How the San Jose Sharks Can Solve Their Leadership Issues

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Prior to this past season, San Jose Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson made an off-season trade in which he acquired defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both players were with Tampa Bay when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup back in 2004.

However Wilson didn't stop there, he signed veteran cup-winning defenseman Rob Blake, as well as hiring a new head coach in Todd McLellan who had just won Hockey's holy grail as an assistant coach with the Red Wings.

The Sharks were now set up with what most hockey minds thought was their most talented roster in team history.

But talent alone does not win a Stanley Cup; there has to be heart, grit, and determination.

In order for the Sharks to make room in the lineup for their three new defensive players, General Manager Doug Wilson traded away part of the heart and soul of the Sharks team by shipping out defenseman Craig Rivet to the Buffalo Sabres.

Rivet, often referred to as "Rivers" was acquired by San Jose at the trade deadline in '07 from the Montreal Canadiens. Rivet would play the next full season with San Jose, but totaled just 91 regular season games while in San Jose. In the short time as a Shark, Rivet made quite the impression on the fans with his hard-nosed style. But Wilson still decided to ship him out before this past season.

Despite being an Alternate captain for the Canadiens as a bruising defenseman who would always stick up for his teammates, Rivet did not wear any letter on the front of his jersey while in San Jose. 

Yet, without even playing a game for the Buffalo Sabres, Rivet was handed the captain's "C" when he arrived to his new club.

That right there, is called respect.

To put that in retrospect, if you were to ask the majority of Sharks fans the following hypothetical question, I can guarantee you that the overwhelming majority of them would say "no way."

If Patrick Marleau were traded, even to the worst team in the league, do you think that team would name him captain?

I will tell you now, that even after parts of five seasons as Sharks captain, most of the fan base would suggest against his future team handing him the "C."

Now some fans out there may question my reasoning and point out that there have been a large number of successful NHL captains that aren't as brash and out-spoken as the Craig Rivet's or the Owen Nolan's.

And it is quite true, I will not argue against the fact that soft-spoken captains such as Joe Sakic, and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom have been Cup-winners without being the extremely talkative form of a leader.

However, if you're a team like the Sharks who are struggling in the post-season and continually facing questions about team toughness and more specifically "mental" toughness, then wouldn't it be better suited to have a captain who, without a doubt actually has "mental toughness"?

The only Shark who played to his capability in this year's playoffs was none other than first year Shark and first year All-Star Dan Boyle. The Sharks defenseman, along with fellow d-man Rob Blake were the only two reasons why San Jose avoided falling into a 3-0 hole. Their efforts in game three gave the Sharks hope.

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