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The Zeus is Loose

Michal Handzus could possibly be one of the biggest signings of the rather lackluster free agent frenzy this summer in the entire NHL. Considering the top 6 forwards of the Sharks are set (Thornton, Marleau, Havlat, Clowe, Couture and Pavelski) the Sharks needed a third line center and they got the best man for the job. This kind of player may not seem significant right away, but come crunch time and in the playoffs, the magnitude of the signing will show.

Michael Handzus is 34 years old and at 6’4, he adds yet more size to a once rather small third line. His size will also help block more shots in front of Niemi on both 5 on 5 and penalty kill. As a faceoff and penalty killing specialist, he will free up minutes from the top line guys so they stay fresh for prime scoring opportunities. This will all add up in the second half of the season when the San Jose Sharks will be making their playoff push. So not only is he a great addition defensively, but he will also be a great player to fill in the top 6 if and when a player goes down as he adds a great scoring touch for a third line center.

Speaking of his scoring touch, that is the thing that really intrigues me the most about Handzus. In his last two season with the Kings, he scored 33 goals and only missed one game. I would expect him to score at least 15 goals this year and be pleasantly surprised if he got past the 20 goal mark again. Those goals coming from the third and fourth lines really make a good team a great team, and I think this year’s Sharks team is the best it has been in all of its years of existence. Kudos to GM Doug Wilson for once again restoring optimism in the fan base and not sitting around idle over the summer after another disappointing loss in the Western Conference Finals. The only concern I have going into the season and eventually playoffs is the health of the players. If anyone goes down to any kind of major injury, we could be in trouble.

Keep checking in on Bay Area Bias as I will be looking at the other big signings and trades heading into the new season. This time in the summer is the worst for any hockey news and I will try and remedy that with my own thoughts and breakdowns of what the Sharks have done.

Fun Fact: New Shark Brent Burns is very active on twitter, has a tattoo of Harry Potter on his leg and also loves snakes.

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