Opening Night Thoughts

I didn't finish watching the game until 1am, so my impressions may be as worthless as tits on a hog. I never understood that expression, which makes it all the more appropriate.

• D-Gate! We need some pressure defense. I think there were a couple of Edmonton power plays where the Sharks literally did not touch the puck. We'd just let 'em skate around the outside, cycle for a while, then they'd give to Souray and he'd blast a shot at about a thousand miles per hour. It'd ricochet around at a couple of hundred miles per hour, and eventually get kicked to the point or a corner again, where they'd repeat. I guess it was effective, since Edmonton didn't score a power play goal, but the Sharks are playing with fire if it continues.
• Torrey Mitchell looked awesome. A post, and a couple of good scoring chances. The question that will be answered soon enough is 'can he put out that kind of effort every night, even on a Wednesday night away game in Columbus'?
• Bummer about Setoguchi's ankle- he really should have made his debut last night, he earned it.
• If Joe keeps shooting like he did last night, he'll both open up more passing lanes and score 35 goals. He was like a Shark with a friggin laser beam on his head with that goal (see what I did there?)
• The Sharks are worthless in the shootout. WORTHLESS.
  

And I want to apologize to Scott Thornton for my crack (and the Kings, although that part hurts a little). After this epic beatdown of George Parros, I'll never doubt again:

Thank the Sweet Lord Hockey Is Back

The first two games of the season didn't really count. They were in a country that cares almost nothing for hockey (kinda like the U.S.). With two teams where I didn't want either of them to win. And the games were at 3 in the morning or something, playing on TV directly against top college football games. Way to make a splash, NHL.

But last night was better, scheduled against playoff baseball. Whoops. Since baseball is only slightly less interesting than a paint-drying seminar, it was easy enough to click past that crap, and enjoy my first day of Center Ice, bought and paid for. Toronto and Ottawa. I got home from work so late I only saw the third, but it was tight hockey, a close game, and Dany Heatley, fresh from signing his new 6-year extension that will pay him about $8m per, scored late in the third to tie, and in overtime to win the game. Great way to start the season. And the other 27 people watching all across America were as thrilled as I was.

And by the way? Starting Raycroft? Horrible decision. They showed a "plays of the game" type graphic late in the third with the score tied 3-3 that Raycroft had "made 24 saves". That's a .888 save percentage. Last year, that would have been good enough for 41st in the NHL, behind Brent Johnson, but ahead of Alex Auld. Attention Leafs: start Toskala, and let him win you some games.

Torrey Mitchell makes the club!

My bold prediction comes true. Wilson says today in the San Jose Mercury News that Mitchell will be in the opening night line up, along with fellow rookie Setoguchi.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sharksheadlines/ci_7059985

No real clues as to how the other lines are going to shake down after Thornton-Marleau-Cheechoo. Whose spot did Mitchell take in the line up? I can only guess it is Curtis Brown.

One more cut to go and its gotta be Semenov, right? Unless this deal for Halak is real and Wilson is formulating a deal with some of our spare parts. I am not sold on Patzold as the back up. If Nabby goes down, the Sharks season could go in the tank - literally.

Could Goc be the bait? It appears he has been passed up on the depth chart by Pavelski.

About 50 hours to go!

Grier's 2007-08 Predictions

Here is how I see the season shaping up - division by divison.

ATLANTIC
1) Pittsburgh Penguins - I like what this team has done in the offseason. Surrounding Crosby and Malkin with the necessary veteran talent while keeping their core intact. Staal can only improve on his effort last year. They are going to be fun to watch for several years.

2) Philadelphia Flyers - I think this team added the vital pieces needed to revive a dormant franchise. Mixed with some of their already good young talent, the Flyers should have a resurgence this season. Unlike Mike, I think Biron could surprise.

3) New York Rangers - I'm not buying it. I think the Rangers made some big mistakes adding too many big dogs and alienating their role players. Will Drury, Gomez, Avery, Shanny and Jagr play nice together? I think this dressing room could implode and Jagr might be skating for a different team in March.

4) New Jersey Devils - They won't suck. With Brodeur in net, they have a chance to win every night, but letting Gomez and Rafalski walk and replacing them with Zubrus and Visnievski isn't gonna cut it. They miss the playoffs this year.

5) New York Islanders - Goon Central. Team will hate to play them and fans will hate to watch them. You can't polish a turd.

NORTHEAST
1) Ottawa Senators - Agreed. This team is poised for another run at the Cup. Ongoing contract issues with pending free agents could be a motivator or a distraction. Goaltending situaiton should be solved after Gerber is dealt soon - his value will never get much higher.

2) Toronto Maple Leafs - I think the Leafs have improved and are poised to be a serious threat this season. They can score with the best of them and adding Blake is a big bonus. Toskala will compensate for McCabe and Kaberle offensive tendencies.

3) Buffalo Sabres - They are going to miss Briere and Drury more than they think. A poor start leads to morale falling. They make the playoffs late.

4) Montreal Canadiens - Not sure what is happening here. Same old, same old. They need a big move and lack the pieces to make it.

5) Boston Bruins - Maybe some baby steps of improvement but they have no blueline to speak of besides Chara. Manny Fernandez sucks, by the way.

SOUTHEAST
1) Washington Capitals - That's right. I said it. The Caps are the cream of this rancid division. They will benefit from a weak schedule and a solid second year from Semin and Backstrom. Adding Tom Poti and Nylander will push this team over the hump. Kolzig has a big year before he goes UFA.

2) Tampa Bay - No goaltending. That simple enough for you?

3) Florida - This team works hard and has some good young talent. Vokoun can shut down anyone on any night - so they could sneak up on some people. They will hang around the playoffs and crap out at the end.

4) Carolina - Old, old, old. This team is the NHL's version of the San Francisco Giants. Rumor has them willing to part with Cole - are they high?

5) Atlanta Thrashers - This teams window has come and gone and now they have to blow it up. Hossa is trade bait and will be skating in a different uni by March (maybe in Teal....?)

NORTHWEST

1) Calgary - They will find themselves at the top of the leagues toughest division. Their mix of toughness and goaltending is a tough match up. Only question could be lack of scoring.

2) Colorado - Smyth works his magic in Denver. I think Sakic will be rejuvinated and this team is going to be a giant pain in the ass to play. Don't forget they also have King Shutdown, Scotty Hannan. I feel like hating the Avs again.

3) Vancouver - Injuries are already killing this team and I just have a hunch it will continue for the rest of the season.

4) Minnesota - I don't see them taking the "next step" as everyone says. When has Gaborik been healthy for an entire season? Is Backstrom really the real deal? I think this team middles around again and maybe gets a late playoff seed. I'm not buying what Minnesota is selling.

5) Edmonton - Sheldon Souray can blow me. He'll wish he signed with the Sharks by December.

PACIFIC
1) San Jose Sharks - This is not a homer pick, believe it or not. They are the real deal and are one veteran defensemen away from dominating the West. Nabby's health is also a minor concern because the net is thin after him...

2) Anahiem Ducks - I don't even think this is going to be close. The Ducks finish ten points behind the Sharks. They are going to miss Neidermeyer and Selanne big time and Bertuzzi either gets hurt early or sucks often.

3) LA Kings - I don't think they are going to be as bad as others think. The Kings will be difficult to play and are deep on the blueline. Goaltending is a serious issue but I see them adding Gerber any day now.

4) Dallas - This is the year this team fades away. Like New Jersey, the old guard has to die sometime. Bye Bye Dallas, we hardly knew you.

5) Phoenix - If the Sharks lose one game to Phoenix, I will shoot myself.

CENTRAL
1) Detroit - I want to play in the Central! Rafalski is an improvement over Schneider and they kept their core together. Hasek's health always a question.

2) St. Louis - I know Mikey likes the Preds and Blackhawks, but I see St. Louis as a bottom playoff team this year. Some dangerous veterans, solid D and a decent goalie could help them prey upon a weak division.

3) Nashville - Depressions set in when this team realizes their best forward is Jason Arnott. They need to deal one of their bluechip defensemen for some scoring help.

4) Chicago - There is finally hope in Chicago that the team has a glimmer of future. Young players will cause some excitement but in the end, the vets they have (Lang, Samsanov) are terrible and won't provide any leadership to help this club make the push.

5) Columbus - A wispy fart better than Phoenix. This team also has no direction. They have cap room after Foote and Federov leave next year, but no one will come. Barren wasteland.

I am calling a Sharks/Maple Leafs final. Nabby vs. Toskala. Oh the Drama!

The Inevitable, but Hopefully Entertaining

2007-8 season predictions. Every damn blogger out there has 'em, and who am I to challenge my betters? It's mindless conformity that has made me who I am. And attracted our attractive readers, which I think I can now describe as "several", rather than "few" (recently upgraded from "both"). Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head.

Atlantic
1. Rangers - I drank the Kool-Aid, awright? I don't think Drury or Gomez will rock the boat too much. And I'm a fan of Jagr, though I forgot why. Their goaltending and D are definitely better than the...
2. Penguins - Young, dumb, and full of... you get the idea. Their PP will be electric, but winning games 6-5 is a risky proposition.
3. Flyers - Ok, they gained some dudes in the offseason, and they have some young guys. But when Derian Hatcher is still one of your best two defensemen, and you have a backup retread as your starting goalie, you'll be scratching to make the playoffs come January.
4. Devils - with a new coach, and a new system, it's time for this team to falter. The inevitable falling out between Sutter and Big Bad Lou will leave the team without a compass. I'd say it's even money that Lou will pull a "Claude Julien" on Sutter before April.
5. Islanders - Ted Nolan is a genius, and it's ridiculous that he couldn't get a job after leading the Sabres to the SCF all those years ago. But you can't polish a turd.

