(Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks franchise is now at the stage where making the playoffs and winning one series should not be considered a successful season.

The Sharks came into the league as an expansion team in the 1991-92 season and have made the postseason in 10 of their 15 NHL campaigns. The club reached the Western Conference finals for the first time in 2004, but has been ousted in the conference semis in two playoff trips since then.

Last year, San Jose had 107 points in the regular season and was the fifth seed in the West. The Sharks beat Nashville in the opening round before getting knocked out by Detroit in six games.

The arrival of centerman Joe Thornton in San Jose is what really has raised expectations for the Sharks in the last two seasons. Thornton came over in a trade with Boston during the 2005-06 season and the Sharks have posted a 87-40-12 mark since that deal.

Thornton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 draft, has already won an Art Ross and Hart Trophy in his brief stay in San Jose and has helped turn the team into an offensive juggernaut.

The problem for the Sharks is that the club has been one and done in the postseason with Thornton. The goal this year will be to keep up the same level of play during the regular season and somehow carry the momentum into the postseason.

FORWARDS - It's no secret that the Sharks key to success lies in the play of Thornton, the team's playmaking specialist.

Thornton has recorded an astounding 206 points (42 goals, 164 assists) in 140 games since joining the Sharks and has a knack for making everybody he plays with better. The 28-year-old London, Ontario native has recorded 90-plus assists in each of the last two seasons, making him just the third player after Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to reach the 90-assist mark in consecutive campaigns.

Thornton leads the way with his ability to find open teammates and right wing Jonathan Cheechoo is the team's best finisher. Cheechoo has been the beneficiary of many well-timed passes since Thornton's arrival and has led the Sharks in goals scored in each of the last three seasons.

Cheechoo notched 28 goals in 2003-04 without Thornton and then led the league in goals with 56 in 2005-06. Last year, the 27-year-old dropped a bit off the previous season's pace as he recorded 37 markers.

While Thornton is the team's primary offensive weapon, team captain Patrick Marleau is a heck of a second option at the center position. The second overall pick of the 1997 draft has excellent speed and offensive ability, and has the highest two point totals of his career in the last two seasons.

After recording a career-high 86 points in 2005-06, Marleau came back with another strong season last year as he notched 32 goals and 46 assists for a 78-point campaign. The 28-year-old was criticized for his lack of production in the season-ending series against the Red Wings, who held Marleau pointless in six games.

Also turning in a solid season for the Sharks in 2006-07 was Milan Michalek, who showed why San Jose selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2003 draft. The 22-year-old had a breakout year in his second full season in the NHL, posting 26 goals and 40 assists.

The Sharks added some veteran depth late in the offseason when they signed 37- year-old centerman Jeremy Roenick. The American has seen his production tail off significantly since the lockout, but is just five goals away from 500 for his career. Last year, Roenick played in 70 games with Phoenix and recorded just 28 points (11g, 17a).

San Jose would also like to see continued progress from its young forwards, especially Steve Bernier and Joe Pavelski, who turned in solid seasons in 2006-07.

The 22-year-old Bernier, a first-round pick in 2003, is a potential power forward in the NHL and pitched in 15 goals and 16 helpers in 62 games last year. The 6-2, 230-pound native of Quebec City is expected to see increased ice time in 2007-08.

Pavelski, meanwhile, has been a surprise for the Sharks since being selected in the seventh round of the 2003 draft. The 23-year-old from Plover, Wisconsin is undersized at 5-11, 194 pounds, but used, among other skills, his excellent hockey sense to record 28 points (14g, 14a) in 46 games.

DEFENSE - The Sharks defense has a great deal of potential, but the blue line lost one of its unsung heroes over the offseason.

Scott Hannan had played his entire eight-year career in San Jose and had become one of the club's most reliable defenseman. However, the Sharks were unable to keep Hannan in town as the 28-year-old opted to sign with the Colorado Avalanche.

Now that Hannan's gone the Sharks will turn to veterans Craig Rivet and Kyle McClaren to pick up the slack.

Rivet came over from Montreal before last season's trade deadline and the Sharks were so impressed with the 33-year-old that they decided to sign him to a four-year deal over the summer. He played in 71 total games with San Jose and the Canadiens in 2006-07 and notched seven goals and 17 assists in 71 games.

McClaren has been with San Jose since the 2002-03 season and his hard-hitting style of play has added toughness to the defensive corps. The 30-year-old is not known for his offensive ability, but managed to chip in five goals and 12 helpers in 67 contests last year.

After Rivet and McClaren, the Sharks rely mainly on young defensemen to get the job done.

Matthew Carle, 22, has shown the offensive skills necessary to be a power-play quarterback and had a superb rookie season last year. Carle played in 77 games a year ago and led all San Jose defensemen with 42 points (11g, 31a).

Christian Ehrhoff, a 25-year-old German, has also shown some offensive flair from the blue lime as he posted 10 goals and 23 assists while playing in all 82 games for the Sharks last year.

The Sharks are also very high on 20-year-old Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who made the jump from juniors last year and played very well in 81 games. Vlasic had 26 points (3g, 23a) and sported an impressive plus-13 rating.

All three of the young defensemen struggled in the 2007 playoffs, but San Jose should be happy with the amount of rising talent it has on the blue line.

GOALTENDING - For a few years there it seemed as if the Sharks weren't sure who they were going to pick as their No. 1 goaltender.

The combination of Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala gave San Jose one of the best 1-2 goaltending duos in the league, but the Sharks couldn't hold onto both players for ever. In the end, the Sharks opted to stay with the more proven Nabokov and traded Toskala to Toronto this offseason.

Nabokov had another strong season between the pipes last year, as he went 25-16-4 with a .914 save percentage and 2.29 goals against average. The 32- year-old played in only 50 games during the regular season in 2006-07, and will likely have to see more action with Toskala gone.

The Sharks will let rookies Thomas Greiss and Dimitri Patzold battle it out for the backup job. Neither player has ever seen action in an NHL game, but Patzold may have the inside track because he has three years on the 21-year- old Greiss. Patzold is from Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, which is also the hometown of Nabokov.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The Sharks will be in the race for the Pacific Division title all year, as they battle primary rivals Anaheim and Dallas for the crown. A higher seed in the postseason could help head coach Ron Wilson get the Sharks over the hump, but the team also has to show a greater intensity in big games. Finding the right combination of players on the top two lines could help maximize Thornton's playmaking ability. San Jose needs a strong showing in this year's postseason or changes will be made, and that usually means firing a coach. Wilson survived the chopping block last year, but will be on a short leash this season.