Rathje signs

TSN.ca reports Mike Rathje agreed to a 4 year 8.25$ million deal today with the San Jose Sharks. Rathje will be paid the full $2 million salary for this season. In the second face-to-face negotiation in recent weeks, Lombardi, Rathje, and Art Breeze got the deal done in a "marathon negotiating session". Official Sharks press release. [email from:c_feroz]

Looking for offense in all the wrong places
With 6 goals in the last 4 losing efforts, the Sharks are desperately trying to locate any kind of offensive production. Darryl Sutter may have found it sitting in the press box. Alexander Korolyuk stepped in for Patrick Marleau today against the Kings, hit the post on a penalty shot, hit the post on a long slapshot, and logged 14+ minutes of ice time on a line with Owen Nolan and Adam Graves. "I thought (Korolyuk) had a lot of energy today. He was a very active player and could've been a hero" Teemu Selanne told the AP after the game. "Tied 1-1 in the third when he hits the post on the penalty and the goalie had no chance. The next shot, he hits the same post. If we score, it's a different story."

Dont show Rathje the money
After looking at the numbers, there is no way Mike Rathje should get #1 defensemen money. Here are the numbers from the Sharks top 6 defensemen over the last 2 seasons.

PLAYER	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-
Suter	145	16	52	68	+15
Stuart	159	15	44	59	+13
Ragnarsson	131	6	26	32	+16
Rathje	147	2	25	27	+4
Marchment	124	7	15	22	+17
Hannan	105	4	16	20	+16

Statistically speaking, Rathje's not even the Sharks #1 defensemen. When you compare him to the Leetch's, Pronger's, and Blake's of the world (too name a few), it's ridiculous. Of course most of what Rathje does will never show up on the stat sheet, neutralizing top lines, poke checking, and tying up the puck along the boards. But Rags does those very same things, and plays alongside of Rat, yet his numbers are better. I'm a Rat supporter, but with the team and Jillson playing well I don't think he or his agent can afford to keep claiming #1 defensemen dollars. Fire Art Breeze, collect a realistic raise, and get back out on the ice. [email from: Statboy]

Toskala called up, Kiprusoff sent down

The Sharks sent Miikka Kiprusoff to the Cleveland Barons today to get some playing time, work on his technique, and re-build his confidence.

Vesa Toskala will fill the backup role. Vesa has a 3.64 GAA in 11 games for the Barons this season.

Financial state of the NHL
Forbes magazine describes the financial state of the NHL for the 1999-2000 season.

The San Jose Sharks franchise ranked 13th, with a value of $141,000,000.

Re-signing Teemu Selanne (9.5 million this season), and Mike Rathje (1.8 - 3 million) will effect the bottom line significantly.
[email from Jen]

Marchment 6 game suspension
The NHL gave Bryan Marchment a 6 game suspension for his elbow to the head of Carolina's Shane Willis. Mush will return against Nashville, Nov. 27th at the Tank.

TSN.ca has a list of league suspensions for the 2001-2002 NHL season.

2002 Allstar voting
Time to vote for your favorite Sharks. Teemu Selanne, Owen Nolan, Evgeni Nabokov, and Vincent Damphousse are listed on the ballot.

Hockey Biz
HockeyzonePlus has a wealth of information on player salaries, team attendance figures, ticket prices, arena construction costs, and more.

Two features of note to Sharks fans are the 12 year cumulative player salaries (Teemu cracked the top 25), and the franchise operation spreadsheet (Sharks operated at a loss in 98 & 99).

Tero Maatta
If you can read Finnish you can follow Sharks 2nd round draft pick Tero Maatta on the official Espoo Blues website. Tero's career statistics are listed here.

Maybe the Sharks should consider following the Blues lead, and add cheerleaders to the arena entertainment.
[email from: Riku]

Ownership question
Silicon Valley Business Ink reported that George and Gordon Gund are looking for new investors in the team by the end of the year.

Hoovers lists the Sharks 2000 sales at $61.3 million, up 19.7%. The San Jose payroll was 7th in the league for the 2000-2001 season at $42,340,637.
[email from: Jen]

Rumor Mill
With the rumor mill picking up steam around San Jose, I thought I would examine the rumorees. Teemu Selanne - making 9.5 million this season, ownership questions may prevent the Sharks from re-signing him, not quite fitting into Darryl Sutter's defense first philosophy. Mike Rathje - holding out, now asking for a trade, a quality defensive-defenseman, but needs to work on more areas of his game [hitting, leadership, PP] in order to be considered a legit #1. Alexander Korolyuk - can bring the fans out of the seats when he touches the puck, but he is also stuck in D.S.'s defense first philosophy, Kork sitting on the bench is unacceptable for a team that struggles offensively.

Time for a trade
Rathje is solid on the blueline, but he is not a #1 defenseman. Rat is not mean enough, not much of a quarterback, and doesn't dominate the way he should for his size, although he is very consistent.

Perhaps its time for a trade, strengthen the front lines and add a goal scorer.
[email from: Paul Iverson]

Rathje's holdout
Rat is solid defensively but his agent insists he is the #1 defenseman on the club. Truth is he might be #2 after Rags, who is a defensive presence and has some offensive ability. Rathje is big but doesn't hit. He has a booming slap shot, but doesn't shoot. Rat can't quarterback the power play.

The Sharks would have a much harder time without Suter, because of his power play abilities. I consider Rathje the #3 defenceman in terms of team value.

Rat's agent Art Breeze has a very difficult negotiating position. His strategy to withhold services is also quickly backfiring. Rathje needs to fire his agent, who now only has his ego in the way of getting a deal done.
[email from: Wineshark]