Northeast
1. Senators - Stood pat in the offseason, and it will pay off. Even if Heatley gets all uppity about his contract, this team has too much talent and experience to lose the division.
2. Sabres - I wanted to put this team after the Leafs, but I wussed out. They still have solid goaltending and some talent. I will go out on a limb and say that we will be questioning Vanek's contract by the end of the year.
3. Maple Leafs - Now with our dearly departed Tosk in net, the Leafs will finally make the playoffs. But if no young guns step it up, it could be a long season of watching Sundin get slower and slower.... eyes.... closing....
4. Canadiens - Just like the Leafs, without as good goaltending or defense. Or offense.
5. Bruins - Unless Kessel gets cancer again, there will be nothing to talk about for the hapless Bruins. You can send your angry emails to biteme@null.com.

Southeast
1. Lightning - Goaltending is a problem, and Boyle, on whom I have a man-crush, is a bit clumsy, ok?! With Lecavalier, St. Louis, Richards, and several good defensive defensemen, Tampa Bay will again be on top, but only enough for the #3 seed.
2. Capitals - With Semin, AO, and Niclas Backstrom (no, the other one), this team will be dangerous every night. And long-forgotten Vezina winner Olaf Kolzig has still got some gas left in the tank.
3. Thrashers - I'm not sold on Lehtonen. I'm not sold on Kovalchuk, who can light it up, but is a defensive weakling. The only bona-fide they got is Hossa, who will only be looking to pad his stats so he can get the hell out of there.
4. Panthers - I feel bad for Horton, Bouwmeester and Jokinen, but if you can't win with Luongo, Vokoun is not the answer.
5. Hurricanes - So forgettable I forgot to include them in the first version of this post. 'Nuff said.

Central
1. Detroit - Stupid Wings. When are you jagoffs gonna screw up?! Can't a guy get a break?!
2. Predators - Man, I really wanted to put them third, but even though they lost some guys, they still have enough to win some games. I really wanted to push the...
3. Blackhawks - I liked this team even before their owner died. Hooboy, that was even worse than the cancer comment. Seriously though, with young talent and a Cup-winning goalie, and who knows, maybe even the ability to spend at the trade deadline for the first time in 35 years, this team is going places.
4. St. Louis - Odd combination of rickety old guys and not-ready-yet youngsters promises an occasionally-gratifying, yet mostly-frustrating season with plenty-of-dashes.
5. Blue Jackets - Blow it up already. Trade Nash, ditch Foote, and hire a decent scouting department. If they are smart, they'll pack it in by early December and try to get Tavares.

Northwest
1. Flames - This team proved last year that they can finally score, and this year, will lead them to the division title. If Kipper or Iginla falters or get injured though, watch out. They could fall quickly.
2. Wild - Niklas Backstrom (yes, that one) was my great early pick in fantasy, when some a$hole stole him from me. But I'm not bitter. He'll contend for the Vezina this year, and with Gaborik healthy, they'll be able to steal games from the...
3. Canucks - Luongo, while certainly in the Vezina hunt yet again, is not enough. This is the toughest division in hockey, and trotting out 89-year-old Trevor Linden may warm the ol' cockles of the heart, but is worth precisely squat on the ice.
4. Avalanche - Smyth, great addition. Man, do I wish the Sharks got him. Starting goaltender with no playoff experience and 2.75 lifetime GAA? Backed up by the worst backup (and highest paid) in hockey? Not so much.
5. Oilers - Kevin Lowe is becoming the Matt Millen of hockey. I like to see Canadian teams do well, really I do, but they will need divine intervention this year to get 75 points.

Pacific
1. Sharks - but only if the Ducks don't get Niedermayer (motto: "Waaah! I want to play with my brother!") and Selanne back. I still worry about the D, but I think we'll see Michalek turn into an All-Star this year.
2. Ducks - With no Selanne, Neids, or Penner, they are missing 103 goals from last year. I think they are hoping they can create a currency market where they can convert fighting majors (or ill-conceived mustaches) into scoring opportunities.
3. Stars - Booorrrring. I think I've heard this tune before- good D, just enough scoring, great goaltending, then the whole thing falls apart in the playoffs. Just don't sing it to the tune of SexyBack.
4. Kings - One year away from overtaking the Stars, and making a run of it. Let's put it this way- Scott Thornton is still on the roster.
5. Coyotes - Holy criminy, the Yotes are bad. The worst team in hockey. If you are a season ticket holder for this team, my hat is off to you. It's a "My eyes! These goggles do nothing!" situation.

The Roster - Grier Style

Well, great minds think alike Mikey. I happen to agree with almost all your roster predictions with a few possible exceptions.

I think Torrey Mitchell makes the big club this year. He is this seasons Vlasic story, the kid who came out of nowhere to grab a spot on the big club. Even if he only plays 50 games, Roenick and Brown will both need several nights off, especially on back to backs. He is an impact player, Mark Smith with much more skill and I see him as a staple in Teal for the next few years.

Bernier should be traded. His value is still high now but we currently have no roster spot for him and the Sharks are not in a position to wait and see if a player is going to pan out. Clowe, Pavelski, Setoguchi, Goc and, in my opinion, Torrey Mitchell, have all passed him on the depth chart. He is the odd man out and Doug Wilson could still get some value for him. If we let him sit as a healthy scratch, his value declines and the Sharks leverage declines. He is our best trading piece to get a potential impact veteran D-man to upgrade the #6 spot. I like Murray, but he is a #7 guy in my opinion.

Let me preface this by saying, I'm not a fan of Semenov, as you already know but I think the Sharks go with Semenov and cut ties with Ozolinsh....for now. If Sandis doesn't catch on with another team, or if he is willing to start the year at Worcester against live competition, he could be in a Sharks uniform sometime this Fall if someone gets hurt.

Here is my opening night roster and projected lines.

Clowe-Thornton-Cheechoo
Michalek-Marleau-Setoguchi
Grier-Roenick-Pavelski
Rismiller-Brown-Goc

McLaren, Rivet, Carle, Vlasic, Ehrhoff, Murray (unless Bernier is traded for D-man)

SCRATCHES: Rob Davison (wing/D), Semenov (D), Mitchell (F/C)

TRADED: Bernier for defensemen or goaltending depth.

My 23-man Roster Prediction

As Grier mentioned in his last post, we will both be posting our opening day 23-man roster predictions, then laugh and point at each other when we get them wrong. I just read a story about the 7 guys jockeying for position for the last D spot, and it inspired me to give my predictions now, what the hell.

By the way, I'm only grouping them into lines because I don't want this post to be 20 pages long. The actual line combinations are too tough to call.

Forwards
1. Joe - Clowe - Cheech
2. Patty - Setoguchi - Michalek
3. Grier - Brown - Little Joe
4. Rissmiller - JR - Goc

Defense
1. McLaren - Ehrhoff
2. Rivet - Carle
3. Vlasic - Ozolinsh

Goalies
1. Nabby
2. Greiss

Spare Parts
1. Davison
2. Bernier
3. Murray

As you can see, I'm predicting Ozolinsh to make the team, which is my most controversial prediction. At this point, with all the cuts they've made, they clearly have seen something out of Ozolinsh. With Davison, Murray, McLaren, Vlasic, and Rivet all being solid D-first defensemen, I think the Sharks will take a flyer on the Oz, and hope he contributes some offensive spark.

This means Semenov is the odd man out. As Grier has said, he's too reminiscent of Mike Rathje. Too slow, and not really any bone crushing hits. He's got a 6-6, 235 lb frame in a division with the Ducks; he has to be a physical force to have a shot to make the club. At least Murray tries to level people. I put Davison at the top of the healthy scratch list because he's been willing to play a wing position as well, and unlike Bernier, is unafraid to get his hands dirty. Bernier we're stuck with- he's too valuable to release or send down, but not good enough to play every day. He's trade bait.

Preseason thoughts

After four preseason games and seeing one in person this weekend, it appears the Sharks have a new attitude and some of the young kids are all growns up!

PAVELSKI and SETOGUCHI
Pavelski is taking the body, tough in the corners and scoring clutch goals in the preseason while Setoguchi has done nothing but bury the puck in the net. These two are a lock to make the club. The only question is who do they play with? Right now, The Gooch is making a case that he belongs on Joe or Patty's wing. I see Pavelski potentially raising hell with JR and Grier on the third line.

ANYONE HOME?
Does someone want to wake up Steve Bernier and tell him he's playing for a roster spot? Does this guy just think he's on the team? He is in for a rude surprise when he is either shipped to Worcester or traded away before the season starts. Use your powers for good Bernier! Atleast try and make this a tough call.

THE SIXTH DEFENSEMEN
It looks like it is down to a four horse race with Brennan Evans not standing out as much as I'd hoped and Brad Norton not seeing the ice this homestand. From all accounts, Murray played well tonight and Davison was okay. I thought Semenov was better than advertised on Friday, jumping into the play when needed and willing to play the cop role. Ozolinsh is the mystery man and reports of him being in great shape are all we've heard so far.

Mike and I will have a post soon about our opening night roster predictions and season forecasts. So far, the Sharks look motivated and aggressive. More later. GO SHARKS!

The Sharks' Last D Spot

The 6th defenseman spot is a free-for-all. On one hand, we have the two guys that basically platooned it last year, Davison and Murray. On another hand, we have a crop of young guys and new guys fighting for it, like Semenov, Joslin, Norton, and our new hero, Brennan Evans. For the young ones out there, this is how you fight:

• Pull the other guy's jersey over his head
• Swing at will

And on the third hand, we have Sandis Ozolinsh. Grier pointed out this section of a recent article in the Mercury News:

If veteran defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh earns a spot on the roster, it'll be strictly based on what he shows in practice.

Under conditions imposed by the NHL because of his involvement in the league's substance-abuse program, Ozolinsh cannot play in any exhibition games. He pleaded guilty in June 2006 to driving while impaired.

Wilson said that Ozolinsh, who is attempting his comeback with the team that first drafted him, reported in excellent shape - something not lost on assistant coach Rob Zettler, a teammate during their stint together in San Jose.

"Zets says it's a totally different body than the last time he was here," Wilson said, adding that Ozolinsh is a strong skater whose outlet passes could prove valuable on the power play.

So the Sharks have to make a blind decision on a 35 year old guy who hasn't been effective in the NHL since 2003. The problem with all of this is, if whoever we choose doesn't work out, we could be in trouble. Any replacement player would probably be subject to clearing waivers.

