So, I've stumbled upon a Forbes website that gives valuation of all the league's teams. Much to my chagrin, the Sharks have been losing money as a franchise over the last couple of years. This is blamed mostly on high player payroll. To be frank, "losing money" is an activity experienced by teams like Phoenix, Nashville, Tampa and St. Louis, all of which have been sold numerous times, been threatened with moves, and so forth.

My point here is that if the Sharks can't win the cup in the next couple of years (which would spur profits), expect the payroll to be substantially reduced. I doubt we'd be seeing a team like a Nashville or Columbus on the ice, but it could be a rough decade if these guys can't git 'er done.

Link: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/31/hockey-valuations-10_San-Jose-Sharks_312500.html