Quote:
Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy
The Sharks are the poster child for retooling on the fly and being a perennial playoff contender.
They've only missed the playoffs twice in the last 18 years, and have finished 1st or 2nd in the division 10 of those years.
I hate them, but that's a well run organization....and even after 18 years, and with Thornton and Marleau nearing the end, they still have many, many solid young players ready to take the torch and continue the success.
If it wasn't for the repeated playoff choking they'd probably be the model franchise of the NHL IMO.
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Pretty much this. The Sharks are the model of consistency. Constantly at the top of the standings. They've always been able to make trades for star players. Doug Wilson is one of the most shrewd and underrated GM's in the league. You never hear much about him. Yet he's results are undeniable. They also have a rabid loyal fanbase. And SJ is one of the best cities to live in.
Everyone wants to emulate the Detroit model. But to me , I've always wanted to be like the Sharks. Flames vs Sharks games are always exciting. And there's not really any players on the Sharks you can hate. I guess only Torres, but the team has dealt with him. Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Couture, Burns. All players you would want on your team. And they traded us Kipper for a 2nd which ended up being Vlasic. A win-win for both sides.
Division foe or not, I just can't hate the Sharks. More then anything, I admire them. And I think their playoff ''choke'' label is completely overblown. They have lost to cup winners like the Hawks and Kings. They have made the conference finals 4 times since '04. Something I can only dream of achieving as a Flames fan. I'll take that ''choke'' 10/10.