Teal and White, almost useless

Almost. The most exciting things of the night (by far) was seeing the new scoreboard, the new 'ribbon' screen that goes around the arena on the upper deck, and the new unis. Ryan Garner has a full screed on it, and I agree with his major points.

The scoreboard is great. It's bigger, much clearer, and does away with the hard-coded section for penalties, time left, shots, and timeouts. It's all integrated into the large hi-def screen display. Replays are actually worth watching. It's not quite as good as a decent consumer plasma or LCD, probably because of the size, but a fantastic improvement. Watching the action on the screen is no longer useless, although you do see trails on the puck when it moves quickly, which is most of the time.

When I first saw pictures of the new unis on sjsharks.com yesterday, I was a little disappointed. I thought the teal was too bright, and I'm not a huge fan of the orange. I'm happy to report that the teal has not changed at all- I stood next to a guy with the new jersey wearing my old teal jersey, and the colors are the same. I'm not sure I like the shoulders, and wish they'd use the fin logo instead, but I'm ok with the overall look. The new home whites are actually pretty snazzy.

Enough about fashion. Supposedly a game happened, but I think I blocked it out. It was basically an 'A' level Sharks Ice game without the intensity. (For those not in SJ, Sharks Ice is the local place where the Sharks practice, and where I play amateur hockey. Badly.) Everyone was trying to thread the needle with passes, often bypassing a good shooting opportunity. Might be kind of exciting when it's Joe making the passes, but it's dull when it's Brad Norton. The goalies looked good- there were some times where I got to see Dakers' positioning and Greiss' blinding lateral speed. But the game ended in a 0-0 tie, then went to an unwatchable shootout, with only Steve Bernier scoring. Joe's shootout attempt was so lazy and slow that if I wasn't already bored with the whole thing, I would have been insulted.

Unfortunately, the quality of the game was so bad that it wasn't even possible to do any evaluation on the young kids and new players. Devin Setoguchi has good speed, Ty Wishart is a beast, and Logan Couture needs to gain size. But that's about all I could see. I'm hoping they will get good minutes in the preseason, so I can properly form an opinion about their chances of making the big club. The way the roster is so jammed up right now, Setoguchi may be the only one with a decent shot.

Since there probably won't be anything that exciting to debut next year, I have doubts about going. If I do go, I'll want to go early so I can at least get some free stuff.

Ozolinsh - Why not?

I've been waiting for my prediction to come true - a veteran defensemen to join the Sharks core before the season started. Doug Wilson did deliver this player in a blast from the past that I think no one saw coming. Sandis Ozolinsh is in Sharks camp to give it one more go on a player try out and I say - why not? This can only be a good thing. If he has nothing in the tank, he is cut loose. If he can regain any of his seven time All Star form, than it is a huge bonus for the Sharkies. I think he could have something left and here is why...

Throwing last season out, in 05-06 Ozolinsh put up respectable numbers for the Ducks and Rangers in 36 games. He missed part of that season with a rib injury and a 19 game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. If he had played all 82 games, here are his projected stats.

2005-06 8 goals 32 assists 40 points 64 PIM

These are not the numbers of a washed up player. Last year he suffered multiple knee injuries and showed nothing in 21 games with the Rangers. Which Ozolinsh are the Sharks getting? I'm excited to find out. At the very least his presence will push Semenov, Murray and Davison to step up their game in hopes of gaining the sixth D-man role.

TEAL AND WHITE GAME TONIGHT! Mike and I will give a full report tomorrow.

Ring Your Bell

The NHL has finally decided on Mark Bell's punishment and thankfully he will be serving his fifteen game suspension as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs and not wasting a Sharks roster spot, like he did last season. I think the punishment is just and sends a message to all hockey players and professional athletes that drinking and driving sucks and criminal behavior will not be tolerated by the league.

Speaking of drinking, Hockeybuzz.com blogger Howard Berger must have had a few Canadien whisky shots when writing the following words, "Mark Bell Comeback Player of the Year". Read for yourself - obviously they haven't been exposed to this overrated player that provides some good thrills as a goon but little else in the way of skill. Anyone who runs from a hit and run car accident doesn't have the character to mount a comeback. He should call Lindsey Lohan and maybe they can be cellmates?

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9341

Great Pickup for the Sharks, if they made it 10 years ago

The newest Shark? Jeremy Roenick. No cap considerations to worry about, he's only making half a million dollars. But with all the young players we got, this makes no sense. After the obvious first line (Cheech, Joe, Michalek) look at the list of other players with a reasonable shot to make the team. Marleau, Pavelski, Grier, Clowe, Goc, Brown, Rissmiller, Bernier, Setoguchi, Kaspar, and now Roenick. I'm not a hockey GM or anything like that, but something says that there's a logjam here. That's 5 lines worth of offense.

Grier seems to think that there's a deal in the works for D, trading away some of these younger players (Goc, Pavelski, and Bernier seem likely candidates), but I still think Grier is on a bit of the 'ol crack. If there was a deal in the works, it would have happened by now. And there are several other free agents still out there that make more sense.

MARLEAU IN THE FOLD!!

Doug Wilson is at it again, signing Patrick Marleau to a two year contract extension worth over six million dollars per season, keeping him in a Sharks uniform until 2010. As I said in my last post, this was a necessary move by the Sharks and another step towards keeping this excellent core of young players intact. Losing Marleaus's 80 points would have been impossible to replace within the organization and the trade value did not seem to be there in the current market (the latest rumor of Montreal offering a young defensemen and Michael Ryder does not equal Marleau's value). Now the team has locked up their main players for a long term run at Lord Stanley and I would assume Wilson will now turn his focus towards extending the younger second and third year players.

Mike and I are both in agreement that Wilson is still trolling for a veteran defensemen to take the pressure off Carle playing 18 minutes a night and preventing Murray/Davison/Semenov from seeing regular minutes as the sixth defensmen. There are two routes Wilson can go to acquire such a player. He can sign from the limited pool of UFA's, offering a two year deal to Danny Markov or Brent Sopel - the two most attractive players left on the market in my opinion. Markov offers more hard hitting and defensive responsibility while Sopel can be more effective on the power play. Sopel also is a right handed shot, something the Sharks need since Rivet is their only other option from the point. Option number two involves making a deal involving a young player or prospect. Players that have been rumored to be available are Derek Morris (Phoenix), Paul Mara (Rangers), and Spacek (Buffalo). They all are top four defensemen that have salaries under four million dollars and can play 16-18 minutes a night with some offensive upside. It may not be the bombsell acquisition we expected but since Souray choose to grab the cash and freeze his ass off for a non playoff team, Wilson had to turn to Plan B.

In the end, I am more excited than ever for the season to start. As a season ticket holder, it is refreshing to see a team keep their core together and to see the players give up a larger payday to commit to winning a Stanley Cup in San Jose.

Podcast

Anybody listen to hockey podcasts? It's a fairly barren landscape. The Sharks have a official one, with the announcers from the radio and TV all together. It's good stuff, but it's on a erratic schedule. I remember mid-season they went a couple of months without a new one. I looked through iTunes, and going by the "Popularity" field (which may be completely bogus) there's only a couple of non-official podcasts that anyone listens to.

I'm still looking for one that I can get excited about. Generally I'm starved for hockey coverage- the local Mercury News has had pretty few articles this offseason. I check the NHL page of ESPN, and TSN most days, and get feeds of tons of blogs through Google Reader. As a fan of PTI, I long for something along those lines, but for hockey. I think I can count on one hand the number of hockey stories that PTI has done in the last year, most probably on Rick Tocchet. They generally do a "who ya got" thing in the playoffs a few times (I think Wilbon picked against the Sharks every time).

Maybe I just miss NHL 2Nite, the ESPN2 show on hockey that went by the wayside a few years back. But I can't help thinking that there is a market for an entertaining show addressing hockey topics. Most of the podcasts I've found are pretty dry- lots of reading of news stories, breaking down rosters, and the like. Personally, that's the type of stuff I like to read, not listen to.

So questions - Are there any great hockey podcasts out there? If not, would you listen to a hockey podcast that has the accent on 'tainment' in infotainment? And finally, what sort of stuff would you want in that format? All comments welcome.

Smelling Offensive and Getting Defensive

After reading about the Michalek signing today, I started to think about what Doug Wilson accomplished this offseason. Lots of Sharks fans, myself included, have been calling for Wilson to make a big splash and shake up the team. We have even gone so far as to suggest he trade the face of the franchise in Patrick Marleau to get help on the blueline. I admit I was intrigued by the prospect of getting a #1 defesemen for Marleau, but after Redden rejected us, the well dried up. We need to keep the Captain, if he were to leave, who would replace his 80 points of offense? Without Marleau, the Sharks attack would truely be "offensive".
I think the line combos are unknown at this point and the roster has too many centers, seven to be exact. I know Marleau can swing to the wing, but that still leaves Goc, Pavelksi, Brown, Rissmiller and Plihal. Something needs to be done there...

As for the defense, I expect big things from Matt Carle this year. He is only 22 and showed early in the season he can dominate the power play. I think a 55 point season from him is not unreasonable. I am expecting an improvement from fellow All Rookie Team member Marc-Edouard Vlasic on the offensive end as well. He has shown more offensive explosion in the past, scoring 73 points in 2005-06 in Juniors. I think we could see him evolve into more than just a "Hannan" stay at home d-man. With these two continuing to progress, McLaren, Rivet and Ehrhoff will provide steady play. In the end, Doug Wilson was wise not to overpay for a one trick pony like Sheldon Souray. He would have been such a black hole in his own end, it would have hurt Carle and Vlasic's developement. I don't think Wilson will stick with Douglas Murray for the sixth defensemen when the season starts. Could a one year deal be in the works for Danny Markov, as rumored by Eklund? Could the Sharks sign a inexpensive vet like Brent Sopel or David Tanabe to fill the hole until 2006 first round pick Ty Wishert is ready (which could be as soon as next year)

Is there one more deal in the works? I think maybe. As I said before, there is a glut at the center position. We have salary cap space to spare, so would a team take a young, promising center like Marcel Goc or Patrick Rissmiller in a package to get a veteran forward off their books? I could see Boston sending gritty winger P.J. Axelsson or Glen Murray in return for some younger players. Just a thought...

