Standing amid a deafening crowd at AT&T Park, I tried to enjoy the history-making moment when Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run. I couldn’t. Walking through the parking lot of a Palm Springs movie theater, I nearly convinced myself “The Simpsons Movie” I’d just seen had been worth the $11.50. I couldn’t. Returning home this afternoon from a wedding in Saratoga, I keep trying to see the upside in the San Jose Sharks’ recent moves. I can’t.
I’m really struggling with this one, wondering how Rob Blake, Dan Boyle Brad Lukowich and two second-round picks are an upgrade over Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, Craig Rivet and a first-round pick. Instead, I see a general manager who’s constantly putting the organization in reverse to make up for past mistakes.
Remember a couple years ago when Doug Wilson made the mistake of acquiring Mark Bell, and then gambled on Bill Guerin at the trade deadline? Those errors – and another second-round exit – resulted in the trade of Vesa Toskala to the Leafs for well below market value, both to ship Bell from the roster and recoup the first-round pick lost in the Guerin trade.
Remember when Wilson let Scott Parker go without a suitable replacement, leaving the team unable to intimidate anybody with a take-no-prisoners enforcer? That error eventually led to the acquisition of Jody Shelley, a take-several-prisoners and win-no-fights type of enforcer who looked so foolish during the first round against Calgary he was relegated to the press box for the remainder of the postseason. Then Wilson decided to re-sign Shelley, rather than bring in a legitimate enforcer (i.e. Laraque) who could both intimidate and dole out justice.
Remember last year when Wilson gave Matt Carle a hefty contract extension despite the fact he had only 6 points and a -3 plus-minus through his first 18 games, and then gambled on Brian Campbell at the trade deadline? Those errors resulted in the premature trade of Carle to erase the “bad” contract he hadn’t even begun earning and the loss of Wishart and another first-rounder in a massive overpayment for Boyle.
Let’s break San Jose’s recent deals down piece by piece, so we can get a better understanding of what the Sharks gave up, and what they brought back in return.
Matt Carle – Was he worth $3.4 million per season after his 42-point rookie campaign? Of course. Was he still worth $3.4 million per season after his 15-point sophomore campaign? You bet. Wilson probably could have waited until the offseason, when he had a lot more leverage in contract negotiations, but I liked Carle’s contract extension when it was announced and I still like it. In fact, a year or two from now it’s probably going to be considered a massive steal.
I can’t understand why Wilson would show and preach extreme patience with some players (Marleau) but send a promising youngster like Carle out of town. Perhaps Ehrhoff (55 points over the last two seasons) was comparing himself to Carle (57 points over the last two seasons) in contract negotiations, but Ehrhoff is no Carle.
The kid is a winner and he had to endure a few bumps last season that will make him a better player down the road, but his sophomore slump was just that, a sophomore slump, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Carle puts up comparable numbers to Boyle next season at about half the price.
Ty Wishart – Wilson has spent a lot of time talking about how he’s building a foundation that will make the Sharks competitive for the next 5-8 years, but Wishart’s inclusion in the deal indicates he’s showing a little desperation to get that first Cup under his belt. Those two, along with Vlasic, were supposed to shape the defensive corps for a long time and Wishart was expected to compete for a spot in training camp.
I’ve always compared the kid to Dion Phaneuf, without the Cro-Magnon brow and devastating physicality. The two seasons after he was drafted, playing for the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, Phaneuf put up 43 points in 62 games and 56 points in 55 games. Wishart has put up 49 points in 62 games and 67 points in 72 games his last two seasons, playing for the Prince George Cougars and Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.
I have to admit, I won’t miss trying to pronounce his name. I’ve called him everything from Wish-heart to Wish-art to Wiz-heart to Wiss-heart, never settling on a definitive pronunciation. Whatever the case may be, Shark fans are now hoping he’s never called a Norris trophy candidate.
Craig Rivet – There were a lot of times last season when we’d wonder aloud or ask one another online who would captain the Sharks if Patrick Marleau were dealt or stripped of the C. Again and again, without hesitation, Rivet was the first name mentioned or typed or shouted. No other Shark showed more courage or dependability sticking up for teammates, and no other blueliner came close to providing his level of leadership last season.
The Sharks have lacked heart, grit and other similar intangibles since Doug Wilson took over the GM duties, so why would they choose to dump the one defenseman who demonstrates those qualities? Also, if you’re looking to shed salary, how about buying out or trading Kyle McLaren, who’s probably going to be as useful as a bottomless wheelbarrow for most of the coming season?
