San Jose Sharks: 5 Bold Predictions for the Sharks' 2011-12 Season

Last season came to a bitter and familiar end for the Sharks, as they were ousted in the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year after battling through two grueling rounds of playoff hockey. 

General manager Doug Wilson has been aggressively retooling the roster this offseason in an attempt to build a team capable of bringing the Stanley Cup to San Jose for the first time in franchise history. 

Part of this process involved dealing forward Dany Heatley and his $7.5 million cap hit to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for winger Martin Havlat. This move cleared $2.5 million in cap space which will likely be used to bring in an experienced bottom-six forward or two. 

Also joining the Sharks is young rearguard Brent Burns, who was traded from Minnesota at the draft for sniper Devin Setoguchi, top prospect Charlie Coyle and the 28th overall pick in the 2011 NHL entry draft. Burns addresses what was the Sharks' most pressing need heading into this offseason: a mobile, two-way defenseman. 

These trades, as well as two key free agent signings made on July first, indicate that Doug Wilson has high hopes for this coming season and expects his squad to perform. 

With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for the 2011-12 San Jose Sharks. 

Martin Havlat Will Set a New Career High for Points in a Season

After spending only two years with the Wild, Martin Havlat will suit up for a new team for the fourth time in his 10-year NHL career. While many players struggle to find chemistry and consistency after joining a new squad, Havlat has been a prolific scorer throughout his career, regardless of the logo on his sweater. For this reason, I do not believe he will struggle to put up points for the Sharks.

A lot of points.

With Heatley and Setoguchi now members of the Wild, Havlat will be given an abundance of ice time and will likely be used on the first powerplay unit. On top of that, he will be playing with one of the best top-six forward groups in the league, headlined by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. 

Havlat's current career-high for points in a season is 77, which he tallied as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2008-09 season. The Sharks' top six is at least as talented as that of the 2008-09 Hawks so if he can stay healthy, which seems likely considering he has only missed a total of 14 games through the last three seasons, I believe he will register at least 80 points this season. 

The Sharks Will Win the Pacific Division

The Pacific Division has been one of the strongest divisions in the NHL for the past few years. Last season, four of the five Pacific teams made the playoffs. What's even more impressive is that for several years leading up to last, the Pacific Division always consisted of five playoff teams closely grouped together in the league standings by the end of the regular season. 

The Sharks have taken the division title each of the last four years and don't appear to be eager to hand that title over to anyone else. While Anaheim and Dallas have emerging young stars in Cam Fowler and Jamie Benn, both teams may find themselves struggling to even make the playoffs, let alone dethrone the Sharks.

Phoenix lost starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski to free agency and has very little firepower up front.

The Los Angeles Kings landed gritty center Mike Richards and winger Simon Gagne who will both, without a doubt, help their second line immensely. The Kings will have a strong season but will fall just short of the Sharks in similar fashion to last season, as inexperienced goaltending and a lack of depth in their bottom six will hurt their overall record. 

With a world-class skater and talented scorer in Martin Havlat, a big and mobile defenseman in Brent Burns and an elite group of top-six forwards, the Sharks will wrap up their fifth straight Pacific Division title next season. 

Logan Couture Will Put Up 70 Points

Drafted ninth overall by San Jose in 2007, Logan Couture was voted a finalist for rookie of the year last season after an impressive 56-point campaign. With 104 NHL games under his belt, he has adapted to the speed at which the game is played at the NHL level and has solidified his position as a top-six forward for the Sharks. 

Couture will likely be counted on to center the second line this season and may end up with two very talented players on his wings in Martin Havlat and power forward Ryane Clowe. Even if the coaching staff decides to play one of those two on the top line, Joe Pavelski is another quality scorer who might find himself on a line with Couture. There also exists the possibility that Logan will be assigned to the first line to play with world-class playmaker Joe Thornton. 

Regardless, Couture will see plenty of top-six ice time and powerplay time with highly talented players and will follow up his successful rookie season with a memorable 70-point campaign. 

Jamie McGinn Will Find His Role on the Team

A second-round pick from the 2006 entry draft, Jamie McGinn has been been a member of the "Worcester Shuttle," a nickname assigned to the group of Worcester-based AHL players that fill in on the Sharks' bottom lines in the event of an injury, for the last three years. He has struggled to put up points and find consistency at the NHL level, with only 25 points in 143 games played. 

Once labeled as a future top-six forward with 20-goal potential, McGinn has seen very limited ice time with the Sharks in primarily a fourth-line role. He has demonstrated his ability to be a factor offensively in juniors, where he tallied 89 points in 68 games one year, and in the AHL, where he put up 21 points in 27 games last year and 30 points in 47 games the year before. However, his offensive game has not translated to the NHL despite being given the opportunity to play on the top line with Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi at the beginning of last season. 

On the bright side, McGinn has showcased his speed, his strong wrist shot and his ability to dish out punishing body checks during his time with the Sharks. He has also displayed a willingness to drop the gloves and stick up for his teammates when necessary. If he focuses on playing a physical game and using his speed effectively, he has the tools to be a very good third-line energy winger in the mold of a Ben Eager. 

Assuming he is given a full-time roster spot, which I believe he will, McGinn will embrace his role and be a key energy player for the Sharks this coming season.

The Stanley Cup Will Be Paraded Through the Streets of San Jose Next June

The Sharks have made it to the Western Conference Finals two years straight. That alone indicates that they are ready and able to contend for the Stanley Cup and know what it takes to get deep into the playoffs. 

Add to that the fact that San Jose's blueline, which was by far their most glaring weakness last season, has drastically improved with the addition of Burns and Vandermeer and the continued development of youngsters Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jason Demers. 

Then look at the changes they have made to their group of forwards. The slow, one-dimensional Dany Heatley has been replaced by the shifty and dynamic Martin Havlat, who may not score as many goals as Heatley but will undoubtedly bring much-needed speed and puck control abilities to the Sharks' top six. Additionally, the absence of streaky winger Devin Setoguchi will open up a spot in the top six for talented pivot Joe Pavelski, who is known for scoring timely goals and being reliable in all three zones. Furthermore, Michal Handzus, a physical two-way center with size, signed on as a free agent on July first and will play an important role as a veteran shut-down forward on San Jose's third line. 

To top it all off, the Sharks are armed with something they have had very little of for the past few years: cap room. After shedding $2.5 million by swapping Heatley for Havlat, they have just over $5.5 million in cap space. This will enable general manager Doug Wilson to add a piece or two to the lineup this offseason and be active at the trade deadline. 

With all of the above taken into consideration, I firmly believe that the San Jose Sharks will win their first ever Stanley Cup this coming season.