In the end, I have decided not to panic, not to be bitter and to enjoy the fact that we have a franchise that has chosen to keep its core together instead of bringing in new players every year in a merry-go-round of overpriced vets (see New York Rangers). I do believe the Sharks can win now with this current roster. In a matter of weeks, we shall see. Hopefull, Marleau will be signed and my new jersey will have arrived!

Little Things

• So Grier and I are semi-addicted to Eklund, an 'anonymous' blogger on hockeybuzz.com. It's pretty much impossible to be a reader of hockey blogs without running into various opinions on Eklund, whether he's helping or hurting the reputations of hockey bloggers and journalists. If you really want to read about that stuff, you can start with our blog roll on the right. I'm going to stay out of it really, because it doesn't seem like that significant of a story.
• So Grier is convinced that Doug Wilson has a big trade in the works. Supposedly we were going to trade for Redden, but he invoked his NTC. I'm not convinced that Wilson can make anything happen this late. There are several rumors floating around, and I'm not going to spread gossip. Oh, what the hell. Grier is seeing a three-way trade possibility with ourselves (Marleau), the Habs (Ryder or Higgins) and the Kings (Visnovsky). Adding Visnovsky would be an absolute coup. I hope it can happen.
• Grier has recently gone to the Tank (for an event that shall remain unnamed) and reports that the new scoreboard is just amazing. Can't wait for the first preseason game.
  

Waiting game....

As Sharks fans we have been waiting all summer. Waiting to see what the changes inside the Tank. Waiting to see what the Sharks new logo will look like. Waiting on Doug Wilson to make good on his promise to improve the Sharks roster in order to achieve the goal of winning a Stanley Cup.

Hockeybuzz.com has reported rumors for weeks about Montreal, Toronto and Boston's interest in acquiring Marleau. I know Doug Wilson has said repeatedly he is not shopping Marleau, but I think he did make it known that the captain could be had for the right price, which MUST include a top defensemen and/or a 30+ goal scoring winger. I would hope that if we do business with Boston, a team that is majorly cap strapped, we would only deal Marleau if Zdeno Chara was included in the deal. If somehow we can get Glen Murray and Chara from the B's for Marleau and Ehrhoff, the Sharks would vault to the top of the Western Conference. It would leave us roughly 17 million to resign RFA's Carle, Michalek, Bernier and Clowe. It makes sense for the team to win now while not giving up too much of our future. If we deal with Toronto, we have been rumored to be linked to Pavel Kubina, who I don't see as a solution to our problem. Marleau for McCabe - now we're talking. I don't see what Montreal has that we would want. Ryder is on a one year deal, so there is no advantage to adding him for Marleau - you may as well keep the captain.

Doug Wilson is clearly working to improve the roster. With the Ducks losing ground, I think he can smell the chance to become the front runner in the Pacific. Do not give up the captain unless we get extreme value in return! If Jovo-Cop is on the block, make an offer of some young players to get him on the team. Let's get defensive!

Big Daddy Drew

No, not that one. Although KSK is must reading. In particular, this post, which left me laughing for about ten minutes, and I still laugh out loud every time I read it, which is fairly often.

But I digress. Drew Remenda is back! He signed a multi-year deal with Fox Sports to go back to being the color guy next to Randy Hahn. I'm so tortured- I want to know so badly what became of Marty McSorely, who left suddenly during the playoffs. No word has come why Marty left, whether it was personal, professional, or a combination of both nobody knows. And nobody seems to really care, except me. I guess life is full of little disappointments. I'll get over it.

I think Drew is better in the booth, though I did like Marty. And Shark Byte without Drew was completely unwatchable. With Drew, it was merely lame. Don't get me wrong, Shark Byte is a good program- any exposure the Sharks and hockey in general can get is a good thing. But I'm not the right audience for it. As someone who plays hockey, watches hockey, goes to hockey games, and thinks about hockey a fair amount, the show is a little boring sometimes. But it's going back on the TiVo now. I can just skip past the segments where Rob Zettler talks about how to block shots, with the lesson being to get yourself between the puck and goal. Thanks for the revelation.

New Logo

The Sharks announced their new logo today, along with several accompanying logos, to be used either as patches on the sleeve, or for merchandise. If you are a Sharks fan, chances are you've already seen it- it's been leaked for a couple of weeks now. It's quite similar to the old logo. The triangle is more curvy, the shark itself is going more down than to the right, and there's more teal in the shark. Also a yellow-orange is introduced as an accent color, which I kind of hate. Too much like the Ducks. I like this shield crest the best:



This isn't the right logo for the jersey though. It would be cool as a small front logo on a shirt or something. I might need to get myself a new hat, I lost mine last year. But looking at the online store, they're still using the old logo, and don't have any merchandise with the new designs. Way to bungle a sales opportunity, guys.

Worst Signings

Now that Grier is off on a much-deserved vacation for the next week or two, it's time for me to pick up some slack. And because there is so little Sharks news happening, I'll have to turn to league-wide news and controversy. This is something I've been thinking about for a while, and I finally have a little bit of time to write about it.

So Rudy Kelly at BoC wrote a post called "Anger... Rising" (great title, by the way) about Adam Proteau's article naming Lubomir Vishnovsky as one of the offseason's 5 worst signings. First of all, I agree with Kelly that Vish shouldn't be on the list. He's an oft-overlooked defensemen, mostly because he plays for the Kings, who aren't any good.

Actually, I think I agree with Proteau on only one of his 5 'worst' signings, and that is Todd Bertuzzi. $4M per year is a nice lottery win for Bert, who's managed to do just about nothing good in the league since the Steve Moore incident. He was part of a huge trade that brought Roberto Luongo to Vancouver, hurt his back, then was quickly run out of town in Florida. He landed in Detroit, where he played uninspiring minutes the entire postseason. Maybe he's worth throwing a couple mil at, in hopes he can return to his dominating style when he had Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund at his side. Doubling that number is nothing more than wishful thinking, idiocy, or both.

Here's four others, in no particular order

• Chris Drury - 5 years, $35.25M ($7.1M per year). I think I've made my thoughts on Drury fairly clear before. I like him. I think he's a fine player, and a leader. He's a good faceoff man. But he's never scored 70 points in any one of his 8 full NHL seasons. Spending that kind of money on a second line center is stupid. Ranger stupid.
• Scott Hartnell - 6 years $25.2 million ($4.2M per year). Hartnell's had 6 years in the bigs, and hasn't even topped 50 points. He's only 25, so I can imagine future upside, but we'd have to see a major rebirth to explain that kind of money.
• Cory Sarich - 5 years, $18M ($3.6M per year). Played less than 20 minutes per game his entire career, only been a plus player once, never scored more than 20 points in a season. If you said "who the hell is Cory Sarich?" I would understand. Only my obsession with hockey and my brain's freaky ability to retain names kept me from saying the same thing.
• Bill Guerin - 2 years, $9M ($4.5M per year). This makes Keith Tkachuk (2 years, $8M) seem like a bargain. Guerin is 38 years old. Why the Isles didn't throw this money at Jason Blake is beyond me. Guerin will help a struggling team win nothing. You want a better leader for less money, go get Mike Keane.

One thing I've thought about is in these long term contracts the team might be hoping that the player 'grows into' it, and the last couple of years in the contract they are a bargain. First of all, this might very well be offset by overpaying the first few years of the contract. Secondly, that's assuming that these players will still be that good in a few years. I don't know of many players you can be that sure about.

Rumor Mill

Just to keep the pot officially stirred - I read an interesting rumor posted by Eklund on hockeybuzz.com that the Sharks are close to making a deal for (wait for it) Wade Redden. He says the asking price might be Marleau, which doesn't make much sense. Ottawa could not afford to keep Marleau, so he would purely be a rental where the Sharks would make every effort to sign Redden right away to keep the #1 defensemen Wilson covets. I am guessing there is a third team involved here that wants Marleau (Edmonton? Montreal?) that has the pieces that will make sense for Ottawa in this deal.

We shall see...if Redden comes, remember you heard it here first! Let's hope it can happen without giving up the Captain.

Poor Man's Sean Avery

Sean Avery. He's got it all. Big time hockey career that has taken him from Hollywood to the Big Apple. Talent and grit that allows him to score or fight, whatever suits his mood. A hot girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert, that sweet piece from 24 and a host of slasher films where you see her running in the wood, boobies bouncing in the breeze.

For Doug Wilson, Sean Avery was not availabe as a restricted FA for the Rangers. Wilson obviously covets the trio of skills listed above and instead signed the next best thing. Sharks fans meet....Brad Norton. Let's examine.

BIG TIME CAREER - Um...not really. He did play four games for the Red Wings last year getting into four fights. The ones I saw on You Tube show him getting his ass kicked pretty regularly by mid level tough guys. Result - negative.

TALENT - Not really from the research I gathered. There's a reason why he's played for five NHL teams and bounced around the IHL and AHL. Does he like to fight, apparently. 124 career NHL games and 287 PIM. Cheaper than Scott Parker I suppose, but Parker actually seemed to win his fights.

HOT WIFE - Check! Bingo - thank you Doug Wilson. Brad Norton's wife is Tiffany Granath, model and host of Playboy's afternoon radio show on Sirius. Heard her on Howard Stern and she is HOT! I hope she gets seats in my section! MAHALO!

http://www.tiffanygranath.com/

Sad when this is the big news of the week, but alas, it is. We look forward to watching you fight, oh brave Brad Norton. Whether you win, place or show - you will always have a hot piece of ass wife for us to stare at. Amen Sharks fans. Amen.

