Fansided

Each NHL team’s biggest burning question in 2018

By Simon Vacca

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CA – NOVEMBER 13: An overhead view as the San Jose Sharks look on from the bench while facing the Nashville Predators at SAP Center on November 13, 2018 in San Jose, California (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – NOVEMBER 13: An overhead view as the San Jose Sharks look on from the bench while facing the Nashville Predators at SAP Center on November 13, 2018 in San Jose, California (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images) /

San Jose Sharks: Are they the true favorite in the West?

When the San Jose Sharks acquired Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators in a deal that saw Doug Wilson emerge victorious over Pierre Dorion yet again, the NHL united in a panic-stricken sigh. With the two-time Norris winning defenseman set to join one of hockey’s most consistently competitive franchises, the Western Conference became significantly deeper and increasingly more challenging.

It also confirmed an unfortunate reality: inevitably, good teams would be absent from the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Already depth-ridden, the Sharks are now one of the obvious favorites to land Lord Stanley’s trophy. With an experienced offensive core led by the likes of Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl, one of the league’s strongest blue lines — championed by none other than the aforementioned Karlsson, former Norris trophy recipient Brent Burns and an underrated force in Marc-Edouard Vlasic — and a particularly skilled goaltender in Martin Jones, the Sharks continue to demonstrate a unique penchant for marrying intense competition with longevity.

Nothing short of a sound run would be a disappointment for Peter DeBoer’s men. But with the Winnipeg Jets in the midst of preparing to take the NHL by storm, the Nashville Predators readying for another go at the Cup and the shadow of the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural season looming large, it remains difficult to tease out the intricacies surrounding the Sharks’ path to an appearance in the Finals.

Indeed, they’re contenders. But are the Sharks the true favorite in the West?

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