The San Jose Sharks made a huge move at the trade deadline to acquire puckmoving defenseman Brian Campbell, and it’s paid huge dividends thus far. Campbell has provided the Sharks’ offense with a huge spark, and the team hasn’t lost in regulation since his arrival (16-0-2 record). If the Sharks can continue their strong play into the postseason, they are without question the prohibitive favorites to carry Lord Stanley’s Cup this June.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings, with 69 points in 80 games, are at the bottom of the NHL standings and the most likely team to land the first overall pick in the draft lottery. But the Kings boast one of the league’s most talented young cores, and it’s only a matter of time before they turn things around and begin to challenge the Sharks for division supremacy. Check out this intriguing Pacific Division match-up in brilliant 1080i on HDNet, live at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Sharks to Watch

While Campbell has provided the spark that’s turned the Sharks into bona fide Cup favorites, “Jumbo” Joe Thornton has consistently been the team’s most reliable scoring threat. With 94 points in 80 games, he is by far the team leader (Milan Michalek is second-best with 54 points), and he has also posted a very impressive plus-20 rating. Thornton is an elite-level playmaker who effectively uses his size to shield the puck, and he often quarterbacks San Jose’s power play from along the right wing boards and behind the net.

The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was quite kind to the Sharks. They drafted key contributors Michalek, Matt Carle, and forward Joe Pavelski, as well as Steve Bernier (who was the primary chip in the deal for Buffalo for Campbell). Without question, the Sharks’ shrewd work at the draft table has played a huge role in their emergence as a top-tier team, and their roster is by and large comprised of homegrown talent.

Michalek is one of the Sharks’ best skaters, and has developed nice chemistry playing alongside Thornton on the top line. He is able to play in all game situations, and his eight game-winning goals are second only to revitalized veteran Jeremy Roenick. As the Sharks proceed into the playoffs, look for Michalek to be one of their most important contributors.

One Shark who hasn’t lived up to expectations is captain Patrick Marleau. After scoring at a point-per-game pace during the two seasons that followed the lockout, he has regressed badly this year, scoring only 45 points through 76 games while posting a team-worst minus-18 rating. There is little question that Marleau will need to deliver in the postseason if the Sharks are to compete for the Cup, and it’s certainly a positive sign that he has come alive in the weeks following the trade deadline.

After hearing his name mentioned in near-constant rumors in the weeks and months leading up to the deadline, it must have been a relief for Marleau to discover that he’d be staying in San Jose. And in the 18 games since the deadline, he’s tallied a much more Marleau-like 16 points (and plus-three rating).

Kings to Watch

Anze Kopitar has built nicely upon his stellar rookie campaign, raising his goals-scored from 20 to 30 while also increasing his assist total (from 41 to 44). A dynamic player quite similar to the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin, the 6’4” Kopitar uses his large frame extremely well in the offensive zone. And when the team’s defense inevitably improves, his plus-minus rating will consequently rise (he’s a minus-18 this season, and was a minus-18 last year).

While Kopitar is the Kings’ most dynamic playmaker, power forward Dustin Brown might well be the team’s most exciting player. A wrecking ball in the offensive zone, Brown leads all NHL players in hits (307) by a wide margin (Mike Komisarek is second-best with 266). And with 32 goals in 76 goals, he has quickly emerged as the Kings’ most prolific goal-scorer. His style evocative of a young Bill Guerin, Brown is without question a cornerstone of the Kings’ franchise and one of its brightest young players.

In addition to Kopitar and Brown, the Kings’ offense also boasts young talents Alexander Frolov, Patrick O’Sullivan, and Michael Cammalleri. Unfortunately, though this collective of top-notch scoring skill is capable of generating tremendous excitement at the Staples Center, their lack of defensive acumen is a key reason why the Kings are the NHL’s worst team. This talented quintet is a combined minus-56, with only Frolov (plus-four) posting a positive rating.

On the blue line, young Jack Johnson has certainly taken his lumps in his first full NHL season, tallying only 11 points (in 74 games) while posting a team-worst minus-19 rating (he’s tied with veteran rearguard Lubomir Visnovsky, who unlike Johnson has no excuse). Though there’s plenty of talent on the Kings’ blue line, it hasn’t jelled particularly well, and a makeover—with Johnson the primary building block—is in order.

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