Vegas Golden Knights Expansion Outlook: San Jose Sharks
The Vegas Golden Knights will get a big catch from the San Jose Sharks.
The San Jose Sharks were a Stanley Cup finalist last year and they look poised for another deep run. The Sharks sit atop of the Pacific division leading by three points over Edmonton and Anaheim. Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson will either be looking to add to his already great roster or he’ll look to stand pat. One thing that could be holding Wilson back from making a move is the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft.
San Jose most likely will use the Four Forwards, Four Defensemen and One Goalie scheme for the expansion draft. Young guns Marcus Sorensen, Joonas Donskoi, Timo Meier and Kevin Lebanc will all be exempt from the expansion draft which is good news for Sharks fans.
The obvious keeper in-goal is Martin Jones . Jones rings into Fridays action with a record of 28-15-6, a GAA of 2.36, a SV% of .913 and two shutouts. He’ll be locked once again come playoff time. Which leaves Aaron Dell to Vegas if they choose to scoop him up but that seems unlikely.
There’s no issues for the Sharks on defense either. They should keep Brenden Dillon, Marc Edouard Vlasic, Dylan DeMelo and superstar Brent Burns. Burns could be on a crash course for MVP. Burns scored 27 Goals, 37 Assists and 64 Points with a +22 rating. Keep in mind he’s doing this on the blue line.
Here’s where things start to get tricky for GM Doug Wilson. Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are unrestricted free agents and I don’t think they’ll be back in San Jose due to the amount of kids making their way on to the big league roster. With four forwards to protect the locks look to be Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Tomas’ Hertl. The last protection slot would come down to Chris Tierney, Melker Karlsson and Joel Ward. I can make strong cases to keep each one of these guys but in the end I think Karlsson ends up with the final protection slot. Karlsson is a versatile forward that can bring a high skill level to the table. However, the Swedish 26-year-old only has Eight Goals Nine Assists and 17 points. The Sharks love what he brings but he needs to finish his chances more often.
Vegas Golden Knights George McPhee could decide to go the young route and pick a guy like Tierney. The 22-year old plays a two-way style of game and kills penalties. Something very rare for a player his age. His hockey IQ is through the roof but he needs to add a little more bulk to his body and be more physical. Picking a player like Joel Ward would be appealing but I don’t think that’s what this team needs in its first year of existence especially if the team doesn’t think they’re a playoff caliber out of the shoot.
After thinking about those choices, I think McPhee will go big here. I think Vegas will try to sway Joe Thornton away before going to free agency. Lets think about it. Thornton is 37 years old, looking for his last contract of his career and the Golden Knights wont be cap strung if Thornton only demands a three-year deal. This year, Thornton has collected only five goals thus far but has 34 Assists and 39 Points. The stats suggest he doesn’t have the best shot. But Joe Thornton is one of the games best playmakers and is very good defensively as well. If McPhee does decide to pick the former MVP, Thornton would become the locker room leader and the first captain in Golden Knights history. The 6’4 220 lb Center would be an excellent addition to the expansion team.
Thornton would bring a great personality to the dressing room and be an instant fan favorite. Of course it all depends if “Big Joe” would sign with Vegas or not. But come on, who wouldn’t want to see that beard on the Las Vegas strip?
Next: Vegas Golden Knights Will Pluck A Rising Star Out Of Nashville.
Golden Knights Prediction: Joe Thornton