When asked to rank the remaining priorities of the San Jose Sharks, I was flummoxed.
They need a scoring line forward. That is all.
Sure, I detailed five defencemen the team should sign last month. The Sharks have a great blue line through the seventh spot on the depth chart, but a total of six games of NHL experience below them.
They have needed at least 12 games played from the eighth spot and below in every season for which the team site carries stats. Since the inception of the current Pacific Division, most have required two to four times that. It would seem a lot more reassuring if the eighth defenceman was a known quantity.
But even over half a season, how much difference is such a player going to make over a player like Taylor Doherty? After all, we are talking about players who will be out there for about 15 minutes over a handful of games. How much worse can their presence make the team's goal differential?
Inexperienced players like Derek Joslin, Joe Callahan, Matt Moore and Justin Braun have filled in these roles admirably. Much like with Braun, the playing time could be important in Doherty's development.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by MJ Kasprzak
2011-12 San Jose Sharks Last Remaining Offseason Priority
August 10th, 2012 by MJ Kasprzak Leave a reply »
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