What Was Doug Wilson Thinking? (Seriously...I'm Interested)

In appearances before the public, Sharks GM Doug Wilson is the picture of pacific confidence. He tends to wear a small, patient, wry smile when being questioned, as if he had anticipated the query with comprehensive accuracy and is mildly amused by this, then typically issues a bland and pleasant response that is less informative than an AP wire story. It's as though he took very much to heart the scene in Bull Durham in which Crash Davis instructs Nuke LaLoosh on the benefits of clichés. ("You're gonna have to learn your clichés. You're gonna have to study them, you're gonna have to know them. They're your friends.")

I find it tough to get inside the guy's head...he's inscrutable. It would have been really fascinating to somehow have had a peek inside his skull as the events immediately following the opening of the NHL free agency period unfolded--the departure of Brian Campbell, then the acquisition of Rob Blake and the trade for Dan Boyle.

As I alluded to in my last post, it's the timeline of events that's so interesting. Brian Campbell was off like a shot to Chicago as soon as the free agency period began, signing on the dotted line on July 1st. This article, which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times print edition on July 3rd, suggests very strongly that Dan Boyle was not inclined to waive his no-trade clause, despite the rumors swirling around him. A few quotes from the above:

[Boyle's agent George] Bazos...explained he got a call Tuesday from "Lightning management" that he said indicated, "It's not their intention to move Dan. They're going to try to work out whatever they need to work out in other ways."

Bazos said [of Boyle], "He's staying put. You can't replace Dan. ... When rational people sit down and take a look at it and say, realistically, if they want to move Dan, how are they making the team better, they can't do it."

The timeline on the Blake situation is less clear-cut, but it appears that even he was still in discussions with the Kings at the time the Sharks lost Campbell.

In other words, it doesn't seem like Wilson could have known that Blake and Boyle would be available at the time he chose to let Campbell walk. He let Campbell walk anyway, probably judging that his cost was inflated by the relative scarcity of defensemen on the free agent market and that the Hawks overpaid. (I would agree with this...so does the Hawks' GM, for that matter).

So did Wilson know a bunch of stuff that the media and the general public did not? Did he have a sense that Blake and the Kings were at an impasse, and expect that Blake could be lured up the coast? Did he have the foresight to recognize that Tampa would have to move Boyle, like it or not, to make their salary structure work? And, furthermore, was he confident he could tempt the Lightning D-man to San Jose (rather than Ottawa)?

Or did he just let go of the ledge, hoping that he would land on his feet?

My posts in the July 1st - July 2nd time period betray my growing desperation as Wilson made no moves whatsoever and quality options for helping the team appeared to dwindle, as star after free agent star shot off to the other arms of the NHL galaxy. But, in the end, I would say the guy did land on his feet, not just filling the gap left by Campbell but actually improving the team. I'll discuss some reasons why I think this is true in my next post.

All Shook Up

Okay. So. Let's review the last few days, because they've been quite eventful.

The NHL free-agency period kicked in on July 1st, and immediately the Sharks lost defenseman Brian Campbell--widely regarded as the top blueliner available in a slim market--to the Chicago Blackhawks. This means that the price Sharks GM Doug Wilson paid for Campbell at the trade deadline--a first-round draft pick and Steve Bernier--turned out to be the cost of a short-term rental. My reaction: not surprised, or even that disappointed, really. I was ga-ga over Campbell during the regular season, but he didn't contribute in the manner I had anticipated during the playoffs, and frankly I think the Hawks might have overpaid for him...with few top defensemen available as free agents this year, it's just the nature of the market that the price tags would be inflated.

However, I presumed that Wilson would move immediately to make his suddenly short-handed team better...but this didn't happen. For a couple of frustrating days, I watched while seemingly every other team in the league made moves to improve for next season, while the only story about the Sharks was a press release from the team describing prospect Nick Petrecki's visit to the White House. Yippee skip.

(All this time, I should add, rumors were floating around that the Sharks were one of a number of teams pursuing Tampa Bay defenseman Dan Boyle, who is a similar player to Campbell. But Boyle had just signed a new contract with the Lightning in February, just got married to a Florida native, just started to build a house in the Tampa area, and had publicly stated that he didn't want to waive the no-trade clause that was part of his contract. Lame hockey trade rumors are a dime a dozen, and those involving players with no-trade clauses tend to deserve particular skepticism, because a no-trade clause means what it says--the player can nix any trade that the front office agrees to. So the scuttlebutt surrounding Boyle reminded me of the hurricane of hot air blowing around (for instance) Toronto Maple Leafs Mats Sundin and Pavel Kubina as the trade deadline approached back in February--both were the subject of intense speculation, both possessed no-trade clauses, and nothing came of any of it.)

