SAN JOSE — Joe Pavelski is going to earn a healthy paycheck this summer.

The pending-unrestricted free agent continues to produce at a torrid pace, scoring for the seventh time in eight games Monday. In doing so, Pavelski reached the 20-goal mark for the 10th time in his 13-year career. The 34-year-old forward also tied Owen Nolan (1999-00) and Patrick Marleau’s record as the fastest Sharks to reach 20 goals, hitting that mark in his 32nd game.

“I don’t think he’s dropped off at all,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “Age is just a number for a guy like him. He works so hard and his game isn’t about speed. It’s about all those other things and you don’t lose those things as you get older.”

We’ll find out if NHL general managers see Pavelski in the same light come July 1, 2019.

Here’s what we learned in the Sharks 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils at SAP Center.

1. Blue line controversy heats up as Radim Simek scores his first NHL goal.

Simek might not realize what’s going on: he’s pushing for Joakim Ryan’s job as Brent Burns’ defensive partner.

When told in his postgame scrum that he’s playing “very-good hockey,” the Czech rookie sounded shocked.

“Really?” he replied.

Yes, really.

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Simek skated on Burns’ left side for a fifth consecutive game Monday, logging 16:56 of ice time, including 5:57 in the third period with the Sharks holding the lead. Throughout most of the first two months of the season, DeBoer cut his blue line down to five guys late in games, keeping Ryan pinned to the bench. He’s already showing more trust in Simek, and after Monday’s win, the Sharks coach made it clear that he wants Simek to lock down the job on a permanent basis.

Oftentimes, rookies will ride the buzz of reaching the NHL for four or five games and then backslide when it wears off. DeBoer is hoping that Simek’s age and experience will allow him to buck that trend.

“I don’t even want to think about any kind of drop off,” he said. “The one thing he has going for him is that he’s a veteran guy. He has experience. He has a quiet confidence to him.

“I’ve got my fingers crossed that he’s going to continue playing the way he is.”

Simek, who scored his first NHL goal at 7:19 of the second, is showing he possesses the one ingredient that’s essential to being Burns’ partner: poise.

First NHL goal for Radim Simek was an absolute 💣 pic.twitter.com/7jx9fqcqKc — San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 11, 2018

Paul Martin’s poise helped Burns’ game reach a new level in 2015-16, providing the security blanket that the Wookiee needed to unleash his offensive gifts. Ryan displayed similar poise in that spot as a rookie last season, but he hasn’t played with enough assertiveness, in DeBoer’s eyes, this year to keep his grip on the job. As a result, the door opened up for Simek and he’s bursting through.

It certainly helps that Simek is launching his NHL career at 26, joining the Sharks with 171 games of professional experience over five seasons in the Czech Extraliga.

“You don’t always see a player’s poise in practice. You almost have to get him in games to see it,” DeBoer said. “He’s really shown an ability to come in and complement Burnzie and complement our group.”

2. The Sharks avoid the trap.

One sign that things might finally be turning around for the Sharks: they avoided the trap Monday.

From a distance, a home game against a team that has produced the fewest road wins in the NHL (3) looks like a gimme. But the Sharks went into the game facing a challenging set of circumstances.

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Instead of being the first game of a two-game homestand, it was more like the final game of a nine-game road trip. After returning from their five-game roadie two weeks ago, the Sharks came home for one game last week before heading back out for a two gamer to Dallas and Arizona. The team changed time zones 11 times in a 16-day span and Joe Thornton appeared to be sick, skipping the morning skate to get extra rest.

The Sharks looked a team fighting jet lag in the first, surrendering the game’s first seven shots and coughing up the opening goal, a softie from the side boards and sneaked through Martin Jones.

But instead of caving to adversity, the Sharks battled back with three unanswered goals and they a scored a fourth after the Devils made it 3-2, earning their fourth win in five games.

“It was a big win,” Logan Couture said. “We haven’t had the easiest of schedules. We’ve been trekking through different time zones here recently. It’s nice to win this one — this is known as a trap game.”

3. Timo Meier is becoming a irreplaceable part of the Sharks lineup.

The Sharks are discovering just how important Meier is to their lineup.

Last year, DeBoer tagged Meier as one of a handful of young players who would need to step up to help the Sharks absorb the loss of Patrick Marleau’s offense. Now, Meier is at the center of the Sharks new core.

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Home sweet home? Giants, visitors at Oracle Park, tie franchise record in win After the team went 1-2 during his three game absence in Eastern Canada, Meier’s returned and collected seven points (3g, 4a) in four games. He scored two goals Monday, going far corner off the rush on both, giving him 16 tallies on the season.

“He’s a critical guy,” DeBoer said. “You take that type of player out of anyone’s lineup, you’re going to feel the effects. It’s nice to have him back.”