San Jose Sharks: 5 burning questions for 2018-19

4. Is a blockbuster trade still a possibility?

As noted, the Sharks made a big splash at the trade deadline and in unrestricted-free-agency after San Jose acquired Kane, but the Teal are still in need of one more all-star caliber skater if it wants to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in 2019.

Aside from the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sharks were arguably the next closest team in the running to sign superstar forward John Tavares. The effort to land Tavares didn’t work out after he signed with the Leafs on July 1, but it also leaves a notable hole in the team’s lineup.

The Sharks were fully invested and borderline banking on the idea that Tavares would more than certainly be in the lineup come Oct. 3, when the team officially drops the puck for 2018-19.

There’s a fair chance that San Jose not signing this past summer’s biggest UFA, also impacted the team’s ability to add another valuable forward such as, let’s say, James van Riemsdyk. With that being said, the Sharks are going to need to acquire a perennial 50-to-60 point-producer via the trade market and sooner rather than later.

Regardless if this skater is a UFA come 2019 or not, San Jose should highly consider acquiring forward Max Pacioretty from the Montreal Canadiens for the upcoming season. A new and winning culture that San Jose has to offer could rejuvenate the former five-time 30 goal-scorer and keep him in the Bay Area for a few more years.

That approach and deal seemed to work out well for Kane, so San Jose should pull the trigger on the veteran leader in Pacioretty. His new role with the Sharks would take a decent amount of pressure off of the soon to be, 30-year-old, but still provide an opportunity for him to find the back of the net — often.