I love some good gossip. With Britney going El Pollo Loco, Reggie Bush dating that girl with the huge ass – I figured it was time for us to weigh in with a little hot hockey gossip to join the club.

Alexander Ovechkin will be wearing a different uniform by the deadline.

But could this be true, that Washington would actually trade Ovechkin, a franchise winger and one of the league’s most dominant scorers? The answer, very simply, could be yes. A.O. is a Restricted Free Agent at the end of the season and if he hits the open market, you can bet teams with cap room will line up and make wild offers. The question is, does Ovechkin want to stay in Washington? If I were him, the answer would be HELL NO. What does the franchise have going for it? Not much. His supporting cast is weak, their blue line is poor and the goalie situation is in flux if Kolzig leaves after this year. So if Ovechkin isn’t willing to extend, then Washington might try and get as much as possible before they lose him for draft picks as a RFA.

Eklund links the Caps and Predators. Are you kidding me? Ovechkin wants to play in that hockey mecca of Nashville? Get the #$%& out of here. He either wants to win or play in a major market or go for a money grab. So, what will it be? He will control his own destiny to a point. The supposed Nashville offer is as follows.

To Washington: Zidlicky, Suter, Dumont and two 1st round picks. A veteran D, a young D, an expiring contract and draft picks.

If Washington is putting him on the block, then wouldn’t the Sharks have the pieces to make a similar offer? We might have to part with a few players that we love and value. A young power forward? A shut down defensemen? A future goaltender? A former All Star? So, let’s play GM, shall we. Would you make this deal? Would Washington? Would Ovechkin even want to come to the Bay Area?

To Washington: Steve Bernier, Marc-Eduard Vlasic, Tomas Greiss and Patrick Marleau and 2008 1st round pick.
To San Jose: Alexander Ovechkin (with contract extension)

I think it doesn’t happen. He won’t land here but he will land somewhere. Montreal has some attractive young pieces to make a similar offer. They could build a deal around Carey Price, Higgins, Komisarek and Ryder. New Jersey could offer a deal with any combo of reasonably priced impact players in Paul Martin, Gionta and Parise. But I’m calling it here. My prediction for who will land the mighty A.O in 2008.

The Los Angeles Kings.

Yup. Crazy Dean Lombardi is probably in a room right now trying to figure out how to make this happen. He has the pieces to offer and he is nuts enough to give way more than he should to secure a huge star to build around. A.O. cashes in with a big extension, gets to play in Hollywood and be the face of a franchise that needs a huge kick in the ass.

To Washington: Mike Cammalieri, Patrick O’Sullivan, Jack Johnson and a first round pick.
To LA: Alexander Ovechkin

What do you think? Does he stay or does he go? Where will he end up?

Last night didn’t end pretty, but I’m sure we’ll all take it. We need all the points we can muster before Selanne comes back to the Ducks. It’s not a matter of if with Selanne – it’s a matter of when. Last night, Bernier continued to prove my preseason criticism wrong – he is showing why so many talent scouts believe he can be a 30 goal/100 PIM player. His goal last night was Sportscenter material. I told Mike during the game that I wouldn’t include Steve Bernier in any deal right now. He should be the next RFA Doug Wilson resigns this season. Three years/10 million might get it done, don’t you think?

While “In Doug Wilson I Trust”, I do have to question one move he has made this season – or lack of move I should say. Not acquiring a proven NHL back up as an insurance policy for Nabby. Can you imagine a scenerio where Nabby injures his shoulder and groin and misses thirteen games (05-06) or misses four games with a groin pull (06-07)? What would Ron Wilson do? With other division leading clubs, the coach can look down the bench and see Kevin Weekes in New Jersey or Curtis Sanford in Vancouver. These guys don’t play much.They shouldn’t. But they can be more than Nabby’s towel boy and caddy and carry the load for a few games if the #1 guy needs to rest an aching back or groin. So why didn’t Doug Wilson claim David Aebischer when Phoenix waived him, or trade a low level draft pick for Alex Auld before he was claimed by Boston, or put in a claim on recently demoted veteran backstop John Grahame in Carolina? Why hasn’t he made a play for Sharks-killer Curtis Joseph, sitting on the UFA pile?

