HFBoards ranked San Jose 9th best... how about now?

[Kamiccolo]

IMO too little too late for them. Their core is too old and declining. Too many question marks this year and I bet, like usualy, once the playoffs roll around their best guys will be limping into the post season and playing on blown out joints or feet.

 

[MoreMogilny]

Maybe they’re good enough to jump a few places in the rankings.

I still would have them as third best out of the West.

Overall I’d say that Winnipeg, Nashville, and Tampa are at least ahead of them.

 

[PhilJets]

Sharks who had a ppg dman, just added another ppg dman, so they have 2 dmans that posted near ppg less then 3 years ago, they are stacked, and I don't see any team in the west stopping them.

Winnipeg
Las Vegas
Nashville

Says Hello

 

[blinkman360]

I think I'd have them 3rd in the West behind Winny and Nashville. 6th overall behind Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Washington.

 

[Nashology]

IMO too little too late for them. Their core is too old and declining. Too many question marks this year and I bet, like usualy, once the playoffs roll around their best guys will be limping into the post season and playing on blown out joints or feet.

14k posts and zero knowledge of hockey.

What did Thornton contribute last year? Nothing.

Who else is on the heavy decline that they are not helping the team win? Pavelski? Guy had 60pts + again last year.

Couture, Kane, Pavs, Hertl, Burns, Vlasic, Karlsson, Jones

Yup, aging, over the hill core.

I really do not get this . I understand they are OLDER than MOST cores but they have no one over the hill. Even JT was over a 60pt pace when injured last year.

 

[Taluss]

Preds
Jets
Tampa
Sharks
Blues
Tor

 

[North Cole]

IMO too little too late for them. Their core is too old and declining. Too many question marks this year and I bet, like usualy, once the playoffs roll around their best guys will be limping into the post season and playing on blown out joints or feet.

Age isnt as big a factor in the post season as it's made out to be. Sure guys are more likely to break down in the regaular season but if their trainers and team staff do their job, they shouldn't have to worry outside if a bad hockey play.

All it takes is one run. Some of Detroits core was getting older in 06 when we bounced them in the first round. Their ages below...
Shanahan - 35
Lidstrom - 36
Datsyuk - 27
Zetterberg - 24
Holmstrom - 32
Yzerman - 40
Draper - 34
Chelios - 43
Kronwall - 24
Osgoode/Legace - 32

There's a couple of guys in their prime and bunch of guys over 30...Lidstrom was playing his best hockey in his 30's, I get that. The point I'm trying to make is that this team was at these ages in 05-06 when they had a 124 point regular season, the following year they lost in the WCF and the next two they went to b2b SC finals, winning in 08 and losing in 09 to Crosby/Malkin. They changed out some players and lost some HoF, but make no mistake, that team was a juggernaut even though they went out in the first round.

Cores of any age can compete. It only takes one run for Thornton to get his cup, hes a first ballot. He can perform at any age. Hasek was 35 on the wings in 08...

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

I think folks are selling Joe Thornton pretty short here honestly. Not that they don’t have a good reason to believe he’s essentially cooked at the age of 39, but us who have been following a bit more reason to believe he will put together a very strong season. Here’s why:

1. Thornton only played in 47 games last season and played in no playoff games, which means he will be much more well rested going into the 2018-2019 season. His best two seasons of this decade (13-14 and 15-16) both came after he had a significant deal of rest.

2. Last season, Thornton was still recovering from a knee injury, and did not have the opportunity to undergo his usual off-season training regimen. Although he was recovering from the same injury to a different knee in this off-season as well, he was MUCH further along in the recovery process. Coach Pete DeBoer described the difference between Thornton at the start of 2017 training camp 2018 and training camp as “night and day”.

3. In 47 games this season, Thornton scored 36 points. However, when you dive deeper into the numbers, there is a trend that leads for optimism. As we all know, Thornton started off the season injured, and this was visible to the fans. Coach Pete DeBoer even said during the season that Thornton was not playing at 100%.

Throughout the course of the season, Thornton’s play had improved. He had 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in his last 28 games before his injury; that’s a pace of 32 goals, 44 assists, and 76 points per 82 games. This tangible improvement in his very basic numbers correlated with an improvement in his underlying metrics as well as a visible improvement that all Sharks fans observed; Thornton was shooting more, he was scoring more, and he was controlling the flow of play better.

4. Thornton had a Hart Trophy level season as recently as 2015-2016, at the age of 36. So far, throughout his aging period, he has aged very gracefully.

So, while father time may very well take another victim this year in Joe Thornton, Thornton also may very well take the NHL by storm with yet another fantastic season. He’s definitely got the talent.

 

[thethirdhockeyman91]

If burns and karlsson both get 70 points, the sharks don’t need much from their offense. Just need a couple of guys to get 60+ and their fine.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Nashville
Tampa
Winnipeg
San Jose
Toronto

I guess

 

[um]

Tampa Bay
Washington
Winnipeg
Pittsburgh
Nashville
San Jose

 

[CanadienShark]

#3 after Washington and Pittsburgh.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Agreed, and you can't expect too much out of a 39 year old who's blown out both knees in the past year and a half.

They will compete for the Western championship, but it's hard to imagine Logan Couture being the best forward on a cup-winning team.

I mean, it’s not like Logan Couture put up a historically good playoff run two years ago or anything like that.

If I have Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Martin Jones (playoffs version) behind him, I’m comfortable with Logan Couture as my 1C.

I’ll tentatively say 5th overall in the league.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

I mean, it’s not like Logan Couture put up a historically good playoff run two years ago or anything like that.

If I have Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Martin Jones (playoffs version) behind him, I’m comfortable with Logan Couture as my 1C.

I’ll tentatively say 5th overall in the league.

Couture put up a bunch of points, but I wouldn't say he was playing way above his usual level or anything.

Plus, I'm not sure what that has to do with my post anyway, because even in 2016 when they had an elite 1C in front of him, they were still nowhere close to winning the cup and were fortunate to not get swept in the final.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Well, they play in the division with the weakest top teams, so their road to the conference finals could be easier than a top team in another division. I don't think they're one of the 5 best teams, but I'll put them at 5.

 

[Love]

SJ’s forwards will be just fine. Having Burns or Karlsson on the ice for the entire game also helps.

 

[ottawa]

Toronto has way better forwards then San Jose and two 50 point defensmen. San Jose would come in around 8 in my opinion.

Posts like these are the answer to threads like "why does everyone hate the leafs"

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Honestly, they don’t jump as high for me as others. They still only rank third in the West for me (had them 4th behind St. Louis before).

Still taking (in no order) Winnipeg, Nashville, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Toronto ahead of them.

 

[GodEmperor]

4-8, not that it really matters, they're in the Stanley cup mix with Karlsson now.

 

[BTP]

Tampa
Winnipeg
Toronto
Pittsburgh
San Jose
Nashville

the order can be played with but def in the top 6

 

[Devil Dancer]

Voted 9 by accident, meant to bump them up to 6.

 

[BAM]

Posts like these are the answer to threads like "why does everyone hate the leafs"

When players, coaches and front office members all rate the Leafs very highly but the non-leaf portion of HF doesn't, that says something

 

[Voight]

On paper, I'd put them at #3 behind Tampa and Winnipeg

I don't see them being ranked ahead of the Caps or PIT, both of who have their cup winning rosters intact.

 

[aufheben]

Lineup?

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

They're definitely a contender and I'd say they have the best defense in the league. That said the way the league is right now i think the best offenses would still overpower the best defenses. I'd have them behind Washington, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Toronto, and Winnipeg. On par with Nashville, so about the #6-7 contender.