Finally, on July 3rd, Wilson stirred himself to action, signing veteran (read: old) L.A. Kings defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year, $5 million contract. My reaction: underwhelmed. Rob Blake has had a fabulous career that has included a Norris Trophy and a Stanley Cup, and I respect the hell out of him, but his most productive season was over a decade ago, and he's been in the league for longer than the Sharks have. Adding Blake while deleting Campbell would not have made the Sharks better, in my opinion, but with options dwindling (even less-desirable D-men such as the fading Wade Redden or the post-operative Michal Rozsival were off the market by this point) this seemed exactly the situation that fans of Team Teal were facing.

What I didn't anticipate--what I'm not sure anyone could have anticipated--is what happened next.

Actually, in fairness I have to say it's not entirely clear what happened next, at least not to me. There isn't a body of evidence out there in the public record that would make a court case. All that is certain is that only a very short time after signing a new contract, marrying a Florida woman, commencing work on a new house in the Tampa Area, and stating that he had no intention of waiving his no trade clause, Dan Boyle agreed to be traded to the San Jose Sharks.

The most extensive comments from Boyle that I have found are here. Boyle suggests that the Lightning's new ownership group criticized his work ethic and threatened to put him on waivers (this would've meant that he could be claimed by any team in the league and would have no control over where he would wind up). Some quotes by Boyle from the above, which is by Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune...

"When my work ethic is questioned, my offseason work ethic and the way I get ready for games and what I do is questioned, and it gets personal and I'm threatened, that is absolutely the way not to do business..."

"...I, for a long time now, have been under the impression that I was part of this team going forward, wanting input from me on other players, and never in a million years did I think that I was one of the guys that needed to go."

Given the circumstances, I believe Boyle. If true, this is a really classless, unprofessional, and disrespectful move by the Lightning organization, and totally against the spirit of Boyle's contract. I'm pretty sure I need to retract all of the generally favorable things I said about the new Tampa ownership group just a short time ago.

I'm certain this has disrupted Boyle's family life tremendously, and I feel kind of bad for him. At the same time, though, it's a gain for the Sharks. Maybe if Boyle can once more put his name on the Cup (he was part of Tampa's championship team), this time while wearing teal, it'll make the ordeal seem worthwhile.

Okay, this is getting to be a long post, so I'm going to stop for now. In my next post I'll have some thoughts about how I think this particular trade, and a further deal Wilson made as a direct consequence (Craig Rivet to Buffalo) will work out for the Sharks. Till then, stay cool...

Okay, Something Else Was Brewing...

If you're a hard-core hockey fan, you know this already, but for those of you who aren't, the big and fairly surprising (at least to me) news of the weekend in Sharks land is that defenseman Dan Boyle of the Tampa Bay Lightning did in fact waive the no-trade clause in the contract he signed just this February and agree to be dealt to San Jose. The Sharks also got another Lightning D-man in the deal (Brad Lukowich), and sent Matt Carle, prospect Ty Wishart, and draft picks to Tampa.

I stand by my previous assertion that if the signing of free-agent blueliner Rob Blake had been Doug Wilson's only move to address the departure of Brian Campbell, it would've been inadequate. The Boyle deal (which I never really believed would happen) is quite the follow-up, however, and considered together the two moves seem...pretty cool.

Just a quick post for now. More tomorrow...

What Comes After Consolation Prize? Disconsolation Prize?

O-o-o-o-kay. Rob Blake signs with the Sharks (one-year, at $5 million, according to TSN).

Well, I guess I exhibited desperation for any move.

Most humorous part of the above article? New coach Todd McClellan comparing Blake to Nicklas Lidstrom.

Blake is 38 years old and his production is in a decline that seems unlikely to abate. He can still have a role as a solid NHL defenseman, because so much of playing that position is good decision-making, and there's something to be said for a guy who's seen every conceivable situation go down about ten million times. And he can probably serve as a(nother) mentor for the younger guys on San Jose's D, who are still pretty green...it helps that Blake has more big-game experience than Craig Rivet (or anyone else on the Sharks, for that matter).

But still...this is not the answer to Brian Campbell's departure, and Wilson sure as heck better have something else brewing, or I'm going to be one disappointed fan.

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

"Rangers sign..."
"Canadiens sign..."
"Avalanche sign..."
"Coyotes sign..."
"Lightning sign..."
"Bruins sign..."

I've been watching these headlines tick out like clockwork over the past three days, with still nothing to be seen from the Sharks. It's extraordinarily frustrating...it feels like the rest of the league is passing us by.

