Tim Chiasson: Stanley Cup or Bust McLellan and Wilson should be on a short leash in 2014-2015.

I was so pulling for you guys last year against the Kings, sadly, that was what should have been the final straw. Yet here we are, not much has changed, so I agree, Cup or bust.

I was so pulling for you guys last year against the Kings, sadly, that was what should have been the final straw. Yet here we are, not much has changed, so I agree, Cup or bust.
- LeftCoaster

Well (frank) you too guy

I actually had them (in my brackets) winning the cup LAST year, against the Tampa bay Lightning. That bracket didn't turn out well. LOL (Although I DID predict NY topping both the Flyers, then Pens.)

Well (frank) you too guy
- canuckssuck9

believe it or not I like Thornton, I want him to succeed, plus you already had a Cup.

Well (frank) you too guy
- canuckssuck9

Don't worry, he's just pissed cause his team was/is in the same position the sharks are/were. Great regular season teams that seem to choke in the playoffs year in and year out ... Must be great to watch those two teams win the division and best regular season records though, haha. LA has proven that it doesn't matter how great a regular season team you have, it's what you can do with that team when it matters most

Don't worry, he's just pissed cause his team was/is in the same position the sharks are/were. Great regular season teams that seem to choke in the playoffs year in and year out ... Must be great to watch those two teams win the division and best regular season records though, haha. LA has proven that it doesn't matter how great a regular season team you have, it's what you can do with that team when it matters most
- RobitailleFAN20

You guys are definitely built for the playoffs. Canucks have done something the Sharks never have though, made it to a Cup final. If they (Sharks) fail to come out of the West this year I see wholesale changes.

You guys are definitely built for the playoffs. Canucks have done something the Sharks never have though, made it to a Cup final. If they fail to come out of the West this year I see wholesale changes.
- LeftCoaster

I'll give you that one

Cup FOR SURE this time.

believe it or not I like Thornton, I want him to succeed, plus you already had a Cup.
- LeftCoaster

He's on my fantasy team

Don't worry, he's just pissed cause his team was/is in the same position the sharks are/were. Great regular season teams that seem to choke in the playoffs year in and year out ... Must be great to watch those two teams win the division and best regular season records though, haha. LA has proven that it doesn't matter how great a regular season team you have, it's what you can do with that team when it matters most
- RobitailleFAN20

I don't think anybody made any bashing comments towards the kings, so why are you here? Man you guys really do all act the same, your team wins the cup for the second time and you waste your time trolling other blogs starting garbage. Do everyone a favor and win with some class. If you got nothing good to say then don't comment.

It's not McLellan's fault that players like Joe Thornton were sulking on the bench after goals were scored in the playoffs. It's on them to get pissed and knock someone's teeth in.

I'm surprised the Sharks core players have been kept together this long. Its pretty clear they cant get it done. Trade them while they still have some value. They arent getting any younger....

In my opinion, if the team didn't make the cup finals the last 5 or so seasons, they won't be making it now. Joe is older, Marleau is older, and I feel the Sharks lack that elite #1 dman, although Pickles is a very solid defender.

They could retool on the fly if they are able to get Joe and Marleau to waive but that doesn't seem likely at this point. Or they could try and make a trade using picks/prospects to keep the window of opportunity going. I'm not sure what the right answer is but I just don't see a Cup winner with this lineup.

If they do decide to move Joe, please send him to Edmonton

Sharks issue last season was the fact Leadership failed to settle down an obviously rattled team. Thornton had a below average playoff series, goaltending was average and they just altogether lacked dependable scoring. I am not a fan of Burns as a forward. When you see a guy like Cheechoo who can't get a NHL roster spot hit 56 goals beside Thornton 22 from Burns seems extremely weak. Even Setoguchi managed 30 goals. You expect more than 50 points from your 1st line players. This team needed to at least add a good winger for the top line and instead signed John Scott..... I do not doubt Sharks will make the playoffs but they will bust out 1st round probably along with my Flyers, however we could get luck and face some weaker teams. Let's face it, not much going on in the East.

In my opinion, if the team didn't make the cup finals the last 5 or so seasons, they won't be making it now. Joe is older, Marleau is older, and I feel the Sharks lack that elite #1 dman, although Pickles is a very solid defender.

They could retool on the fly if they are able to get Joe and Marleau to waive but that doesn't seem likely at this point. Or they could try and make a trade using picks/prospects to keep the window of opportunity going. I'm not sure what the right answer is but I just don't see a Cup winner with this lineup.

If they do decide to move Joe, please send him to Edmonton
- ystoil

Why? That is incredibly stupid on Edmonton's part. You are going to sell some of the Youth you spent 7-8 years drafting for a guy with 4-5 years left in the league?

http://thehockeywriters.c...rick-marleau-father-time/

Despite this optimistic article I still can't help but feel we squandered Thornton and Marleau's best years.

It's not McLellan's fault that players like Joe Thornton were sulking on the bench after goals were scored in the playoffs.
- 2Real

I respectfully disagree with this. I think it is the head coach's job to control and adjust the attitude of his players while making sure they are prepared mentally. I actually think this is the most important part of the head coach's duties.