Souray wants his mommy

So instead of coming to a team on the cusp of winning a Stanley Cup, Souray showed his true colors and played it safe by going home to Edmonton to play for a bottom feeder team that is headed nowhere fast. Congrats to Kevin Lowe for getting someone to take part of the 20 million he has to offer. I am disappointed, but I still trust Doug Wilson and we have no reason not to. We know he takes pride on building from within, he pulled off the biggest heist in league history by landing Big Joe and he has had excellent draft after excellent draft. My man Mike is upset and he has every right - but to say the Sharks are a border line playoff team and that we have "the worst D in the division" I think is just the piss and vinegar talking.

Here are the Sharks current top six defensemen.

Vlasic, McLaren, Rivet, Carle, Ehrhoff and ??? (Wilson is going to add another veteran defensemen - I stand by this statement)

Now take a look at the rest of the division and how I rank the units.

#1 - Dallas Stars - Stars have a strong veteran group and are five deep.
#2 - Los Angeles Kings - Kings have improved considerably on the blue line and will have Jack Johnson for a full year.
#3 - San Jose Sharks - We have two rising stars in both All Rookie defensemen from last year. No other team in the division can stake this claim.
#4 - Anahiem Ducks - Schneider for Neidermeyer is not an equal trade. The Ducks have become considerably less scary and just as old. They don't have a young core of D.
#5 - Phoenix Coyotes - Yikes! After Michalek, JovoCop and Morris, is there anyone left??

Now that Souray has signed, the rest of the UFA crop will fall into place. Sopel, Markov and Sutton will find homes now and we'll see what Wilson has up his sleeve. So put the shitburger back Mike and don't forget how good this team is. I still believe that Wilson has something in the works that will not only make the Sharks better, but the Sharks will take a step closer to the Cup. Whether it is trading for a Redden or adding a C+ veteran like Sopel, the Sharks will contend for the Pacific Division crown.

Cancel that, the saga is over

Souray signs with the Oilers. Sportsnet reports it as a 5 year, $27M deal. That comes out to $5.4M per year. So I can revel in the fact that I was right, and now that we went 0 for 4 on the guys I mentioned, the Sharks need to scramble to hold on in the Pacific division.

Some thoughts while I'm still nice and bitter:

• Have fun with that 9 month winter
• Enjoy playing for a team that couldn't sign their captain or best defensemen, and replaced the D with two players that were a combined -53 least season
• I can't imagine the Sharks offered less than that kind of money, which probably makes Souray the 2nd player in two years to take less money to not play for the Sharks.
• Rob Davison or Doug Murray? Kind of like, should I eat a shitburger or a tofurkey for lunch?
  

Unless Doug Wilson pulls another Thornton-esque trade out of his ass, we'll have the worst D in the division, while watching several other teams in the West get better. If Carle and Ehrhoff don't step it up in a major way this season, the Sharks could be fighting for a playoff spot. Figure the Wings, Ducks, Avs, Flames are locks, with Dallas, Minnesota, and Vancouver likely.

The saga continues

From this article:

The Daily News also has learned that Sather is shopping center Matt Cullen, with a trade back to the Carolina Hurricanes very much on the front burner. Should the Rangers shed Cullen's contract (three years left at $2.8million per), they'd trim nearly $3million from this season's cap hit.

That could simply provide flexibility for potential in-season moves. But it just as easily could be the first step in a plan to clear enough cap space to sign free-agent defenseman Sheldon Souray, whom the Devils and Islanders have pursued. Unloading defenseman Paul Mara's $3million salary undoubtedly would be another requirement.

The planets would really have to align for the Rangers. Why would teams take on those salaries? Especially teams in the East, knowing full well the Rangers want to use that money to improve their team? I stand by my previous post, but I'm still hoping against hope that Souray will find his way here.

Back from the Dead?

New York Post reports the Devils and Rangers appear to have abandoned the Souray sweepstakes. The Devils have turned their attention towards resigning restricted free agents Paul Martin and Zach Parise. Martin was quoted saying he heard Souray was coming West....

Reality Check

After my post yesterday, I took a long hard look at the Sharks salary cap situation and tried to put myself in Doug Wilson's shoes. Here is a list of the players who are either restricted or unrestricted free agents next season and my guess and what salary they will command. The Sharks currently have 25 million committed in salary for next season.

Steve Bernier - 1.5 million
Christian Ehrhoff - 3.0 million
Marcel Goc - 1.5 million
Joe Pavelski - 1.5 million
Patrick Marleau - 6.5 million
Milan Michalek - 3.5 million
Patrick Rismiller 1.5 million
Ryan Clowe - 2.0 million

This is 21-22 million in salary - assuming Wilson keeps all these core players. This also doesn't include Setoguchi and Wishart, who I think will be on the big club by 2008-09. I would assume Curtiss Brown will not be back. This makes for a 47 million dollar roster in 2008-09 - so Wilson not making a pitch for a big ticket free agent does make sense - he wants to keep his core intact. You figure the cap will be 53-54 million, so he would have 7 million of wiggle room - so adding a Souray type salary could work but it would push the Sharks to the cap limit and force Wilson to make some tough choices next year and part with some young talent.. I still think Redden might be the perfect fit for this season. Wilson loves the Sens blueprint and Redden can run the point on the power play. As I stated before, the Sens have a similar situation to the Sharks next year - they have major core players up for contract - Spezza, Heatley, Fisher, Vermette, Schubert, Mezaros, Emery and Redden. They will have around 30 million in cap room, but you have to figure Spezza and Heatley will fetch around 8-9 million on the market. There is no way they can resign all these players, and the one that makes sense to part with is Redden, With Corvo, Volchenkov and Phillips under contract, Redden is the odd man out. He is making 6.5 this season and if he likes it here, he could resign during the season. It would probably cost us a young forward (Bernier) and a pick - worth the risk.

So - the reality check is the Sharks may have 15 million to spend in 2007-08, but they have so many players up for new contracts that they can perhaps only afford a player like Redden - a rental that could help us win now and perhaps take the road of Big Joe and stay for less money if he likes it here.

Taking a moment to sit in Doug Wilson's shoes has made me feel better about him not overspending on the UFA market. I still think he will make a move to improve the roster for now while keeping an eye on resigning our core. What do you think??

Souray slipping away...

Over a week has past since the unrestricted free agent period came upon us and Doug Wilson has been either unable or unwilling to land a big fish. The player I assumed would be his main target all along, power play specialist Sheldon Souray, is the only big name left on the open market and I have come to accept that he is going to the Rangers. It appears Souray is waiting and waiting and waiting for the Rangers to clear the cap room necessary to sign him - this would involve them dealing a forward (Cullen or Straka come to mind) or renouncing their rights to Avery and not signing Shanahan - which I find hard to believe. I think the Rangers have messed with their roster too much and are playing a dangerous game with their goalie by forcing him into a potential arbitration situation that would allow Henrik to walk away next year as a free agent. Where are their priorities? Adding Souray may seem flashy but talk about too many cooks in the kitchen - how will Jagr, Souray, Drury, Shanahan, Avery and Gomez all co-exist?? I think not well.

So if Souray wanted to come to San Jose, he would have done it by now. Instead he is playing a dangerous game of poker with the Rangers, hoping they can get some cap room. From the outside, it appears Doug Wilson is waiting to see what happens with Souray before he makes his next move.

How long must we wait for the promised improvements Doug Wilson?

Fare thee well

I just found out that Victor Chi, the Sharks beat writer for the Mercury News, the local San Jose paper, was laid off, along with 30 others in the newsroom. I've actually emailed Victor a couple of times regarding Sharks matters, and he did email me back, always polite. Since then I would note his byline. I guess this is one of the things that happens when there's a big series of tubes.

Victor, if you still want to blog on the Sharks, let me know. The pay is, um, limited. Either way, I hope you catch on with another publication that pays a little better than we do.

Point - Counterpoint

Grier wrote his "In Wilson We Trust" post, and I'm going to provide the counterpoint.

All Wilson's eggs are in one basket right now - Souray. If Souray is not signed, it's yet another year where the Sharks strike out in the free agent market. There might be some trades in the works, but then we'd have to give up something for Redden, Murray, or JovoCop. The whole point of free agency is you just pay the guy, and have to give up nothing in return. With the above three we lose players and pay them their millions in salary. Not the same thing. And keep in mind they're going to want quality players. I don't think Patrick Rissmiller will be enough to get those guys.

So Wilson's painted himself into a corner, with only one major free agent left, and several teams in the bidding. I might be a bit insulated out in here in sunny California, but I don't think San Jose is considered an elite hockey destination. We may have the biggest ice center west of the Mississippi, but we have the standing of toddlers in the hockey world. Chara took less money to sign with Boston, for God's sake. A franchise that is only slightly better managed than Chicago.

I hate to cast an approving eye to the south, but the Ducks did it right. They hedged Niedermayer retiring by signing Schneider. They're hedging Selanne's retirement by signing Bertuzzi. Those guys retire, they're not as good as last year, but they're not floundering in the bowels of the Western Conference- they are still a good playoff team.

The Sharks biggest liability last year is a greater liability now. Hannan is gone, with no one to take his place. And the last decent defenseman on the market played the last 7 years in the biggest hockey town in North America, probably the world. Color me unconvinced that Wilson can pull of a miracle here.

Another day without a move

As the signing of Brad Stuart with the Kings comes across the wire, it makes me wonder what is going on inside Sharks headquarters. Stuart settled for a one year deal at 3.5 million. How does Roman Hamerlik get 5.5 million over four years in Montreal?

The fact that the Sharks have been invisible makes me wonder what Doug Wilson has up his sleeve. Others are getting impatient and have the feeling that Wilson has abandoned his promise to deliver a Stanley Cup. He promised there would be changes, he promised that he would do everything to improve this team within reason. He got rid of Bell. He cleared the cap room. So...where is the big move? I think it is still coming and I have faith in Doug Wilson that it will have an impact and it will make sense for this franchise long term. According to reports, the Sharks have 15 million dollarrs of cap room, no money is not the problem. They will resign Marleau at 5/6 million per, so really they have 10 million. Ehrhoff and Michalek are UFA's next season and you gotta figure Wilson is working on extensions there - probably 2-3 million each. There is a big picture here that people are forgetting about - but still Wilson will make it happen.

