[stator]

This is one of those statements that is easy to confirm by the numbers. Shark's average team age is ranked 25 out of 30 with top ranked being the youngest.

Age Rank, Team, Average Age, Point Standings Rank
1 WPG 26.244 20
2 CLB 26.28 30
3 OTT 26.433 6
4 COL 26.639 26
5 LAK 26.705 16
6 TOR 26.711 9
7 CAR 26.773 18
8 MIN 26.9 17
9 EDM 27.005 24
10 BUF 27.018 29
11 STL 27.05 11
12 CHI 27.344 1
13 NYR 27.347 22
14 NAS 27.495 10
15 WAS 27.585 28
16 MTL 27.599 2
17 DAL 27.75 12
18 PIT 27.866 4
19 VAN 27.927 7
20 TBL 28.008 19
21 ANA 28.057 3
22 BOS 28.186 5
23 PHX 28.269 14
24 NYI 28.301 25
25 SJS 28.407 13
26 DET 28.407 15
27 CGY 28.409 23
28 PHI 28.463 21
29 FLA 28.567 27
30 NJD 29.193 8


I would say that team age is not that great of a measurement to decide the competitiveness. There is some correlation with being too young or too old, but not much. Current point standings rankings of single digit teams (best points standings) tend to cluster between the midpoint and older. Of course, this is just today's snapshot and thus the sample size is small.

I would say that the Shark should consider "younging up" to around the 27.9 to 28.0 average age for next year's make up.

However... "Old age and treachery will win over youth and inexperience every time".