The San Jose Sharks will no doubt be working on fundamentals, implementing new systems, evaluating young players and improving their power play when they begin training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona in a week’s time.
Just as critical to coach Bob Boughner will be rebuilding the team’s cohesion, which fell apart during a turbulent 2019-20 season.
The Sharks, in their first year without former captain Joe Pavelski, were rarely on the same page as they stumbled to a 29-36-5 record and last-place finish in the Western Conference. The more the Sharks struggled, the worse things became, with goalie Martin Jones saying in May that, “when it started to spiral, we went our own ways instead of coming together.”
Now also without another emotional leader in Joe Thornton, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sharks have to find a way to re-establish a winning culture.
“I think that’s one of the most important things I can do as a head coach this year,” said Boughner, who was named the Sharks’ full-time coach in September. “Obviously, you’re going to miss (Thornton) just like as we missed (Pavelski), but it’s a way to pass a torch on to other guys.”
The last time the Sharks’ team chemistry came into question was after the playoff-less 2014-15 season.
Tensions between Thornton and Doug Wilson had bubbled to the surface a month before the season ended, with Thornton accusing the general manager of lying to season ticket holders about the circumstances under which Thornton lost the captaincy.
Although the issues between the two were soon resolved, it was clear at the end of the season that Thornton’s relationship with then-coach Todd McLellan had soured.
That offseason, McLellan and the Sharks parted ways, and Wilson went about trying to improve the chemistry in the room by signing free agents Joel Ward and Paul Martin — two team-first guys — to multi-year contracts. Pavelski was named the captain by new coach Pete DeBoer, and everyone, it seemed, was able to get a fresh start.
This offseason, the Sharks did bring in Devan Dubnyk and Ryan Donato via trade, and signed the affable Matt Nieto and franchise icon Patrick Marleau to one-year contracts. But Boughner is looking for other players already on the roster to now fully establish themselves as the team’s leaders.
Logan Couture will be in his second season as the Sharks’ captain this year and Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl will continue to be the alternates, with one more alternate to be named before the regular season starts Jan. 13. Younger players, too, who have been in support roles in the past, have to also take ownership of the team.
“I think that the guys realize that when things weren’t going our way last year, that maybe we tried to fix everything individually and we went on our own page and it didn’t work,” Boughner said. “The good thing about coming back this year is they realize you learn from your mistakes and you learn from things that didn’t work.
“I’ve already addressed a lot of this during the offseason through video calls, and it’s something that I’m really going to key on and address when we get back together as a group. That’s a work in progress. But I know we have really good people and guys that really care, and guys that are out to prove everybody wrong and get back to where we belong.”
The Sharks will no doubt get a chance to be up close and personal with each other throughout January.
After staying in a hotel together for the duration of a two-week training camp that starts Dec. 31, the Sharks will be on the road for at least their first eight games of the season. The Sharks will remain in the Phoenix area to play the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena in Glendale on Jan. 14 and 16, then travel to play two games each against St. Louis, Minnesota and Colorado.
The Sharks’ first scheduled game at SAP Center, should it be allowed to take place by Santa Clara County health authorities, is Feb. 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
From Boughner’s perspective, maybe all this time together can be a good thing.
“If you had asked me last season what this team probably could have used from a chemistry standpoint, from a culture standpoint. I would have said a training camp where we all get away together, and then have no distractions, and probably a good, long road trip to start the season,” Boughner said. “I think that this is a little more than I wish for, but I think it’s going to be a good thing for us.”
