The San Jose Sharks had just one day of training camp and already there were plenty of stories being reported by CSN Bay Area Thursday, Sept. 11.
Some were more significant than others, but teams with that many stories often have questions like those covered by Examiner Thursday. In some cases, those uncertainties are the story and in some cases the reaction to them is.
For the best teams, the only story is the pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The Sharks absolutely are title contenders, but adding to the dialogue is the feeling that they have already peaked. The ways they counter losing some talent and having others age thus become stories.
To have five stories in a day means either the team is reaching for answers or will find them. In San Jose's case, it may mean both.
There is little doubt with half the core (Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau) past their 33rd birthday and facing the last year of their contracts, the 2013-14 season is a referendum. If their game declines, they will have to take less money to stay in San Jose. If it does not, general manager Doug Wilson will need to lock them up for short-term contracts during the season or lose them to a team able to offer more in free agency.
The referendum itself could even be the answer. The Sharks responded well when Wilson called the team out and traded away three veterans for no current players in March. They won seven straight games and had two important supporting players acquired for the fourth-most successful Stanley Cup playoff runs in franchise history.
Thus the expectations are rightfully there, but few of the five early stories on the list will help achieve that goal.