I’ve been back and forth and I can only come to the conclusion that Patzold isn’t here to play. He must give a good massage or pick up Nabby’s dry cleaning because he certainly isn’t here to play hockey. Ron and Doug Wilson have zero confidence in him, no matter what they might say. So – if Nabby goes down – the plan must be to have Greiss leap frog from the AHL and start immediately. Greiss looked great in the preseason and could be the future in the pipes when Nabby’s contract is up in 2010. But how can Team Wilson think he can succeed by being thrust into an NHL playoff race without a single minute of game experience. I have no problem going with youth. Don’t get me wrong. But you have to let the rookie play. Anaheim is going this route with Jonas Hillar, but the difference is he has started seven games so far so he won’t #$&% his pants if he has to play for an extended period of time.

I say trade a spare part or pick and get a veteran back up. Which option would you pick Sharks fans?

1. Light a candle and let Nabby start all 82 games, which has never been done before. The record is 79 by Grant Fuhr.
2. Call up Greiss after the All Star break and let him spot start Nabby every seven/eight games so he could perform in the playoffs, if needed.
3. Acquire a proven veteran back up for this season. If so, who would you want and what are you willing to give up?

On a side note – I do get sucked into Eklund’s rumors from time to time – and his linking hard hitting defensemen Mike Commodore to the Sharks made me smile. Not only because I had him on my wish list in the off season, but because he would be an excellent addition of leadership and toughness for a 2nd round grudge match with Anaheim or Detroit. If he truly is available, I would offer Ehrhoff in return. I would think Carolina would have to think that over.

UPDATE: PATZOLD WAS PUT ON WAIVERS YESTERDAY AND GREISS HAS BEEN RECALLED TO BE THE BACK-UP STARTING THURSDAY VS. VANCOUVER. DOUG WILSON SAID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT PATZOLD, THAT THEY HOPE HE CLEARS AND THEY WANT HIM TO BE PART OF THE ORGANIZATION. IF THEY REALLY VALUED HIM, THEY WOULDN’T PUT PATZOLD OUT THERE FOR FREE. GREISS IS HERE TO STAY AND I’M EXPECTING TO SEE HIM START A GAME IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, POSSIBILY EVEN AGAINST TORONTO ON SATURDAY OR JAN 15TH AT PHOENIX.

I’m feeling a bit salty, so I’m going to blast a player that I’ve been decidedly quiet about up until now. He’s not the only one I feel salty about, but he’s the only one I’m blasting today.

The first is the most obvious- Patrick Marleau. He’s a quiet guy, and I can’t fault him for that. Maybe a quiet captain isn’t what the Sharks need right now, and he’s not that guy. That’s not my problem with him either. My problem is, as a leader, quiet or not, he needs to take it upon himself to find the areas where the Sharks are lacking, and fill those voids. As everyone has said ad nauseam, the Sharks lack heart, and grit around the net. Those are things that Patty can provide on the ice. In the game last night, there was a particular possession late in the game, score tied, when Patty skates into the zone with speed. Does he drive the next and gut out a scoring chance? No, he delays, circles back, and the puck is eventually turned over. Is Patty going out of his way to throw around his 6-2, 210 lb body? If anything, he seems to be consciously avoiding contact.

I can’t blame a guy for being who he is. I do blame him for playing the way he is. Great hockey players find a way to give their team what they need. Marleau isn’t doing that. Perhaps it’s fallout from his well-publicized and still-ongoing feud with Ron Wilson, or he’s quietly nursing an injury. Here’s the brass tacks- Mr. Marleau has to swallow a bit of pride and start doing the things a player of his skill doesn’t have to do most of the time. Forecheck hard. Hit. Take punishment in front of the net. Drive to hard places with dogged stubbornness. You think Sidney Crosby needed to fight? Of course not, but for his sake and the sake of the team, he was saying, “I’m not gonna stand for this s&*%.”

Marleau can take this team to another level, all by himself. That turning over of a new leaf could be extremely contagious, and drive this team to start winning games that will make the entire league take notice. Let’s face it, the league will not take notice until we can beat the elite, and we just flat out haven’t done it. But the next chance to show ’em is coming up quickly- January 13 at Anaheim.

