2010-11 NHL Season Preview: San Jose Sharks

It has been six NHL seasons since the San Jose Sharks last missed the playoffs. In that time they have won seven playoff series, and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2004 and 2010.

Through that whole time, the San Jose Sharks have had one of the best offensive squads in the NHL, and each year it seems to improve. Somehow, though, a playoff breakdown always seems to hit, leaving the San Jose Sharks as the NHL's resident also-rans.

No More Nabokov
For the past decade, the man in net for the San Jose Sharks has been Evgeni Nabokov. That is no more, as the San Jose Sharks felt it was time for a change and let Nabokov walk away in free agency.

In his place the Sharks have decided to pick up a goalie tandem to complement the young Thomas Greiss. Antero Niittymaki (formerly of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers) was the first pick up. Niittymaki is a good goaltender, though he has had trouble transitioning into the role of starter.

The other is Antti Niemi, fresh off of the Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup victory. That is great news for the San Jose Sharks, as they now have a good goaltender with a proven track record of success among their ranks. Unfortunately, Niemi's numbers were only decent in the playoffs last season, made to look better by the powerful offense and stifling defense of the Chicago Blackhawks.

High End Offense
The hallmark of the San Jose Sharks for some time has been their offense. Leading the charge once again will be Joe Thornton. Thornton never has trouble racking up numbers in the regular season, and remains one of the top passers in the NHL.

Playing on his wings will once again be 40-plus goal scorers Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley. This was the NHL's best forward combination last year, with all three players topping 80 points. It would come as no surprise if that happened again. What would actually be more of a surprise would be if neither Marleau nor Heatley topped 50 goals without the Olympic break to slow them down.

For all of the focus the big line gets, the second line might be the San Jose Sharks more dangerous. Joe Pavelski showed in the 2010 NHL playoffs that, if left unchecked, he will score. Complemented with Ryane Clowe (good for 20 goals) and Devin Setoguchi (reached 31 goals two seasons ago), this is one second line that cannot be allowed to slip under the radar.

Is This the Year?
The big question is: can a change in net lead to the San Jose Sharks finally competing for the Stanley Cup? Anitt Niemi has certainly showed he can do it, and with Antero Niittymaki and Thomas Greiss as backups the Sharks could be in a lot worse situations.

The San Jose Sharks were very good in the 2010 playoffs, as Joe Thornton did not disappear as he usually does and Joe Pavelski lit the lamp like a mad man. The Sharks will need to do that again this year.

What it will come down to is who the Sharks end up faced off against in the post season. A muscular defensive team has proven time and again that they can shut down the San Jose offense, as the Chicago Blackhawks did last season and the Anaheim Ducks did in 2009. The Sharks need to find that killer instinct that has been missing for so long, but they are only a few pieces from getting the combination right.

Predicted Standings
Pacific Division: 1^st
Western Conference: 3^rd (Pacific Division Champions)
NHL: 9^th

Depth Chart

Forwards
Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Dany Heatley
Ryane Clowe - Joe Pavelski - Devin Setoguchi
Jamie McGinn - Scott Nichol - Benn Ferriero
Frazer McLaren - Torrey Mitchell - Jamal Mayers
John McCarthy - Steve Zalewski - Logan Couture

Defense
Dan Boyle - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Douglas Murray - Niclas Wallin
Kent Huskins - Jason Demers
Jay Leach - Derek Joslin

Goaltenders
Antti Niemi
Antero Niittymaki
Thomas Greiss

Sources

http://www.nhl.com
http://www.tsn.ca
http://www.espn.com
http://www.hockeydb.com
http://www.nhlnumbers.com