Alright folks, everyone knows that there is no such thing as a perfect team. Even the Pittsburgh Penguins have some flaws of their own despite taking Lord Stanley’s Cup through the streets of Pittsburgh. This offseason has not been kind to the men in teal, and outside forces such as fan unrest and trade rumors have not helped one bit. At this point, it is then time to examine the weak, dark, and dreary parts of the beloved Sharks (ok, so I took the dramatic route a little bit there).

Clubhouse Dynamic:  Let’s be honest, with all that has haunted this snake-bitten franchise lately it’s no wonder that this clubhouse has been on edge as of late. Disappointments can mount up so much before something gives, and the major thing that had to give was Patrick Marleau being stripped of his captaincy. In hockey, the team is a reflection of its’ coach, general manager, and captain. Well, two of those three have been changed over the past two off-seasons, so that only leaves the GM as the last part of that equation.Doug Wilson no doubt won fans over by promising changes, but where are the changes exactly? The only activity so far was the trade sending Christian Ehrhoff & Brad Lukowich to Vancouver in what amounted to a salary dump; signing Scott Nichol away from Nashville; and now the rumored restricted free agent signing of Phil Kessel from Boston (more details about this as it unfolds). There is something to be said against making moves just for the sake of making moves, but Wilson needs to make ones that have an impact.

Patrick Marleau is Still Around: When Wilson promised changes to the roster, the conventional wisdom was that Marleau would be one of the players sent packing. Well, the preseason is inching ever closer and Marleau is still wearing teal. Marleau is a good player, but he has also been associated with the recent stretch of postseason failures. This offseason has seen his name floated around in recent trade rumors, primarily the proposed deal to send Marleau to Ottawa for Dany Heatley. Perhaps Marleau is starting to wonder if he is even wanted in these parts anymore, but this is the time to make a bold move. Sometimes to REALLY change the clubhouse dynamic, some players are better off with different addresses. Guess what? Marleau would be better served playing elsewhere, and I have advocated it since day one of the off-season. During the playoffs, it just looked as if he lost interest or at least you can make the claim based on his numbers. Removing him from the captain spot is one thing, but sending him out would send a REAL message and wake up the clubhouse.

Salary Cap Issues:  The aforementioned deal sending Lukowich & Ehrhoff to Vancouver was for a combination of reasons, but it was clear the Sharks needed breathing room under the salary cap. With the deal, it also allows some of the younger players to have opportunities for roster spots. Here’s my question, why did the Sharks not think of this sooner? One of the lone bright spots of the postseason was watchingTorrey Mitchell fly around the ice after breaking his leg in training camp, it was as if he never hurt his leg to begin with. Of course, even Brad Staubitz & Jamie McGinn fighting for spots on the active roster, the problem still exists about finding enough bodies to field a full team heading into the season opener on October 1st. There are consequences to deals where salary is added on, and no question Wilson has been having to deal with those head-on.

If there is one thing no team wants to enter a season with, it is uncertainty. It is not totally unfamiliar to the Sharks, but past scenarios like this one have not always ended well. Remember the contract dispute withEvgeni Nabokov after his stellar rookie season? Needless to say, nearly everything was blown up withDarryl Sutter being fired then Dean Lombardi following him out the back door. If this shapes up to be a repeat of that nightmare, then there are some bigger problems that need to be addressed. The question is, will the ownership group take it upon itself to address those changes or will they let Wilson do it?

Enjoy your weekend Sharks fans, Monday will provide my best attempt at reading the future as we will look at what is to come for the franchise with contract statuses and so forth. Chomp Chomp.