I feel the Sharks lack that elite #1 dman, although Pickles is a very solid defender.
- ystoil

I hate the word "elite" because it can mean so many different things to different people, but he is without question a #1 dman and one of the best in the league. I don't think you make the top 6 of the Canadian Olympic team without being that calibre of player.

Here is an interesting TSN article that sheds some light on just how good Vlasic is:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=462065

I'm not sure what the right answer is but I just don't see a Cup winner with this lineup.
- ystoil

I think a lot of us have serious doubts as well with how the team currently looks on paper. And most of us would proably agree that we don't have a coaching staff that can get a lot more out of the players than is already there, especially come playoff time.

Why? That is incredibly stupid on Edmonton's part. You are going to sell some of the Youth you spent 7-8 years drafting for a guy with 4-5 years left in the league?
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Here are our centres

Nuge
Gordon

The rest are Draisaitl (who may or may not be ready), Lander, Arcobello

We need to at least compete this year rather than being eliminated in October.

If we can send Perron + for Thornton (a conditional first based on playoffs or a top 10 protected first)

Joe will bring the best out of Yak, shelter Leon, and provide support for Nuge. Joe only has 2 years left, so the price isn't going to be astronomical.

I hate the word "elite" because it can mean so many different things to different people, but he is without question a #1 dman and one of the best in the league. I don't think you make the top 6 of the Canadian Olympic team without being that calibre of player.

Here is an interesting TSN article that sheds some light on just how good Vlasic is:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=462065



I think a lot of us have serious doubts as well with how the team currently looks on paper. And most of us would proably agree that we don't have a coaching staff that can get a lot more out of the players than is already there, especially come playoff time.
- Sharks_12

Ya elite is subjective. I guess the difference between him and the others in that article is essentially the offensive side to the game. I know he doesn't get a lot of power play time (42 sec/game) but could that be because he lacks the offensive punch required? I really only get to see him when he plays EDM, so I won't pretend to know.

I don't think anybody made any bashing comments towards the kings, so why are you here? Man you guys really do all act the same, your team wins the cup for the second time and you waste your time trolling other blogs starting garbage. Do everyone a favor and win with some class. If you got nothing good to say then don't comment.
- SharksFan466

It's like the decades upon decades of mediocracy in the Kings organization never happened.

Why? That is incredibly stupid on Edmonton's part. You are going to sell some of the Youth you spent 7-8 years drafting for a guy with 4-5 years left in the league?
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Incredibly stupid if we sell off Yak or Hall. No one is saying we would sell the farm for him, but there are plenty of deals we can make for Joe that make us a better hockey team for the next 3 years without doing serious damage to our long term plans. Chill the (frank) out.

Sharks issue last season was the fact Leadership failed to settle down an obviously rattled team.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

True and I think a lot of that falls to the head coach.

Thornton had a below average playoff series, goaltending was average and they just altogether lacked dependable scoring.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Wow you just summarized the Sharks playoff problems for the last 8 seasons better than anyone I've ever seen

I am not a fan of Burns as a forward.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Me neither and now after not playing defence for a while it is going to be hard for him to go back and be as effective as he would have been had they just kept him at defence. Lots of wasted potential.

When you see a guy like Cheechoo who can't get a NHL roster spot hit 56 goals beside Thornton 22 from Burns seems extremely weak. Even Setoguchi managed 30 goals. You expect more than 50 points from your 1st line players.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

This is something fans of other teams (and even some of our own fans) say that really bugs me. Cheechoo was an unbelievable talent. No one is denying that he had incredible Chemistry with Thornton. But he was scoring lots of goals and was one of our best forwards before Thornton even showed up.

On the 2003-04 team, Cheechoo was 1st in goals and 3rd in points in the regular season and was 4th in goals and 3rd in points in the playoffs. That 2003-04 team was the Sharks best team ever and they advanced further that year than they ever have. I repeat, this was before Thornton became a Shark.

Chechoo wasn't just some third liner who was transformed into an All Star by the magic of Thornton. He was a 29th overall pick who was coming off a great season and entering his prime. His decline afterward was directly related to his injuries and not just his true talent starting to show.

When Mark Bell came, it was "anyone can score 50 with Thornton because Cheechoo did it". He scored 11.

When Heatley came, it was "Heatley can score 50 without Thornton so with him, it will be 60". He scored 39, basically a career low not counting his rookie season.

Devin Setoguchi was a tremendous player for us. He scored a high number of clutch playoff goals in his last two years as a Shark. When you look at a team that has struggled with finding a consistent source of goals in the playoffs, the loss of Setoguchi was a big part of that.

This team needed to at least add a good winger for the top line and instead signed John Scott..... I do not doubt Sharks will make the playoffs but they will bust out 1st round probably along with my Flyers, however we could get luck and face some weaker teams. Let's face it, not much going on in the East.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

The good news is that we still have the cap space to potentially acquire another top 6 forward. Hertl and Nieto are still wild cards in my book to be dependable top 6 guys, especially if one of our big 4 forwards goes down. Are we a top 6 forward away from being a Cup contender? The Sharks are just in general such a wild card right now that it's really hard to say.

It's like the decades upon decades of mediocracy in the Kings organization never happened.
- Jeropotato

The Sharks still have another 20 years before hitting the kind of drought that the Kings went through.