The Sharks were 27th in the NHL in goals per game last season (2.57) and had two players who scored at least 20 goals (Evander Kane, 26; Timo Meier, 22). Forwards Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, two of their top scorers, each missed significant time because of injury; Couture was out 17 games from Jan. 9-Feb. 23 because of a fractured ankle, and Hertl missed the final 18 after having surgery to repair a torn ACL.
"We need guys to step up," coach Bob Boughner said. "We had a lot of guys with off years. You're going to put Hertl and Couture if they stay healthy, you're going to put them in that category, 20-plus goals. Kane, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc [are] very capable of scoring 20-plus, [Ryan] Donato I think is going to have a big season. ... There's guys that can score, and it's going to have to be by committee. We don't have a 50-goal man, we don't have an [Alex] Ovechkin, we don't have a [Sidney] Crosby or any of these guys, so it's going to have to be done by committee."