Sharks in review: Part 2

While Earl Sleek is busy recovering from last night's sucky suckitude, I'll wave my arms and try to grab the attention of what few remaining Sharks fans are reading this blog. Part 2 of the Sharks in review focuses on the 3rd/4th line guys:

Scott Thornton: A brutal season for Joe's older cousin. Aside from the odd big hit, not much went right for big Scotty T. Low point totals meant for another frustrating season -- perhaps Scott only plays well when paired with Mike Ricci. In any case, despite his insane dedication to being in shape, Thornton looks like time has passed him by. I often wondered why he wasn't placed in the slot on the power play and given the assignment of "Screen the goalie/don't freakin' move except to get a rebound" but I figure Ron Wilson is smarter than me and knows something I don't. Regular season: C-. Playoffs: C+

Ville Nieminen: It's hard to judge Ville's value after only being here a short while, but he certainly came as advertised -- hard hitting, hard working, good penalty killing, and a gigantic jaw that you can see for miles. The best thing about Ville's game was that he brought all those to the table without his trademark stupid penalties that marred his time in Calgary. Not too shabby, Ville. Regular season: B+. Playoffs: B+

Alyn McCauley: It was recently revealed that McCauley's knee had been bothering him since August, which makes me wonder why he didn't just get it taken care of then. Instead, we had a very sub-par season from McCauley who, despite being the Sharks top penalty killer when he played, noticably missed a step from the season prior. McCauley's a UFA and I'd love to see him back, but because of his health situation, I'd only sign him to a short-term deal. Regular season: C-. Playoffs: C-.

Mark Smith: If you could put Mark Smith's heart with Nils Ekman's hands, you'd have a hell of a hockey player. Unfortunately, Smith's only good from the defensive half of the ice. Get him a breakaway and he bobbles the puck like, well, like I do in my beer league games. Still, Smith did what his role dictated and set career highs in points. A few seasons ago, he was the Sharks go-to guy on faceoffs. Unfortunately, his faceoff abilities seem to have diminished. Regular season: B+. Playoffs: B-.

Patrick Rissmiller: When Doug Wilson gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Rissmiller isn't ever going to be a top two line guy, but that's ok -- he brings energy and a tiny bit of skill to the game. Rissmiller may be back as a fourth line guy, but he very well could be a career AHLer. It's not any fault of his own -- he knows his role and he did it well when given the opportunity. Regular season: B. Playoffs: C.

Marcel Goc: The Sharks had high hopes for the young German. While Goc started strong and was one of the best players on the team during the first two months of the season, his play tailed off dramatically and was a non-factor during the playoffs (in addition to getting smoked on almost every faceoff). Doug Wilson is still high on Goc, but here's hoping his sophomore campaign is much better. Regular season: C-. Playoffs: D.

Grant Stevenson: Stevenson's a career AHLer who played to the best of his abilities and had some fortunate bounces early on, but time showed that he couldn't cut it at the NHL level. If the Sharks make any roster additions during the offseason, it's pretty likely that that's the last we'll see of Stevenson up in the big leagues. Regular season: C-. Playoffs: C-.