Most fans judge the ultimate success or failure of an NHL offseason on how much a team has managed to improve their roster (or has failed to do so). By that measure, the San Jose Sharks have had a disappointing 2010 offseason to date.
After all, what little has changed could well be argued as regression across the board. Evgeni Nabokov has given way to Antero Niittymaki, a transaction which bids farewell to a perennial top five to top 10 NHL goaltender and former Vezina (top NHL goaltender in the regular season) candidate and welcomes instead a man with a checkered past of on-ice performance. Nitty has been stellar in some instances—like earning the MVP at the 2006 Torino Olympic tournament—but his NHL resume has left much to be desired.
Manny Malhotra has given way to Jamal Mayers. While this is not really a fair one-to-one comparison, since the two have served distinctly different roles in their careers—Malhotra being the chippy energy guy, and Mayers being more of an enforcer—it is nonetheless safe to surmise that if nothing else, Malhotra's departure will leave a clear void in the face-off circle which Mayers, a winger, is unlikely to o ...
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Article written by Patrick Goulding II
San Jose Sharks: 2010 Offseason Has Already Been Eventful
August 11th, 2010 by Patrick Goulding II Leave a reply »
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