Part of me feels like an ass#$&%. The Sharks are currently tied for the 2nd seed in the Western Conference and are #3 on ESPN’s power rankings, but I’m just not satisfied. And I know many other Shark fans feel the same way. Last night was a fun game to watch – the Sharks dictated play for most of the game, especially during a long stretch in the 3rd period. The men in Teal were swarming but just couldn’t get enough wood on the puck to put it past Kipper. As Ron Wilson said in a postgame interview ““You can’t complain about the effort” and I agree, but us Sharks fans are desperate to see them win at home, especially the season ticket holders. This was a game they should have taken. Calgary was tired and raised their skirts in the 3rd period in submission, but we couldn’t seal the deal.

Things that were good: Shooting from the point – another goal by Rivet. Torrey Mitchell continues to show why he is going to be a Mike Ricci fan favorite type for several years here in San Jose. Joe/Bernier/Michalek was effective and got several chances. Kyle McLaren slapping his stick on the ice demanding the puck at the point and, for the first time this season, the McLaren HIP CHECK on the boards. Nabby was good – again. He is the clear team MVP.

Things that were bad: Cheechoo, Ehrhoff and Marleau. Enough said. Cheech continues to make blunders and for a sniper to have zero shots in inexcusable. Marleau has some effective breakouts, but then he pulls up at the blueline instead of attacking the net, thus giving the Flames D plenty of time get back and set up. Why? Get a little “Michalek” in you and go for it Patty. That’s what you would have done last year….Ehrhoff played well in regulation, but all it takes is one mistake – and him being out of position and losing Iginla cost them the game. That’s cool Christian. I understand how you forgot about Iginla. After all, he only has 31 goals for 2nd in the NHL.

So, Sharks fans….it could be way worse. We could be Thrasher fans. We could be Capitals season ticket holders. We could have team replica jerseys with the name FROLOV on the back. The effort was there, the result wasn’t – but a point is a point and it put us back on top of the Pacific. The boys do need to translate the improved effort to W’s or this long home stretch will see them fall to the bottom of the conference. There are only six points seperating us from the Blue Jackets, who are currently the #9 seed and out of the playoffs.

P.S. Did you see Primeau throw that hissy fit on the bench? Swinging his stick and snapping the blade off, having it fly into the stands. Unsportsmanlike anyone? I guess when you only get seven minutes of ice time….I wouldn’t want any of the ex-Sharks forwards on Calgary’s roster. Nolan is a dud with 12 points. Primeau – pass. Mark Smith – pass. It’s like Sharks-Lite, minus the talent.

Never a dull moment as a Sharks fan in 2007. I left them feeling blue and down about their prospects, a team in a downward spiral after losing three disheartening games at home. Then they continued their blistering road warrior ways and took four games against team they should beat. St. Louis, Nashville and Los Angeles are all free-falling out of the playoff race, but the Preds and Blues still have winning records at home so these were tough games. Winning in Minnesota confirms for me that the Wild are a great matchup for San Jose if it happens in the playoffs – we are in their heads and the Sharkies might be the last team the Wild want to see in the first round.

The encouraging part about these four wins were how San Jose went about their game. Passing was crisp. Defense was smart. Secondary scoring finally arrived with Michalek getting seven points and Bernier notching five points, earing him a spot on the top line with Thunder Joe. Matt Carle looked comfortable finally, pulling a +2 on the trip. There was a great mix of goals – the ugly and the beautiful. Seeing Rivet and Carle unload from the point was a welcome sight. The boys looked loose. They looked like winners.

So…what are we supposed to expect tonight when they return to the Tank, a place they have struggled to play with emotion and energy in 2007? I am trying to be positive in the New Year, but tonight is no easy task. Calgary may be the hottest team in the NHL not named “Red Wings”, winning six of their last seven on the road and posting a 7-2-1 record in their last ten. A much bigger challenge than any club the Sharks faced on the recent road swing, especially with some of the San Jose roster plagued by the flu. The fans will be ready to forget 2007’s home struggles. Let’s start fresh in 2008 with a big win tonight vs. Keenan’s boys.

I don’t mind- I’ll lean into the strike zone and take one for the team if the Sharks will win like this. While Grier and I were carousing in NYC, the Sharks quietly kicked ass again on the road. I TiVo’d the games, but have only watched the Nashville on as of now. With all the hullabaloo of Christmas, New Year’s, travel, and my new Mac Book Pro (hah!) I haven’t had the chance to post until now.

