The San Jose Sharks came within two wins of a franchise first Stanley Cup Championship after having already advanced to a franchise first Final. That should have been enough to call the 2015-16 a success in San Jose.
Not for Sharks' GM Doug Wilson.
Wilson is only a season removed from floating in shark infested waters (pun fun) with nothing more than a life ring keeping him afloat.
A couple of seasons ago, he was staring in disbelief as his team unraveled before his very own eyes. San Jose had just blown a 3-0 series lead to the hated LA Kings, followed by missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. The Sharks looked like a team who's time had come and gone.
Wilson seemed as motivated his team not to be defined by two rough seasons. Instead, he went back to work and helped orchestrate the most successful season in the Sharks 25 years of existence.
But the job is not done. San Jose did not win the Stanley Cup and for the Sharks, it seems as though anything less than the Cup next season in considered a failure. Wilson is already hard at work, reloading his team in an effort to finally put that delicious teal colored icing on a championship cake.
Since the free agent window opened on July 1, Wilson has quietly been retooling his roster with a couple of very underrated but potentially outstanding moves.
Wilson quickly signed resurgent defenseman David Schlemko to a reasonable $8.4 million over four years. Schlemko revived his career in New Jersey as one of the leaders in the Devils' locker room. (Funny how many connections the Devils and Sharks have, isn't it? :)) The 29-year-old had career high in both goals (6g) and assists (13a) on an offensive inept Devils' team. Schlemko will step right into the hole left by the loss of Roman Polak to the Leafs via free-agency. I really like this move if Schlemko can maintain the same level of play he did in New Jersey.
If we learned anything during the Penguins run to the Cup, it was that speed kills. Wilson watched first hand as his team looked a step or two behind the buzzing Pittsburgh attack. So what does he do? Why not add a bonafide speedster to the roster?
Wilson inked speedy winger Mikkel Boedker to a four-year deal that will pay the former eighth overall draft pick $4 million annually. At first the addition of Boedker seemed a bit redundant, but his speed alone is enough to praise the Sharks GM for the move. The 26-year-old Danish forward is coming off a 17 goal campaign in 80 games, playing for both the Coyotes and Avalanche. His best offensive season came back in 2013-14 when he had 51 points (19g 32a) in 82 games for Phoenix.
I think with better talent around him and his familiarity with head coach Pete Deboer (coached Boedker in juniors), he could top the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. Could be one of Wilson's biggest moves this off-season.
And let's not forget the resigning of Tomas Hertl. Hertl's loss in the Final was an absolute gut-punch for the Sharks and they were never the same offensively without him. The Sharks signed the 22-year-old to a two-year bridge deal worth $2.8 million in the first year and $3.2 million in the second year.
Sharks fans know how hard it is to get to a Cup Final. 25 years of near misses are more than enough evidence, but it's already clear that Wilson is not about to shut the door on his team. He looks to be reloading for another big season from his team and I couldn't be more excited.
***
Other Sharks free agent subtractions...
- G James Reimer to FLA - D Matt Tennyson to CAR - D Karl Stollery to NJD
Thanks for reading, Steve