The problem at that point becomes calling him back up to the NHL when teams could grab him on re-entry waivers and the Sharks will foot the bill for half of that contract for the next two years.

“*McLellan also expressed some disappointment with defenseman Kent Huskins’ play to this point as well as his conditioning. McLellan said there’s basically a battle for spots five through seven on the blue line and grouped Douglas Murray, not Huskins, in the Top Four with Dan Boyle, Rob Blake and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.”

Wow… Pretty significant development if Huskins isn’t guaranteed a roster spot. Let alone isn’t considered on the top four. I’d say based on his play he doesn’t deserve to make this team.

Anybody know if they have options with his contract in term of waiving him or sending him to Worster? God I hope we arent stuck with that 1.7m if he is gonna be a scratch…

I’m starting to think he ends up starting on the 3rd line until Mitchell is 100% and when Mitchell does make it back he may give McGinn a run at the permanent spot.

http://www.capgeek.com/players/display.php?pid=25931&pos=F

The tough thing about the ANA loss was that it was the latest one. I think “choke” can be fairly used to describe the series against EDM, and maybe even Dallas.

ANA, though, was probably just the reversal of the Sharks getting a little lucky from Feb-Apr. Except for game 4, it was like a video game out there, where you swear that the computer is cheating to keep the game competitive. Game 2 took me back to those games in Madden where the computer linebacker would cover 15 yards in three steps, pick off my pass, shake off three lineman tacklers, and take it back 65 yards for a TD. I broke a few PS2 controlers over things like that, and my TV remote almost suffered the same fate.

But I do agree, Ivan, fair or not that rep will follow the Sharks until they at least make it to the Cup finals, and probably until they actually win it all.

While I think he makes a good point justifying the outcome of the Ducks series, I can’t erase that series from my memory, just like I can’t forget Dallas or Edmonton or even Calgary series in the Western Conf final. On paper we were clear favorites in those matchups, and yet for one reason or another we choked, without even making it to game 7. The only series I can easily forget is Detroit because they were a better team on paper, and it showed in the series.

Until we overcome these daemons and win the Cup, our reputation will follow us.

I got the chance to attend all three days of training camp this year, and I have to say that Nichol, Shelley and Ortmeyer was actually a great looking fourth line. They had tones of energy and were constantly in your face. The coaching staff kept that line together for, I believe, all of camp.

I think that perhaps Ortmeyer has not been playing in preseason because his spot on the fourth line is locked up. Him and Nichol and Shelley were chatting all camp like they already knew they needed to get their teamwork down for the season.

I think the bottom four might end up like this, if they can pull it off with the cap:

Jamie McGinn, Manny Malhotra, Dan Hinote

Jody Shelley, Scott Nichol, Jed Ortmeyer

Thanks dudes, great podcast as usual.

-Chris, formally from Boston