The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks are familiar foes and face each often with both teams in the Pacific Division. The familiarity got a bit more real yesterday when the Sharks shipped Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional fourth round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft to the Canucks for depth winger Jannik Hansen. The Sharks fourth round pick would become their first rounder if San Jose wins the Stanley Cup, adding to the bounty for Vancouver. However, if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup, really is there any price any team would not pay?
The Sharks fourth round pick would become their first rounder if San Jose wins the Stanley Cup, adding to the bounty for Vancouver. However, if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup, really is there any price any team would not pay?
The two teams are headed in opposite directions, as their activity at the trade deadline suggests. The Canucks have only one win and a loser point in their last six contests. The Sharks are coming off their bye week with a pair of wins and setting the pace in the Pacific Division. The Sharks have won both meetings, which were both in February, so far this season by identical 4-1 scores.
Vancouver Gets Promising Prospects
Vancouver was busy on draft day moving a pair of 30-somethings for two promising young forwards. The Canucks traded Alex Burrows to the Ottawa Senators for promising young forward Jonathan Dahlen.
https://twitter.com/marco_bombino/status/837073632270508033
The Canucks have jettisoned 35-year-old Burrows and 30-year-old Hansen while infusing two top-nine skilled forwards. Goldobin has had a rough 24 hours. Initially, he waiting in San Jose for his new team and hoped to be in the line-up.
https://twitter.com/TSN1040/status/837025547507142658
However, Goldobin ended up in Vancouver, handling all the necessary paperwork for a Russian National to switch his visa over.
#canucks Goldobin in Vancouver attempting to sort out immigration stuff and team hopes he joins them this weekend.
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) March 2, 2017
The Canucks also added Joseph Cramarossa yesterday, claimed off the waiver wire from the Anaheim Ducks.
[irp]
San Jose Roster Tweaked
The Sharks addition of Hansen signals a few things. The first being that the Sharks felt the youngsters like Timo Meier and Marcus Sorensen are not the players for the playoffs. Trading a top-five prospect like Goldobin for a middle-six forward is not something any general manager would do lightly. For Meier especially it signals that more time is indeed needed to round out his game.
Also as expected, the Sharks did not trade for a backup goaltender. Ryan Miller was erroneously linked to the Sharks, but Wilson stood pat with Aaron Dell who has, at every turn, shown to be ready and capable for NHL duty. In a seeming show of confidence, Dell will get the start tonight against the Canucks as well.
Vancouver Canucks at San Jose Sharks
SAP Center – 7:30 p.m. PST
Broadcast channels – CSN-CA, SNP
Radio: Sharks Radio Network
2016-17 Season Series:
Feb. 2: Sharks 4 – Canucks 1
Feb. 25: Sharks 4 – Canucks 1
San Jose Sharks – 37-18-7 (81 Points)
Home Record: 19-7-4
Hot Players: Brent Burns, David Schlemko, Patrick Marleau
Key Injuries: Dylan DeMelo, Joonas Donskoi
Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Kevin Labanc – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Patrick Marleau – Logan Couture – Mikkel Boedker
Tomas Hertl – Chris Tierney – Joel Ward
Marcus Sorensen – Micheal Haley – Melker Karlsson
Defense:
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon – David Schlemko
Starting Goaltender:
Vancouver Canucks – 26-29-7 (59 Points)
Road Record: 8-19-3
Hot Players: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin
Key Injuries: Sven Baertschi, Erik Gudbranson, Anton Rodin, Derek Dorsett, Jack Skille
Mumps (possible to play): Chris Tanev, Michael Chaput, Nikita Tryamkin
Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin –Markus Granlund
Reid Boucher – Bo Horvat – Loui Eriksson
Joseph Cramarossa – Brandon Sutter – Jayson Megna
Joseph LaBate – Brendan Gaunce – Alex Grenier
Defence:
Alex Edler – Troy Stecher
Luca Sbisa – Philip Larsen
Ben Hutton – Alex Biega
Starting Goaltender:
Ryan Miller
[irp]
Game Notes
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]1)[/miptheme_dropcap]Brent Burns continues to lead the scoring race for the Sharks and in the NHL among defenseman.
Burns leads San Jose in goals (27), assists (39), points (66), plus/minus (+23), time on-ice (24:54) and shots on goal (249). Burns’ 66 points put him tied for third with Brad Marchand in the overall NHL scoring race, behind only Connor McDavid (72) and Sidney Crosby (67).
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]2)[/miptheme_dropcap]Patrick Marleau is currently on a three-game point streak with two goals and an assist over that span. He scored his 500th career NHL goal against Ryan Miller back on Feb. 2 in a 4-1 Sharks win in Vancouver.
Patrick Marleau's 503 career goals are now tied-42nd all-time with Peter Bondra. Up next at 41st: Hockey Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau (507)
— Darin Stephens (@SharksStats) February 26, 2017
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]3)[/miptheme_dropcap]According to Elias Sports, Daniel and Henrik Sedin have collaborated in some iteration on a Canucks goal 700 times, which ranks second in NHL history. Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri rank first in the category, having been in on the same goal 764 times.
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]4)[/miptheme_dropcap]Vancouver is 2-3-0 in their last five games and 3-7-0 in their last ten against the Sharks. San Jose has eked out a winning record against the Canucks as well, with a franchise mark of 51-48-9-5 all-time.