#1 in the West: San Jose Sharks

This season, the San Jose Sharks stand a legitimate chance at taking home Lord Stanley. This isn't much different from the past few seasons as management has created one of the most successful franchises over the past decade. After several years of failing to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, I believe the Sharks will finally break that curse this coming season. Coach Todd McLellan and GM Doug Wilson will spend the rest of the summer and training camp setting these expectations for the club. The players will respond.


Up front, the Sharks have a good mix of veteran leadership and youthful energy. The top line consists of three, skilled veterans: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and new arrival, Martin Havlat. Thornton is the captain of this squad for a variety of reasons. Aside from being one of the best playmakers in the game, he also has incredible determination. Naysayers have pointed to his playoff history and stated he isn't capable of leading a team to a Cup. I strongly disagree. Throughout his entire career Thornton has been a dominating force, especially this last season. Look for Thornton to again dictate play in the Western Conference. Marleau is easily one of the fastest players in the game - and at 32, he's in his prime. In the last five seasons, he has only dipped below the 71-point mark once. Marleau also averages the most time on ice out of any forward due to his penalty killing abilities. As one of the best all-around players in the league, Marleau will not fade this year. Havlat comes over in a swap for Dany Heatley with the Minnesota Wild. Although Havlat isn't quite the same producer as Heatley, he does bring with him a strong skill-set at a smaller salary. Havlat will be close to a point-per-game player as long as he stays on this top line. His point totals this coming season will easily eclipse last season (62). After that tremendous first line, the Sharks are still impressively strong down the middle with Joe "Baby Joe" Pavelski and Logan Couture. Pavelski is a great two-way forward coming into his sixth NHL season with the organization. Pavelski has never finished in the negative and I don't expect that to change. On the other hand, his 66 points last season are a testament to his offensive abilities. He has a great shot and is a lethal weapon on the power play. Couture had a wonderful rookie campaign last year as he was nominated for the Calder Trophy. I believe he should have won due to the intangibles he showed when the team struggled, but it's hard to argue with Jeff Skinner's performance. Couture is another strong two-way center and this creates a formidable attack. Couture had the second-highest plus/minus on the team - a tough accomplishment for a rookie. Expect this individual to shine even brighter next season. Ryan Clowe is a big, power forward with a scoring touch. In his seventh NHL season, Clowe is just now coming into his prime. He understands what's expected of him and his play - crashing the net and moving the puck along the boards. I anticipate him around the same point total as last season at 62. Michal Handzus was brought in from the Los Angeles Kings. He is a seasoned, intelligent veteran and will be another respected leader in the locker room for the youngsters to learn from. Handzus should produce more points for this club than his previous campaign. Torrey Mitchell is set for a breakout season with the Sharks. He is another incredibly fast player with the ability to finish. He's had some injury troubles in the past, especially with his knee, but if he can stay healthy, expect 35-40 points. James Sheppard is a younger Ryan Clowe at about the same weight and height. If Sheppard wants to consistently play on this squad, it would be wise to start taking notes on Clowe's play. Sheppard played well in his three seasons with the Wild and the Sharks got a good deal for him - trading a third-round pick. Jamie McGinn is a tough forward who really needs to step up his game this season. Six points in 49 games with an average ice time of 11 minutes in not acceptable. I anticipate him picking up his game this season. If not, hello bench. Ben Ferriero had nine points for the Sharks last year, but he only played in 33 games. More opportunities will create more production for this young player. The coach seems to trust his play - putting him out there in vital OT situations. In training camp, Andrew Murray will be competing with Sheppard for a spot. Murray played his past four seasons in Columbus. Hopefully a change of scenery will present him with a better opportunity to display his abilities. Andrew Desjardins had a small stint with the big club playing in 17 games and accumulating three points. He may have to wait a bit longer for a larger role, especially with the awful number choice.


Offensive Score: A


Along with the Bruins and Sabres, the Sharks have one of the deepest defensive squads in the league. Dan Boyle is an incredibly valuable offensive defenseman. He led all Sharks' defensemen last year with 50 points - a difficult accomplishment for an individual specialized in preventing goals. With an improved cast surrounding him, I anticipate Boyle reaching around 60 points this season. To complement Boyle, the Sharks brought in another proficient puck-moving, offensive defenseman in Brent Burns. He was able to achieve 46 points with a less talented Minnesota Wild organization, so expect his production to dramatically increase on this team. The Sharks power play will be astonishingly dangerous with these two stars at the point. Oh by the way, both of these individuals played 25-26 minutes a game last year - leading both of their respective teams. Why have 6 defensemen when you can roll four? Marc-Edouard Vlasic will continue to be a capable shutdown defenseman for this team. Like Pavelski, Vlasic is coming into sixth NHL season. Although his point totals won't drop any jaws, his defensive responsibilities never go unnoticed by management. The same can be said for Douglas Murray. He may not be as mobile as Vlasic, but he will crush opponents. I don't play in the NHL but I can guess that he is one of "those" defensemen that opponents don't want to play against. Murray had 203 hits last season and most were probably fairly punishing. Jason Demers has really come into his own over the past two seasons with the Sharks. He's another offensive defenseman on this team and should see some power play time on the second unit. Demers has averaged around 22 points each season, but with the additions made this summer, his numbers should rise significantly. Jim Vandermeer was signed in the off-season and should provide another reliable body on the back-end. An 8-year veteran, he understands his role on this team: to play when asked. It won't be a ton of ice time, but they will be valuable minutes. Colin White will be in a similar situation to Vandermeer. White is a hard-hitting, 11-year veteran. After spending his entire career with the Devils, management decided his services were no longer needed. The Sharks gladly swept him up for only $1 million this season. Justin Braun was a pleasant surprise for the organization producing 11 points in only 28 games. Although this bodes well for his future, it's going to be difficult cracking this deep lineup. If he keeps up his play, he shouldn't have any worries. 


Defensive Score: A+


In net, the Sharks have two reliable options: Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki. Niemi has already proven his worth by winning a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. Last season, he stopped 92% of the shots thrown his way and only allowed an average of 2.38 goals per game. With the offense in front of him, that's not a problem. His record speaks for itself: 35-18-6. Niittymaki was supposed to battle with Niemi for the starting spot last season, but never really put up a fight. His save percentage was just shy of 90 and his goals against average was at 2.72. These aren't impeccable numbers, but as a backup they will suffice. He played 24 games last season and I expect about the same this season.


Goaltending Score: B+


2011-2012 Stanley Cup Champions.