Sharks' top line on brink of big things
SAN JOSE, Calif. – So this is why Dany Heatley(notes) said no to Edmonton. So this is why Doug Wilson didn't trade Patrick Marleau(notes). So this is why Steve Yzerman is walking around with a big smile on his face.
Joe Thornton(notes) is centering the best line in hockey these days. Jumbo Joe is flanked by Marleau on one side and Heatley on the other. They are three players built along the lines of a linebacker who skate like the wind and have cannons for a shot.
Nine of Dany Heatley's first 18 goals in San Jose have come on the Sharks' potent power play.
(Bruce Bennett/Getty)
And San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan is having one heck of a fun time orchestrating all of what amounts to mayhem for the opposition. He waited for a quarter of the season to pass before he promoted Marleau to join the Thornton-Heatley combo, a duo that hasn't been apart for more than a period or two all season.
McLellan did it, too, just about the time Yzerman began scouting the Sharks for a string of consecutive games. Yzerman is, of course, the general manager for Team Canada, which will have as much pressure as any team could ever imagine when the 2010 Winter Olympics commence mid-February in Vancouver. Coincidental timing? Maybe, and maybe not.
Two months ago, Thornton, Heatley and Marleau were no locks to make the roster. That's not their fault – the Canadian talent pool runs so deep, only those playing at the top of their games will survive the final cuts. Thornton and Heatley were on the "probably" list while Marleau certainly still had something to prove.
Well, Marleau is on pace to score 54 goals and 93 points, smashing his bests of 38 goals last season and 86 points in the 2005-06 season. Heatley is on pace for 51 goals, one more than the back-to-back 50-goal seasons in '05-'06 and '06-'07. Thornton, on pace for 90 assists and 110 points, is positioning himself for a second league scoring title.
Yeah, these guys can help Team Canada, eh?
There's an irony in that statement, too, if you're looking at it from the perspective of San Jose's front office. As much as the trio can help Team Canada, the Olympics can really help Marleau, Heatley and Thornton.
Patrick Marleau has already appeared in 900 out of a possible 931 games over his 12 seasons.
(Bruce Bennett/Getty)
Let's just say Canada wins the gold in Vancouver – no certainty with Russia and Sweden, along with the Czechs and Finns, looming. How far do you think that will go to change the perception that Marleau and Thornton can't succeed in the spotlight? More importantly, how far do you think that will go for Marleau and Thornton personally? It could solidify the fact they are great players in the prime of their careers, on the verge of winning whatever they want.
That's what the Sharks are hoping. Sure, general manager Doug Wilson bleeds red for Canada; his playing days were dotted with prestigious international play and success for the maple leaf. But Wilson has to view this opportunity as a chance for his oft-scrutinized stars to come through months before he really wants and needs them to excel.
Wilson has patiently waited for this longer than most might understand. A splendid player for 16 NHL seasons – 14 spent with some talented but underachieving teams in Chicago – the Ottawa native took great pride in the fact his brother, Murray Wilson, was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with Montreal. But he wouldn't mind winning just once himself.
This season is his best chance – and San Jose's as well. And it might be the Sharks' last chance, at least in their current form. It's a contract year for Marleau and star goalie Evgeni Nabokov(notes). Thornton is up after next season. It's hard to imagine Marleau and Nabokov both being retained if the Sharks don't at least reach the Cup finals in late spring.
Wilson has somehow managed to acquire via trades the 1997 first pick (Thornton) and the 2000 second pick (Heatley) without making the No. 2 pick in '97 (Marleau) part of either blockbuster deal. To say competing GMs are just a little jealous is putting it mildly. Wilson would never do it anyway, but he knows he can't pat himself on the back if at least one championship isn't won along the way.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Joe Thornton is just as happy to dish the puck as to score a goal.
(Gregory Shamus/Getty)
There's still two-thirds of a regular season to play, and much can and will happen along the way. One shouldn't necessarily expect the trio to remain together all season. If they do, it might be more because Joe Pavelski(notes), Ryane Clowe(notes) and possibly Devin Setoguchi(notes) eventually morph into a productive second line.
Marleau has played frequently with Clowe and Pavelski over the past couple of seasons. Pavelski's emergence as a heady centerman, whose game is filled with consistency and smart decisions in addition to skill, pushed Marleau out of the center position and to a wing – where he actually can better use his breakaway speed.
The Sharks will likely need to spread the wealth throughout the lines, especially when they face teams deep on defense in the West (i.e., Chicago, Vancouver and Detroit). Look for Thornton and Heatley to remain a pair; the moving pieces who play alongside will include Marleau, Setoguchi, Clowe and maybe even Torrey Mitchell(notes) on occasions.
That's the luxury McLellan has: His team leads the NHL in points despite opening with more games on the road (18 of their first 28) than anyone else. He can afford to experiment with combinations and give everyone a taste of different linemates so it isn't new when something hinky happens down the road. And trust us, hinky things happen every year.
Enjoy the power and precision of Marleau-Thornton-Heatley for as long as it lasts and the group stays together. This kind of talent doesn't come around all that often. And it just might be poised to do something special.
