A few weeks
ago I said how the Sharks needed to start rebuilding their team if they were
ever going to be a Stanley Cup contender again. Looks like the Sharks ownership
group still thinks the team could contend next year and it sounds like they do
not want to rebuild. While they are telling Doug Wilson to make changes, it
sounds like they want to make changes so that the Sharks can win it all next
year. That is a mistake on the Sharks part and I made that clear in my last
article. Having said that, if they
Sharks want to play to win it all next year here are a few moves I would make
if I was Doug Wilson.
The first move is to get goaltender
Roberto Luongo from Vancouver. Reports have surfaced that Luongo has asked for
a trade and Vancouver seems willing to do so. The Sharks should jump at this
huge opportunity. Luongo is a much better goalie than Antti Niemi. While Niemi
has won a Stanley Cup, Luongo came close with Vancouver last year, losing in
game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Still Niemi only won his Cup because he had a
great supporting cast around him. Luongo has been to more all star games than
Niemi, has better stats, and has been known to steal more wins for his team
than Niemi. Luongo also can win under pressure as he lead team Canada to an
Olympic Gold medal in the last Winter Olympics.
So how do you get a player like
Luongo? Well, the Sharks would obviously have to give up a star player and that
player is Patrick Marleau. It’s a trade I think Vancouver would accept. Marleau
will be turning 33 next season, so he would be a few months younger than Luongo
who already is 33. Marleau gives the Canucks more offensive power and speed.
Plus Marleau is only under contract for two more years while Luongo is under
contract for 10 more years so the Canucks would be more than happy to have less
money to pay to a player. The contract for Luongo is a concern to me given the
length of time and that he won’t be a free agent until he is 43. However, if the
Sharks are going to ruin their future by having a win now mentality, a few good
years from Luongo is worth the risk of a huge contract especially if he wins
the team a Stanley Cup. Giving up Marleau for Luongo straight up is a no
brainer for me. Marleau is not a winner. Never has been and never will be. It
would be great for Marleau and the Sharks if they parted ways so that each side
can start fresh. Getting Luongo improves the Sharks defense big time.
So how do you replace the offense
that you lose for trading Marleau? Well,
if the team gets Luongo, they will no longer need Niemi and he would make great
trade bait for an offensive player. Niemi only has a salary cap hit of 3.8
million dollars and in today’s NHL that is easy to move to another team. If I
am Doug Wilson, I would trade Niemi to Columbus for none other than Rick Nash. Nash
is a goal scorer who averages out over 30 goals a season. Sometimes he scores
40 goals a season. With Joe Thornton at his side making passes, Nash can be an
offensive machine for the Sharks. Plus Nash is only 27 so he is in the prime of
his career. Nash wants out of Columbus and wants to play for a team that will
get to the playoffs. The Sharks are that kind of team. Columbus would be more than happy to rid
itself of a player who still has six years left on his contract. Plus in
return, Columbus would get a Stanley Cup winning goaltender that could get
Columbus in the playoffs. The trade would work out for both teams.
Whether or not Doug Wilson makes
these kinds of trades is yet to be seen, but if he is serious about competing
for the Stanley Cup next year he should definitely get Luongo and Nash on
board. Together, those two can help the Sharks go a long way.
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