17 San Jose Sharks

From 1994-95 through 2001-02 the Sharks made steady progress until they were considered Stanley Cup contenders. Then last year they collapsed. San Jose declined 26 points in the standings, ending a string of four years in the playoffs, fired general manager Dean Lombardi, traded captain Owen Nolan, didn't re-sign free-agent star Teemu Selanne and wound up paring the payroll by $10 million. Says new G.M. Doug Wilson, "We won't talk about last year. Well bury it, and bury the shovel, too."

The Sharks, who fell from ninth to 26th in goals allowed, must rebuild around a defense that features workmanlike veterans Mike Rathje and Scott Hannan, improving Brad Stuart, solid Kyle McLaren and 21-year-old Christian Ehrhoff, the skilled German defenseman who was the second youngest player at the 2002 Olympics. Ehrhoff is making his North American debut, and while he might sometimes look uncomfortable amid the traffic on the smaller NHL ice surface, he'll eventually be a blue line force. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov could certainly use the help. Slowed by his late signing three weeks into last season, Nabokov allowed an additional .42 goals per game over his 2001-02 average, and his save percentage dipped to a pedestrian .906, numbers that were exacerbated by the league's worst penalty killing.

Another area San Jose must upgrade is its team speed. Checking center Mike Ricci, who provided the Sharks with welcome grit during their rise, has never been a speedster. Vincent Damphousse still has quick hands, but he's 35 and no longer gets to his spots as effortlessly as he once did; he might be shifted from center, a position he has played since the mid-1990s, to left wing. If Damphousse moves, the pressure is on 24-year-old Patrick Marleau, who had 28 goals last year, to be the No. 1 center.

Respected coach Ron Wilson, who took over for the fired Darryl Sutter last December, should be able to fix the penalty killing, buck up Nabokov and keep the dressing room animated, but the road back to being a Cup contender will be a long one.

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