San Jose Sharks Season Preview: 5 Things to Watch for in 2011

A new season, a fresh start. Forget about the past, don't fret about the future. Just live in the present.

That is the mentality that the San Jose Sharks should be taking as they enter the 2011-2012 campaign. After yet another disappointing playoff run last season, the Sharks look to bounce back this year. 

As one of the premier teams in the NHL in the past few season, the Sharks are a perennial Stanley Cup contender. However, do they have what it takes to move on to the next level and finally win it all?

Read on to find out in my preview of five things to watch for this season.

The Sharks Will Have a Dramatic Improvement Defensively

WIth their new additions, the Sharks are now one of the premier defensive teams in the NHL. Colin White, Jim Vandermeer and, who can forget, Brent Burns will provide that defensive depth that the Sharks did not have last year (and Vancouver did).

This is how the Sharks' defensive lines should look:

Boyle/Murray

Burns/Vlasic

White/Vandermeer

Braun/Demers 

General manager Doug Wilson has done a terrific job of looking at what his team is lacking, upgrading through trade and free agency. For example, he acquired Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild for Devin Setoguchi. He knew that Setoguchi would never perform up to his potential in San Jose due to other superb offensive players on the team, and he knew that Burns would provide the Sharks with and instant upgrade on the blueline. 

The Sharks' Top Two Offensive Lines Will Be Loaded

This is how the Sharks' top two lines will look:

Marleau-Thornton-Couture

Havlat-Pavelski-Clowe

With Joe Thornton as the anchor, Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture should have outstanding seasons. Look for Couture to build on his excellent rookie campaign. The second line could get a bit interesting. Joe Pavelski and Ryan Clowe know each other well, but it is a question whether or not Martin Havlat will fit in. If not, Havlat could possibly move up to the first line and Couture could be sent down. Anyone who plays with Thornton will have a good season (see Jonathan Cheechoo).

On any other team, the Sharks' second line of Havlat, Pavelski and Clowe would be their first line. However, the Sharks are so talented and potent on offense that players such as Pavelski and Clowe are considered role players. 

Any one of these guys is capable of scoring 30-plus goals and carrying an offense for the entire season. It is just up to them to work together and find some good chemistry. 

Thomas Greiss Will Get More Playing Time

Greiss was the backup to Evgeni Nabokov two seasons ago and was solid in 10 starts. Last year, with the arrival of goaltenders Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki, he was shipped to Europe.

This off-season, he was signed once again by the Sharks, perhaps as insurance by Doug Wilson. Well, Greiss may go from a goalie starting in Europe to a goalie starting opening night for the San Jose Sharks. With Niittymaki out for three months with leg surgeries and Niemi day-to-day after having a cyst removed, Greiss remains the only other option for the Sharks. 

Now, it is not impossible that Niemi has completely recovered from his minor injury in two weeks— in which case he would start opening night. But Greiss would be his backup for at least the first three months of the season.

This is a guy who worked hard in the AHL just to get to the NHL level and had to play a year in Europe. He deserves a chance to play, and he will get that chance this season. 

Doug Wilson Will Make a Deal Before the Trade Deadline

Even with all the noise he made this off-season, there is still a feeling that he will make another acquisition or two before the deadline. This is a man who has built his franchise around trades (Thornton, Boyle, Burns, Havlat), and even though he may face criticism for some of his deals, most of the moves he makes pan out. 

Last season, the acquisition of Ian White was not huge; but he proved to be important down the stretch run and in the playoffs. Even if Wilson makes another small deal for someone like White, chances are, it will benefit the team.

Wilson has had a history of making deals to improve his team at the deadline (Bill Guerin, Brian Campbell), and look for him to make another one this season.

The Sharks Will Prove That They Have the Talent to Win It All

Year after year, the Sharks are playoff contenders, and they have gotten the closest the last two years, making the Western Conference Finals. 

This year, with the new talent coming in, and the development of young players, the Sharks will definitely make a run for their money. 

This year, watch for the Sharks to be hungrier, grittier and nastier. Look for them to work harder; they'll put in that extra effort to win games. The Sharks know that they are running out of time. This fan base and the organization will only support them for so long before they become tired of the same pattern every season. 

They have what it takes to win it all. The only question is: Will it be this year?