San Jose Sharks’ top need before 2019 NHL trade deadline
By Matthew Rios
The 2019 NHL trade deadline is two weeks away, and the San Jose Sharks need to put together a gameplan if they’re going to book a trip to the Stanley Cup.
The unofficial second half to the San Jose Sharks season officially started on Saturday February 2nd when they hosted the Arizona Coyotes at SAP Center in Downtown San Jose. With less than 30 games left in the regular season, every game from here on out is important.
The Sharks ended the All-Star break in second place in the Pacific Division. They are in great position for a run at the division title as they’re currently tied with the Calgary Flames with one meeting still to go. They are also tied with the Flames for the Western Conference lead.
The players that general manager Doug Wilson has put together is one huge reason why the Sharks have been doing so well this season and are one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup. However, there is one position that the Sharks could use some help at. With the NHL trade Deadline set for Feb. 25, here is what the Sharks should do to fix the problem.
All around the sports world, people have always said that “Defense wins championships.” In hockey, your last line of defense is your goalie, and the Sharks have not had the best last line of defense this season.
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Martin Jones is a great goalie and should be a starting goalie, but I do not believe that he should be the Sharks’ starting goalie. This season, he has a save percentage of .896. The four teams ahead of them in the entire league (Calgary, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning) all have starting goalies with a save percentage that is over .900.
It is not that Jones is bad goalie. It is that he is a streaky goalie, and when it comes playoff time, you do not want a streaky goalie. Instead, you want a consistent goalie that is going to pick up wins. In 42 games played, he has allowed 86 goals and is averaging 2.90 goals per game. Last season in the playoffs, he allowed three or more goals in four different outings. He also had four starts where his save percentage was under .900.
The Sharks are a great team, but there is always something you can improve on. Goaltending is the biggest thing that the Sharks can work on with the trade deadline right around the corner.
A few of teams that are not in the playoff picture who have goalies the Sharks may want to target are the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators. Goalie Craig Anderson is a possibility as the Senators are likely to call it a season soon. The only downside to it is that he will have two more years in his contract at $4.75 million per year.
Keys to a deep playoff run for the Sharks. dark. Next
The other goalie the Sharks should be looking at is Sergei Bobrovsky from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is a rental for the end of the season but may be the piece that gets the Sharks their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and their first Stanley Cup.