4 Big Questions for the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21

3. Will the goaltending be better or worse in 2020-21?

Goaltending has been a major problem for the San Jose Sharks for a couple of years, and bad play between the pipes has acted like Kryptonite to this team and their hopes of winning a Stanley Cup.

Since emerging as a hero during that run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015-16, Martin Jones has regressed dramatically and he appears to be broken after going 17-21-2 in 2019-20 with a 3.00 Goals Against Average and a .896 Save Percentage.

That’s not what you want.

So, what did the Sharks do to try and remedy a major problem? They went out and acquired another broken goalie.

Yes, you heard that right. San Jose sent a 2020 Fifth-Round pick to the Minnesota Wild for Devan Dubnyk during the offseason, who also suffered a disappointing season last year with a 3.35 GAA and a .890 SV%.

What are the San Jose Sharks doing?!

It is a good question and we will see if Dubnyk can resurrect his career in California and get back to being a solid NHL starter, while it will be interesting to see if the veteran’s presence lights a real fire under Martin.

One thing is for sure and that’s the fact that if the San Jose Sharks are to somehow bounce back and secure a return to the postseason, then they are going to need much better goaltending in 2020-21 and it will fall on to the shoulders of Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk to deliver exactly that, or else it could be another long and disappointing year.

2. Can Erik Karlsson be peak Erik Karlsson again?

There has been no better sight in hockey in recent years than witnessing Erik Karlsson at the peak of his powers, moving the puck around the ice like it was no effort at all and letting loose with his hammer of a shot.

He was a hell of a lot of fun to watch and he was the reason the Ottawa Senators made a deep run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016-17. After all, Karlsson put that team on his back and produced the performance of a lifetime despite playing on one leg.

And, sadly, it has been injuries that have defined the defenseman’s career since then with Karlsson unable to remain fully healthy.

Despite those injury concerns, however, the San Jose Sharks still knew what they would be getting in the six-time All-Star, hence why they sent an absolute haul over to the Senators for Karlsson before signing him to a blockbuster eight-year, $92 million contract.

After all, Erik Karlsson on one leg is still one hell of a player.

However, injuries have limited the two-time Norris Trophy winner in San Jose so far, with the blueliner suffering a slight dip in production in 2019-20 with 40 points (6 G, 34 A) in 56 regular-season games.

Granted, Karlsson was stuck on a bad team that couldn’t score and also couldn’t keep the puck out of their own net, which didn’t help, while he did show flashes of the brilliance that we all know he is very, very capable of.

The one major positive heading into the 2020-21 NHL season, though, is the fact that Karlsson has now had perhaps the longest break of his career to fully heal and recover from any lingering injuries and ailments.

He’s been off for months and that break away from the grind has probably done him the world of good mentally too, so there is a chance that the 30-year-old will be more motivated than ever once puck drops this week.

If that’s the case then it is possible that we see the best version of Erik Karlsson for the first time in a long time, and that will only significantly boost the Sharks’ chances of making a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Whether Karlsson can play to a Norris Trophy-Caliber level is another question entirely but, if he can at least carve out some of his best hockey in a long time, then that will be a massive boost and a huge weapon for the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21.

1. Will the Sharks have enough offense in 2020-21?

While this entire roster is incredibly flawed, one of the biggest questions the San Jose Sharks will have to answer this year is whether their offense has enough to ensure they are at least competitive in the West Division.

Ranked 27th in Goals For Per Game in 2019-20, averaging just 2.57 goals a game, the Sharks were not a formidable team in the offensive zone last year and, at first glance, it doesn’t look like it will be much better this season.

After all, they lost Joe Thornton who, despite being in the back-nine of his career, still put up 31 points (7 G, 24 A) in 2019-20, while only two forwards in Evander Kane and Timo Meier recorded 20 or more goals last year.

Captain Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl both missed significant time, which didn’t help, so the Sharks will need those two players to stay healthy and put up big numbers in a bounce-back year in addition to Kane and Meier also lighting the lamp on a consistent basis.

It will then be up to the likes of Kevin Labanc, Ryan Donato, Marcus Sorensen and Dylan Gambrell to provide depth and secondary scoring for the Sharks, ensuring that all the pressure doesn’t fall on the likes of Kane, Couture and Hertl.

Plus, if defenseman Brent Burns can also have a bounce-back year after recording just 45 points (12 G, 33 A) in 2019-20, his fewest in a full season since 2011-12, then that would certainly help solve a huge problem for the Sharks. Burns hit 80 plus points just two seasons ago and if he can get back to that kind of level, or at least near it, that will only spark San Jose’s offense into life too.

With a big booming shot from the point, Burns can also be a lethal weapon on the power play and getting back to his best would ensure that the a power play unit that ranked 23rd in last year (17.5) also saw some dramatic improvement.

Overall, the San Jose Sharks will live and die by their offense in 2020-21 and, if certain big-hitters can remain healthy and get back to the levels they are capable of, then that should ensure this team strikes fear into the hearts of goaltenders throughout the West Division and it will also give them a good shot of sneaking back into the postseason.