#NHL Preview: Introducing the 2009-10 San Jose Sharks! (PuckDaddy ...

by rinkrat

There's no getting around the fact that Heatley's trade demand from the Ottawa Senators, and insipid justification for it, have created uncertainty about his being a positive presence in the locker room. He carries a 747's-worth of baggage to San Jose, but sounds eager to prove the critics wrong. If he does, a Top 3 finish in goals-scored isn't out of the question. The Heatley trade grabbed the headlines, but it's the smaller moves from GM Doug Wilson that should inspire hope. Adding gritty lower-liners like center Scot Nichol (Nashville), Jed Ortmeyer (notes) (Nashville) and most recently Manny Malholtra (Columbus) adds a different kind of hunger to this team than the bigger-named vets they had last season. In marine biologist terms, it's the difference between a Shark who craves human flesh and one that has a bunch of old license plates in its stomach. The Inventor (The Coach): Todd McLellan made a difference last year, bringing an up-tempo, shot-happy (the Sharks were third in the League) approach that led San Jose to the President's Trophy. He also attempted to instill some of that Detroit Red Wings prestige and confidence into team. It worked for 82 games; six games into the postseason, they morphed back into underachieving playoff bumblers. "With the loss of a puck moving Christian Ehrhoff, the Sharks lose a little bit of flexibility on the point and moving the puck up ice. For only the 4th time in NHL history four Sharks defenseman registered 30 or more assists in 2008-09 (Boyle 41, Blake 35, Ehrhoff 34, Vlasic 30). Kent Huskins and Marc-Edouard Vlasic will be asked to fill larger roles on the blueline. In goal, a contract year Nabokov could be the key to the entire season (i.e. postseason). As goes Nabokov, so goes the Sharks nation. Warranty Expires (Prediction): The Sharks will be near the top of the conference and several players are going to have outstanding years on the stat sheet. Then the playoffs arrive, and everyone realizes that this...

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