I think he could be talking to Boston about Glen Murray. He has two years and 8.2 million left on his deal but could be a bargain compared to what other free agents have been getting on the market. Reuniting Joe and Murray could spell for magic on the top line.

Another possible deal Wilson is looking at is dealing for Ed Jovonovski. He is making 6.5 million for the next three years, but if Souray is searching for over 7.0 million and his defense is suspect, perhaps Wilson prefers JovoCop. He could also be taking a long, hard look at Nick Boynton, who was released by the Coyotes last week.

I still think Wade Redden is a possibility because the Senators have a major problem on the horizon next season. Spezza, Heatley, Mezaros, Emery and Redden all will be UFA's next year and they will not have the room to keep them all. If Drury and Gomez got seven million this year, Spezza and Heatley will fetch eight million plus on the open market next year, if not more. With some young D already in the fold, Redden could be the odd man out in the salary bonanza in Ottawa. Redden would look good in Teal. We shall see...

I am not giving up. I have moments of impatience, but in Wilson I Trust.

Our best free agent opportunity now

Is probably Drew Remenda.

One more thing...

Reports have Ottawa shopping Wade Redden, who is due to be a UFA at the end of next year. If this is true, it is possible Doug Wilson could be looking at this instead of giving mega-cash to Souray. Perhaps an offer of Ehrhoff and a pick would get it done?
If this came to pass, then Wilson could sign Brad Stuart or Andy Sutton to round out the core. Just thinking out loud...

Don't push the panic button....yet...

Sharks fans have watched almost 48 hours tick by without seeing Doug Wilson dip into the unrestricted free agent market to improve upon last years team that fell short of said goal - Winning Lord Stanley's Cup. I had high hopes for July 1st after how aggressive Wilson was at the NHL draft last week. He made cap room and solved two huge roster problems by getting rid of Toskala before there was a real problem in training camp and dealing Bell, who was just a waste of roster space at this point. He got two promising young players to add to the Sharks already excellent depth of young talent. He promised to be active. Doug? Where are you?

He took care of the most important matter by getting Joe Thornton before he hit the UFA market next offseason. Joe gave a hometown discount, a steal for 7.2 million a year, especially seeing Drury, Gomez and Briere get the same kind of cash without nearly the same resume as Big Joe. We had all read the rumors, Sharks were a lock to get Drury. Well, when the price kept going up and up and up, I can't blame Doug Wilson for jumping ship. Having Drury, Marleau and Thornton makes zero sense - we needed an impact winger, which is why it is disappointing the Sharks couldn't land Smyth. I guess a call from Joe Sakic made all the difference. According to reports, the Sharks were never really in the hunt, they made an offer but Ryan was deciding between Toronto, the Isles (who really got screwed yesterday by losing Poti, Smyth, Blake and all their dignity) and the Avs. So now, we sit and wait as all the other middle of the road UFA's go off the board. One big name remains. One name that Mike and I have been talking about since the season ended. Sheldon Souray.

Doug Wilson has to get this done. He has chased a big time blueliner for the past two offseasons, striking out with Neidermeyer and Chara. I think he has been targeting Souray all along and the fact that Hamerlik has signed in Montreal crosses them off the list. Preissing, Nagy, Handzus and Calder all signed in LA and Lombardi still needs cash to sign Cammerleri (a restricted FA) so you have to figure they are out of the Souray chase. That leaves us - the only team with over ten million in cap room to spend that hasn't struck yet. Come on Doug Wilson. Deliver the goods. I have faith in you.

I think it is also possible he is targeting a veteran forward like Slava Kozlov and Wes Walz. Don't totaly rule out Forsberg and...yes...Bill Guerin. I think Guerin owes the Sharks a hometown discount to come back for one more year at a discounted price for playing like garbage in the stretch. He was not the impact player as advertised and at 2 million for one year, I would take the chance he would have a chip and play hard.

So...we wait and see. I think Wilson won the game of poker and the announcement of Souray is only hours away.

One down

Tom Preissing reportedly signs with the Kings.

Free Agency feeding frenzy, but Sharks are dead in the water

Yesterday was the first day of free agency. Rumors were abound about the Sharks- they were in the hunt for Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, or Ryan Smyth. I personally think they need to worry about their blueline more. So what happened? Jack squat. They watched Drury sign with the Rangers, Briere sign with the Flyers, Smyth sign with the Avs, and Gomez sign with the Rangers too. Then instead of playing 'unrestricted defense' against the Ducks, we watch them sign Mattieu Schnieder, and then watch the Wings sign Rafalski. To further help our d-line, we watch Scott Hannan leave for greener pastures in Colorado. As of today, Rob Davison is in our top-6.

This may not get mentioned much with all the big-name free agent signings- but Philly pulled off a complete tea-bag of Edmonton, getting possibly the best defensive defenseman in the league in Jason Smith, and Joffrey Lupul, for Joni Pitkanen and (throwaway) Geoff Sanderson. Pitkanen is nothing to sneeze at- I'd love it if the Sharks got him instead, but I don't think he's a proven asset yet. He manages to disappear for stretches at a time. It does show me than TSN has the best hockey coverage- as of right now, that deal is the leading story. It's among the 15 right-column free-agent signing stories on ESPN.com

The only item on the plus side of the column is that we re-signed Joe for another 3 years, at a pretty considerable home-town discount. Considering Gomez signed for more money than Joe, it's hard to dispute that the Sharks got a great deal.

Four critical free agents are still available where the Sharks are concerned- Slava Kozlov, Sheldon Souray, Brad Stuart, and Tom Preissing. If the Sharks come up empty handed with this group, It's clear that the Sharks lost ground in the West.

Draft

For the second year in the row, I will be watching the draft live. Or close to live, anyway (thank you, TiVo). There's already been a big trade today- Toskala and Bell to the Leafs for a 1st, 2nd, and 4th round pick. Adrian Aucoin, probably the most coveted UFA defensemen a couple of years ago, waived his no-trade clause to go to the Flames, essentially straight-up for Andrei Zyuzin.

Grier and I won't be live-blogging, because frankly, nobody cares about the draft. We'll be posting more on the various moves this weekend probably.

Chris Drury?

ESPN is reporting that the Sharks, Sabres, and Kings are in the running for Chris Drury. The Philly Inquirer has a similar story (via Yahoo). According to that, "every indication is he will end up with the San Jose Sharks". First of all, this kind of speculation rarely turns out to be correct, and if it isn't, no one gets castigated for it. If Drury signs with the Sabres before July 1, no one will remember the PI had it wrong. It sells newspapers.

But the ESPN story and my (albeit amateur) internal salary gauge says Drury will get at least $6M per year. That sounds like too much, for a guy that had less than 70 pts in the regular season. For that kind of money you can get Briere, who had more points and plays the same position. I think the market will overpay for 'locker room leadership' and 'clutch performance'. And in case you haven't read previous posts, I'm unconvinced that those things brings a decided advantage.

Pop quiz- which of these players had fewer points than Chris Drury last year:
A. Kristian Huselius
B. Jonathan Cheechoo
C. Slava Kozlov
D. Andrew Brunette

Give up? It's E- none of the above. Guess the highest salary amongst this group. It's Cheech, averaging $3M for the next four years. All the others are around $2M per (Kozlov is a UFA too, by the way). I'm going to have a hard time being convinced that Drury deserves a 100% premium because he's a locker room leader and good in the clutch. Not that points should be the only determinant of salary, but let's get real. I think Drury owes Buccigross a commission on his next contract, for all the love he's gotten in print.

Finals Prediction

Man, this is a tough series to handicap. I really blew the pooch on my predictions for the Eastern Conference Final last round, but I did get the Ducks right. Ottawa just continues to surprise- they are ready and willing to do everything to win. They hit, play defense, have good goaltending, and score, especially that first line, which has been the best line in the playoffs.

Not really that unlike the Ducks, although it's been the Ducks' "second" line of Perry, Penner, and Getzlaf that has been dominating for the Ducks, though in a different way. Chris Kunitz is out, so that leaves a hole on the first line, a hole being filled by Ric Jackman Brad May. Jiggy is playing Smythe-worth goal, and that's the first rule of the playoffs- the team with the hot goalie wins.

For me, the question comes down to whether the Spezza-Heatley-Alfredsson line can score against the shutdown line of Pahlsson-Moen-Niedermayer. We will see if Bryan Murray can get any of the matchups he wants on the road.

As for the pick- it was so impressive the way Ottawa dispatched Buffalo, I have to go with them. The Ducks' "kids" line can't keep it up forever, and Kunitz missing will put more of a spotlight on Selanne, who will be effectively shut down this series. Ottawa in 6.

Doug Wilson interview

Here's the link. Make sure to read Grier's post first. Here's a good quote from Doug: "Sometimes you have to go out and get better players, and sometimes you have to make your players better." Given the emphasis he places on Detroit and Ottawa's ability to break through after a couple of tough years, it seems clear his effort will be on making the most of the current group. There will not be a fire sale.

One thing that struck me is that Wilson said if you grade each of the individuals on the team, the median grade was a C+. I never really thought of it like that before, but he's right. Some players, and he mentioned Grier and Vlasic, played 'A' hockey. Clearly above expectations. Wilson said Joe played B hockey, but I would probably be more charitable than that. I would find it hard to grade a 110+ point year as a B. But there are several players that did not have good years. Bell is the obvious choice there. Bernier is another.

Given how well Nabby played and his salary (and NTC), I have to think that the goaltender deal that Wilson all but guaranteed will be Toskala. The question is, what sort of thing will Wilson be looking for in return? Wilson cannot mention certain players by name before the unrestricted free agency period begins on July 1, but I was suprised that he didn't even hint about looking for a certain type of player. A puck-moving defenseman. A locker room leader. The sorts of players Grier and I have been talking about the last few posts.

Wilson also didn't commit on Ron Wilson returning, but the way he spoke of it, I would bet 4-1 that Ron will be back. One of the radio guys mentioned that Ron Wilson does not really seem to blame himself in press conferences, but Doug said that all the players and coaches have taken responsibility for this year's results. Given those comments, the dearth of good coaches available now, and the length of Ron Wilson's contract, I will be very surprised if he does not return.

