - It's Joe Pavelski's time to shine. The 30-year-old Wisconsin native led the Sharks with career-bests in goals (41) and points (79), and heading into his ninth NHL season, the rest of the club should be following his lead. No matter how Thornton (11G, 65A) handles the new leadership competition, he should be doing his best to promote Pavelski as the new vanguard.

Tomas Hertl, the man who sent Martin Biron into retirement but whose rookie season (15G, 25 pts. in 37 games) was hampered by injury and inconsistency, needs to elevate his game to the level of hype that his between-the-legs goal created. He should be Marleau's project for the year.

Let's not forget about Logan Couture's growth into a legitimate star. If he can replicate the play which netted him back-to-back 30-goal seasons in 2010-12 while healthy, he'll be looked upon as a scoring panacea during inevitable struggles.

Martin Havlat and Burns' 22 goals disappear, but the combined forces of former Flyers yo-yo Tye McGinn, Boston University product Matt Nieto (10G, 14A) and Tommy Wingels (16G, 38 pts.) should make up the difference. Nikolay Goldobin, their 18-year-old first-round pick who impressed in camp, waits in the wings to either snag a spot on the roster out of the gate or get more seasoning with Sarnia of the OHL.

Should things get rough in the stacked Pacific Division, McLellan can call upon Tyler Kennedy, Andrew Desjardins, Mike Brown, James Sheppard and Adam Burish for glass-rattling backup to give the skilled lines plenty of space.

In spite of that well-rounded cadre, the Sharks made one of the most significant moves in the offseason, bringing in the multi-talented 6-foot-8 John Scott to provide that extra boost of toughness the club lacks up front. The twin Lady Byng threats of Scott and Raffi Torres -- whenever he returns from the latest setback from knee surgery -- will give the club a clean edge it needs to compete with the Kings, Ducks, and Blackhawks.

DEFENSE - With Boyle (12G, 36 pts.) having gotten the hint and escaping to New York as a free agent, the Sharks defense has taken on a grittier, less slick character.

Each of the expected top six are taller than six foot and excepting Jason Demers, weigh at least 205 pounds with Brent Burns -- moved back where he belongs from a stint on the forward lines -- clocking in at a healthy 230.

The blueline amassed just 305 penalty minutes and ranked fifth overall in goals against (193) and goals-per-game allowed (2.35), but McLellan appears to be bidding on the same results with more of a price paid by the opposition.

Therefore, it can't be long until Taylor Doherty, after four years in Worcester and a veritable behemoth at 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, gets his shot to entangle enemy forwards. Mirco Mueller, at only 19 years old, stands 6- foot-3 and weighs 205 and is the franchise's most capable defensive prospect.

Scott Hannan, who claims the most NHL action of the group, will have no issue throwing his weight around, while Marc-Edouard Vlasic who was a plus-31, has the puck-handling skills to be Boyle's replacement offensively.

GOALTENDING - Performance in the crease has never been tabbed as a legitimate reason San Jose has continually come up short in the spring. If anything, Antti Niemi -- maligned despite his role in the Blackhawks' 2010 Cup victory -- has played better year after year than his heady rookie campaign suggested.

There's no reason to suspect Niemi, now heading into his seventh NHL campaign and fifth as the San Jose starter, won't put up numbers similar to his 39 wins, 2.39 GAA and four shutouts over 64 games. He's never failed to win less than 30 in any full season since arriving in the Bay Area.

Barring injury or incompetence, 27-year-old Alex Stalock (12-5-2, 1.87 GAA, 2 ShO) will get the nod for the second straight season to be Niemi's backup.

Should either Niemi or Stalock falter, there's two-year college starter Troy Grosenick -- who helped Union College reach the Frozen Four in 2012 -- waiting in the wings. Grosenick, 25, finished 18-14-0 with a 2.62 GAA in 35 appearances for Worcester of the American Hockey League in his first professional season.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - Internally, the Sharks may believe this year is the one where all debts are forgiven. But after wave upon wave of disappointments trail in their wake, in order to fully embrace the present and ensure a better future, deeper cuts should have been made both on and off the ice.

There's enough talent and stability in San Jose to ensure a run at a division title and be competitive in the West.

However, players like Pavelski, Couture, and Vlasic have to be capable of succeeding with increased responsibility and leadership to make it all work. And unless Wilson, McLellan, Thornton, et al. have undergone the kind of soul searching which leads to effective change in their acts, it will be one more April and May of shattered playoff dreams.