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San Jose Sharks eliminated: Four things they should do in the offseason
The San Jose Sharks have officially been eliminated from the NHL playoffs and the off-season could be a long one for them. The Sharks will be facing an identity crisis this off-season, with quality players who still have the talent to contend, although not enough to do it together. The Sharks may be looking at a rebuild that will take more than multiple seasons.
On that note, here are four things the San Jose Sharks should do in the off-season.
#4 Focus on the draft
The San Jose Sharks acquired a metric ton in their deal with the New Jersey Devils for Timo Meier as far as future picks. The San Jose Sharks will also likely have a top-six pick in one of the deepest draft classes in NHL history. The Sharks need to go all in on scouting this draft class, as the wrong pick may go down in history worse than in previous years.
#3 Find a new home for Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson is just one of many players this applies to for the Sharks but he’s definitely the one with the highest value. The Sharks' championship window is officially closed, and they will need to decide whether certain players that are in or past their prime are worth keeping around as they develop a new, young, core. Erik Karlsson still has plenty of value as an elite NHL blue-liner and should fetch the Sharks a nice package of picks and future prospects to deepen their prospect pool.
#2 Find a franchise goaltender
The San Jose Sharks currently have James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen minding the net for them. Reimer’s time with the Sharks might be over by the end of the season. Kahkonen is good for the short term but doesn’t project as the A1 starter that the Sharks usually have. Whether through free agency, a trade, or the draft, the San Jose Sharks need to find an elite goaltender that they can build around.
#1 Long-Term Strategy
What exactly is the Sharks' long-term strategy here? The roster reflects that the Sharks won’t have enough talent to compete for the playoffs for at least the next few seasons, yet at the deadline, they refused to sell off older pieces of their team.
The Sharks still believe that this team is a short retool away from championship pedigree, which isn't exactly realistic. For the betterment of the organization, the Sharks need to implement a long-term strategy as a franchise to build through prospects and the draft and build a newer, younger, core of players.
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