2006 San Jose Sharks Preview

2006 San Jose Sharks Preview from Maddux Sports. With the NHL Hockey Season now is the time to get aquatinted with the 2006 teams and players. Remember if you are NHL hockey betting look no further, as we offer hockey picks and can help you turn a profit betting on the NHL this season.

2006 San Jose Sharks Hockey Season Preview

There’s nothing like acquiring the next Art Ross trophy winner and league MVP in midseason. In a trade with Boston that was the Babe Ruth deal on skates, San Jose got dynamo Joe Thornton (29 G, 96 A, 125 Pts). Thorton propelled the team to a fifth place conference finish while leading the league in points.

The offense was top-notch and will be the same in 2006-07. Line mate Jonathan Cheechoo (56 G, 37 A, 93 Pts) can pop goals in at will, while second line center Patrick Marleau (34 G, 52 A, 86 Pts) could be a first liner on most teams. Add free agent Mark Bell (25 G, 23 A, 48 Pts) and you realize that this group has depth, depth and more depth.

The defense is good, offering consistent play that resulted in an 11th ranking. Kyle McLaren (2 G, 21 A, 23 Pts) is a big, tough vet and Scott Hannan (6 G, 18 A, 24 Pts) is a stabilizing force for a squad that has many young, inexperienced players. Matt Carle (11 G, 42 A, 53 Pts for Denver-- WCHA) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (16 G, 57 A, 73 Pts for Quebec—QMJHL) are up-and-coming talents.

In goal, there’s an embarrassment of riches. Vesa Toskala (37 GP, 23 W, 7 L, 4 OT, 2.56 GAA, .901 SP) and Evgeni Nabokov (45 GP, 16 W, 19 L, 7 OT, 3.10 GAA, .885 SP) are both talented players. Look for Toskala to start this year.

A poor penalty kill (80.7%/23rd) and an inadequate power play (18.2%/T-11th) call for attention. It’s not that the PP is bad, but considering the talent on this team it is sub-par. For a team that only averaged 12.9 minutes of penalties per game (third in the league), the 80.7% PK is an embarrassment. Improvements on special teams will be essential for this highly talented team to get into the third round and beyond in the playoffs.

For more information on the 2006 San Jose Hockey Club check out the Sharks team website.