NHL
Up And Down Season Ends In Disappointing Fashion
The 2017-2018 season for the San Jose Sharks had its high points. Acquiring Evander Kane at the deadline, a first-round sweep of the division rival Anaheim Ducks, and at times, the young guys showing the fan base what’s in store for the future, such as guys like Kevin LaBanc, Timo Meier, and Marcus Sörensen, to name a few. Unfortunately, the season also had its low points as well, possibly outweighing those previously stated high ones. Brent Burns wasn’t able to replicate his Norris Trophy-winning season, Martin Jones was shaky in net, and injuries to guys such as Joe Thornton and Logan Couture certainly didn’t help the Sharks case for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
San Jose Keeps Roster Intact, Remains Optimistic For Near Future
The Sharks and GM Doug Wilson haven’t had an off-season quite as exciting as they were rumored to have, after missing out on John Tavares. Wilson did, however, manage to keep his mix of a veteran core with some youth together. Wilson was able to re-sign forwards Evander Kane, Joe Thornton, and Tomàs Hertl to new deals, along with extending Martin Jones, Logan Couture, and Marc-Eduard Vlasic during the 17-18 regular season.
What To Hope For In ‘18-‘19 Season
Although the Sharks haven’t dominated the Pacific division over the last few seasons, they have been able to contend and play decent hockey. Provided the team stays healthy, Brent Burns turns things around in both zones, Martin Jones returns to 2016-2017 form, and forwards like Couture, Kane, and Joe Pavelski lead the offense the way they have in the past, the Sharks should be right up there towards the top of the Pacific once again. The main focus would be to maintain the health of key players such as Couture and Thornton. Both were healthy for the majority of the season, but both went out during a key part of the Sharks playoff push, and Thornton missing the playoffs entirely. If both can stay healthy, the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks will have company once again atop the Pacific Division.
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