Could it be the end of an era in San Jose?

The Sharks were bounced from the Western Conference Final in six games by the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, marking a disappointing finish for a team that undoubtedly had a Stanley Cup-or-bust mentality.

This was supposed to be San Jose's year. With the beloved Joe Thornton on his last legs vying for his first Stanley Cup, the acquisition of pending UFA Erik Karlsson, a handful of youngsters playing out their entry-level deals, and a supremely skilled lineup in its prime, it seemed at times like the Sharks were a team of destiny.

From a pure talent perspective, this was arguably the best Sharks roster ever assembled. Yes, even better than the 117-point Presidents' Trophy-winning squad in 2008-09, or the team that lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.

But after falling short of the ultimate goal, it's possible the roster could undergo a dramatic transformation this offseason, leaving in the dust the organization's best chance at a Stanley Cup.

Who's coming back?

The Sharks are projected to enter the offseason with $24.7 million in cap space, but they have a bevy of both unrestricted and restricted free agents in need of new contracts:

Nearly every player on this list - with the exception of Thornton and Micheal Haley - will be due for a raise this summer. It's possible Thornton, who's had multiple knee surgeries over the past few years, will retire. That would leave a hole down the middle of San Jose's lineup, and an even bigger void in the dressing room.

Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc will be in line for the team's most significant salary increases. Both youngsters enjoyed breakout seasons, and it's possible they'll combine for an annual cap hit close to $10 million, putting a dent in San Jose's spending flexibility.

Then there's Karlsson, who was one of the NHL's best bargains at $6.5 million a year. After a nagging groin injury cost him a chunk of the regular season and ultimately ended his postseason prematurely, there are questions about his health moving forward. But on the open market, he could still command Drew Doughty-like money in the neighborhood of $11 million per season; there'd likely be more than one team willing to open the vault for the two-time Norris Trophy winner.

Gustav Nyquist and Joonas Donskoi are likely bets to be gone as cap casualties, and retaining both Karlsson and Joe Pavelski - who should be seeking a modest raise after a 38-goal campaign - seems improbable.

Never underestimate Doug Wilson, though. The Sharks general manager is as savvy and shrewd as they come, and he has a history of getting core players to stay in the Bay Area. But if he's able to retain both Karlsson and Pavelski while also locking up Meier and Labanc, it'll be some of his most impressive work yet.

Even if Thornton and Pavelski are both back in teal next season, it's hard to imagine they'll be as effective with another year of mileage on their bodies. Fellow members of the veteran nucleus - Logan Couture (30), Brent Burns (34), and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (32) - have yet to show signs of slowing down, but the clock is ticking.

Down but not out

It's difficult to envision the Sharks being as deep and talented in 2019-20 as they were this season. That's just the nature of a salary-cap league. To completely dismiss San Jose, however, would be an erroneous oversight.

Cause for optimism stems from three of the team's brightest young forwards in Meier, Labanc, and 25-year-old Tomas Hertl, all of whom have been exposed to top-notch professionalism within the Sharks organization. If Thornton and Pavelski leave, players like Couture, Burns, and (possibly) Karlsson will take on greater leadership roles. Even the oft-maligned Evander Kane has shown signs of growth since joining the Sharks and could be looked to as a leader going forward. Eventually, the torch will be passed to Hertl, Meier, and Labanc.

Wilson and the rest of the Sharks' front office have established a winning culture, as San Jose has missed the playoffs just once in the 15 seasons since his hiring. If any GM is equipped to re-tool on the fly, it's Wilson.

There's a case to be made that the Western Conference Final is a completely different series with a healthy Karlsson. Regardless, though, this season will still be viewed as a squandered opportunity for a franchise seeking its first Stanley Cup. It's the toughest trophy to win for a reason.

But if we learned anything from the Washington Capitals' repeated playoff failures prior to their first Stanley Cup win, it's that writing off one of the NHL's most consistent organizations because of a missed opportunity is a big mistake. The Sharks will be back, they just may not have the same familiar bite.

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Anthony Mantha has been suspended for Canada's quarterfinal matchup with Switzerland for a check to the head of Colin White during Tuesday's game against the United States, the IIHF announced Wednesday.

Mantha is tied for the tournament lead with seven goals and paces Canada with 12 points.

Canada finished atop Group A, earning a quarterfinal matchup with Group B's No. 4 seed. However, Switzerland has often been a thorn in Canada's side on the international stage: The Swiss upset the defending gold medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics, took Canada to a shootout at the 2010 Olympics, and most recently, gave the Canadians a run for their money at the 2019 world juniors before ultimately losing 3-2 in round-robin action.

Mantha scored a career-high 25 goals in 67 games for the Detroit Red Wings this past season.

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Peter DeBoer lamented the fact that Erik Karlsson wasn't at 100 percent during the playoffs, and the San Jose Sharks head coach said the superstar blue-liner wasn't fully healthy and thus at his best for much of the season.

"Sure (it's) disappointing, absolutely. Maybe the best defenseman in the world or in that conversation. But really, we had him healthy for probably six weeks and dialed in," DeBoer told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, following his team's elimination Tuesday night.

"The first two months of the season, he was getting used to us, (maybe) two-and-a-half (months)," the Sharks bench boss added. "I thought he got dialed in in January (or) February, and I thought maybe we were the best team in the league through that stretch and then he wasn't healthy again."

DeBoer declined to specify what Karlsson's most recent injury was, but the all-world rearguard was limited to about six minutes in the third period of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues.

He left Game 5 and didn't return after playing about 10 minutes, and didn't suit up for Game 6 on Tuesday, which the Blues won to end San Jose's season.

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Peter DeBoer is taking some of the blame for the fact that Joe Thornton won't win his first championship this spring.

"He's the face, he's the heartbeat of the organization," the San Jose Sharks head coach told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, following a season-ending 5-1 defeat to the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday night.

"Like all the players in that room, as coaches, we're disappointed for not helping him get there because he gives you everything he's got and (he) should be there," DeBoer added. "It's hard not to feel responsibility as one of the people around him for not helping him get where he belongs. He belongs playing for a Stanley Cup and that's the disappointing part."

Thornton said postgame that he hasn't thought about his future.

The 39-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent who's spent parts of 14 of his 21 seasons with the Sharks.

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Joe Thornton wasn't ready to say whether he plans to continue his career in the aftermath of his club's elimination on Tuesday night.

"No. Nope," the veteran San Jose Sharks forward told reporters, including NHL Network's Jon Morosi, when asked if he's thought about his future following the Sharks' 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final.

Thornton is a pending unrestricted free agent who will turn 40 on July 2, one day after free agency opens.

He contributed 51 points in 73 games during the 2018-19 regular season, adding 10 points in 19 playoff contests.

Tuesday's loss ended Thornton's 21st NHL season. He's spent parts of 14 campaigns with the Sharks.

The supremely skilled playmaker has signed one-year contracts to remain with San Jose before each of the last two seasons.

Thornton ranks eighth on the NHL's all-time assists list, and 14th among the league's all-time points leaders.

He's also the Sharks' all-time assists leader, sits second in franchise history in points and games played, and ranks third on San Jose's all-time goals list.

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Referee Wes McCauley was forced to exit Game 6 between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks in the first period after colliding with linesman Scott Cherry during play.

Gord Dwyer replaced the official, and the NHL later announced McCauley will not return.

Sportsnet's Scott Oake said on the broadcast that McCauley told him it's a hamstring injury.

The veteran referee is the most popular official in the league, and one of the most well respected.

He'll likely be in line to work the Stanley Cup Final if healthy.

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