Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau highlight Sharks’ NHL quarter-century team

The NHL has unveiled its San Jose Sharks‘ quarter-century team.

Representing the top player to have suited up for the Bay Area club over the past 25 years, the first team is headlined by forwards Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, and Joe Thornton, defensemen Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.

The Sharks’ all-time leader in goals (522) and points (1,111), Marleau skated three separate stints with the Sharks across 21 seasons. In all, the Saskatchewan native became not only the franchise’s but the NHL’s all-time leader in games played, counting 1,779 contests. Through it all, Marleau also stands as the most productive Sharks player in the postseason as he registered 120 points through 177 playoff outings.

Spending the first 13 seasons of his career with the Sharks, Pavelski was a consistent offensive producer both in the regular season and playoffs. En route to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, Pavelski ranked third in team scoring with near point-per-game production counting 14 goals and nine assists in 24 outings. Pavelski remains the Sharks’ second all-time leading goal scorer with 355 tallies, while his 761 points rank third in franchise history.

Acquired by the Sharks early in the 2005-06 campaign, Thornton made an immediate impact upon his arrival to San Jose, wrapping up that season with 125 points to become the first Sharks skater to claim the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point producer. That season also saw Thornton presented with the Hart Trophy as the regular season MVP. Through part of 15 seasons in San Jose, Thornton racked up 1,055 points in 1,104 games to sit second all-time in franchise scoring.

Skating 11 seasons with the Sharks from 2011-22, Burns’ time in San Jose was underscored by the 2016-17 campaign when he claimed the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s Defenseman of the Year after registering 76 points counting 29 goals and 47 assists through 82 outings. In all, Burns remains the Sharks’ all-time leading scorer among defenseman with 594 points through 798 appearances.

A steady defensive-minded rearguard, Vlasic has spent his entire 19-year career with the Sharks. Originally chosen 35th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft, the ensuing years have seen Vlasic climb to second all-time with 1,302 games played for the franchise, coupled with 83 goals and 295 assists for 378 points and a career plus-50 rating.

Tending the Sharks’ crease for 10 seasons, Nabokov’s impression in San Jose was felt immediately as the 2000-01 campaign witnessed him take home Rookie of the Year recognition after putting up a 32-21-7 record alongside a .915 save percentage and 2.19 goals-against average through 66 outings. Nabokov remains the winningest goaltender in franchise history, counting 293 wins, while his 50 shutouts also top the charts.

The Sharks’ second team counts forwards Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, and Owen Nolan, defensemen Dan Boyle and Erik Karlsson, and goaltender Martin Jones.

The current captain of the Sharks, Couture has spent his entire 15-year career in San Jose where through 933 contests he has collected 323 goals with 378 assists for 701 points. Couture has also impressed in the postseason, adding 101 points counting 48 goals and 53 assists in 116 outings. In all, Couture ranks fourth all-time in franchise scoring, while his 48 postseason tallies are outpaced by only Marleau.

Skating 11 seasons with the Sharks from 2013-24, Hertl put up 238 goals with 289 assists for 527 points through 768 regular-season appearances with San Jose. Hertl’s productivity also translated to the postseason as through 69 outings he notched 43 points, underscored by 10 goals and five assists in 19 games en route to the 2019 Western Conference Final.

Spending part of eight seasons with the Sharks, including four years as captain, Nolan’s time in San Jose saw him amass 206 goals and 245 assists for 451 points through 568 games. In all, Nolan ranks seventh all-time in franchise scoring. With the Sharks, Nolan added another 27 points in 40 postseason appearances.

Through six seasons with the Sharks, Boyle made 431 appearances in which he tallied 68 goals and 201 assists for 269 points to rank third in franchise scoring among defensemen. Entering the postseason, Boyle carried forward that productivity as his 48 playoff points rank second to only Burns.

Spending five seasons in San Jose, Karlsson topped off his time with the Sharks in a big way, as the 2022-23 campaign saw him register 25 goals and 76 assists for 101 points, becoming the first Sharks rearguard and sixth in NHL history to secure 100-plus points in a season. Adding to that accomplishment, at year’s end, Karlsson was presented with the Norris Trophy, becoming just the second Sharks defenseman behind Burns to be recognized as the NHL’s Defenseman of the Year. In all, through 293 appearances with San Jose, Karlsson collected 52 goals and 191 assists for 243 points to rank fourth all-time in scoring among franchise defensemen.

The second winningest goaltender in franchise history, through six seasons in San Jose, Jones racked up 327 wins, second to only Nabokov. Through it all, Jones combined for a .907 save percentage, 2.66 goals-against average, and 18 shutouts. With Jones between the pipes, the Sharks advanced to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.