After today, I would like to suggest that Sharks GM Doug Wilson consider entering the 2010 World Series of Poker, because he just played the Ottawa Senators Brian Murray for a fool. DW told Murray to “Go Fish” knowing full well that if Ottawa had allowed Heatley to go to training camp, it could only spell total disaster for the Senators season. We’ll never know the many permutations of this deal that have been traded back and forth over the past two months, but this much we can be sure of – the Sharks didn’t give up any young inexpensive talent, didn’t have to give up the valued first round pick and also got the Senators to take the San Jose’s two worst contracts in the process.

Royal Flush. Sharks win.

In all fairness, Milan Michalek has been a good player for the San Jose Sharks, but it was clear that his play had hit the hockey wall, so to say. After a breakout year in 2006-07 with 66 points, he has regressed back to the mid 50’s with 20-something goals and I don’t think he’s ever going to be a guy who say, can score 50 goals…like Dany Heatley. The fact that he was signed until 2014 for over 4M for a guy who offers 55-58 points makes him not a bargain, but a bad contract. He isn’t going to turn into Gaborik – as DW might have hoped. Not only did he move Michalek and his deal, he also moved Cheechoo, who hasn’t demonstrated anything to show he’s capable of returning to his Rocket Richard Trophy winning form. Is it injuries? Is it the speed of the game? Not too sure what the cause was, but the Sharks tried Cheechoo in a third line role last year and he sucked eggs. Will he get a chance to play that role with Ottawa? I wish him the best – but I think he’s a 40 point guy at this point in his career and certainly not worth 3M.

A man of his word, DW delivered on overhauling this Sharks roster of three of the main faces of failure behind San Jose’s ups and downs and current leveling off as a franchise in Ehrhoff, Michalek and Cheechoo. Does Heatley carry risk? Absolutely – yes – sure. But for this price, it is a risk worth taking – you moved two guys you knew couldn’t get you to the next level in exchange for a guy with amazing talent and the salivating notion of 50 goals along side Thunder Joe. The other factor is that the Sharks could never get a player like Heatley on the open free agent market, so if San Jose goes belly up again, they can start over with Heatley in the core instead of dialing for dollars with subpar free agents, only to get turned down…again.

According to CapGeek, the Sharks could carry this roster into the opening night and be approx. .5M under the cap.

Heatley/Thornton/Marleau
Seto/Pavs/Clowe
McGinn/Mitchell/Staubitz
Shelley/Nichol/Hinote

Huskins, Boyle, Blake, Vlasic, Murray, Petrecki

Nabby/Greiss

Extras: Ortmeyer, Dandenault

I included Petrecki as a pipe dream scenario to show that IF he is the best guy in camp, it is possible for him to take the spot from Joslin. The other big IF is that if Frazer McLaren is better than Staubitz, that is basically an even swap.

When do we start?

Thanks to sharkspage for posting a link to the recent interview with Dan Boyle on Chronicle Live.  The first question was about the C&A controversy, and immediately I was struck by the exchange (emphasis mine).

Greg Papa (talking about the captaincy): Is that a job you would like to have?

Boyle (immediately): Of course.  It’s an honor.  You look back as a young kid, a captain is an important thing you look up to.  It’d be an honor.  I certainly want to lead this team.  I’m ready for it, but it’s in the coaches hands, and management’s hands, and whoever gets those roles, I’m sure they’ll do a great job.

Now let’s compare that to Joe Thornton’s answer about his leadership role that happened at the State of the Sharks, it was the first question of the night.  Keep in mind Marleau was still captain at the time, so it wouldn’t have been appropriate for Joe to say he wanted the captaincy, but let’s go to the tape:

Guy: how will I know when you own this team so I know when you can bring it for us?

