2014-15 record: 40-33-9 (89 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA
The 2014-15 season was one to forget for the San Jose Sharks, as the bad vibes that stemmed from the meltdown of the previous year's playoffs carried over into the year, with squabbles between players and coaches and in some instances, players and front office personnel. Bizarre decisions such as not naming a captain for the season after Joe Thornton was stripped of the C prior to the season were the subject of many jokes from opposing fans, notably when the Sharks paid a visit to Winnipeg one time. A new season will begin, and a new bench boss will lead the way, as Todd McClellan parted for Edmonton and Pete DeBoer, late of Florida and New Jersey, will be overseeing things. The pressure to win now remains, as General Manager Doug Wilson is still on the spot. To that end, the Sharks bolstered all three facets of their team, as Joel Ward, Paul Martin, and Martin Jones join the team. Ward will add about 20 goals to a team that should be better than middle of the pack offensively, as Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are capable players, but got little help from players such as Tomas Hertl and saw signs that both Thornton and Marleau could be experiencing a decline in numbers more so. Brent Burns remains the ever-present wild card here, as he can play forward or defense as needed without his offensive production tailing off. On defense, Martin will help, as only Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Burns played anywhere near expectations. It's a unit that struggled, and it would help if Mirco Mueller can shake off the rookie doldrums. In goal, Antti Niemi is out and in comes Jones, who has far better numbers in rather limited playing time. The question will be whether Jones' numbers were a product of a superior Kings' defense. At this point, he's a better option than Alex Stalock, who was thought to have been a potential starter-in-waiting after a solid 2013-14, but struggled last year. In turn, the porous defense led to the penalty kill falling to the bottom third of the league, and with the power play in the top ten, it is imperative that the Sharks improve on the kill.
Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division
The Sharks' troubles should be behind them now that there is a more harmonious locker room, but with some issues lingering, not to mention both Thornton and Marleau in decline and possibly subject of trade rumors, the Sharks are not out of the danger zone just yet. It's still a win-or-else proposition for them, and if the Sharks don't show measurable improvement, the fans' frustrations will be on display in the Shark Tank.
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