With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the San Jose Sharks.
Last Season: 45-27-10 record (100 points), third in the Pacific Division (lost to Vegas in the second round of the playoffs, beat Anaheim in the first round)
Remaining Cap Space: $4.38MM per CapFriendly
Key Addition: F Antti Suomela (free agent, JYP, SM-liiga)
Key Departures: F Mikkel Boedker (trade with Ottawa), F Eric Fehr (free agent, Minnesota), F Jannik Hansen (free agent, CSKA Moscow, KHL), D Paul Martin (buyout), F Joel Ward (free agent, unsigned)
[Related: Sharks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: F Evander Kane – It was a bit of a surprise when Kane wound up in San Jose for what at the time seemed like a pretty low return. He fit in quite well after joining the team though, scoring 13 times in 26 games (regular season and playoffs combined). That was enough evidence for the Sharks to hand him a seven-year, $49MM contract back in May and in the process, making him their highest-paid forward for 2018-19. Doing so also resulted in them surrendering their first-round pick in 2019 to Buffalo as part of the trade.
Will Kane be able to maintain that 40-goal pace over the course of a full season? If so, they’d be thrilled. However, his history suggests that doing so is unlikely. As a result, the question is more likely can he at least improve upon his numbers with the Sabres, which ranged between 33 and 45 points. If that doesn’t happen, then this deal could quickly become an albatross.
The Sharks went into the summer hoping to be big players. They were one of the teams involved in the John Tavares sweepstakes and were believed to be looking to make a splashy addition via trade once that fell through. Instead, Kane wound up effectively being their key add which will only up the pressure.
When he’s on his game, the 27-year-old is one of the more effective power forwards in the league. When he’s not, his struggles have been noticeable. It’s safe to say that with the contract Kane got, San Jose will be looking for a lot more of the former than the latter.
Key Storyline: The money freed up from dealing away Boedker and buying out Martin is still there. It stands to reason that they’re still looking to make that big splash although it will be difficult for GM Doug Wilson to do so now with training camps on the horizon as teams will often wait to see what they have before entertaining offers for impact players.
As a result, San Jose is going to be banking a lot of salary cap space which is going to make them an option for any pricey players that hit the trade market throughout the season. Unlike a lot of teams that have eyes on contending, they should be able to take on big contracts without requiring salary retention which should give them the upper hand.
They didn’t get their big addition over the summer but there’s a good chance they’ll get it at some point during the season. Watch for them to be active in the trade market.
Overall Outlook: The Pacific Division appears to be up for grabs as there are several teams that could vie for the top spot without many true contenders. The Sharks are certainly among that group as they’ve brought the core back from last year while a full season from Kane should only help as well. They may not push for the division title but they’re certainly in the mix for one of the three divisional playoff spots.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.