It was weird how they asked the GM about Marty McSorely, a broadcaster, and Doug seemed a little miffed by the question. But he clearly knows what's going on, maybe not all of the details. From the few words that were said, it seems McSorely will not be back. I wonder what the hell happened, and if we'll ever get the story.

Doug Wilson has spoken...

Doug Wilson held a press conference yesterday and went on KNBR in the afternoon. He admits to the Sharks were outcoached, outplayed and out-GM'd. He didn't tip his hand much - he said the process of evaluating themselves has not been completed. Will Ron Wilson return? No answer yet. What he did say was the Sharks can look at the model of the Ottawa Senators for an example of overcoming playoff hardship to achieve success. The Sens lost a high profile defensemen in Chara, traded a flashy center in Hossa, let Hasek go and let their own young players step up and take the next step. Will the Sharks follow this model?

Will the Sharks trade Patrick Marleau? Doubtful. Wilson was quick to defend Patty and brought up an important stat - he is tied as the leading goal scorer the last three years in the playoffs. Is this really a player you want to get rid of? The biggest obstacle is that both Marleau and Joe Thornton are both in a contract year. You have to extend Joe - so do you deal Marleau for a high scoring gritty wing? Is there a Dany Heatley out there for the Sharks to acquire in exchange for Marleau? Would Columbus deal a disappointing Rick Nash to the Bay Area?

The Sharks are going to deal a goaltender. Wilson made this clear. Can they get a taker for Nabokov's large 5.4 million dollar/year price tag? That would clear some room to sign a big ticket free agent like Smyth or Souray. Nabby's no trade clause is a big obstacle, so most likely Toskala is the one on the move. Tampa Bay re-upped Holmqvist.....WHAT? Why would Tampa do this with so many goalies on the market like Giguere, Backstrom, Fernandez and both Sharks guys. Bizarre. Florida is in the market. Los Angeles and Phoenix need a goalie - but it is unlikely Wilson will help them out. We'll see what happens.

So - we wait and see. The disaapointment is his voice was clear and the goal remains the same. The Sharks management is not content with entertaining its fans - they want to win a Stanley Cup and until that is done - they will not rest inside the Tank.

Hockey is a niche sport, at least in the U.S.

Believe it, kids. Great article about that here.

First of many off-season musings

So I'm starting to compile lists and thoughts about the Sharks this offseason, but it's still a bit too early to launch into a who-should-we-get discussion. Unrestricted free agency doesn't officially start until July 1, so lots of movement and signings can still happen before we really know who's available. I've already made a list of every UFA defensemen, and I'll be posting about it soon. But first, I need to add my two cents about the two big Sharks issues right now.

1. Ron Wilson
I like Ron Wilson. He's a very experienced coach, and widely regarded as a fantastic in-game tactician. The question is, is he still the right coach for the Sharks? Clearly, in many people's minds, including that of Sharks management, the Sharks could have and should have gone further. The Red Wings played extremely well, and continue to do so, crushing the (not so mighty) Ducks last night 5-0. But as the old saw goes, have the players 'tuned out'? Are they 'not responding'?

Some especially are pointing to Wilson calling out Marleau in the Wings series, and how that was wrong, Mareau was offended, etc, etc. First thing- Marleau is a big boy, and supposedly the leader of the team. He deserved criticism. I don't think Wilson stepped over the line in his criticism, he didn't call him a pussy or a choker or anything like that. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do at the time (hindsight is 20/20) but hell, Wilson had to do something. These relationships can be repaired. Lecavalier and Torts are talking again, and Vinny is a diva and Torts is a jerk.

So should Wilson go? Only if the Sharks can find the right coach to replace him. As as Grier said in the last post, there ain't a lot out there. I'm personally not that excited about anyone, even Ed Olczyk. I don't believe the Sharks are a team that needs to go out and have fun again. They need direction, but the latitude to create on the ice. I think Ron Wilson is a coach with that style. Ted Nolan is another. Hell, even John Tortorella would work- he's managed to handle three or four big stars.

What you don't do is pull the trigger to fire Wilson because you need a fall guy. And I have a lot of confidence in the GM, Doug Wilson, in this regard. There were many deals he could have made this past season for Toskala or Nabokov, and he waited for the right deal. He knows that this team is young, and built to have a lot of success in the next 3, 4 or more years. We're not the Preds, we don't have to win now.

2. Patrick Marleau
Basically, the criticism of Marleau came down to him playing subpar 10 games in a row. And yes, they were playoff games, so they mean more. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Marleau is not the only one on that list. But you don't ditch the captain, the face of the franchise for years, because he had a bad stretch. Look at Edmonton and Smyth. Look at Dallas and Modano. Stripping a captain of the C or trading him has consequences, in the locker room and in the stands. I'm open to the suggestion that the Sharks need a vocal leader in the locker room. Not every captain is a vocal one. Maybe they need to go out and get Drury, or Smyth, or Gomez. Same thing as above- if the Sharks can make the right deal, then they should. No one is off the table. You can't tell me you wouldn't trade Joe for Sidney Crosby.

But like the Ron Wilson situation, you don't panic. You don't ditch somebody just to show the fans, management, whoever, that you did something. Doug Wilson is calculating. Would I trade Marleau for Dan Boyle? Hell yes. Would I trade him for a second round pick, or even a first round pick? Absolutely not. Until there's a plan, everybody stays. Ditching good coaches and players without an idea of what you're going to do next is not a plan, it's a knee-jerk reaction.

Rumorville

As we mark the one week anniversary of the Sharks playoff demise, life has returned to normal by the Bay. Playoff beards have been shaved. Teal body paint has been painstakingly removed. The jersey has been retired until Fall. But several questions still remain inside the now empty Shark tank and the most popular appears to be - will Ron Wilson return behind the bench next season?

According to the New York Post and Sports Illustrated, Ron Wilson's days may be numbered. While they cite no sources, it is implied that Wilson has lost the ear of his team and of team captain, Patrick Marleau. I agree with their assessment. The Sharks played uninspired hockey in this series. They folded under pressure and did not respond to adversity. They did not defend their home ice, losing two critical games at the Tank with the series on the line. It is hard not to notice teams that seem to play hard for their bench boss, like how the Islanders responded to Ted Nolan with half the talent the Sharks have. Mike Babcock made adjustments and the Wings listened to his passion. Lindy Ruff appears to be a great leader for the Sabres and now he will have to test it to come out of a 2-0 hole to Ottawa. As a former player, Doug Wilson knows the climate of the Sharks locker room. He is determined to build a winner and if there is a better coach for the job, I believe Wilson will pull the trigger on a new coach. The bigger question is - is there another man for the job? It is too bad the Isles snapped up Nolan because I think he would have brought the right inspiration to this team. Who else? Pat Burns? No thanks. Trent Yawney? Mike Kitchen? Claude Julien? Um...no. There is only one name that come to mind that intrigues me. Ed Olczyk.

The Edmonton Journal says they expect the Sharks to move Marleau for a puck moving defensemen and the Sharks might add a different look up front. They suggest sending Marleau to Chicago for Tuomo Ruutu and Brian Seabrook. First of all, Ruutu is a piece of trash cheap shot artist with bad blood history vs. San Jose - Doug Wilson would never make the deal. They suggest Marleau for Mattias Ohlund. I don't think Wilson is going to react so quickly and deal the most popular player in franchise history. If Marleau fetched a premiere defensemen (Ohlund at 31 points in not in that category) the Journal says they would sign a mid level center to replace him, someone in the 3-4 million range. I don't see any of those players on the UFA list. I see expensive 6-7 million dollar centers like Drury, Gomez and Briere and then a big drop off to Robert Lang and Jeff O'Neill. Sharks will stand pat here and ride it out with Marleau - we are strong up the middle with Big Joe, Patty, Pavelski, Brown and Goc. I still think Wilson is going to make a big push for a defensemen in a deep talent pool and he will take a long hard look at Ryan Smyth.

That's all for now Sharksfans. Let us know any thoughts on coaches and other rumors.

Conference Finals Predictions

So after the tough loss last night, I need to put on my objective hat and try to gauge the conference finals. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm kicking ass in terms of my series predictions- 7-1 in the first round, 3-1 in the second, for 10-2 overall. This time I only picked one series- Ottawa vs. New Jersey, completely correct.

Sabres vs. Sens- I'm surprised at how many people are predicting the Senators to take this series. The Sabres were the best regular season team. Before you quote the stat, let me quote it for you - only one President's Trophy winner in the past 14 years have won the cup (Rangers in 1994). Notice I did not say (yet) I thought the Sabres would win the Cup. Ottawa has advantages in PP and defense, I think the Sabres are better at all other aspects of the game. Although it's interesting to talk about the back-to-back brawls that occurred during this regular season, there's too much on the line to get into nasty stuff and risk suspensions. Sabres in 6.

Ducks vs. Wings- I'm 0-2 at picking against the Wings this post season, and I'm going to ride the wave to 0-3. The Ducks have a better blueline, a second line that can actually score (unlike the Sharks), and statistically better goaltending. Couple that with bigger, nastier players, and a hurting Wing defensive corps, and I think this series won't be as close as people think it will be. If I'm going to be wrong, I'm going to be very wrong. It's better to burn out than to fade away! Ducks in 5.

Unlike Grier, I honestly can't pick who to root for in the next series. I hate the Wings because, they're, well, the Wings. It's kind of like rooting for the IRS. I hate the Ducks because they are in our division and because they owned us in the regular season. But I'd rather see the team that beat us go far because that makes the Sharks look better. But I have good friends down south that are diehard Ducks fans. I'll watch the games because it'll be a good series, and root against Teemu, but for Lidstrom, because that guy is too fucking good. But then I'll root against Draper, because he's a punk, and root for Scott Niedermayer, because he was great with the Devils. I can go on like this for awhile. I give up.

Update:The stat I quoted above about President's Trophy winners not winning the Cup often is complete and total crap. Dunno where that came from in my brain, or why I didn't check it beforehand. Thanks frank.

