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Post-Thornton, Post-Marleau
Sharks look good, but good enough?
The team still
looks like a runner-up when it comes to the Stanley Cup
| 3/19/18 - By Paul Krill -
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For years, Sharks fans wondered what the world
would be like once the Sharks no longer had Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton on
the ice. With Marleau having left via free agency after last season and
Thornton out with an injury since late-January, we've finally gotten a glimpse
of that world. And it hasn't been so bad.
We saw Tomas Hertl reach the
20-goal mark this past weekend. And the same for Timo Meier, who is finally
looking worthy of having been the ninth overall pick of the 2015 draft. Other
players, like Joonas Donskoi, Kevin Labanc and Chris Tierney, have stepped in
to help fill the Marleau-Thornton gap as well.
And, of course, Evander
Kane has been devastatingly effective for the Sharks, with 10 points in nine
games, including a four-goal outburst this past weekend in Calgary. He's helped
the team even when not showing up on the score sheet. Sharks GM Doug Wilson is
going to have his work cut out for him deciding whether to pursue Kane or the
Islanders' John Tavares in free agency in the off-season. (Maybe Wilson can
snag both?)
With the exception of a dud game or two (see: Sharks vs.
Capitals, March 10), the team has been looking pretty good. The pieces are
coming together nicely for this now-younger Sharks team. Still, is it going to
be enough? We look at the standings and we see Vegas several points ahead of
the Sharks, having already beaten the Sharks twice, and Nashville having
already clinched a playoff spots with several weeks to go in the regular
season.
The last time the Sharks played Nashville, they were
stomped upon, 7-1, in February. Also far ahead of the Sharks in the standings
is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who beat the Sharks twice this season.
So,
it looks like the more things change, the more they stay the same. We have a
very good Sharks team that will win a lot of games and most likely make the
playoffs. But a Stanley Cup victory just seems like too much to ask this
season. The Lightning, the Golden Knights and the Predators (all post-Sharks
expansion teams) look to be the cream of the crop when it comes to ranking the
top teams.
The Sharks will have to pull off a big surprise if they are
to advance far in the playoffs and beat out the aforementioned other three
teams or the Boston Bruins for the Cup. Not to mention the Winnipeg Jets. Maybe
Thornton will return in time to give the Sharks a needed playoff boost. It
should be a fun post-season once that arrives in April.
Contact
Paul at at paulkrill@letsgosharks.com
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