Rob Blake picked as Sharks’ new captain

To those who wonder why Blake is the captain based on his on-ice performance...

YOU DON'T KNOW THE SHARKS!

The mental component of this team is the reason. It ain't the lack of talent!

Lead--it-up Blake!

post 1 - I agree completely. Let's hope the big bodies step it up and (in the words of the great Mike Singletary) punch them in the MOUTH.

2 - Boyle is one of the top defenseman in the league, what are you talking about? And Murray is a physical presence, he held the best +/- for most of the league 2 years ago, til the very end.

3 - I agree to a point. Nabby has some issues, but if he has a strong unit around him, and his contract and career on the line, he'll step up,

Captain Caveman? Wasn't he going to retire a couple years ago?

The Sharks needed a new Captain. Unfortunately there is not an ideal choice on the roster (a gritty 2 way forward who can score, fight, and never takes a night off, or a dominant defenseman). Marleau should respond well to the change...or will he mope and get soft? Heatley will help with the traditional lack of Shark scoring during the playoffs. I think they are hoping they will get more from the 3rd and 4th lines this year. They still have a few big issues. 1. Their big players (Thornton, Clowe, etc.) are not as effective in the playoffs when they are playing good teams that play aggressive defense and take away their time and space). 2. They are still a little soft, especially on the blue line. They do not have a dominant defenseman who makes life miserable for the other team. Blake 10 years ago, sure. But not now. 3. Nabokov is a head case.

Strange choice. How is Blake going to perform the duties of Captain when he is constantly sitting in the sin bin for hooking?

Great move by Sharks management! Rob is a top notch player and is better @ 40 than most are at 25.

I agree about the poster speaking on behalf of the coaching in the 1st round last year. Sure, the team has to get it done, but when you don't have a coach with balls willing to do the right things, you end up outmatched by a coach with balls. Ducks made it look too easy last year. Reminded me of the Flames the previous year that were close to beating this team...and same year, Dallas with basically a one line Morrow and a super tiny Robidas in the back end handed it easily to the Sharks. Fortunately, the worst has already been gone through=Torres hit on Milan M that led to the Oils comeback/domination. The next year Lang's VERY SOFT goal with under a minute left turned the table on any chance the Sharks had to EASILY beat Detroit had they won that game. Putting it simply, the Sharks downfall came during that hit and zero response in the Edmonton series. Thereafter, they could never face adversity.

Blake with the C means nothing. The guy is so damn old, yet he's no where close to the caliber of player of Lidstrom who is the same or even older in age? But really, how many team's with the C went the distance because a player wore a C? Iginla may well be the best overall player in the league, bar none except maybe Ovechkin who would get pounded by Iginla in a fight. But he's seen his team in the Cup Finals, and then in terrible first round losses or top in the division over half way into a season only to fail to make the playoffs. Good news is, Blake with the C or any other Sharks member with the C means jack sh$t.

Sharks real issues are on D, in net, the coaching staff, and the management. Until they get that backend straightened out, get a coach that puts steam and balls into their game/system, and has a management that actually cares to win rather than make money off fans that continue to load the tank and watch the Sharks tank when the playoffs are on the line, they will go nowhere but 1st/2nd/maybe 3rd round hockey. Oh, and I suppose after last year, and other 2nd round loss would be an acheivement or better yet, a 3rd round loss would be an acheivement.

Always rooting for my team, but can't stand a team that used to be physical and work hard in spite having a complete lack of talent vs. today's team (i.e. Ricci/Thornton/Marchment/Nolan/etc. etc.). This was a team that actually got further than any of these talent loaded Sharks teams that have followed. They did many amazing things, again, in spite having a completely underpowered core going against full blown Dallas/Avs type teams that went through teams like no tomorrow.

Good luck Sharks. Hoping for some Defenders to join the group come trade deadline in the spring.

Not a fan of this choice.. I love going to the tank. downtown is a blast on game days....but Im expecting another choke... Chokin Joe and Patty melt are soft and have zero heart!

Canucks will win the cup in 6 games over the flyers

I heard AARP lobbied San Jose to name Blake as Captain.

What the H E double hockey sticks? Blake's gonna wear the "C" on his sweater. This guy led the team in penalty minutes last season cuz he's lost a step. Not sure what coach is thinking here.

What's gonna happen is the Sharks get off to a slow start? I have a bad feeling San Jose is going to implode this year and finish 4th or 5th in the Pacific. If coach doesn't have confidence in Marleau then Patty better start packing his bags.

Marleau did not lose to the Ducks. The team and more importantly the coach lost. It has nothing to do with Marleau or Thortans leader ship. Basically the Duck were the better and healther team at the moment dispite their regular season record. Proof to that is Anaheim ended up taking Detroit to seven and then Detroit was so warn out they lost to a very good, but not great, Pigs team. Simply Carlyle out coached McLellan. Carlyle played chess and McLellan watched as he got out manuveured. McLellan made no adjustments until it was too late and the series was over. This year will be different with Heatley though. And as for Blake being captain I believe it is a shame. Blake is old and over the hill. He is more to blame for the loss last year than Marleau. Blake by the end of the series was standing around while the younger faster Anaheim players ran cycles around him. And now he is given the C and Marleau is the goat. Give me a brake.

Marleau did not lose to the Ducks. The team and more importantly the coach lost. It has nothing to do with Marleau or Thortans leader ship. Basically the Duck were the better and healther team at the moment dispite their regular season record. Proof to that is Anaheim ended up taking Detroit to seven and then Detroit was so warn out they lost to a very good, but not great, Pigs team. Simply Carlyle out coached McLellan. Carlyle played chess and McLellan watched as he got out manuveured. McLellan made no adjustments until it was too late and the series was over. This year will be different with Heatley though. And as for Blake being captain I believe it is a shame. Blake is old and over the hill. He is more to blame for the loss last year than Marleau. Blake by the end of the series was standing around while the younger faster Anaheim players ran cycles around him. And now he is given the C and Marleau is the goat. Give me a brake.

so they replace their pansy captain with a cheapshot douchebag captain. good move sharks. you will still never win the cup. EVER

Let's Go Sharks!!!

This is the year

Sharks will still choke

listen to post 16 if you know anything about the sharks, or hockey.

Wish he would have picked Boyle, only because he played for Miami (preseason #1). Sharks still won't make it out of the first round. And super excited for the season to start in Sweden.

Terrible choice. Buck Flake.

Robert O from July 10 knows what the heck he's talking about maybe he should
be the GM he probably wouldn't overpay half the guys on this team who are
overpaid.

post #16, why Pavs over Boyle for captain? Boyle is a veteran, sharks have him for 4 more seasons, and he's won a cup already?

Its a pretty simple choice I think, blake is a solid guy with tons of experience plus hes only here for another year and I think the club wants Pavelski to eventually become the captain but wanted to wait another year to give it to him; and while Boyle would be a great choice for captain, to give it to Pavelski next year would mean they would have to strip Boyle of his captaincy, this way nobodys feelings get hurt and blake serves as a bridge to pavs

hey post #6...i thought the same thing at first....weird to make a one-year pick for captain. Then i thought more about it. Blake is a one year captain whether he leads the sharks far into the playoffs and to the cup, or not. If the sharks falter again this year (which I hope they don't, im a huge fan), then imagine if thornton was the captain. He'd be ripped to pieces in the media, and it would inevitably cause some tension between him and the coaching/management.

If Blake can't get it done, he's going to probably retire next year anyways, so we'll need to pick a new C anyways, right? And imagine the best case scenario....we win the cup this year under Blake. What you now have is a really tight group, who have "been there," and now have had a solid captain to model after. THEN make Boyle (in my opinion) or someone else like Thorton, Pavs, or Patty the C again.