Sharks' Robinson on clean slate: 'We're waiting for somebody now to step forward and take charge of this team'
The San Jose Sharks made waves this week, and all summer really, with their decision to strip Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau of their captain and alternate captain titles, respectively, ahead of training camp.
On Friday, legendary shutdown defenseman, Hockey Hall of Famer, and current Sharks associate coach Larry Robinson was a guest on TSN 690 radio in Montreal and discussed the club's thinking on this delicate matter.
"It's never an easy decision, and it's not the only decision, but there was definitely a shake-up needed," Robinson said per FeartheFin.com. "Especially after being up 3-0 and then losing four straight to a team that we should have never lost to.
"You always look to your leaders and we certainly look to all our top players, not just Joe and not just Patrick, but all of our top players as a whole and when you have one goal, two assists and collectively a minus-29 in your final four games, you have to start looking to shake things up a little bit."
Robinson went on to suggest that the club needed a new alpha-type voice in the room, a leadership voice that can - finally - get the Sharks over the hump in the postseason.
"I don't think this is to put all the onus on Joe or even Patrick for that matter, but there's definitely leadership that has to be found somewhere within," Robinson said. "If it's not Joe and if it's not Patrick then we're looking for somebody else to step forward and I think that's the main reason we're doing what we're doing. We're waiting for somebody now to step forward and take charge of this team."
A sharp hockey mind with nothing left to prove in a sport he has dominated for over four decades, Robinson also suggested that the 35-year-old Thornton's advancing age, and the transitional phase that the Sharks are entering, played a role in the club's decision:
[Thornton] had a tendency to sometimes have a cutting sense of humor and sometimes people can take that the wrong way. He sometimes had a delivery which a lot of the young kids felt intimidated by and you certainly can't be intimidated by your captain or even your assistants. You have to feel comfortable and if you had a problem or if you need something or are looking for a lift, you usually look to your leaders and your captains to get out there. And it's possible that maybe Joe didn't provide it for our team.
Thornton is still a capable first-line center, the key to San Jose's dominant power-play, and he generally handled the toughest matchups amongst all Sharks centers a year ago. He performed well enough in 2013-14 that the club signed him to a three-year contract extension before the season ended, and his deal includes a full no-trade clause.
Despite all that Thornton has accomplished, and despite the commitment the team recently made to him, it sure seems like Sharks' training camp is going to be at least a little bit awkward this fall.
[H/T Fear the Fin]