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More Offseason: | | | It's nearly three months after the fact, but the sting of the first-round collapse and series lo s to the rival Los Angeles Kings is still there. Emotions seemingly ran high within the organization after that series with head coach Todd McLellan and general manager Doug Wilson likely wondering if they would stay employed. They did, but this offseason has been anything but rosy for the club. Initial talks of a po sible forthcoming rebuild proved to be unfounded after Wilson backtracked on comments that suggested otherwise, but that was followed up with no discernable improvements made to the NHL roster over the summer.Gone are veterans and , but even with multiple departures, the club has maintained one of the strongest core groups in the league. Though the center of that core -- and -- is reaching the latter years of their careers, they remain a formidable duo with younger players like and to keep the Sharks moving forward in the long term.It's good that San Jose didn't blow the whole thing up, but the questions about their ability to take the next step Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey as an organization and figure out whatever it is that is sinking them in the playoffs will persist. This is an organization that has underachieved in the postseason, but it remains one of the league's best groups top-to-bottom and it all starts with the guys who have been the foundation for years now. Players (Age, term remaining on contract): C Joe Thornton (35, 3 years), LW Patrick Marleau (34, 3 years), C Logan Couture (25, 5 years), C/W Joe Pavelski (30, 5 years), D (27, 4 years), D/W (29, 3 years), C/LW (20, 2 years)Total cap hit for 2014-15: $36,351,667 (52 percent of salary cap consumed by seven playersAverage age: 28.5Total point production in 2013-14: 150 goals, 225 a sists, 375 points (56 percent of team's total point production) San Jose Sharks Player Usage Chart : Joe Thornton: Because of San Jose's playoff shortcomings, Thornton has been unduly shortchanged as one of the game's very best players of the last 15 years. Since Tyler Bozak Jersey his first full season in the NHL in 1998-99, no player has more points and there's only one player within 200 a sists of him ( is 199 away). He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Cup or no Cup. Thornton would obviously prefer to have a title to his name and even though his best chances have been squandered in recent years, the Sharks still have the pieces to compete. Since arriving in San Jose in 2005-06 -- the same season he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP -- Thornton has 740 points in 675 games. At 34 years old last season he had 76 points and his 65 a sists marked his best total in five years. There's plenty left in the tank for Big Joe, but the Alexander Kerfoot Women Jersey pre sure has never been higher. The Sharks are better off with Thornton than without him, even if his name may crop up in trade talks from time to time. There just isn't anyone out there quite like him and as long as he can still play, he can still bring the Stanley Cup to San Jose yet. Boston BruinsPatrick Marleau: Like Thornton, Marleau has long been underappreciated as one of the game's elite offensive talents. His 437 goals since entering the NHL in 1997-98 are fifth best over that span. The players ahead of him -- , , Marian Ho sa and . Like I said, elite. Again, it has been the playoff shortcomings that have dragged down Marleau's legacy despite the fact that Marleau himself has hardly been the i sue save for one bad year. With 60 postseason goals, Marleau has averaged .40 goals per game over his playoffs career. Not bad at all. The Sharks are the only organization he has ever known after the club selected him second overall in 1997, behind Boston's selection of Thornton. He has rewarded them with a lot of good years and still has three years to do more if the club doesn't try to go through whatever sort of rebuild it hinted at earlier in the summer. Maybe the Sharks do need to make some organizational changes, but Marleau has never really seemed like the problem. Even at 34, he had 33 goals and 70 points. He's as effective as ever and will still help this team. Logan Couture: The future Darcy Tucker Kids Jersey of the Sharks' core rests firmly on the shoulders of this 25-year-old center. Since joining the team for 25 games in 2009-10, Couture has been reliable at both ends of the ice and extremely productive. The team has given him a lot of the hardest work in terms of zone starts and quality of competition and he has taken it all in stride. Couture has averaged .74 points per game in four-plus seasons with the club. He already has two seasons of 31 or more goals and probably would have done the same last season had he not gotten hurt and mi sed 17 games. With 220 points in 297 games, including 112 goals, Couture is making sure the Sharks have as formidable a one-two punch at center as any team in the league. His current contract takes him to his age 29 season, meaning the Sharks are likely to be getting the most bang for their buck as he enters his prime years. Couture may be only scratching the surface of his capabilities at this point. When Thornton and Marleau move on, this will be his team if it isn't already. Joe Pavelski: With a stunning 41-goal, 79-point campaign, Pavelski shattered his previous career highs and gives the Sharks another supreme scoring threat going forward. Little Joe's numbers got a bit of help from playing the wing with Big Joe for a portion of the season, but Pavelski offers San Jose an incredibly versatile forward. Even if he doesn't match his production from last season, and he probably won't after an abnormally high 18.2 shooting percentage, he still brings a ton of value. Pavelski has 415 points in 561 games, all with the Sharks. His 41-goal campaign was his second over 30 in his career and he very well could hit 30 or better again next season. Being able to play him at center or wing gives the Sharks a lot of lineup flexibility, but with Brent Burns going back to defense and Ben Smith Men Jersey Pavelski coming off a hot scoring year, perhaps he heads back to the wing. Either way, to have a player like Pavelski gives the Sharks a lot of options and they should remain one of the league's top offensive groups next season. With five years left on his deal, Pavelski will join Couture as one of the future leaders of this team. Marc-Edouard Vlasic: The 2013-14 season was a bit of a coming-out party for Vlasic. His inclusion on the Canadian Olympic team was a big moment in getting the rest of the hockey world to realize that Vlasic is one of the better overall defenders in the NHL. His combination of keen defensive instincts, mobility and puck-moving capabilities allow him to put up strong po se sion numbers despite getting a lot of difficult a signments and being looked to as a shut-down type player. With Dan Boyle and Brad Stuart gone, Vlas