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Every article, I try to include a poll question for readers to vote on, then review the results from the week’s polls every weekend. Going forward, I’ll be transitioning the poll review articles into weekly recaps. These will include not only the poll results but also a quick recap of any news concerning the San Jose Sharks from that week.
Here are the notable updates.
POTENTIAL TRADE WITH WILD
Obviously, the big piece of news (which I wrote about yesterday) was that the Sharks were working on a potential deal with the Minnesota Wild involving Devan Dubnyk and Ryan Donato. Nothing has been finalized but if the trade does happen, San Jose may be giving up either a draft pick or a prospect to make it happen.
KARLSSON IS HEALTHY
Erik Karlsson is back to 100 per cent and this may be the first time that he’s been completely healthy since joining the Sharks in 2018, according to General Manager Doug Wilson. As a result, hopefully we can expect a bounce back year from him next season.
Doug Wilson says all the injured @SanJoseSharks are 100%. That includes Erik Karlsson, who told the GM that he's not limited in any way. Wilson said "this might be the first time Erik's been 100% healthy with us."
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) October 2, 2020
This should come as no surprise but Martin Jones isn't expected to be bought out. He has four years remaining on his contract and it just wouldn't be worth it to buy him out at this point.
No buyouts coming for the Sharks, per a league source. Really, the only candidate they had for a buyout was Martin Jones. Expect him back next season with another goalie TBD.
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) September 25, 2020
The Sharks have reportedly shown interest in Bobby Ryan, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz.
The Sharks are one of many teams believed to have checked in on free agent Bobby Ryan, I’m told. They could certainly use a right wing.
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) September 29, 2020
As for the poll review, here are this week’s poll results and my thoughts on how they turned out:
QUESTION: Would you be in favour of the Sharks targeting Ilya Kovalchuk in free agency?
(Votes: 120)
No: 62% Yes: 38%
I’m a bit surprised about this one. Kovalchuk can still play effectively in a middle-six role and given the opportunity, he’d likely be good for at least 40 points. Considering he’d most likely only command a one-year deal at a low price, I’d be a fan of the Sharks attempting to sign Kovalchuk.
QUESTION: Would you be in favour of the Sharks bringing back Patrick Marleau?
(Votes: 253)
Yes: 60% No: 40%
Like Kovalchuk, Marleau would be another veteran who the Sharks could target for a low-cost one-year deal. I wouldn't expect Marleau to score more than 25 or 30 points but even at 41 years old, he’d still be an upgrade to San Jose’s bottom-six.
QUESTION: Would you be in favour of the Sharks targeting Patrick Maroon in free agency?
(Votes: 120)
Yes: 67% No: 33%
Maroon may be a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion but he’s likely to hit free agency again. He’s younger than both Kovalchuk and Marleau and would be able to fill a middle-six role for the Sharks.
QUESTION: Would you be in favour of the Sharks trading a high draft pick or prospect in exchange for Devan Dubnyk and Ryan Donato?
(Votes: 164)
No: 79% Yes: 21%
As I said in the article, I wouldn't mind the additions of Dubnyk and Donato but giving up a quality pick is not the way to go. I’m certainly with the group who voted No on this one.
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OTHER SHARKS ARTICLES FROM OCTOBER