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The Search for Heart and Soul |
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As the Sharks season came to a crashing end in the first round of the playoffs this year questions of character and heart were front and center. Was this team lacking leadership? Many thought Patrick Marleau would be the man heading out of town this summer after the way he and Joe Thornton dodged the media after games. Both players were guilty of that and fans were livid that the leaders would not stand up and take the difficult questions from reporters. The faces of the team and what fans took as the heart and soul of the team vanished when it came time to answer questions.
With summer coming to an end and with training camp now under way, did the Sharks find the heart and soul to make another run this year?
That question will be answered in the spring of 2010. It is hard to overlook the fact that much of the teams heart has either signed elsewhere or been traded away. The players who were in question remain on the roster. So how have the Sharks solved the question of heart and leadership? Stripping Marleau of the captaincy was a start. Anyone can step up and show their leadership qualities in camp as it is fair game right now. My guess is Dan Boyle will win over that role. He is not afraid to address the media and has said he wants it.
Newly acquired Dany Heatley will bring a serious goal scorer to the top line. Not to take away from Jonathan Cheechoo or Milan Michalek, but Heatley is much more talented and has proved he can put pucks in the net year after year. Some fans think San Jose gave up too much, however I disagree. The trade does not only bring in another superstar but it sends a message to the rest of the room that nobody is safe. I think we all knew deep down that Marleau was not going anywhere. Joe Thornton is safe for sure, his point totals during the regular season speak for themselves, without that who knows where the team would be.
Jonathan Cheechoo was a work horse. His heart could never be questioned. Due to the development of players like Devin Setoguchi he sort of lost his place on the top line. With the consistent production of the second line he found himself grinding it out on the 3rd and sometimes 4th line. He was never the same after the double hernia surgery and his point and goal totals have declined since. It will be good for Cheechoo to start fresh somewhere else where he will get the time he needs to reestablish his scoring touch.
Milan Michalek was arguably the best 2 way forward on the team. His work ethic was second to none and he found the net quite often. I always believed he was going to turn into a true sniper but he has yet to prove me right. His speed and size are huge assets to his game and Ottawa will be happy to have Michalek on the team. Milan’s penalty killing is another aspect to his game the Sharks will miss. This move may be just what he needs to become a true star in this league.
So with the loss of players like Mike Grier, Jeremy Roenick, Milan Michalek, and Jonathan Cheechoo, have the Sharks found any heart and soul? I guess we will see!
What are your thoughts on the heart and soul of the team? Does the addition of Heatley put the Sharks in the finals?
Mark
[email protected]
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