I was so sure of an answer that would support my own theory, I presented it to Doug Wilson as a statement rather than a question. Speaking with the San Jose Sharks general manager during the preseason, the topic of character players came up. "You would never pick up a player like Sean Avery," I said, fully expecting a response that would validate my assumption. "You bet I would," Wilson countered. "We brought Jeremy Roenick in here, and when we announced the move I had people calling me from all over asking me what I was doing."
The Roenick signing turned out to be a stroke of genius, one of several the Sharks GM has been able to pull off during his 5 1/2 years calling the shots in San Jose. Wilson found a player who was literally on the outskirts of the National Hockey League. Roenick's stock had fallen more sharply than the Dow Jones, and he was out of options after disappointing stops in Los Angeles and Phoenix. Since his arrival in San Jose, JR has been a model citizen, providing the club with leadership, intensity, and a stunning Game 7 performance against the Calgary Flames in April.
He took a much different road, but today Avery finds himself in a similar situation Roenick faced during the summer of 2007. He's been banished from his team, and his future in the league is tenuous at best after his latest incident. Obviously nobody's beating a path to take the NHL's problem child off the Dallas Stars' hands, but you have to wonder if he'd be a good fit in San Jose. Would Wilson take a chance on the league's most notorious mouth since... well, Jeremy Roenick? I'm not sure if his answer has changed over the last three months, but the opportunity is there if he decides to take on the reclamation project.
Why Avery?
The Sharks don't have many holes in their roster, but their most glaring need is a third-line left wing that can play physically, agitate the opposition, draw penalties, and put up a few points doing it. Avery fits the bill perfectly, and he would be a major upgrade over Tomas Plihal, who's currently holding down the role. Plihal isn't a bad player, but my wife has a couple cashmere sweaters with more grit. San Jose hasn't had a true agitator since Mike Ricci, and the lack of punch has cost them in the playoffs the last couple years.
Avery would add some pop and punch to San Jose's third line, making the team even more dangerous and giving the opposition one more player to worry about. Patrick Rissmiller didn't make anyone think twice, but Avery can change the momentum of a game with his hands, his shoulder, or his mouth. Plus, you've never seem someone's stock plummet so quickly after uttering two words that
can be said on television. People are always saying buy low sell high, and the Stars would probably deal Avery for a stick of gum right now.
Would He Fit?
Some are turning Avery into a scapegoat for the Stars' misfortunes this season, but nothing could be further from the truth. Dallas has been racked with injuries, the defense hasn't resembled the shutdown squad that gave the Sharks fits last season, and Marty Turco lets in goals so weak they'd lose an arm wrestling match against some of the Stars' ice girls. Avery might not be the best guy in the locker room, but he isn't the menace some in the media make him out to be.
Honestly, San Jose is probably the best place in the league for Avery. Leaders in the locker room would hold him accountable for his actions, rather than sniping to the media like a bunch of petulant teenagers. And there isn't any media attention for him to get swept up in, because there's only one beat writer, the television crews avoid San Jose like it was an affectionate leper, and radio usually chooses to ignore the team altogether. Also, Avery would have the perfect mentor in Roenick, who wrote the book on inflammatory statements. Avery's impromptu Calgary press conference was okay, but could never compare to a profanity-laced video tirade telling an ignorant NHL fan base to "kiss my ass."
Who Moves?
Avery carries a hefty salary of $3.875 million until the end of the 2011-12 season, so the Sharks would have to move some green in order to put him in teal. The most obvious candidate for a move is Jonathan Cheechoo, who has a $3 million annual cap hit through 2010-11. He's gone from injured to injury-prone, and his point totals (93, 69, 37) have tumbled over the last three seasons. Cheechoo started the season on the second line, with first-line power play duty, but when he's in the lineup these days he suits up on the third line, without any power play time. He's still a popular player in San Jose, but he's lost his one-shot scoring ability and doesn't have the jam of a third-line player.
That would be an okay one-for-one deal for the Sharks, but they should test the waters and see how desperate the Stars are to move Avery. How about Avery and a first-round pick for Cheechoo? That's probably going to be a lottery pick, and the chance to bag a phenom like John Tavares or Victor Hedman would be huge. If the Sharks need to up the ante, toss in Logan Couture. He's putting up decent points in Ottawa, but he had a terrible showing at training camp and he's had injury issues of his own. Plus, you have to wonder why he wasn't invited to try out for Team Canada's World Junior team. Probably because he's softer than a stack of blueberry pancakes.
Cheechoo and Couture for Avery and a lottery pick sounds like a steal to me. It helps the Sharks take a run at the Cup this season and they put a blue-chip prospect in the cupboard for the future, while the Stars rid themselves of Avery and get forward help they desperately need. Plus, Claude Lemieux is in the Sharks organization, and would offer Avery another voice of reason if he clawed his way back into the NHL. Could you imagine a line of Avery-Roenick-Lemieux? It would be the most divisive line since the Mason-Dixon.
I can hear the chorus now, chanting in unison "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's probably good advice, but these high-risk, high-reward situations don't present themselves very often, and it really does sound like the best option for the Sharks, Stars, Avery and the NHL. I'm sure it's all just wishful thinking, but I didn't think Wilson would have any interest in Avery back in the preseason, so you just never know. Crazier things have happened, and when it comes to Sean Avery they usually do.
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