San Jose Sharks: 5 Players Who Need to Step Up Their Games in 2011-12

The San Jose Sharks have been among the NHL's top teams ever since acquiring star center Joe Thornton from the Boston Bruins in 2005. They have taken the Pacific Division title each of the last four seasons and reached the Western Conference Finals last year and the year before. 

Home to one of the most lethal groups of top six forwards in the league, the Sharks boast an array of high-end offensive weapons and, after some serious roster tweaking by GM Doug Wilson this offseason, now have a deep and balanced group of defensemen patrolling the back end. 

As the start of the season approaches, San Jose is once again considered a favorite to win the Stanley Cup by fans and experts alike. The perennial contenders have never brought home a Cup in franchise history and, though they came very close the last two seasons, their window is closing. 

With a prospect pool severely lacking in elite talent and a core that is steadily aging, it's now or never for the Sharks. If they are to reach their ultimate goal, they will need a strong and consistent effort from each of their players throughout the regular season and into the playoffs and will have to rely on some of their younger players upping their games and taking on bigger roles. 

San Jose will need to be firing on all cylinders this year, but here are five players in particular who absolutely must elevate their play this season if the Sharks are to be successful.  

Jason Demers

Drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 entry draft, Jason Demers is a late-round steal who made the team out of camp in 2009. The puck-moving blueliner has displayed terrific passing skills, smooth skating and a willingness to play a physical game. 

Demers posted 21 points in 51 games as a rookie and followed that up with 24 points in 75 games last season. While these numbers are quite good for an inexperienced defenseman playing on the third pairing, he was expected to show further signs of improvement and produce more on the offensive side of the puck. 

The addition of Brent Burns will take some of the pressure off Demers, but he will still be counted on to provide scoring from the blue line and man the point on the second power play unit. The Sharks will need increased offensive production from Jason Demers this year. 

Torrey Mitchell

Torrey Mitchell broke into the league in 2007 as a 23-year-old and used his speed and tenacity to earn a full-time roster spot with San Jose. He injured his leg the following summer and was sidelined for the entirety of the 2008-09 season. 

Seemingly back to full health, Mitchell registered a career-high 23 points in 66 games last year and found strong chemistry with Joe Pavelski and midseason addition Kyle Wellwood. 

San Jose's bottom six is currently undetermined and will likely consist of a cycle of young players, like Jamie McGinn, Benn Ferriero and Andrew Desjardins, who will alternate in and out of the lineup throughout the season. According to head coach Todd McLellan, only two spots have been filled: third line center, which will go to Michal Handzus, and third line left wing, which will be Mitchell's spot on the roster. 

Due to the lack of experience, as well as the lack of speed, on the Sharks' bottom two lines, it is absolutely essential that Mitchell stays healthy this year and provides some stability to the bottom six. If he can return to the fast-paced, tenacious style of play he exhibited during his rookie season, San Jose will have the perfect complement for recently signed pivot Michal Handzus. 

Antti Niemi

After backing the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup victory two years ago, Niemi signed on with the Sharks as a free agent months later, filling the void that was left when veteran netminder and longtime Shark Evgeni Nabokov bolted to Russia. 

Niemi started in 60 games for San Jose last season, posting a .920 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average to go along with six shutouts. 

Despite a strong regular season, he was extremely inconsistent during the playoffs, particularly during San Jose's first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. Niemi had a .896 save percentage and a 3.22 goals against average during the Sharks' playoff run and managed no shutouts. 

With backup Antero Niittymaki out with an injury until mid-December and a serious lack of proven and experienced talent in the prospect ranks, Niemi is the go-to guy between the pipes for San Jose and is a key component to their success as a team. He will need to be much more reliable this season if the Sharks hope to make a run at the Stanley Cup. 

Marc-Edouard Vlasic

A Montreal native from the 2005 entry draft, Marc-Edouard Vlasic earned himself a full-time spot with the Sharks as a 19-year-old and put up 26 points in 81 games. His positioning and stick work are top notch and have solidified his position as the club's best shutdown defenseman and top penalty killer. 

Vlasic's 36-point campaign in 2008-09 showed that he has some untapped offensive potential, as well, but he has since produced just 34 points over the course of two seasons. 

Penciled in as a top-four rearguard who will be used in all situations, Vlasic plays a very important role on the team and will need to be better on both ends of the ice this season. If he can improve on the 18 points he registered last year and play a more physical game, San Jose will have an extremely solid and versatile second defense pairing in Vlasic and Burns. This will take a lot of pressure off the aging Dan Boyle and the slow-footed Douglas Murray, who have both been overworked the last couple of years. 

Joe Thornton

Joe Thornton was in a transitional phase last season as he worked on becoming a more complete, two-way player. As a result, his offensive production decreased considerably and he finished the year with less than a point per game for the first time since the 2003-04 season. 

Being in the prime years of his career on a team that is a serious Stanley Cup contender, now is not the time for Thornton to stop being a dominant force in the offensive zone. His defensive play was terrific last year but it took away from his scoring in a big way. 

Thornton is the undisputed leader of the Sharks and is far and away their best overall player. If San Jose wants to go far this season, he will need to return to point-per-game form without sacrificing his tremendous two-way game.