After winning the Erik Karlsson trade sweepstakes this offseason, the San Jose Sharks became the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. But as the Dallas Stars know, winning the offseason doesn’t necessarily equate to winning on the ice.
It’s not that the Sharks are bad. They’re just not setting the NHL on fire the way many envisioned they would after an addition of Karlsson’s caliber. They sit third in the Pacific Division, but equal the Stars in points (33 through 29 games played, one more game than Dallas has played).