• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
San Jose Sharks

Sharks Defensemen Report Card: Top Heavy Blue Liners

By Kenneth Laws May 21st, 2014

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

The second in the series of Sharks report cards, this one examine the defense. Seven defenders shared time on the blue line in San Jose. The Sharks defensemen were seemingly among the best in the league as 2013 turned to 2014. But a bit of trouble in net and the exposure of a very shallow defensive system proved just how much trouble Team Teal is in this offseason.

Sharks defensemen

The undeniable leader of the Sharks D-men: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports)

Sharks Defensemen: Optimal Pairings

Once again, my opinion on the best possible pairings that the Sharks can muster. The six best Sharks defensemen could be put together as so:

  1. Marc-Edouard Vlasic — Jason Demers
  2. Brad Stuart — Justin Braun
  3. Scott Hannan — Dan Boyle

Sorry, Matt Irwin, someone had to be cut.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Plainly, the best defenseman on the Sharks roster, Marc-Edouard Vlasic displayed exactly what (not to toot my own horn) I expected of him this season. A +31 for the entire regular season was second only to Matt Niskanen of the Penguins (with nearly double the points of Pickles). Vlasic was tasked nearly every night with taking out the best of the league. His best work came against the aforementioned Penguins when he kept likely MVP Sidney Crosby locked down. In fact, the superstar Canadian registered a -5 on the game. His worst of the entire season. Vlasic’s positional expertise and hockey IQ frustrated forwards and was key to keeping his coach’s hair on his head. GRADE: A+

Jason Demers

Sharks defensemen

Vlasic’s partner, Jason Demers (Icon SMI)

Vlasic’s partner on the top defense pair is not the second best defender on the squad. He is, however, a very capable defender in his own right. Jason Demers more than held his own facing down the best of the best. Benefiting from Vlasic’s clamp-down defense, he tied Justin Braun for the lead in takeaways among Sharks defensemen. He was the second line choice during penalty kill time. Demers floundered without Vlasic, however. His corsi for percentage dropped six points and his goals for percentage dropped by nearly 20 percent! GRADE: B

Brad Stuart

The second blue liner on the left was forced to replace Marc-Edouard on the top line when he went down in the playoffs. Suffice it to say, he couldn’t add up. During the regular season, Brad Stuart was the third most used on the penalty kill. He was last among Sharks defensemen in scoring yet posted 3 game winners through the year. Stuart, however, was the most punishing defender on roster. His 122 hits dwarf the second highest number by over forty. Brad did not face the toughest competition in the league. According to ExtraSkater, he was right around the league average in quality of competition. Despite the average competition, Stuart only posted a Corsi For of 51.5%. In other words, he was nothing special. GRADE: B-

Justin Braun

Sharks defensemen

A team USA snub, Justin Braun (Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports)

Justin Braun is even more under the radar than Marc-Edouard Vlasic was last season. If that’s even possible. Braun was the only defenseman to play all 82 games. Braun was the most trusted players on Todd McLellan’s blue line. He started the largest percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone of all Sharks defensemen. Per ExtraSkater, he started in the back third for nearly 35% of his shifts. He and Vlasic also were the top pair for penalty kill time. Given all this responsibility, how did Braun respond? The American amassed a +19, 146 blocked shots, and a Corsi for of 54.1%. Not bad, huh? GRADE: A-

Scott Hannan

Unfortunately, Justin Braun is the last good news I have on this report card. Scott Hannan spent a lot of his time watching skaters blow by him. This often led to him taking hooking penalties or interference or something to prevent further damage. His goals for and corsi relative percentages were both deep into the negatives. His 55 PIM were the most among Sharks defensemen despite playing the fewest games.  Hannan is well past his prime and has been declining for some time now. It’s no surprise he gets the low mark he does. GRADE: C-

Dan Boyle

Sharks defensemen

The first defenseman on San Jose’s roster to lose his spot (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

He wears the “A,” yet he no longer has a contract. The only real scoring threat on the Sharks blue line, Dan Boyle’s age caught up with him this season. A concussion from a vicious hit early in the season sidelined the veteran and it seemed like he never fully recovered. He still contributed well on the power play with 18 points on the man advantage. But his defensive abilities seriously suffered. He lost more than a step. Boyle spent very little time in high pressure situations for the defense. His -8 plus/minus was his worst as a Shark. More than the stats, the overall climate of the situation spelled the end of an era in San Jose. It was time to say goodbye. GRADE: C

  • Tags
  • Dan Boyle
  • Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 26th 6:20 PM
Calgary Flames

Tkachuk Shows His Ignorance Discussing Maple Leafs’ Campbell Injury

Jan 26th 6:10 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Reaping the Rewards of Zach Whitecloud’s Development

Jan 26th 6:00 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Outlook After First 6 Games of 2020-21

Jan 26th 5:50 PM
Winnipeg Jets

Jets’ 2021 Offseason Free Agent Preview

Jan 26th 5:05 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Unlikely to Call Up Former Fan Favourite Darling

Jan 26th 4:40 PM
Archives

The NHL’s Best Farm Systems Ranked – 2020-21 Season Update

Jan 26th 4:32 PM
Archives

Jimmy Howard’s Red Wings Legacy

Jan 26th 4:25 PM
Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Not Playing to Full Potential in Comeback Wins

Jan 26th 4:15 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Mediocre Avalanche Road Trip Plagued by Inconsistency

Jan 26th 4:05 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Coach Ralph Krueger is a Jack of All Trades

Editor’s Picks
Wayne Gretzky - The Great One's 10 Most Unbreakable Records

Wayne Gretzky - The Great One's 10 Most Unbreakable Records

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information