After the dismal showing of the week before Christmas, the Sharks nut up and win some games. Of course the Blues, Preds, and Kings don’t exactly compare to the Ducks. I gotta say, the Sharks’ timing is piss poor. It could just be the Sharks are just taking advantage of inferior opposition, but after watching (Nashville, at least), I don’t think so. They play more confidently, and the non-Jumbo lines actually seem to accomplish something as opposed to chewing up ice time.

Tonight there’s the Wild, one of the better teams in the West in front of one of the most rabid fan bases in all of hockey. I might be hardcore, but I’m not so hardcore that I would forego a New Year’s Eve party to watch a Sharks game, especially when there’s TiVo.

And All Through The House.
Not a Creature Was Stirring.
And Apparently….Neither is Sharks GM Doug Wilson

In a way, I admire his patience. I guess that is why Armchair GM’s like us don’t have actual hockey personnel jobs, or teams would be blown up after every minor bump in the road. But – to me – this is no minor bump in the road. This is a team with severe identity crisis. To be labeled “inconsistent” is not the mark of a champion. Is Doug Wilson willing to ride this out even longer? It appears publically he is taking that stance, but no GM calls a players only meeting unless he is gravely concerned about the make up of this roster. I still think a trade is coming in the next two weeks. I understand, it must be tough for DW to part with players that he has drafted and taken such care to develop over the past few years, but sometimes when it’s not working, you have to cut the cord. If he’s having doubts, Wilson should call up Golden State Warriors’ Chris Mullin and ask him how the team is doing since they traded two of his favorite players, Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy?? The answer is crystal clear. The Warriors were injected with two hard working players in Harrington and Jackson that bring it to the court every night and play with a fire that the Warriors never had with Murph and Mike D. on the team. They have since become one of the most exciting and feared teams in the NBA. Even Brian Sabean made the unpopular “I Am Not An Idiot” deal – trading Matt Williams to Cleveland for Julian Tavarez, Jose Vizcaino and Jeff Kent in 1996 that lead to several NL West titles and an eventual World Series appearance. (Since then Sabean has actually become an idiot, but that is for a different blog, different website) The common link – the Warriors and Giants got gamers, guys on their roster who may be hotheads, maybe fly off the handle from time to time, fight with fans in the stands, sport mohawks, injure themselves while “washing their truck”, and get arrested for brandishing a firearm….but they show up to play and their passion is contagious.

So…how about it Doug? Don’t you think it’s time for a little fire?

Well, Mike and I are off to New York City. We are packing up and taking the wives to the Big Apple for Christmas. I wish you and your family a happy holidays!!

One thing I’ve been fixated on the last few days, both in watching the Sharks and other teams on Center Ice, is their breakout strategy and patterns. It’s something I think the Sharks are particularly poor at, and last night after the game I had the opportunity to ask a real pro hockey player, Jaime Baker, about it. The Teal Spiel was broadcast live from Stanley’s Bar at Sharks Ice after the game, and I was able to get on the radio and ask Mr. Baker about it. Basically, I asked this: is the Sharks’ poor breakout a function of their system, or are the Sharks failing to execute the system they have?

Jaime went on a technical explanation on the Sharks employing a 1-4, with the Ducks a 1-3-1, and how that gives the Sharks trouble. I found it very interesting, and I’ll post the audio snippet once the podcast is available. After he was done, I asked off-mic- “so it’s the system?”, and Jaime basically nodded his head in assent. The system that enables the Sharks to be among the very best in the NHL in goals against is partially responsible for their handicapped offense. The system needs to change.

All you had to do was watch last night’s game to be convinced. The first breakout pass was ok, but the red line was clogged with three Ducks, with one defenseman behind to be prepared for the dump-in (usually Pronger or Niedermayer). If the Sharks dumped it in too quickly, that guy could race back and touch up the icing. If the Sharks timed it just right and had a perfect dump-in, now there were four Ducks between the puck-carrier low and the rest of the Sharks. Maybe he could whip it around the boards to the other winger, but more often than not there was no time or space to do anything other than chip it deep again and watch the lone forechecker flail around.  Last night was a how-to video for the rest of the NHL.

The Ducks have the Sharks cracked like a safe. And the Sharks won’t change the combination.

