San Jose Sharks: 3 storylines to watch this season

The ex-Captains

Following the club barfing up a 3-0 series lead to the eventual champions in the Stanley Cup playoffs this past spring, the San Jose Sharks stripped captain Joe Thornton and alternate captain Patrick Marleau of their respective letters this summer. 

Thornton and Marleau came to training camp in September without a defined leadership role, and it's expected that the club's new leadership group will be comprised of Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. How will Thornton and Marleau, still arguably San Jose's most valuable two players, respond to being scapegoated?

In all likelihood, they'll handle it like professionals. NHL captaincies are kind of symbolic anyway.

What's more interesting is that the Sharks were willing to try anything this summer to improve, whether it was discussing the potential of a Thornton trade, shaking up their leadership group, or adding a ton of fourth-line toughness. Sharks management was willing to try anything this past summer. Well, save for actually improving their roster.

The Toughness Fetish

An NHL team can never have enough toughness of the "takes punishment, plays hurt, and always comes out of the corner with the puck" variety. But how much toughness of the "punches guys after the face-off" variety does one team need?

Leaguewide that answer is, increasingly, zero. The specialized enforcer seems to be going the way of the rover, and barreling towards extinction.

Except in San Jose, where the club went out this summer and added megaladon class face-puncher John Scott to a bursting stable of pugilists that already includes Adam Burish and Mike Brown. 

What is San Jose playing at here? Are they genuinely going to go out and play a one-dimensional tough on their fourth line when the Anaheim Ducks will counter with a group that includes Tim Jackman, Matt Belesky and Nate Thompson? Or how about the Los Angeles Kings' fourth line featuring Dwight King, Mike Richards and Kyle Clifford? Good luck keeping up with that competition, Mr. Scott.

Goaltending

Seemingly lost in the analysis of why the Sharks upchucked a 3-0 series lead is the fact that their goaltending was putrid. 

Sharks starter Antti Niemi has been dependable in the regular season, but has consistently  sprung a leak in the playoffs. Against the Kings Niemi played in six games, was pulled on two occasions, and managed just a .884 save percentage. That's ghastly stuff.

Niemi is a league-average starter who has provided good value for the Sharks at a reasonable cap hit. But he's clearly not getting it done in a tough-as-nails Western Conference, and neither, for that matter, is Alex Stalock.

Does Sharks general manager Doug Wilson have a plan to upgrade in net at midseason? Because more than fresh captains, or shiny new enforcers, that's what this team really needs in order to get over the hump.