NHL analysis, news, and commentary. Honestly.
What will happen with the upcoming resumption of NHL play? Predictability has never been the hallmark of the Stanley Cup playoffs. In this season, so distinctly different from any other, predictions seem even more foolhardy. Enter the Florida Panthers. Going back a decade or more, predicting the Stanley Cup winner based on regular season play […] READ MORE
Not many summers in the life of the San Jose Sharks Doug Wilson will be as momentous as this one. The clock finally ran out on the absurdity of Wilson’s absence from the Hockey Hall of Fame. To be blunt, Wilson was on too many lists where he was the only one to have accomplished […] READ MORE
In 2017, I drafted an article for my prior publisher and it was rejected. The subject was the whether NHL players might kneel for the American national anthem. My publisher rejected the article because it delved too much into societal issues and was not enough about hockey. My counter-argument, which failed to change minds, was […] READ MORE
It is time to play the 2019-20 San Jose Sharks blame game. Who is responsible for the abysmal season? Or are the issues less specific? We’ll look into it all and point fingers. We’ll start with five broad categories. • The Youth • The Veterans • Head coaches Peter DeBoer and Bob Boughner • General […] READ MORE
As North America attempts to re-open their economies, hope springs for some sort of return of professional sports. The NHL seems to buy into this premise. They are mistaken. Here’s why the 2019-20 NHL season should end. The Inescapable Flaw of Resuming 2019-20 NHL Season There is a fundamental problem for sports leagues, including the […] READ MORE
We’ve reached the final piece in our review of the 2019-20 San Jose Sharks and it is time to tie it all together, then take a peak at the key issues facing the team in the near future. For the Sharks, this was the season that didn’t. The team didn’t play well. Their leaders didn’t […] READ MORE
It is safe to say the 2019-20 San Jose Sharks season turned out differently than their management imagined. And while Sharks hockey has an organization chart, the responsible hockey management is essentially one person, general manager Doug Wilson. Rarely seen or heard from owner Hasso Plattner decided long ago he trusted Wilson to run the […] READ MORE
The were few stories in Sharks Territory more awkward with less consensus than the 2019-20 San Jose Sharks coaching carousel. Previously: Season Overview, The Forwards, The Defencemen, The Goalies Up now: The Coaches Up next: The Management The team began the season helmed by Peter DeBoer, returning for his fifth season behind the Sharks’ […] READ MORE
The 2019-20 San Jose Sharks entered the season with the same goalie pairing they’d used in the prior three seasons. It wasn’t good last season and the team hoped for a bounce back this season. Previously: Season Overview, The Forwards, The Defencemen Up now: The Goalies Up next: The Coaches The 2019-20 San Jose […] READ MORE
The 2019-20 San Jose Sharks were designed to win from the blue line. The Sharks season featured three premium defencemen. Two had Norris Trophy wins, a third won an Olympic gold medal. In terms of salary cap hit among NHL defencemen, these players are first, tied for fifth and 14th. Previously: Season Overview Previously: The […] READ MORE