(applause)

Thornton: Thank you.  i think this team is just… I said (what I said) the last day I was a little irritated about the questions I was getting and I said it’s patty’s team, but ultimately, I think there’s key guys on the team- I’m a big part of that- yes in some ways it’s my team, in some way’s it’s pattys’ patty’s the captain and i think he’s done a great job. (light applause) Now I think with all this disappointment, we’ve been kicked down and I think we didn’t expect to be here, I think it will be a long summer. … I’m ready for this team to go to the next step, and eventually it’ll be my team, yes.

Kind of a difference in tone there, doncha think?  It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I’ve heard a lot of Jumbo inteviews. I doubt he would have said the same thing Boyle did above.  Would Joe say “I want to lead“?

After hearing that, I’m more convinced than ever that Dan Boyle should be the captain.  Does anyone doubt that he’s going to come into camp and earn the C now?

THE SHARKS SWEEP THE DUCKS! THE SHARKS SWEEP THE DUCKS.

I know we all wished this was the headline back in April, but I still took some minor personal satisfaction watching our rookies beat the feathers out of the Ducks rookies last night, completing total domination of the three day rookie tournament where the Sharks kids outscored the Ducklings 13-4. Perhaps the Ducks young players needed Papa Carlyle to sit on their eggs a little bit longer because there wasn’t much to look at on their side. As for the Sharks, the main attractions (Sexsmith, Stalock, Couture and Petrecki) were not on the ice, so we got a good look at some recent draft picks and guys looking to earn a free agent contract. As we talk about on this weeks podcast, guys who caught my eye included tryout player Daniel Erlich, who is a 5’6 ball of speed that had four points last night, earning the crowds chants of “RUDY, RUDY”. I also was impressed by Frazer McLaren, who is certain to be getting a cup of coffee in the NHL at some point this year, if not at the beginning of the season if he outperforms Staubitz and Shelley at camp. If I were them, I’d be looking over my shoulder. The biggest puzzler of the night was why the Sharks didn’t let Sexsmith see any action – instead he sat and watched the entire game as the back-up. I was looking forward to seeing him answer Stalock’s shutout performance from the night before since they will be sharing duties for Worcester this season.

So what did I get out of last night besides slight heartburn from a hotdog and griddle marks on my ass from the metal benches? I felt encouraged that it appears the San Jose Sharks are moving in a new direction in terms of their farm club, relying on college kids and prospects to develop instead of stocking the roster with AHL retreads who have no shot at sniffing any NHL action. While there a few in this category (Danny Groulx and Joe Callahan come to mind on the blueline) the rest will likely be college prospects and young talent – a nice change of direction for a team last year that had seven players over the age of 27. This year, it would appear there would be only four guys in that category (Ortmeyer, Groulx, Callahan and Vesce) and Ortmeyer might stick as the scratch in San Jose.

Bruce Garrioch is babbling about a new rumor that will still send Dany Heatley to San Jose, Patrick Marleau to the LA King and Frolov and Stoll to the Sens. I still think any deal involving Patrick Marleau has limited to no chance of being pulled off because he refuses to leave the Bay Area this season. What do you think, trade clause be damned – would you make this deal? Who gets the better end?

Thanks to our friends at Fear the Fin, the Sharks have invited former Red Wing and Canadiens defensemen Mattieau Dandenault to camp for a tryout. Sort of like auditioning to sit in the press box, but hell – it’s a cheaper option that would allow someone like Joslin to play every night in Worcester instead of eat Combos and drink Molson with Ryan Garner. So I say, sure – why not.

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, then maybe you might want to join our Dudes on Hockey fantasy hockey league? It’s not for the faint of heart and only people who are obsessed enough with hockey to maintain a current roster need apply. For more info

League ID: 106993

League Name : Dudes On Hockey

Password: danboyle

If you want to join but the league is full, either comment here or email us at questions@dudesonhockey.com – if we get enough overflow we will start another league.

Running a fantasy league again, for yahoo:

League ID: 106993

League Name : Dudes On Hockey

Password: danboyle

If you want to join but the league is full, either comment here or email us- if we get enough overflow we will start another league.

