The San Jose Sharks are going to be a playoff team once again. They've been a postseason staple in 14 of the last 15 years and this season will be no different. But, unlike past seasons, the Sharks drop the puck with so many unanswered questions.

Since falling to the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs, the Sharks have gone through a bit of a metamorphosis. Gone are top 6 regulars Joonas Donskoi and Joe Pavelski and their 52 goals. Enter - a healthy Erik Karlsson and a slew of 20-somethings to help inject some new blood into the teal and black.

San Jose cracked the NHL's Super 16 to start the season, but sit tenth; an indication that skeptics are not bullish on the new-look Sharks.

Last season the Sharks finished tied for second in the league with 289 goals scored. On the flip side, the defense and goaltending were among the worst in the league with 258 goals against.

While many people want to focus on the loss of goal scoring talent, I want to see San Jose take care of their own end of the ice and I think the goals will come.

For San Jose to get the doubters off their back they must renew focus on defense. With three Norris caliber defenseman on the roster that shouldn't be too much to ask... should it?

The Sharks have to be a tough team to play against, especially within the Pacific Division. Despite giving up just 28.3 shots per game, San Jose struggled through long stretches of futility because of defensive lapses. During one span in January, they allowed six goals in four consecutive games (1-3). How many times did we see careless passes and lazy turnovers end up in the back of the net?

What about the terrible goaltending of Martin Jones and Aaron Dell? Good question. I have to believe we will see a bounceback performance from Jonesy. Obviously the Sharks have confidence in their tendy because they didn't go out and get a replacement.

Jones has a career goals-against of .917 before last season catastrophic .896. If he plays anywhere close to his old self the sky is the limit for a still very talented group.

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San Jose will play the first three games with Evander Kane because of his suspension for abusing an official.

Whether you agree about Kane's intent or not, this suspension is another example of the nonsense that's plagued Kane before he arrived in San Jose. Since becoming a Shark, he's been lauded for his professionalism and team-first attitude. Let's hope this incident in just a small hiccup and not the beging of something more concerning.

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Is there a better new-age rivalry than the Sharks and Golden Knights? The NHL is milking this golden ticket with a back-to-back set to start the season. Good on the league for recognizing a good thing when they have it.

Thanks for reading,
Steve

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