Patrick Marleau a Buffalo Sabre??

And then I woke up! It was one of those dreams that seemed so real, I had to question if it didn’t actually happen the night before. I went back to sleep and nothing further came of this preminition. Three cups of coffee later this morning, I started to think back on my dream. Is this idea that came in my sleep really that far fetched? Could the Sabres and Sharks be a trade match?

To Buffalo: Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo and Christian Ehrhoff
To San Jose: Maxim Afinogenov, Paul Gaustad and Brian Campbell

A major makeover for both teams. The Sharks ship out three talented players who need a change of scenery and are the current posterboys of underachievement right now and get three talented players who are under 28 years old. Campbell is the powerplay specialist DW covets, the only drawback is his UFA status and he should command five million on the open market. Gaustad is huge third line center who can score on the PP. His size (6-4, 220) brings dreams of a Bernier/Gaustad/Clowe line next season – the Where’s the Beef line. Gaustad is a RFA at the end of the year. Afinogenov has underachieved this season, but he has all the speed and talent DW wants. Put him with Joe and cut him loose with Michalek. He is signed through 2009.

My new Sharks roster would look like this.

Michalek-Thornton-Afinogenov
Setoguchi-Mitchell-JR
Bernier-Gaustad-Grier
Pavelski-Brown-Davison

Rivet-Vlasic-Campbell-Ozo-McLaren-Murray-Carle

Do you think I’m dreaming still??? Do you think it is a nightmare??

According to David Pollak, San Jose Mercury News Sharks beatwriter, the Sharks held a closed door team meeting with GM Doug Wilson to address the growing elephant in the room – the Sharks lack of consistency and their inability to live up to expectations. Last night was bitterly disappointing. The Sharks played right into Phoenix’s hands, playing a grinding, physical game filled with a Battle Royale featuring eight players (P.S. can someone explain to me how Roenick didn’t get a fighting major??) San Jose didn’t play bad, but they didn’t play good – and the power play was embarrassing. The jumbotron caught Ron Wilson asking his team during a timeout this age old philosophical question.

What the $%&# are you guys doing? This is bull#$%&

The fans cheered. Everyone in our Section 124 was wondering the same thing. What are they doing? The Sharks look lost, dazed and confused on offense. Mike is right, it’s like they just don’t believe they can score more than two goals per game. Lack of fire, that is what Jeremy Roenick accused the players of last night. This has been the common criticism of this team for the last two years. As I said before, I call this team Jekyll and Hyde, and last night Mr. Hyde – the Sharks team that beat up Minnesota, Vancouver and went into Anaheim and won on Sunday night, was not here and Dr. Jekyll, the nice, mild mannered mediocre everyman, showed up and played down to its competition.

Not acceptable. Not for a team with Stanley Cup dreams. Here’s my take – this team meeting called by Doug Wilson is his final warning to this roster. This is their last stand before DW takes a blowtorch to some of his cornerstones and sends them packing. I like Patrick Marleau as a player and he is an outstanding leader in community service in the Bay Area. I don’t want the Sharks to trade him – but he is the root of the problem. Why?

1) He does not display strong leadership on the ice. Sure, he was involved in the fight last night, but I have the perfect view from my seats of Captain Pat not finishing his checks and floating around in the zone. He doesn’t bring it to the rink for sixty minutes night after night like other team captain’s in the league – Morrow, Pronger, Iginla.

2) Marleau’s dismal season on the stat sheet has poisoned other players on the roster. Michalek, Pavelski, Setoguchi – these guys can’t score unless you get them the puck. These are not garbage goal guys. They need the slick passing, speed racing Marleau to set them up…and he’s nowhere to be found.

3) Marleau hasn’t dealt with being the goat for last year’s series vs. Detroit and his confrontation with Ron Wilson. The pressure from the media and the doubting fan base is probably mounting for him.

So – what’s a GM to do? What is the going rate for Patrick Marleau? If the Sharks traded Marleau for Doug Weight, a prospect and a 7th round pick – would you be happy? I would be furious. Answers will come tomorrow night when we see if the Sharks can let off some steam and take it to the Ducks at home. If they don’t win, expect a few changes in Teal in the New Year and Captain Patty should been checking real estate options in Montreal or Toronto.