For the first time in Doug Wilson's tenure in the front office, I am starting to question the franchise's strategy for winning the Stanley Cup in a serious way.

The only buzz so far remotely regarding the Sharks identifies them as one of the teams interested in trading for Tampa blueliner Dan Boyle. One of several teams interested in trading for Tampa blueliner Dan Boyle. Who has a no-trade clause.

Excuse me if I don't get too excited.

Um...Hello? Doug?

Can someone give Doug Wilson a nudge, please? Maybe he's taking a nap.

The NHL free-agency period is well underway. The laundry list of hockey press clippings is growing and growing, with the news that Player X has signed with Team Y, &c. Yet the only mention of the Sharks is in the context of those to whom they have waved goodbye (Brian Campbell and Patrick Rissmiller, as of this writing).

I know what Wilson would say to this...we're always looking at deals, we're waiting for the right deal to come along, we have a lot of confidence in the players we have, we don't want to make a deal just to make a splash...yadda yadda yadda.

I understand that sometimes the best deal to make is no deal at all, but still...as a fan, you want to have some reason to believe your team is going to be better next year, and coaching change aside, some new personnel would help. It's a bit like seeing all the other kids in the neighborhood rush home after school to play with a cool new toy that your parents didn't even buy for you. It's tough not to feel left out.

We'll see what today brings, I guess...

The Other Shoe Drops

So, Brian Campbell's short career as a Shark is over. He is Chicago bound.

Although all parties involved insisted that San Jose was in the running right up until the end, I was pretty sure he was leaving, and I'm quite certain that most other Sharks fans have been of a similar mind.

My disappointment about this development is muted. Yes, Campbell is an excellent offensive defenseman, and it would've been nice to keep him around. But although I was initially head-over-heels in love with him in teal, I was very disappointed in his playoff performance. He was barely visible against Calgary, and the two attributes he will be expected to provide for the Blackhawks--the ability to generate offense by moving the puck accurately and aggressively out of the defensive zone, and the ability to quarterback the power play--were grimly squashed by the Dallas Stars. Indeed, Campbell sometimes looked borderline inept in the face of the Stars' withering forecheck. He certainly wasn't alone in this, and I'm not blaming Campbell for the Sharks early playoff exit--the point is just that my love affair with this guy (Me on March 4th, after the Montreal Game: "Memo to Brian Campbell: We like you! We really like you!") cooled considerably after the playoff exit.

(In retrospect, I wonder how much the admiration of Campbell-and the commensurate distress at seeing him go--amongst San Jose fans was amplified by a single moment: his brilliant goal against the Canadiens that night. The Sharks were on a winning streak, it was their first game back after a looooooong road trip, they were engaged in a crowd-pleasing goalfest with Montreal, and, with San Jose leading 5-4 and just under two minutes to play, Campbell scored an absolutely beautiful goal using his "Spin-O-Rama" move, salting the game away. After the game Campbell was interviewed on the ice and you could practically see the joy flowing through the Tank. It was an electrifying moment, and of course we all fell in love with Campbell if we weren't already, and the team certainly owed a lot of its success down the stretch to his presence...but one wonders if maybe we didn't get a bit carried away.)

Furthermore, there are the terms of the deal to consider: eight years, $57.1 million, according to the report I linked to above. The salary on a per-year basis doesn't bother me, but the duration of the contract does. How often do we see long, expensive "sure thing" free-agent deals become terrible burdens for mediocre teams? (You don't even have to look outside the Bay Area to find the poster child for this sort of thing).

Honestly, my happiness about the fact that the Sharks re-signed Jody Shelley exceeds my sadness that they lost Campbell.

In short: would've been nice to keep Campbell, but I didn't think it was going to happen and sure enough it didn't. If the Sharks had signed him for eight years at $50 million plus, I would've been uneasy. I wish Soupy well in Chicago...with the league's most outstanding young core, and the addition of Cristobal Huet in goal, the Hawks ought to be a legitimate contender very soon. And as I mentioned in this post, it's nice to see that NHL hockey is looking strong in the Windy City.

The news about Campbell could be the domino that sets a string of actions into motion for Sharks' GM Doug Wilson. San Jose does have a very real need for offensive production from the blue line, and with Campbell out of the picture presumably this will have to be addressed through free agency. (Just as long as they don't pay millions for Wade Redden, who is not remotely what he used to be and likely to be overpriced... Watch, the next time I check the internet I'm gonna read, "Redden signs with Sharks").

Update: Looks like I don't have to worry about that, after all...