Mike and I will be back tomorrow with a report of the final rookie game. Until then, enjoy this pretty damn hilarious clip. There’s some naughty language, so if that’s not your thing – don’t say I didn’t warn you, Mein Herr.

Hilarious Video Here.

Some people live blog pivotal games during the season, or in the playoffs. Not me. I’m liveblogging a Sharks rookie game in the second week of September. Mostly because I’m wicked bored.

4:55- Waiting in the sun. Baking. Realizing I could be drinking a cold one inside right now. Also realizing I’ll probably be freezing my ass off in about 20 minutes.

5:01- Not open yet, but there’s some cougar walking her dog around the building, multiple times. With a tight shiny shirt on, trying to act nonchalant. Comedy.

5:10- Inside. Trying not to sit next to any douchebags. Somehow, I don’t like my chances. Time to do some fantasy draft research. Watch out suckers- I’m going for 5th this year.

5:40- Trying to avoid talking to this weird guy with a peach fuzz mustache who appears to be about 45. I succeed by sticking my nose further into a fantasy guide. I then witness him playing a pink game boy. Man, this place has everything.

6:30- Warmups. Petrecki is out there. Couture, Ferriero, and Stalock in net.

6:35- Petrecki is a beast. He seems about twice as wide as anybody else out there. Doherty is also super tall, but he seems like he’s 6’7, 165. Anaheim’s top prospect, Jake Gardiner, is in college, so he’s not here. I guess he’d forfeit his eligibility if he showed up.

6:55- Pretty full in here, I could have come an hour later and gotten the same seat. At least now I know to draft Derek Roy ahead of Anze Kopitar.

7:00- Petrecki is starting, bad PP 20 seconds in, but Petrecki goes coast to coast, then crushes somebody. Giggety.

7:15- Second PP much better, and Strong scores. Stretch and Petrecki assist.

7:28- Great screen in front, and Henderson scores on the rebound. Sharks are outclassing them this whole period.

7:40- End of 1st. I can imagine some angry Ducks coaches right now. Nobody looked that great for them. Stalock playing well, with some good puckhandling. Overall, seems a bit like college hockey- not a ton of great plays, but everyone is trying to hit everyone else. The fight in the first wasn’t anything special, but you gotta give props to Burgart (5’10), he dropped with McCue (6’5).

8:05- Choppy in the second, but Petrecki just laid a monster hit.

8:17- Petrecki is the third man trailing in a 2-on-1, nice drop pass and he BOMBS it top shelf. Ten seconds later, Nick lays another big hit, and two Ducks come after. He takes them both on, ends up beating the crap out of one. Huge ovation. Wow. Gordie Howe hat trick and we are only half way through.

8:35- End of 2. Intensity flagged a bit in the last ten minutes. More good, especially early: Frazier McLaren. Creating offense, decent shot. Not so good- Logan Couture. Can’t tell if he’s playing tight or just not that well. I can see why people say his skating can improve.

9:00- After a crappy start, the Sharks score again on the PP, Henderson again. Haven’t really noticed him, but that’s twice he’s in the exact right place at the right time.

9:08- Petrecki makes a horrible pinch, but the Ducks can’t score on the 3-on-1. Snakebit.

9:21- 5-0. Stretch scored. It’s a little embarrassing now.

9:32- That’s all she wrote. Fun times.  Great performances by Stalock (though he wasn’t tested too much) Petrecki and Henderson.  This kid Erlich, who they call “Rudy” because he’s tiny, is a fireball and unafraid to do anything.  Really fun to watch, but not really exceptional enough to make an NHL team at that size, IMO.  Couture, as I said before, was a bit disappointing.  I hope he gains some more seasoning in Worchester this year.  After watching admittedly only one game, I’d put Frazier McLaren miles ahead on Couture in terms of making the team.  I hope the same cast plays tomorrow too, because I’m sure the Ducks will want to salvage some dignity.

