San Jose might be seller at deadline
Sharks GM typically tries to recoup assets when out of contention
Devan Dubnyk’s been around the NHL long enough to know how this goes.
Teams that believe they have a chance to go on a long playoff run typically try to add reinforcements before the league’s trade deadline. Teams that appear as if they’ll be out of the postseason mix usually try to deal players on expiring contracts to recoup assets for the future.
Right now, with the April 12 trade deadline a little less than a month away, all signs point to general manager Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks being sellers. The Sharks enter Saturday nine points back of the Colorado Avalanche for the fourth and final playoff spot, and unless they can go on a big run, will miss the postseason for the second straight year.
“That’s the reality of every season,” Dubnyk said Friday of the trade deadline after he made 34 saves in the Sharks’ 6-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks. “There’s going to be teams that are buying, selling, and in between. It’s our job to make it a difficult decision.”
The Sharks (10-11-3) have a handful of players who are set to become unrestricted free agents
at season’s end, including Dubnyk, Patrick Marleau, Matt Nieto and Marcus Sorensen. But even if Wilson were to actively seek deals, there could be a few obstacles to making trades this year.
One is that it could be a buyers’ market, with more sellers than in other years.
Nine teams as of Saturday morning were at least nine points out of a playoff spot, a list that could grow between now and the deadline. Also, with so many owners hemorrhaging money this season, how many of them will be willing to add salary, even if it’s just for the short term?
There is also the issue of the Canadian border. As of now, the Canadian government requires that most air travelers entering the county quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Although there have been reports the NHL is trying to see if exemptions can be made for players if certain protocols are followed, the travel rules, if unchanged, still could further limit the number of trade partners.
Dubnyk could still be a player to watch as the trade deadline approaches. His overall .904 save percentage isn’t great, but he’s given the Sharks quality efforts in five of the nine games he’s started, and he’s bounced back for the most part after last season’s struggles.
There could be a handful of playoff-bound teams looking for an experienced backup goalie that’s playing well. Tampa Bay and Colorado are two teams that would seem to fit that description. However, the Lightning are among a handful of teams that have little or no cap space right now and would likely need to get creative if they want to add a player.
Let there be no question, though: Wilson is serious about restocking the cupboards with prospects.
The Sharks made moves to draft nine players in October, and Wilson is not trading his first-round pick, which could be in the top five or 10, this year. The Sharks have six picks for 2021 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Wilson add more.
Certainly, Wilson has also followed a certain pattern when his teams have been out of the mix. In 2015 with the Sharks staring down their first nonplayoff year since 2003, Wilson traded Andrew Desjardins and James Sheppard for draft picks that resulted in the selections of Ivan Chekhovich and Noah Gregor.
Last year, Barclay Goodrow, Marleau and Brenden Dillon were all traded for a combined four picks, two of which were used to select Ozzy Wiesblatt and Tristen Robins in October’s draft. The thirdround draft pick they acquired from Pittsburgh in the Marleau deal was used to get Ryan Donato in a trade with Minnesota.
“We look at last year’s draft and this upcoming draft, the word replenish is important, and we needed to do that,” Wilson said, later adding, “the big thing for me now is to watch our team play and have some continuity and rhythm.”
That’s why it’s important if the Sharks want to keep this group together, to make a push for the playoffs now, to send a message to management that this doesn’t have to altogether be a transitional year, even though they’re not Stanley Cup contenders.
“I feel like we’ve been playing significantly better hockey, for the most part, as of late and we’ve got to string some games together,” Dubnyk said. “If we continue to do what we’ve done in the last couple games and string something together then it’s our job to make (Wilson’s) job difficult in that way.
“But it’s certainly not something that you can’t think about or worry about. It’s a difficult part of this of the business, but it’s not going to help you perform if (you)worry.”