What will the Sharks lineup be this season?

[HBSauce]

Each of Marleau, Couture, and Pavelski are perfectly capable of playing wing.

Personally, I'd like to keep Thornton-Pavelski down the middle, use Marleau and Couture as LW, Havlat as RW, and trade Clowe for a better fitting RW.

Yes I agree, Pavelski seems to be at his best when he's centering a line.

The lines you posted above seem to be the best combination of current roster players we have.

I'd rather move others before Clowe but if his trade value is high and you can get a RW with more speed and bring it physically then I'd do it.

 

[rbarker26]

I've always wondered this, especially the past couple of years, do position preferences matter on this team?

I feel as if we have Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Couture, Clowe Havlat and problem is 4 of these guys play centre and we are jamming 2 of these guys into winger positions. Wouldn't it be an idea to trade at least one of them to get a fast and hard hitting winger or do we carry on until Thornton's and Marleau's contracts are up then have Pavelski and Couture centre the top 2 lines?

Wondering if anyone felt the same on this issue.

I don't think having too many centers is the problem. IMO, it's not like pavs marleau couture have trouble playing wing. now with that being said, I think marleau/the team could benefit if marleau plays center. allows him to use his speed a little more, can help create plays

 

[Kegsey]

What do you guys feel about getting Winchester again?

I liked Winchester. I think he was effective in his role, and even exceeded expectations when given more responsibility.

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

I liked Winchester. I think he was effective in his role, and even exceeded expectations when given more responsibility.

I liked him too. He was also one of the few Sharks that played physical.

 

[Dicdonya]

Ugh.. I guess the lockout did not let the wingels delirium subside, there is no reason he should even sniff top line minutes on this team, none at all. He would just drag thornton and pavs percentages down or they would just ignore him even more than they ignored marleau last year. He got some time in the top six last year and did nothing to prove he belongs there, so until he lights the third line on fire this year, I dont believe he belongs anywhere near our top six.

I also agree with the poster above that Marleau is better when playing center, as such i would have him center the second line, so I would go something like:

Pavs-Thornton-Cooch/Havlat
Clowe-Marleau-Cooch/Havlat
Shep/Gali-Desi-Wingels
Shep/Gali-Zues-Burish
With this use whichever of gali/sheppard is looking the best on the third line, and if either of them really looks rejuvinated this year, maybe use that opportunity to move one of the top six centers to the third line and spread the scoring out a bit. Otherwise keep the top six the same for the most part until someone from the bottom six forces the hand of the coaches to play them with our big boys.

 

[AnderFunk]

Would Pavelski and Burish play well together? Say something like:

Marleau - Thornton - Wingels
Clowe - Couture - Havlat
Galiardi - Pavelski - Burish
Desjardins - Handzus - AHLer

 

[Matalvatz]

1st post in how many months for me?

Is it bad that I forgot who is even on this team besides Marleau and Thornton? Forgot we had signed Burish and Stuart, forgot we still had Murray and Boyle.

I am, however, very happy the lockout is over and ready for puck drop!

 

[Juxtaposer]

Burish is a nearly null offensive player. It'd be a huge ****ing waste of talent to force Pavelski to play with him.

 

[AnderFunk]

Burish is a nearly null offensive player. It'd be a huge ****ing waste of talent to force Pavelski to play with him.

Fair enough.

 

[FeedingFrenzy]

Heres my take. 48 games, mix it up early.

juicy-jt-wingel
clowe-pavs-havlat
Shepp-patty-tj
xxxxx-desi-burish

 

[Negatively Positive]

Galiardi- Sheppard- Clowe
Couture- Thornton- Pavelski
Wingels- Marleau- Havlat
Messier- Gretzky- Lemieux

 

[Timos Death Stare]

Galiardi- Sheppard- Clowe
Couture- Thornton- Pavelski
Wingels- Marleau- Havlat
Messier- Gretzky- Lemieux

That fourth line is too soft... we need some more truculence in it!

 

[mpp9]

Pens fan here. Any chance you'd be looking to trade Boyle this season?

If so, we're in pretty good shape capwise and with Boyle's contract running out before Malkin and Letang's contracts come up, I'd love to have him on the team.

From what I understand, 3rd line RW, 3C are your team needs. How about Niskanen/D prospect+TK+Jeffrey+pick? Niskanen can be a stopgap #4 for you. Kennedy is a playoff proven 3rd liner. Scores big goals and hustles every night. Dustin Jeffrey is a very capable 3C. Fully healed from his knee injury.

 

[Sleepy]

Pens fan here. Any chance you'd be looking to trade Boyle this season?

If so, we're in pretty good shape capwise and with Boyle's contract running out before Malkin and Letang's contracts come up, I'd love to have him on the team.

From what I understand, 3rd line RW, 3C are your team needs. How about Niskanen/D prospect+TK+Jeffrey+pick? Niskanen can be a stopgap #4 for you. Kennedy is a playoff proven 3rd liner. Scores big goals and hustles every night. Dustin Jeffrey is a very capable 3C. Fully healed from his knee injury.

His availability depends on DW. If DW feels his window is closing and it's win or get fired, he'll keep Boyle. If he thinks the window has already closed and it's time to build he'll move Boyle. I'm in the 2nd camp, but wilson has been around a decade already and may be long in the tooth. I hope he stays around, as he's been a good GM when he's not trading for 3rd pair defensemen.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Pens fan here. Any chance you'd be looking to trade Boyle this season?

