The last two weeks have been a roller coaster ride for Sharks fans. It’s always tough to see players go, especially after they have been Sharks for their entire careers. Even though it was tough saying goodbye to three players, the Sharks picked up a couple of veterans, and ultimately had a very successful two weeks of transactions.
Key Pickups
The Sharks were mainly trading for picks in future drafts during the early parts of the week, but on the day of the trade deadline, the Sharks had some gaps to fill. With Douglas Murray and Ryane Clowe both gone, the Sharks needed a new tough guy on the team. The Sharks managed to trade for Raffi Torres for a third round pick. Torres, who is well known around the league as the troublemaker, fills the void of a gritty guy who knows how to stand up for his teammates.
Another pick up was veteran blue-liner Scott Hannan. The Sharks picked up the currently injured defenseman for a conditional seventh round pick, and fans in San Jose are extremely happy about this one. Hannan was once a Shark, and a fan favorite, so it will be nice to see him back in teal. Hannan fills the void of a tough defenseman with Murray gone.
This deadline, the Sharks trimmed a lot of the slower guys on the team. In doing so, they got a lot of draft picks. By trading Michael Handzus, Douglas Murray, and Ryane Clowe, the Sharks managed to pick up two 2013 second round picks, two 2014 conditional second round picks, a 2013 third round pick, and a 2013 fourth round pick. The Sharks are trying to build for the future, and GM Doug Wilson did a good job acquiring future picks.
(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Key Losses
The first Shark that was traded was Douglas Murray. Murray, a Shark his whole career, was a fan favorite in San Jose. Fans, players, and coaches all loved him, and it was sad to see him go. Murray was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2013 second-round pick and 2014 conditional second pick. Doug Wilson accomplished trading away a player on the decline who was not being as productive as he should be, and got two high round picks for him. Murray’s explosive hits will be missed in San Jose.
Michal Handzus was the next Shark to be shipped off for picks. Handzus was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for a fourth round pick. Handzus, formerly a Blackhawk, was not getting too much playing time before the trade, and probably was not going to get much playing time had he stayed on the Sharks. What the Sharks lose with this trade is one of their key shootout shooters, but recently that has not been a problem for them.
Ryane Clowe’s name was on the trading block for a quite some time, and Doug Wilson was finally able to trade him to the New York Rangers. The Sharks received a 2013 second-round pick, 2013 third-round pick, and 2014 conditional second-round pick. The Sharks lost a gritty power forward who loved standing up for his teammates. Unfortunately, Clowe was extremely unproductive this year, and had to go. A Shark for his whole career, Clowe will be missed.
Summary
The Sharks lost a few fan favorites, but managed to pick up plenty of picks and veteran players. Hopefully this helps them achieve their goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
Jacob M
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