Sharks better positioned to withstand large injuries in the early season
Sharks better positioned to withstand large injuries in the early season
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Doug Wilson did not go to Joe Thornton's insurance last summer. The general manager of the San Jose Sharks already had it.
The Sharks did not panic when they discovered that their long-time star had another setback with a series of annoying right knee injuries. They knew what Captain Joe Pavelski and the rest of the cast could count on.
"We're very lucky, we have a lot of players that can go up and down in the lineup," Wilson said. "Our players simply look at it as they move into a role or slide into a different position, and it's not really a big fit for them because they've done it before."
Throughout the NHL, teams are adapting on the fly to a surprising number of important injuries early in the season, including a handful of goalkeepers.
The Kings call Jonathan Quick week by week with an injury to the lower body. The Panthers will be without Roberto Luongo for two or four weeks due to a torn ligament in his right knee, and the Penguins do not know when Matt Murray will return after being diagnosed with another concussion.
The Flyers have ruled out forward James van Riemsdyk for the next five to six weeks, and the Blue Jackets do not have the best defense, Seth Jones, and center, Brandon Dubinsky.
The Sharks, in particular, appear to be better prepared to withstand the loss of Thornton due to the organizational depth in the form of the summer addition Antti Suomela and the already prepared NHLs like Rourke Chartier, Marcus Sorensen and Dylan Gambrell.
The Sharks hope that the doctors have infected themselves with Thornton's knee infection early enough so he does not stay out too long. Still, Wilson expected to use 28 or 29 players this season and credits the versatility of the players on the list and Peter DeBoer's training for having San Jose ready for this scenario.
"When you lose a differencemaker, no team can simply plug and play to replace a differencemaker, but then you become the sum of all of your parts," Wilson said. "Many of our kids are not kids ... When people say they're new or younger, they're really mature players, and most importantly, our coaches and our players trust them, and that's half of the battle".
No GM can enter a low season making moves on the uncertain stage that a star will fall. But previous experiences paved the way for Los Angeles, Columbus and Florida to have a plan in place.
Quick lost four months two seasons ago, and Luongo was out for two months with a groin injury last year. Florida has already backed James Reimer as a long-term contract as an option, and Los Angeles traded for former main prospect Jack Campbell and recovered veteran Peter Budaj.
"We have experienced it here for two years in a row," said Rob Blake, general manager of Kings. "We lost Quickie for four or five months and Jeff Carter the same last year." (Coach John Stevens' message) is the same: the next player, someone will come in and fill that spot, will he be at the level of Jonathan Quick? Will he be at the level of Jeff Carter or (Anze) Kopitar? Probably not, but they are suitable players, and the rest also has to be better. "
The penguins for now have the young goalkeepers Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry to take charge without Murray. Knowing about his time in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas Redminder Marc-Andre Fleury said: "They are both very talented goalies, I'm sure they'll be fine."
Often, it is not about a player filling a void. Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen does not expect a defender to replace Jones or a center to enter the role of Dubinsky.
"If someone happens to be the seventh and eighth defender to think he'll play 27 minutes to replace Seth Jones with all his strengths, he probably should not be the seventh defender or have unrealistic expectations," Kekalainen said. "Everyone who enters the line-up from outside the line-up must have their eyes wide open with the opportunity they have before them, but also realize what their own strengths are and what their role is on the team and how they can succeed. "
That's the case in Philadelphia, where Jordan Weal gets the first chance to complete Van Riemsdyk after being a healthy scratch in the first two games of the season. Like the Sharks, the Flyers believe they have flexibility between their forwards.
"We have many players who are versatile in terms of being able to play in the middle or the wing," coach Dave Hakstol said. "In the short term, that will challenge us and challenge our depth and challenge another person to intervene and do a good job."
VEGAS ADVERSITY
After losing just two of their first 10 games last season as an expansion team, the Golden Knights have already lost twice in their first three games. For a Vegas team that did not face much adversity in a lovely inaugural season that included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, it is an opportunity for coach Gerard Gallant to emphasize some basics with a difficult road calendar from the start.
"I thought we played loose and we did not concentrate enough and we were making mental mistakes," Gallant said. "So, it's just about concentrating and preparing to play in each game."
GAME OF THE WEEK
The defending champion of the Stanley Cup, Washington Capitals, will host a 2019 favorite at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
LEADERS (UNTIL MONDAY)
Objectives: Auston Matthews (Toronto), 5; Aids: Brad Marchand (Boston), 7; Points: Matthews (8); Ice Hour: Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), 28:44; Victories: John Gibson (Anaheim), 3; Average goals in favor: Ben Bishop (Dallas), 0.50; Saving percentage: Bishop, .984.
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Follow hockey writer AP Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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