If so, we're in pretty good shape capwise and with Boyle's contract running out before Malkin and Letang's contracts come up, I'd love to have him on the team.

From what I understand, 3rd line RW, 3C are your team needs. How about Niskanen/D prospect+TK+Jeffrey+pick? Niskanen can be a stopgap #4 for you. Kennedy is a playoff proven 3rd liner. Scores big goals and hustles every night. Dustin Jeffrey is a very capable 3C. Fully healed from his knee injury.

That's a pretty decent offer if the Sharks are going to compete. I like Niskanen and Kennedy. I just don't know much about Jeffery.

I'd like to trade Boyle, but who the **** knows what's going on with SJ management.

 

[mpp9]

That's a pretty decent offer if the Sharks are going to compete. I like Niskanen and Kennedy. I just don't know much about Jeffery.

I'd like to trade Boyle, but who the **** knows what's going on with SJ management.

Jeffrey is a guy whose game is perfect for a 3C role. Responsible in his own end. Solid point producer. You'd be buying low on him as we have no use for him at center, his natural position.

I just hear quotes from our GM talking about having cap space and assets. Wanting to find a partner for Letang. Being in on Yandle when we still had Staal as a trade piece. I think Boyle fits the bill. He'd form a dynamic pairing with Letang and be an immediate upgrade on the PP.

 

[sr228]

Jeffrey is a guy whose game is perfect for a 3C role. Responsible in his own end. Solid point producer. You'd be buying low on him as we have no use for him at center, his natural position.

I just hear quotes from our GM talking about having cap space and assets. Wanting to find a partner for Letang. Being in on Yandle when we still had Staal as a trade piece. I think Boyle fits the bill. He'd form a dynamic pairing with Letang and be an immediate upgrade on the PP.

Boyle would make what is already a very, very good Penguins team (my pick to win the Cup this year) scary!

I personally, have no interest in trading Boyle this season. He's still an elite offensive d-man, one of the top PP quarterbacks in the league and is still very good defensively. Top that off w/ Burns' questionable health and I see no need to move him, but I'm in the minority on this.

The off-season is a different story, or if the Sharks are somehow out of the playoff race in April...

 

[Juxtaposer]

Boyle would make what is already a very, very good Penguins team (my pick to win the Cup this year) scary!

I personally, have no interest in trading Boyle this season. He's still an elite offensive d-man, one of the top PP quarterbacks in the league and is still very good defensively. Top that off w/ Burns' questionable health and I see no need to move him, but I'm in the minority on this.

The off-season is a different story, or if the Sharks are somehow out of the playoff race in April...

I'm completely down with a tank this year. Trade Boyle/Clowe. Rest Burns/Demers/Braun and ice the worst defensive corps ever composed of Vlasic, Stuart, Murray, Irwin, Tennyson, Vandermeer, and Pelech. Play Handzus 18 minutes a game. It's a short season, we could tolerate it for 48 games. Do it Jersey style. Top-5 pick one year, next year SCF. Grab our future #1C in the 2013 draft (Mackinnon/Barkov/Lindholm/Monahan) and then go back at it in a haze of glory in 2014!

 

[wishman]

I'm completely down with a tank this year. Trade Boyle/Clowe. Rest Burns/Demers/Braun and ice the worst defensive corps ever composed of Vlasic, Stuart, Murray, Irwin, Tennyson, Vandermeer, and Pelech. Play Handzus 18 minutes a game. It's a short season, we could tolerate it for 48 games. Do it Jersey style. Top-5 pick one year, next year SCF. Grab our future #1C in the 2013 draft (Mackinnon/Barkov/Lindholm/Monahan) and then go back at it in a haze of glory in 2014!

I'm with you on the tank! I'd rather have one terrible year than be a team that's a fringe contender for the foreseeable future. The 2013 draft is stacked at the top. Get a Top 10 pick and trade Boyle/Clowe/Murray for some draft picks, youth, and better bottom six talent. Use salary from Boyle to sign a Top 6 forward next season. We'll be in much better position to contend in the future.

 

[Nighthock]

just my uneducated guess

12-19-8
29-39-9
57-26-37
21-10-? (maybe either sheppard/kennedy/someone else)

44-22
7-88
3-5/61

it's been too long ... me when looking at only numbers:

 

[Negatively Positive]

I'm completely down with a tank this year. Trade Boyle/Clowe. Rest Burns/Demers/Braun and ice the worst defensive corps ever composed of Vlasic, Stuart, Murray, Irwin, Tennyson, Vandermeer, and Pelech. Play Handzus 18 minutes a game. It's a short season, we could tolerate it for 48 games. Do it Jersey style. Top-5 pick one year, next year SCF. Grab our future #1C in the 2013 draft (Mackinnon/Barkov/Lindholm/Monahan) and then go back at it in a haze of glory in 2014!

Let's tank like the Warriors except instead of getting a mediocre player like Harrison Barnes, maybe the Sharks can get a future star!

 

[Kitten Mittons]

Stuart took Wallin's number? Oh Lord... I bet DW mandated it so he could feel like Niclas is still on the team.

 

[SactoShark]

Shoulda been 66. Then we'd have 22, 44, 66, 88 on the top four.

He's pretty much Mario Lemieux of defense anyway, right?

 

[Nighthock]

Stuart took Wallin's number? Oh Lord... I bet DW mandated it so he could feel like Niclas is still on the team.

well, he did have it first

 

[Vinny Bombatz]

B Burns

Will he start the season with them? Will he get PP time?