SAN JOSE, Calif. Mike Smith Coyotes Jersey . -- The San Jose Sharks never were closer to that elusive Stanley Cup title than they were last season when a long playoff run ended two wins short of a championship.Even with the core of that team back for another shot at the Cup, the Sharks know they have a long road ahead if they want to take that next step.The tough part is you dont get to start where you ended last year, coach Peter DeBoer said. You have to start right at the bottom of the mountain again and start climbing.No team in the past eight seasons has made it back to the final after losing the previous season. But at least the Sharks return all of the players who carried the team last season.High-scoring captain Joe Pavelski and playmaking center Joe Thornton will once again anchor the top line, do-everything center Logan Couture should be healthier after missing 30 games last season and shutdown defender Marc-Edouard Vlasic anchors a strong blue line with the dangerous Brent Burns.Thrown in goalie Martin Jones, who was stellar in his first full season as a starter, and the experience gained from that long playoff run and the Sharks are confident heading into the season.Weve been there, we didnt get what we wanted, forward Patrick Marleau said. We have a better understanding of what it takes to get there and how much more youll have to give to get that ultimate goal.Here are some things to watch for with the Sharks this season:HERTLS HOME: Tomas Hertls game took off last season when he was moved to a wing on the top line with Thornton and Pavelski. Hertl struggled to produce points when he centered his own line but could get another shot this year. If Hertl can play third-line center, the Sharks will have some of the best depth down the middle of any team with Thornton, Couture and Chris Tierney also at center. That will provide a boost against other top teams and help avoid the mismatches that hurt San Jose against the deeper Penguins in the final.DEFENSIVE DEPTH: The Sharks have top defensive pairs in the defensive-minded Vlasic and Justin Braun and the more offensively inclined Burns and Paul Martin. It was the third defensive pair of Brenden Dillon and Roman Polak that was exposed at times in the postseason, especially in the final. The signing of David Schlemko to replace Polak gives the Sharks a better puck mover on that pairing and could help Dillon boost his production.He fits where the game is at and where its going, general manager Doug Wilson said. The ability to get the puck up the ice, get it up to the hands of our forwards is important and we feel like Schlemko certainly helps in that area.FAMILIARITY: The Sharks took a few months to find their stride in DeBoers first year as coach and were near the bottom of the Western Conference in January. But they were one of the top teams after that and hope that can carry over for a faster start this season because of their familiarity with the system.You can just go out there and kind of react as opposed to last year youre learning and learning new bodies into systems, a new foundation, forward Joel Ward said. So hopefully the foundation is there from last year.YOUTH BE SERVED: The Sharks are hoping for a spark from a few young players fighting to crack the lineup at forward. Barclay Goodrow, Nikolay Goldobin and Kevin Labanc are among the players who could get a look early. Timo Meier, a first-round pick in 2015, was expected to make the biggest impact but will miss the start of the season after getting mononucleosis during training camp.BACKUP GOALIE: While Martin Jones proved he could carry the load in his first season as an NHL starter, the Sharks would like to find a capable backup to ease Jones workload. He thrived late in the season after James Reimer was acquired at the trade deadline. Aaron Dell, who spent last year in the AHL, will get the first shot as Jones backup this season. Mikkel Boedker Jersey . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Brad Richardson Coyotes Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. http://www.officialcoyoteshockey.com/Lawson-Crouse-Jersey/ . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. As the esports industry continues to grow, another National Basketball Association team official has taken interest in the rapidly expanding field. On a recent discussion on ESPNs TrueHoop podcast with ESPN NBA writer Kevin Arnovitz, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressed his thoughts on the industry.In the interview, Arnovitz asked what Morey thinks of the growing, global recognition of basketball and the NBA. In response, Morey said he believes that esports will be one of the top-watched sports in the future, alongside basketball and soccer, due to global appeal.Switching topics, Arnovitz asked whether Morey believes that esports is a sport, to which Morey said, You tell me the definition of sport and Ill tell you if it fits it.Obviously theres a huge number of competitors, they draw a huge crowd, and have huge prize money, Morey said. I think the latest one just gave out $9 million over the weekend. I think those [events] are coming out continuously.The tournament Morey is referring to is Dota 2s The International, which housed 18,000 spectators at Seattles KeyArena last week and boasted a $20.7 million prize pool. Chinese team Wings Gaming won the competition, taking home $9.1 million for first place.When asked by Arnovitz whether he believes that ppeople enjoy watching esports, Morey said yes, referring to the lets play genre of videos on YouTube, featuring a gamer or personality showing adventures in a video game. Michael Stone Coyotes Jersey. Videos feature multiple titles, including the open-world creation game Minecraft.To me, when I was a kid, we watched terrible network TV because it was all we had. We watched The A-Team and Knight Rider, Morey said. When you go back and watch these shows or when they happen to be on randomly, you realize how bad they are compared to TV nowadays. My son is 14. He watches these lets play videos, people playing other in video games. At first, I was bothered by it, I didnt get it, but at the end of the day, if you go back when I was a kid, I watched much worse. These videos are more entertaining and more interesting than the bad 80s TV.Ending off the podcast, Arnovitz asked if Morey could see himself pursuing opportunities outside of the NBA. While Morey reassured him that he will continue his work in the NBA, he said that if he were to go anywhere else, it would be esports. I think its the 1950s basketball right now, where theres that kind of opportunity, he said. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '