SHARKS LOOK TO REBOUND AFTER PLAYOFF DISAPPOINTMENT

The San Jose Sharks had the best record in all of hockey last season, but that didn't mean much once the playoffs started. The President's Trophy winners were ousted in the first round by the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks four games to two. It was a bitter ending to what was a promising campaign for the Sharks, who compiled a record of 53-18-11 (117 points) and were the dominant team for much of the first half of the season.

San Jose certainly wasn't the best team in the second half of the season last year, but still managed to claim the top seed in the Western Conference. The organization hoped that the amount of talent they had would result in the franchise's first ever Stanley Cup. It was supposed to be their year. In the end, it ended in familiar fashion with an early exit from the playoffs.

Now the men in teal look to bounce back this season and make another run at a title. Their are some new faces and their were a few trades in the offseason that might have surprised some fans. Longtime Shark and fan favorite Jonathan Cheechoo and budding star Milan Michalek were traded to the Ottawa Senators. In return, San Jose received Dany Heatley, who is a great player but has had some trouble in the past. Heatley was involved in a car accident in 2003 that killed Atlanta Thrasher teammate Dan Snyder. Alcohol was involved but his blood-alcohol content was below the legal limit. He wanted to be traded from Ottawa and eventually got his wish.

The Sharks also traded Christian Ehroff to Vancouver. Erhoff had underachieved with San Jose, and the organization felt like it was time to move on. He is known for his lightning fast shot, but he was very inaccurate as a member of the Sharks.

Head coach Todd McLellan, who made his debut last season with San Jose, hopes that the players have learned from their postseason failures.

"We carry around the past with us. We as an organization know exactly what happened," said McLellan, who was an assistant coach with the Red Wings before coming to San Jose. "But if we're going to sit and keep our minds and hearts in that spot, we have no chance of going forward. We better carry that with us, but we better start looking ahead."

The Sharks return some familiar faces that need to get over that hump and at least advance far into the playoffs. Heatley will join Joe Thornton (25 g, 61 a, 86 pts) and veteran Patrick Marleau (38 g, 33 a, 71 pts) in what hopes to be a special year for San Jose. Goaltender Egveni Nabokov has been one of the best goalies in the league for several years, but McLellan admits that he will have to earn his starts this season. It's hard to believe that Nabokov wouldn't be the main man between the pipes and it would be a big surprise if that was the case. The organization also has a plethora of young talent and a lot of confidence that they will have a big impact.

The fans at the Shark Tank had plenty of reason to cheer last season, but they also have reason to be skeptical of this 2009-2010 squad. Anything short of a deep playoff run will be considered a failure, and rightfully so.

Shawn Marosek