Now that the San Jose Sharks season is officially over, it's time to start looking ahead to next year. (Yes, really.)

The Sharks fell short of the ultimate prize with what many considered to be their best-constructed roster - maybe ever. It's nothing new for a club that has a history of disappointing endings.

This season was especially tough because of major roster changes looming on the horizon. Make no mistake, San Jose will be a very different looking hockey club come October. Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi and Erik Karlsson are all UFA's. Not to mention a slew of RFA's, most notably Timo Meier and Joakim Ryan. You've heard of the "summer of love?" 2019 should be known as the "summer of change."

Besides the potential loss of a 40-year-old Jumbo Joe to retirement, perhaps the biggest question for the Sharks is, "What's up with Erik Karlsson?"

San Jose went all in to acquire the star defenseman and his first and possibly last season in San Jose left a lot to be desired. The Sharks traded two draft picks and forwards Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenceman Dylan DeMelo and prospect Josh Norris to the Ottawa Senators for Karlsson and AHL forward Francis Perron. If the Sharks re-sign Karlsson, they will also receive a conditional 2021 second-round draft pick from the Sens. That's quite a haul for Ottawa.

Karlsson's season was filled with many ups and downs, but mostly downs. He was hobbled by a wonky groin that limited him to just 53 games. His three goals were a career low and he was often a defensive liability, especially in the playoffs. Ultimately, he would be forced to shut it down, missing the end of the Sharks six-game loss to the Blues in the Western Conference Finals.

Karlsson never seemed to be comfortable at any point during the regular season and only slightly resembled his former Norris trophy self for short stretches in the playoffs. To say the EK65 era was a disaster might be a bit harsh, but I don't care - it was.

And now this tweet:

Thank you to the entire @SanJoseSharks organization, fans, and especially teammates. It was a great run that ended too early. But lots of great memories where created. The entire Bay Area has been nothing but classy and respectful to me and my family. Thank you.

— Erik Karlsson (@ErikKarlsson65) May 24, 2019

Nothing is that message says to me, "Hey, I can't wait to get back on the ice and finish the job next season." It very clearly says to me, "Adios California. I'm heading back to the east coast."

A year ago this would have been disappointing news. That's not the case anymore. Karlsson was breaking down right before our eyes. His body failed him time and time again. He's not worth the type of money he's looking for and the Sharks have too many other areas to address before they even think about making EK and offer. Heck, they threw all that money at Evander Kane and he was arguably the worst player on the ice wearing teal in the playoffs. If not the worst, easily the most frustrating.

For me, it's an easy choice. Close the book on Erik Karlsson, move on and hope that not too many folks wasted their money on a number 65 jersey.

Thanks for reading,
Steve

Join the Discussion: » 26 Comments » Post New Comment

» Sharks offense in heating up; have they turned a corner?

» Radim Simek's return will help, but San Jose's issues run deep

» The Last Place Sharks; Should We Get Used To It?

» Evander Kane helping Sharks get back on track

» Patrick Marleau's big return masks Sharks woes