It’s never too early (or late) in the summer to start thinking about hockey. We’ll start from the Western Conference and send our wagon’s east as we approach the 2013-14 season. The realignment of the NHL has setup a particularly difficult division that could prove to be cannibalistic for the teams unfortunate enough to reside there.
The Pacific Division boasts some of the best teams in the NHL with four of the seven featuring in the playoffs. There are some clear-cut favorites in the race for supremacy and some teams that will likely take a step back. There are some new coaches behind the bench and some new (and old) rivalries to be renewed.
The first team that we will preview will be the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are perennial contenders in the Western Conference and their team flag flies proudly from my Uncle Jimmy’s home. They have posted an impressive six division championships since their incarnation in 1992, including a President’s Trophy for the 2008-09 season. In spite of the regular season success however, the Sharks have won zero Stanley Cups with zero appearances in the Final.
The Sharks have relied on the same core of star players Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle for the last half decade. These three players have been a huge part of the San Jose success story, but may now be the concrete that is sinking the club. Between the three there is approximately $22 million in salary cap space being eaten. All three are in the final year of high dollar contracts and each player will be over the age of 34 when the season ends.
The Sharks front office has been under fire for every early post-season exit and last year was no different. With the abundance of veteran talent and young stars like Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski taking the reins of the franchise, there can be no more excuses. If the championship window isn’t completely closed on this San Jose crew it is on it’s way down fast.
The bottom line is that San Jose needed to, and still needs to trade some of its’ high dollar veteran talent rather than wishfully believe that a Stanley Cup is waiting on back order. This roster will look vastly different next season whether a championship comes to San Jose or not so why not attempt to get something of value in return for the future?
I predict a tough year for San Jose. The wheels could come off and the situation could turn awful if there are any significant injuries. If this team is not in contention for the division title by the Olympic break, expect to see a full-scale garage sale from the Sharks. From a business standpoint and a franchise building perspective the Sharks have painted themselves into a poor financial corner and need to act sooner than later.
Prediction: Fifth. The Sharks have enough talent to win this division, but they won’t. If things get bad enough, there could be a new GM and head coach in San Jose too.