2009 first-round pick – In the age of free agency, I just can’t understand dealing picks or prospects to fill a hole in your roster. Last I checked there wasn’t an NHL team stationed in Nunavut, so each of the 30 teams should be able to attract free agents if they pony up enough cash.
Wilson acquired two first-round picks in the ultra-thin 2007 draft, but failed to hold on to a first-round pick in the ultra-deep 2008 draft. Now he’s sacrificed the 2009 first-round pick and the cupboard is starting to look bare, without the picks, prospects or seller’s mentality at the trade deadline that’s going to result in a first-round pick coming back the other way.
Dan Boyle – Boyle is a huge offensive talent, and he’s a welcome face for a power play that was probably going to have to rely on Rivet and Carle in Campbell’s absence. He can move the puck well, and if we see the same offensive breakouts Campbell provided it’s going to be fun watching a full season of Boyle with those San Jose forwards.
Another plus is that he’s signed through 2014 at $6.67 million per season and didn’t have any injury trouble before the freak wrist injury he suffered last season. The way salaries are increasing that salary could be a bargain a couple years down the road. However, he just turned 32 years old and you have to wonder if he can remain productive for another six seasons.
There’s some concern about that wrist injury that limited him to only 37 games, but the bigger concern was his horrid plus-minus last season. He was a -29 in only 37 games, and while it’s true he was playing for the worst team in the NHL his shoddy defensive play definitely contributed to the Lightning being the worst team in the league.
Brad Lukowich – The guy hits, blocks shots and clears the puck pretty well, so he definitely fills a need that the Sharks were lacking from some of their defensemen during the playoffs. Plus, like Blake, he has the experience of winning a Stanley Cup. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but at least the Sharks add a couple players who have won a Cup during the Bush administration rather than the Clinton administration.
Rob Blake – For the life of me, I can’t understand why you sacrifice Rivet for Blake. Rivet is younger, cheaper, more productive, tougher, hits more, blocks more shots, and he’s a more effective leader. Seriously, if Rob Blake was named Henry McGillicuddy everybody would be up in arms over this signing. Instead of signing Blake, why not spend that salary on Jason Smith, teaming him with Rivet to create a strong veteran duo that can dish out some punishment?
Plus, Blake is on the decline. He had 25 points and a -12 plus-minus in 51 games prior to the All-Star break last year. He finished out the season with six points and a -7 plus-minus over his last 20 games after it. I realize the Kings were well out of contention but that’s a pretty significant drop, and I know numbers don’t tell the whole story but someone will have to explain to me why you dump Rivet to bring in Blake.
In the short term, on paper, the Sharks probably come out better than they were a week ago, simply because Boyle is guaranteed to score 50+ points while Carle wasn't. However, in the long term when you look at Blake, Boyle and Lukowich costing over $13 million this season compared to Carle, Rivet and Wishart costing a shade under $8 million, the loss of another first-round pick and the diminishment of young talent, the Sharks are huge losers.
Ultimately, these recent moves have come about as a result of the Brian Campbell trade, and you can’t blame Wilson for making that deal. The Sharks needed a legitimate No. 1 defenseman and Campbell took the team for an incredible late-season ride before drying up in the postseason. However, hindsight being 20/20, you can blame Wilson for choosing the wrong player. If he’d dealt for Boyle rather than Campbell the Sharks would be much better off today.
The gamble blew up in his face, and rather than letting it go and chalking it up to bad luck or bad timing he took a chunk out of the prospect pool, dealt a young defenseman who will most likely be better and cheaper than Boyle in two years, and sacrificed another first-round pick to satisfy everyone’s hunger for an offensive defenseman.
The defensive dilemma is settled for the time being, and the Sharks will begin the season with a true No. 1 defenseman, but Wilson’s reputation as a general manager takes a few hits when you consider what the Sharks have given up since the beginning of February in their pursuit of an offensive defenseman.
Out: Steve Bernier, 2008 first-round pick, Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, 2009 first-round pick
In: Dan Boyle, Brad Lukowich
In short, Doug Wilson took the incredibly long way around to make the team worse down the road, limit his salary flexibility, and sacrifice more of the future in pursuit of the Sharks’ first Stanley Cup.
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Hey gang, join us Sunday night at 10 p.m. PT for a special offseason episode of SharksBuzz, featuring an entire commercial-free hour of discussion and analysis concerning the Sharks' recent moves. You can weigh in by calling (724) 444-7444, talkcast ID# 74909. Thanks everybody and we look forward to hearing from you.
Oh, and to the kind folks who work at the Hotel Valencia, please set out something besides the Wall Street Journal for your guests. If you had, I might have known about all this wheeling and dealing prior to this afternoon.
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