San Jose Sharks: Summer of Discontent

Let's take a look at Doug Wilson's checklist since the Stanley Cup Finals ended:

• He needed a new coach, and hired a man who has no NHL head coaching experience over three candidates who have won championships. I have no doubt that Todd McLellan is a capable coach, but his name is not going to be an asset in negotiations with free agents, and the organization is already at a disadvantage because they do not spend to the salary cap.
• He did not have a pick until the fourth round of the draft and was only able to move up into the third round, despite rumours he was being offered a talented young player (Nicolai Zherdev) and the No. 6 pick in the draft for Patrick Marleau. Perhaps Columbus came to its senses, but surely it could have been talked out of its No. 17 pick instead, and/or a player or pick could have been added to sweeten the deal. If the team did not want to take on Zherdev's salary, cut him—the team desperately needed the cap room and a relevant draft.
• The Sharks needed an upgrade to the blue line to compete with the teams in the West that have the two best units in the league and, NOT coincidentally, the last two championships. It was reported by fired coach Ron Wilson that he and Marleau both had a desire to work together, and Toronto has one of the few blue-line players being shopped around who would upgrade the Sharks unit. But Marleau was not traded for Tomas Kaberle or any other blue-liner.
• The team is now stuck with a player set to make over $130,000 per point scored last season, even though he was also a team-worst minus-19, for the next two years, as he now has a no-trade clause. He also plays a position in which the Sharks are especially deep.
• Not only has Wilson failed to upgrade the blue line, but he has lost Brian Campbell, a player he traded away a good young forward and a first-round pick for, but who got us not one game further in the playoffs. Campbell was the premiere free-agent defenseman available this year, pretty much assuring the Sharks blue line would not only fail to be upgraded, it would actually slip.
• Primary alternatives to Campbell are also falling by the wayside, since Wade Redden has now signed with the New York Rangers and Kaberle no longer has loopholes in his no-trade clause.
• He has failed, to this point, to even re-sign Christian Ehrhoff, who now is the cheapest alternative.
• He has failed to re-sign Curtis Brown, Ryan Clowe, or Patrick Rissmiller; the former two played extensively on special teams last season and are essential parts of the team.

Now let's examine what he has done well:

• Five of his seven picks were rated higher by Central Scouting than they were taken in the draft. Even though they were the last five picks, I do think the draft was solid for what was available to the team.
• Wilson managed to re-sign goalie Brian Boucher, who is young enough to be a possible replacement if the team loses Evgeni Nabokov in a couple years, but is also experienced enough to backstop the team in the playoffs.
• He has re-signed Jeremy Roenick, one of the league's most pleasant surprises in 2007-08, and Jody Shelley, who proved to be a competent skater in addition to a feared enforcer.
• He has signed restricted free agent Joe Pavelski, one of the team's best young players.

That's quite an imbalance, and right now it has me wondering if the Sharks can make the playoffs in the highly competitive Western Conference. Edmonton, Chicago, and Phoenix narrowly missed the playoffs and yet have all upgraded.

The Ducks, Stars, Red Wings, Flames, and Avalanche should all make the playoffs again. The Predators, Wild, and Canucks all will be strong competition for the playoffs, too. Even Columbus and St. Louis are competitive enough to make it in the conference's weakest division.

But, hey, I know San Jose can finish ahead of Los Angeles.