It feels like a hell of a long time since the Sharks pulled off that sneaky double trade through Boston, getting Jones out of LA. It seemed like a great pick up at the time.
I haven't made it very far in the rewatch (I fell asleep trying to watch game 3 vs the jets on 3 separate attempts), but from my memory of the run Jones cost them the series with some straight up abysmal play in net.
I remember having a dialogue with a sharks fan a while back, after the loss about the state of their team heading forward burdened with their massive contracts on aging players (Vlassic, Burns, Jones, Couture etc) and being reassured that their team was going to compete for the cup and Jones was going to rebound. The most vivid memory of the discussion I have is that Jones' numbers would return to the sub 2.50 GAA & 0.915 SV% average from the previous 3 seasons, that the 2018-19 season was a one off and didn't reflect the team in front of him losing a step, exposing his less than stellar play.
I'll see if I can dig up the discussion.
Edit :
Well, that's not what I remembered, but I'll share the comment that started it and subsequent replies because they add something.
SJS fan:
Good for Joe.
I think the Sharks have about 4-5 years left of being one of the cup favorite's, after that, it maybe a slow decline with this core.
Me:
I think that blue line causes that window to close a bit earlier. 2-3 years as a contender, absolutely. 4-5 is a bit optimistic.
Burns is 34.
Vlassic at 32 isn't a big deal.
Karlsson's recent injuries have me wondering if he hits 34 before he starts slowing down. Those groin issues have been bothering him for a year now and severely impacting him. I wonder how many teams noticed him wilt under the hits St Louis laid on him in the playoffs and intentionally try to light him up during the regular season.
Kane is a candidate for heavy regression in the next 2-3 years based on the Lucic, Backes and Simmonds models for power forwards.
And Jones, well... Jones is going to determine how deep playoff runs are during that window, where you can win in spite of him but he hasn't been stealing games/series since the 2016-17 SCF appearance for you guys. 62 GP, 2.94 GAA & 0.896 SV% in the regular season with 20 GP, 3.02 GAA & 0.898 SV% in the playoffs isn't a good look for a starter on a contender...
Different SJS fan:
Burns isn't declining anytime soon. Karlsson doesn't have groin issues anymore so your concerns are unwarranted. Kane is not a good comparable with Lucic, Backes, and Simmonds. Skating speed is a pretty noticeable difference between them. Jones' numbers for the most part this season is a reflection of how the system didn't protect the goaltenders. They allowed way too many transition opportunities the whole year. If the team adjusts some things and actually commits to defensive play as a whole, the goaltenders will see a marked improvement in their stats.
Yet another SJS fan:
3 years ago (heading into 2016-2017 season), the Sharks didn't have Erik Karlsson, Evander Kane, or any of their top-4 prospects, and Timo Meier hadn't played a game in the NHL. Things change too much in 3 years for anybody to say the team won't be a contender until they prove otherwise.
Also, Karlsson didn't wilt under anything in the playoffs. He was the best player in the series against the Blues through 4 games and then re-aggravated his injury to the point where he just couldn't go anymore.
You're also wrong on multiple counts regarding Jones. One, the team made the finals in 2015-2016, not 2016-2017. Two, Jones has stolen many playoff games since the Cup Finals, and he clearly stole the series in 2017-2018 where he allowed 4 goals in 4 games against the Anaheim Ducks.
Me:
Good catches. Definitely botched the year on your previous deep run. I got so caught up in how bad Jones was this past year I didn't look beyond that and his average stats in the regular season the year before that.
I think DW does a great job of managing your assets, but an aging core is going to be difficult to replace on the fly. Meier and Hertl are incredible players to build around, but I'm not seeing a core defensive prospect to build a new core with because of Merkley's continued character problems that look to be chasing him from the OHL.
I think you underrate just how much the extra contact had to do with Karlsson's re-injury - I think there will be an increased risk of re-injury moving forward and it likely shortens a career which has been exceptional.
I also disagree with you about Karlsson being your best player in that series, Couture was and has been so clutch in the playoffs it's not even funny. To say he wasn't the best player in the series doesn't do him justice.
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Looking back with the benefit of seeing this season played out... Woof. SJS fans were straight up delusional about the state of their team.
I mean I don't think anyone predicted the Sharks would straight up collapse, but few expected them to be a contender outside of team fans. Nobody expected Jones to fail to live up to his contract status for close to the duration.