The first rookie game of Sharks vs. Ducks happened last night at Sharks Ice, and sharkspage has a nice writeup on it.  I was not there, still enjoying my Labor Day weekend by doing manual labor.  But I do plan on going tonight, and it’s likely Doug and I will both go on Wednesday.  I want to see these kids for myself, and although I’m far from any kind of scout, it might be interesting to try and project where some of these guys will end up.

I’ve heard that the line last night was very long even at the opening time of 5pm, so I’m going to have to suck it up and get there early.  Waiting around isn’t a strong suit for me.

A really quick post from my iPhone. I’m in Nashville stalking Marcel Goc and I happened to see on Sharks beatwriter David Pollak’s blog that the Sharks have brought in Dan Hinote to compete for a third/fourth line spot.

I applaud this move (mainly because I suggested it weeks ago). No risk and high reward only here as the Sharks added two extremely hard working bottom six veteran forwards and continue to improve their glaring problem – the supporting cast to Thornton and company. If Hinote is healthy, he serves the same role that Travis Moen should have before turtling against the Ducks, causing DW to balk at his 1.5M asking price.

Things are slowly falling into place. Thumbs up on Hinote. Not flashy, but a guy who knows his role and does it well. Thanks for listening to me again DW. I assume the check is in the mail?

Ok-seriously, I am in Nashville. I think my blood type after one day is “chicken fried”.

Sorry about that.  I have word from the administrator that it will be worked on this weekend.  In the meantime you can listen to the latest podcast, and comment over a DOH or on our FB page.

Also for those few (maybe less than few) of you that are wondering about that pick the Sharks could get if they don’t sign Pat White to a pro contract (as mentioned by David Pollak)  Here’s the relevant passage in the CBA, section 8.3(b):

In the event a Club loses its draft rights to an Unsigned Draft Choice drafted in the first round of the Entry Draft (except as a result of failing to tender a required Bona Fide Offer (as defined below)), who is again eligible for the Entry Draft or becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent, a Compensatory Draft Selection shall automatically be granted to that Club, which Compensatory Draft Selection shall be the same numerical choice in the second round in the Entry Draft immediately following the date the Club loses such rights. By way of example, if a Club cannot sign the third pick in the first round, it will receive the third pick in the second round as compensation.

So since Mr. White was drafted 25th overall, if he becomes a UFA in 2010 because the Sharks don’t sign him to a contract, the Sharks will then get the 25th pick in the second round of 2011 as compensation.

When I first saw the report on Fear The Fin about the Mitchell signing (3 years, $1.36M per year), my first thought was: too much.   This is a guy that sat out the regular season, played only 4 playoff games, and had no points.  I would think in that situation, the Sharks would have all the leverage in a contract negotiation.  We still don’t know if Mitchell will be back at the full-speed, balls-to-the-wall style of play he had before the injury.  In his only full season, he had 20 points.

That’s a lot of unknowns to lock up a guy for three years at over a million dollars.  What is it with the Sharks and million-dollar contracts?  If the Sharks don’t make any more moves, and say fill out the roster with Ortmeyer, Moore, Couture, and Joslin (not an unreasonable assessment, but not the one I would favor) the Sharks will have only 6 guys making under a million dollars.   To look at two sore spots, Anaheim and Detroit, they have 10 and 8 guys under a million bucks, respectively.  Chicago and Vancouver are pretty close to us – 6 and 4.  The top Eastern teams are mostly close except for Philly (10) –  Pittsburgh (7), Washington (7), and Boston (7).  I appears the Sharks are #2 in the NHL in million dollar contracts.

Now let’s look at the flip side of this signing.  Thanks to capgeek.com, it’s easy to look at at list of all the signings since June 30.  Now order them by cap hit- click on the Cap Hit column header twice to list in decending order.  Scroll down to Mitchell, he’s about a third of the way down the list.  Now try and get through the other two thirds and make a list of forwards you’d rather have than Mitchell.

I’ll wait.

Here’s mine:  Ian Laperriere… maybe.  Tomas Kopecky… maybe.   Todd Marchant… maybe.

That’s it.  Hmm, maybe this deal wasn’t so bad.