San Jose Sharks: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season So Far

The majority of NHL teams have already played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In this piece, we will be looking at the San Jose Sharks. Predicted to be among the bottom dwellers this season, they have been quite good so far. At this time, they have a 13-9-1 record and are fourth in the Pacific Division. These two players are a big reason behind their success.

James Reimer: The Sharks signed goaltender James Reimer to a two-year, $4.5 million contract this offseason. At this time, it looks like a complete and utter steal, as the 33-year-old has been ridiculously good. In 14 games, he has an 8-4-1 record, 2.11 GAA (5th in NHL) and .934 SV% (4th in NHL). If he keeps this play up, he surely will be in consideration for the Vezina Trophy. He's a big reason why the Sharks have playoff hopes this season.

Erik Karlsson: Another big reason for San Jose's solid start this season is defenseman Erik Karlsson. The 31-year-old looks more like his old self, as he has five goals and 13 points in 17 games. It's a significant increase in pace of production compared to last season, as he only had 22 points in 52 games. With that, he was a minus-18, while this season he is currently a plus-4. Given all the criticism he's gotten as of late, it's nice to see him turning it around.

Check out our last piece on the Los Angeles Kings. In our next installment, we will be discussing the Seattle Kraken.