Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
Their time is nigh. SJ is well and deep into the back half of their competitive window. Things for them will get progressively worse with each passing year; not better.
It’s not silly (well, maybe it’s a little silly). It’s a rivalry. The Sharks are in the way, and the Flames will run them over. Thornton will soon retire a very happy man without a ring, and the dream of a Stanley Cup in SJ will be but a sad, distant and painful memory.
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They're not just on the back nine, they are playing the 18th hole.
Their forwards that got over 40 points last year:
Hertl (25)
Couture (30)
Meier (22)
Pavelski
Kane (28)
Labanc (23)
Thornton (40)
Look at their Cs: Pavelski will be missed, Couture is 30 and has lots of miles (playoffs every year of his career). Thornton is Thornton. That leaves Hertl, who is better as a winger, and a whole lot of not much.
Kane is 28 , and power forwards tend to drop off at a younger age. Labanc, Donskoi, and Sorenson are middle 6 guys. Then not much else.
So going forward, you're looking at Hertl and Meier as your best forwards (beyond this year). They're good players, but they are not 'build your team around them' players. Think about Detroit when they were fading - people said: oh they still have Larkin, Nyquist and Tatar as their new core. But guys like that aren't the foundation, they are 2nd tier. Larkin is 1st tier, sure, but theat isn't enough. On their own, as the leaders, they aren't elite enough to carry the team. Same with Hertl and Meier - with Pavelski gone, and Couture on the back 9 of his career, Hertl and Meier will be asked to carry more weight. Then we'll see that they are not top tier guys that you build around.
On D, you have:
Burns (34)
Karlsson (29)
Vlassic (32)
and a whole bunch of wait and see. Burns has managed to remain a top tier player, but at 34, with playoffs every season, the clock is ticking. For Vlassic, the clock is ticking even faster. Karlsson and Dillon are players, but they will be asked to do more and more.
I commend the Sharks for being competitive year after year. But the fridge is empty, the dip is drying up, and the party is almost over.