Another early exit

Thanks for a great series. The Wings showed a lot of heart and, gulp, experience by winning this series. We will be rooting for the Wings to take out the Ducks, that's for sure.

I agree with Mike - no excuses. Wings were the better team. It will be interesting to see what Dougie Wilson does in the offseason to improve the roster. I don't see a major roster blow up, there is no reason to panic. Here are four hot offseason topics for us to ponder....

1) Scott Hannan
Will Wilson resign him? Will Hannan take the blame for lack of leadership and be allowed to leave. Do we really need Hannan as a shut down defensemen when we have a younger version on hand with Vlasic? We know Wilson has tried to land a big ticket defensemen the last two off seasons. He has tried to make it a priority. He swung and missed with Neidermeyer and Chara......will he hit the jackpot with Souray or Rafalski? I say let Hannan go, keep Rivet and make a run and Rafalski or Souray.

2) The man in the middle
Has Patrick Marleau lost his "C"? Will Wilson take a long, hard look at Ryan Smyth? I think he has to. The Sharks lack a vocal leader and his track record speaks for itself. Smyth was the heartbeat behind the Oilers Stanley Cup run and then he willed the Islanders into the playoffs this year too. It will cost a bundle, and Wilson would not be able to get Souray and Smyth. Which will he set his sights on first.....

3) Ron Wilson
Is he still the man for the job? Has he lost the players ear? I'm not sure there is a better candidate out there, but Wilson has been on the bench for all three early exits, failing to live up to expectations. Will he take the fall?

4) Toskala vs. Nabby
One needs to go. Can the Sharks get value for one of their netminders? The open market really only has Giguere and Backstrom on it - and you have to figure Tampa Bay and Los Angeles are going to be major bidders. Can the Sharks addresss the need for a second line scorer or puck moving defensemen with dealing a goalie?

Doug Wilson will not stand pat. We know this. How can we take the next step? I hope he has the right formula in mind.

Go Wings. Boo Ducks.

No excuses

Too early to post a retrospective on the season, but I'll say this about Game 6- the Sharks did not piss it away. They played very well, but the Wings played better. They lost their second-best defensemen, yet still played good D, and Hasek made some all-World saves. They took advantage of the Sharks mistakes, and didn't make too many of their own. The Sharks got beat. More tomorrow.

Congrats, Wingnuts.

Which history will repeat itself?

With two hours to go before the puck drops at the Tank, the Sharks destiny is in their own hands. Reaching back into recent hockey history, there are two possible paths the Sharks can follow here. They can repeat the history of the 2005-06 Sharks, play uninspired hockey, blow another early lead and bow out in the second round to a team that is playing undermanned and injured. Or...they can take a page from the 2002 Stanley Cup winning Red Wings book and come back from a 3-2 series hole, like they did against Colorado. They won a pivotal game six and that was she wrote for the Avs.

So which destiny will it be......will this Sharks team continue on a playoff march or face an offseason of uncertainty?

Final Thoughts

After the opening goal, the Sharks looked like they were looking for an excuse to lose this game, and they found it in Nabby's gaffe in the second period. The lost composure, they lost organization and they lost the game. Now they just need to leave it all on the ice at home in front of the home crowd on Monday. And we will be there, trying with 17,000 others to will a Game 7.

No Schneider, No Excuses

Outside of the first period, the Sharks got outworked and outclassed this afternoon. The power play was ineffective. Holmstrom has been dominant. And the captain, Patrick Marleau, continues to be missing in action. After scoring the first goal, the Sharks stopped the offensive pressure and allowed Detroit to assault Nabby over and over again.

How did the Sharks not capitalize on Schneider's absence? Losing their second best defensemen should have been a huge boost for the Sharkies, but instead they shut it down and didn't test the Wings blueline.

Giving up two power plays goals and going 0/6 on your own is not a formula for victory. The odds are not in our favor - but that is why we play the games. The Sharks are going to have to dig deep and answer the bell in one of the biggest games in franchise history. To stall again in Round Two would be unacceptable. Maybe we should try not scoring first....that seems to work since the team that goes up is 1-4 in this match up.

A Tale of Two Periods

Well....there was the meltdown. Wings outplayed the Sharks in every facet on the game and Nabby pulled a classic Arturs Irbe impression and gave the puck away outside the net. This having been said, the roughhousing at the end of the period might have been a huge mistake by the Wings. The Sharks had fallen asleep and now they may have just woken them up. The Sharks played their best hockey in response to the Nashville antics. What will happen now?

NBC says Sharks are starting on the power play. Based on the coverage so far (which has been horrid, especially the camera work) I'm not holding my breath.

Here we go.....

This pretty much sums it up

Bill Clement: I wonder how Evgeni Nabokov feels after that period...

Brett Hull: Stupid.

My turn

So it's a good start- weak goal by Hasek is the only difference right now. Hasek looked like he expected Goc to come down the left boards, and when Goc shot instead, was hugging the near post. The power play still looks miserable, but the first possession of the PP looked different. More movement at the points, more pinching by the D, less standing around for Joe at the half boards. The Wings never seem to have anyone at the half boards on the PP- they always have one or two in the crease, and let the D bomb away. I say the Sharks go to that strategy. Two Wings collapse on Joe when he has it, so there needs to be more skating, and more movement.

Schneider took a hit from Marleau that looks like it separated his shoulder. He won't return. We'll see if that will make a difference in the next two.

Early signs point to Game One

I know it is early. There is lots of hockey left to go....but the Sharks have come out like with a repeat of their Game One first period performance in Game Five. Controlling play in the corners, blocking shots and solid goaltending. They had their early opportunity for a meltdown, ala Game Four, and did not allow the late power play goal.

Good start - but we've seen this before. Sharks have to continue on their Game One tribute. Hold on for Period Two.

Guerin out for Game 5

So the cut to Guerin's face might be more than just a bad cut, because the AP is reporting Guerin will be out for Game 5. If you get hit in the head with a object traveling that fast, it figures that a concussion might go along with it.

So I guess this means either Pavelski or Bell will be back in the lineup, along with Mark Smith. Smith wasn't an impact player in Game 4, but he certainly didn't play badly. His energy is something the Sharks need, and is a fan favorite, although it could be because he has blue hair and plays in a band. Personally, I think he's a role player that plays hard, has an above average wrist shot, and below average puckhandling skills. He's a fourth liner, an 'energy' player that doesn't really fight.

At this point, that's an improvement over Guerin, face intact or no. The question becomes, how do we get that line going? In this playoffs, it seems like the second line has been Marleau and some combination of the state of California. Ron Wilson has tried everything. I would personally try Marleau-Pavelski-Clowe next, but that's probably been tried already. Mike Chen over at Battle of California is speculating Marleau is hurt, but I thought he was effective in the Nashville series. It's hard to tell the difference between nagging/recurring injury and listlessness.

Will the Sharks have urgency for 60 minutes, or will they continue to try and skate by (pun intended, I guess) with flashes of brilliance followed by stretches of watching the Wings cycle and shoot? Once that question is answered, we will know how the series will turn out.

Oh yeah, thanks Vancouver, for putting up a fight. Bastards. This is why I wanted to play the Ducks next. Though if we did, and played the same way we played the last four games, we might have already met the Canucks' fate.

The Meltdown or Robert Lang's love child

I still can't believe it happened. Robert Lang, who has been invisible for the entire series, slips in alone and puts one past the rock steady Nabby to tie the game with 34 seconds left in regulation. Nabby, who made 46 saves in another heroic performance, fell to the ice and looked to the rafters in disbelief. Did this really just happen?? And Robert Lang of all Wings? Unreal.

Detroit stole Game Four and all it would have taken was 39 seconds. That's it. Five more seconds of penalty kill in the 2nd period. 34 more precious ticks of the clock to go up 3-1 in the series and it's lights out Motown. Instead, it is gut check time. The Sharks need to dig deep to pull this off. Detroit has all the momentum. They won two games they had no business winning. By all accounts, this series could very well be over. Instead, we will see what the team is made of....and I'll tell you what. I don't think it is a bad thing. Let me tell you why.

The Sharks are the most talented team in the playoffs. I still believe that. Doug Wilson put all the pieces in place to win a Cup this year. He added my invaluable namesake, Can't Stop the Grier, and penalty killer Curtiss Brown. At the deadline, he pulled the trigger on Rivet and Guerin. These upgrades were made to improve a team that had already flexed its playoffs muscles and won 22 playoff games since 2004, more than any other team in the NHL. Yet, this stat means nothing without the big prize and we all know you can't get to Lord Stanley without some major obstacles in your path. This is the Sharks test. Stand up tall, look each other in the eye and get it done. Here are three ways how.

1) Don't take your foot off the gas. When you get the lead, keep applying pressure. Sitting back and letting the Wings pepper Nabby with 50 shots will not win a series.

2) Ron Wilson - Please stop changing the lines. Stick with what got us here. Separating Clowe-Bernier-Goc broke up our second best line. Stop moving them around and roll the four lines that were successful in the 2nd half of the year.

3) Marleau and Guerin. Time to show up boys. Moving them around isn't going to help. Let them be and figure it out. If they don't, there is no one to blame other than two big guns that have been shooting blanks all series. Put them back together (if Guerin still has a face) and I believe they will have a big Game 5. They have been called out and these All Star performers will not disappoint again.

I still believe and so should you. Is this a real series? Yes. Have the Wings proven to be a more worthy opponent than I expected? Yes. I stand by my statement of rather having the Wings first. I'm sure Mike would agree, with the Sharks playing at 60% we are 2-2 with the Wings. The Ducks would have swept us by now. We will come out bigger, stronger and better. There is no free ride to the Cup. This is a not a bad thing - it will make us stronger if we get throught this. If the Sharks get past Detroit, Anahiem should be shaking in the pond.

Arthur King of the Britains had the Killer Rabbit. We have some Nasty Octapus. But we will reach the Grail, I have no fear. Just a flesh wound friends, just a flesh wound.

Worst Possible Loss

Words fail me.