Sit back in your recliners Shark fans, put your feet up and enjoy a weekend uncluttered by box scores and injury reports. Take comfort in an Anaheim loss to Dallas (in a game so boring it would have given soccer fans reason to complain) because it's time to recharge your batteries and take stock of the season. The Sharks have to be the simplest team in the league to figure out. They have one area that's plagued them all season, and have only one need nearing the trade deadline. So consider this a state of the union address, or better yet, a fireside chat. As long as we're enjoying some time off I'm going to keep things casual.
Everybody knows the Sharks problem, and it's consistency. Now, a lot of people think consistency means a great effort every night, but that's not all there is to it. Consistency also means keeping things on an even keel, not getting too high or too low. The Sharks have been up and down all season, streak and slumping, just like snakes and ladders. Take a look at the roller-coaster pattern this season:
Won 7 of 9, lost 3 of 5, won 13 of 18, lost 5 of 7, won 8 of 10, lost 4 of 6.
You don't have to win every game, but consistent teams find a way to rebound after poor efforts or tough losses. When the Sharks are skating and working they can ride the momentum and peel off winning streaks. When they hit adversity it leaves a cloud over the team for a week or two, and they look like the Kings until things get back on track. Being the youngest team in the league, inconsistency can be expected, but that's when leaders have to step up.
Do the Sharks lack leadership? Things are a lot better than they were last spring, when Michalek's mashed face signaled the end of the road. Maybe Ron Wilson micromanages the team too much when they're struggling. The lines are constantly changing at the first sign of trouble, and that has to impact confidence and take players even further off their game. Could you imagine being reassigned to a new job with new co-workers every time things got rocky? Keep the lines in tact and put a little trust in those players. They're professionals.
Everybody knows what the Sharks need, and it's no different than the NHL's other 29 teams. The forwards are fine, and any major additions (i.e. Forsberg) might actually hurt the team's chemistry going forward. Here's what the Sharks forward lines could look like heading into the postseason:
Marleau-Thornton-Clowe
Cheechoo-Pavelski-Michalek
Bernier-Goc-Grier
Bell/Nieminen-Brown/Smith-Rissmiller/Parker
Those lines are stacked right there, and there's enough versatility to adapt and compensate for injuries. It's comforting to know the forwards are set when other teams are looking around for additional scoring or someone who can take faceoffs. The Sharks are in prime position to have guns blazing once the playoffs begin. Goaltending is also solid, and will only become an issue if both Toskala and Nabokov a) suffer season-ending injuries, b) contract a flesh-eating virus, c) get lost on the way to the team bus.
A steady defensive defenseman is San Jose's only need, and you couldn't even call it that. Water is a
need after four days in the desert. Earplugs are a
need if you're working security at a Yanni concert. San Jose would like another D-man to provide some added security and protect against injuries, but it's not necessarily a requirement for survival.
Teams are going to start scrambling after the Stuart trade, and prices will go up or down as we near the deadline. There's a lot of desperation out there, and you're seeing teams claim only two or three roster players are "untouchable" and the rest are free game. How many players on the Sharks are untouchable? You can start by counting your fingers, and then remove your socks for the real heavy lifting.
Honestly, I know the Sharks aren't willing to give up any of their top six forwards, and any team who's moving a defenseman isn't looking for a goalie coming back. Everyone's claiming the Flames won the Stuart trade, but it's going to look pretty bad when Stuart (who's moderately overrated) signs with someone else in the summer and Kobasew becomes the next Glen Murray in Boston. Okay, he might be the next Vladimir Ruzicka, but he's got potential. The Sharks don't want to get swept up in the hype, and Wilson won't let it happen. Besides, it's best to err on the side of caution when the Stanley Cup is on the horizon and you have the youngest team in the league.
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