I listened to a lot of talk radio yesterday, and today I'm happy to announce my blood pressure is back to normal. Several Shark fans called in, upset about the team's lack of activity over the first two days of free agency. Of course the hosts had no idea how to respond, having never heard of exotic names like Brian Rafalski and Michael Nylander, so the conversation went round and round in a pointless display of questions without any answers - fans who can't see the big picture complaining to people who wouldn't recognize a Panthers logo if it was stapled to their face.
Well, I'm here to provide some perspective, answering all those questions and complaints that were left hanging in the air yesterday. Of course the casual fan is going to be upset, hearing about teams in far-off places picking up superstar talent while the Sharks sit on their hands, missing out on all those big names. However, the Sharks have a plan in place that extends far beyond this coming season, and it wouldn't have made any sense disrupting the salary structure to overpay Chris Drury.
Assuming Marleau sticks around, the Sharks have $35.72 in salary, so they have lots of cap room to work with. However, keeping the core together beyond this season might get tricks. It's not that Wilson doesn't want to improve the team, but he's keeping one eye on the summer of 2008, when Michalek, Clowe, Carle, Ehrhoff and Bernier become RFAs and demand huge raises. That means he has to address needs this summer, and maybe pick up a couple rentals or role players along the way. If all that money is tied up in $8M for Drury or Briere, Thornton's $7.2, Nabby's $5.5, plus whatever Marleau's extension is going to be, there are going to be some hard decisions next summer.
What are the team's needs coming into the season? The most pressing is a backup goaltender. Dmitri Patzold was a fourth-round draft pick in 2001, and six years later we can reason he might be talented in some areas, but stopping pucks isn't one of them. When your backup goalie puts up Jose Theodore numbers in the AHL, it's probably a safe bet he's not ready for the big leagues. There are a few options through free agency:
Ty Conklin - Put up horrible numbers everywhere he played last season
Jamie McLennan - Decent backup, but not someone you feel comfortable with trying to win games
Brian Boucher - Hasn't put up a winning record anywhere since 2001-02 season, bouncing around mediocre teams
Jussi Markkanen - Followed up strong 03-04 season with two sub-par campaigns
Sean Burke - Not a bad option, despite being 57 years old
Scott Clemmensen - Waited so long between starts behind Brodeur, Devils beat writers almost forgot how to spell his name
Mike Dunham - Couldn't hold the backup job for the Isles last season
Kevin Weekes - Had a couple strong seasons with Carolina, but he's fallen a long way since then
Jocelyn Thibault - Numbers are better than most on this list
Alex Auld - Took a big step backward last season, but he could be okay in the right situation
Chris Beckford-Tseu - Still young, and hasn't been terrible, but not ready for the NHL yet
Nobody on that list gets me jazzed up, and I've always believed it's best to have a young, capable backup you can groom to take over the starting job someday. Dakers needs a couple years in the minors, and Greiss might be able to handle the job if he looks strong in camp, but neither of those guys is a lock at this point.
If I'm Doug Wilson I go out today and pick up Montreal's Jaroslav Halak. I interviewed him a couple years ago when he was playing in Long Beach and he's going to be a star in the league someday, slight frame, bad teeth, outstanding goalie. His numbers have been incredible everywhere he's played and he's just sitting there. Montreal has a real logjam with Huet and possibly Aebischer coming back, plus they have blue chip prospect Carey Price in the system, so they're totally overlooking Halak, who might be the best of the bunch. He's 22 now, give him a couple years as Nabby's backup and he'll be ready to start. I'm telling you, the kid's going to be a superstar someday. Other needs include a defensive defenseman, a scoring winger, and some toughness up front. More on those needs in the days ahead.
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Quick note on the FSNBA broadcasts. Nothing's finalized yet, but expect Drew Remenda to return to the San Jose broadcast booth this season. More on this story when it's official, but the Sharks gave him a generous offer to return and we'll probably see Randy and Drew reunited.
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