As the fifth oldest team in the league, the San Jose Sharks sit atop the Western Conference. Their average age of 28.04 years, places them as the third oldest in the Western Conference.

Their age has not hindered their overall team play and production, however, several players are affected by their age, both old and young.

To begin, the oldest player on the team, Rob Blake (40) missed eleven games this season. His sub par offensive numbers fall in comparison to his last few seasons. He scored five goals and added fourteen assists in forty-nine games this year, but something seems amiss in the forty-year old.

His time in the NHL may appear limited as the captain of the Sharks does not seem like the “top-four defenseman” quality anymore. His speed decreased in the last season. His age definitely hinders him, but at the moment (and not counting his last few games) the only thing he offers is wisdom and advice. The players can get that from their coach, or another player that can keep up with the game

Like Blake, fellow defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s numbers are abysmal compared to his previous seasons. Playing in only his fourth NHL season, Vlasic became known as a reliable defenseman, who will add plenty of assists to his points column. Vlasic broke out of the pack last season with thirty assists in eighty-two games. This year, he has ten in fifty-four games.

Though young talent is the increasing power behind many NHL teams, Vlasic may be one of the players on the trade block for the Sharks.

Continuing on with the defense, Dan Boyle is the number one guy for the Sharks. Physical, strong on both sides of the puck, and experienced, Boyle can handle the pressure of the top defense pairing, game in and game out.

Offensively, Boyle’s production should either tie last season’s point totals, or surpass them.

Up front, Joe Thorton, first in scoring on the Sharks, at age thirty, developed into a passer this season. His total goals are down a little from last season, but he currently has fifty-nine assists in sixty games. He only had sixty-one assists in eighty-two games last season.

Some speculate that Blake may be on his way out of the San Jose organization, and if the Sharks do trade him, Thorton will be a great candidate as the new captain.

On the other end of the spectrum, Devon Setoguchi (23) had an amazing offensive season last year on a line with Thorton and Patrick Marleau. Everyone expected his numbers to rise with the help of Dany Heatley, but instead, his production fell.

Though Setoguchi is only in his third NHL season, with his wonky consistency, he is expendable to the Sharks, and may also be on the way out the door.

Then, there is Heatley, who the Sharks acquired from the Ottawa Senators. Joining the Sharks seemed very controversial for Heatley, but his numbers are even better than last season, and are on pace to tie or pass the 2007-2008 season points.

Heatley ranks second on the Sharks in points, but he seems to have a niche in San Jose.

Former captain, Marleau, sits in third in points for the Sharks, but the Sharks relieving him of his captaincy led him to a successful offensive season. Last season, he set a career high in goals with thirty-eight in seventy-six games. This season, however, he has thirty-eight goals in just sixty games played. He is on pace to finish better, than last season.

Conversely, their goaltending does not face the same problem as the forwards and defense. Evgeni Nabokov, age 34, though on the older end, has thirty-four wins (in fifty-one games played). Tied for second in the league in wins, Nabokov probably will not match his career record for wins (46), but he is one of the largest reasons for the Sharks’ success this year.

Regardless of age, the Sharks hold first place in the Western Conference, four points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks. Their finish last year was very similar to this season thus far, but their post-season failures outweigh all their regular-season success.

Can the Sharks go further than the second round this year? They have the talent to go far, or else they would not sit in second place in the league, and first in their conference. The Sharks, however, need to fix a few gaps in their lineup before the playoffs, or they are doomed for another post-season flop.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Featured Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

Central

• GM Stan Bowman believes the Hawks goaltending will stand up to a cup run.  ”I’m not worried about the goaltending. It has been our strength really all year. I know we play a good team defense as well, (but) without solid goaltending we wouldn’t be where we’re at. Internally we’re comfortable.”  I guess they will stick with Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi down the stretch.
• The Blue Jackets came from behind to defeat Boston 3-2.  The team received an extra boost with 18 of their fathers in the stands.
• Chris McCosky of The Detroit News wonders where the Wings would be without Drew Miller, Jimmy Howard, Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm.  ”We wouldn’t have any wins if it weren’t for those guys,” coach Mike Babcock said. “It’s not like our big guys have been scoring like crazy.”  Looks like the Wings feature a new wave of younger, scrappy grinders.
• The Predators fell to Phoenix 4-2 with the help of their former player and draftee Scottie Upshall.  In just his second career game against the team who drafted him Upshall scored a hat trick, essentially defeating them single handedly.
• The Blues dug their own grave allowing three powerplay goals to the Senators.  They came in to Ottawa with the best penalty kill on the road.

Northwest

• With last night’s loss the Flames now dropped six in a row. George Johnson of The Calgary Herald believes the Hawks play in a league of their own.
• Cody McLeod scored 15 goals last season but fails to find his scoring touch.  Coach Joe Sacco believes his player still plays his role effectively.  ”It’s tough, because that’s not his responsibility,” Sacco said. “He’s doing a lot of other things very well for us. He’s been very physical, and he’s a guy his teammates can count on to show up and play hard every game. He’s actually been very good on the penalty kill too.
• Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal looks at the bright side of Sam Gagner and his slow development curve.
• The Minnesota Wild come from behind to win seemingly every game.  Fresh off a concussion Brent Burns returned to the team to help the Wild attempt a fifteenth come-from-behind victory.
• The Canucks played without Sami Salo, Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa but still got the W against the Stars.  As Roberto Luongo said: “It happens every year.“

Pacific

• Even with their improved place in the standings, the Ducks still cannot solve the Sharks.  Ryan Getzlaf thinks the powerplay made the difference.  ”Our power play has got to be a little bit better than that,”  Getzlaf said.
• Alex Auld allowed a shorthanded goal when he misplayed the puck and gave it to Alex Burrows.  ”It’s tough when you give up one like that. You have to learn from these things and move on,” Auld said.
• Rich Hammond of LAKings.com muses over Dustin Brown and Jon Quick defeating their Olympic teammate Ryan Miller.
• The Coyotes received valiant efforts from their leading scorer Scottie Upshall and backbone Ilya Bryzgalov to defeat the Predators 4-2.  ”It’s a game that means so much,” Upshall said. “This game for us was a big momentum builder, and it said a lot for the way this week has gone, and the questions you guys have been asking about what’s going on.
• Rob Blake and Marc-Edouard Vlasic both scored goals with Dan Boyle out.  ”They were partners until tonight,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Then we broke them up and they both scored goals.”

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove