The San Jose Sharks have expectations of being a playoff team this year – and the fans have the same expectations for them.
Logan Couture publicly vocalized those thoughts to Sportsnet.
“We’ll make the playoffs next year,… Couture told Sportsnet in a recent interview. “We have too good of a team to not. So we’re gonna go back, and our goal is to win the Stanley Cup. That’s what we want to do.… (Sportsnet)
I find it extremely interesting that Couture thinks they have “too good of a team to not… make the playoffs. Sure, they’ve improved and added pieces in areas of need – but last year’s roster should have been a playoff team as well.
Whatever Doug feeds them, they eat.
Last year it was a rebuild; lower expectations, off-ice shenanigans, and a lackluster performance with a capable group. This year? All business - public guarantees of a playoff berth and Stanley Cup dreams.
At least their minds are in the right place heading into the season this year. I’ll agree that this team should be a playoff team, but I’m going to pass on the Stanley Cup ideas until 1) the team actually plays together and; 2) they actually make the playoffs.
Assistant Coaching Staff Notes:
From Kevin Kurz’s latest article:
As for the coaches that have already been named, their roles are becoming clearer. Boughner will focus on the Sharks’ defense and penalty kill, while Hedberg will naturally work with the goaltenders. Hedberg will also likely act as a team’s “eye in the sky… during the first two periods of games before joining the bench for the third. (Comcast Sportsnet)
Kurz also notes that there is still an assistant vacancy that could be filled by Steve Spott or Adam Oates.
Personally, I’d like to see Oates of the two, but I dislike Steve Spott as an NHL coach in any capacity so it’s kind of biased. Oates does run a mean powerplay, though, which is what DeBoer needs most in an assistant right now.
Whoever comes in as the PP specialist behind the bench will have it pretty easy. The Sharks have the talent to spread out the PP units, or overload the first and own opposing penalty killers. I’d like to see a more balanced attack on the PP this season so that the fourth line scrubs aren’t playing Johnny on the spot with an important situation.
I’m interested to see what Boughner does with the penalty kill. There’s nothing in the NHL rulebook that says your worst players have to play the PK. I’d like to see a little more talent, a little more general hockey competency, patrolling the ice with a man down this season for San Jose. It’s all fine and well if you want to block shots because you don’t have the hockey IQ to do much more and it works out, but I’d rather have some smart players out there all of the time.
Thanks for reading, and curse the summer. Want some thoughts on the Sharks or whatever? If I get any, I'll make a post out of it.