Sharks Hockey Analysis

Draft Day 1: No Shark Bite but a Pronger Hits the Road

My prediction of Doug Wilson being able to land a first round pick fell by the wayside tonight as for the second year in a row, the San Jose Sharks did not take part in the fun on Day One of the NHL Entry Draft. There were a few moments during a rather dull evening that I thought Doug Wilson might strike. When I saw Chuck Fletcher on the phone at Minnesota’s #12 pick, it crossed my mind that perhaps the Sharks had dealt Ryane Clowe to the Wild in a package for the pick, especially with the big Russian defensemen Kulikov still on the board - but that pick ended up in Garth Snow and the NY Islanders hands.

But the best news the Sharks received on Friday night came when we learned that the hated Pronger has peaced out to the East coast and the Ducks, while they gained some picks, are a lot less menacing at the moment. Having spoken with Mike briefly tonight during the draft (he’s enjoying a vacation in a non-hockey state) he seemed to think the Ducks took the Flyers to the cleaners here. I’m not so sure. What did the Ducks get? Well, they got back Joffrey Lupel for a second tour of duty. I guess he’s shown in the last two years that when healthy, he can be a 50 point per year, second line forward. This is the 2nd time he’s been traded for Chris Pronger by the way. The Ducks also got the Flyers 1st round pick in 2008 Luca Sbisa, who played 39 games in the NHL last year before being returned to his junior team. He’s a 19 year old Italian that has a knock for not being physical enough to handle top NHL forwards. So they got 2nd line forward, a junior d prospect, #26 pick Kyle Palmieri and what could be a high 20’s draft pick in 2010. What did they give up? Their entire identity, that’s what!! I think the Flyers just got a top NHL d-man that makes them significantly better in their chase to catch the Stanley Cup champions. They won’t feel the loss of Lupul with Giroux and van Riemsdyk ready to step in, they would have taken Lupul’s minutes down the road anyways - and no one can say they’d rather wait and see if Sbisa will pan out instead of take a run at a Cup with Pronger (plus the first crack at keeping him long term). Plus history will show that the team that deals away the Mighty Pronger ends up looking like the fool.

1995 - The Hartford Whalers traded a young Chris Pronger to the St. Louis Blues for Brendan Shanahan. Pronger led the Blues to the playoffs for nine straight seasons. The Hartford Whalers don’t exist.

2005 - St. Louis trades Pronger to the Edmonton Oilers for Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch. Pronger took the Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals. Brewer played 28 games last year due to injuries, Woywitka has played more games in the AHL than then NHL and Doug Lynch is so good he’s playing in Austria. After Pronger left, the Blues missed the playoffs for three straight years.

2006 - Edmonton traded Pronger to the Ducks for Lupul, Ladislav Smid, a two first round picks (later traded to Phoenix to draft Riley Nash and used to pick Jordan Eberle in 2008). Pronger won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks. Lupul was traded for Pitkanen who was traded for Cole who was traded for Patrick O’Sullivan. Smid sucks - but it looks like the Oilers got two good future guys in Eberle and Nash…but still - it’s not a Cup - plus they haven’t made the playoffs in their three post Pronger years…

Anyone sense a theme here Sharks fans?

So good job Flyers. You either just bought yourself a ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals, or Anaheim will not make the playoffs for three years, or the Ducks will relocate to Carolina and name themselves after a fruity Southern cocktail. How about the Greensboro Mint Juleps or the Durham Sweet Teas? “Get your Jonas Hillar Sweet Tea jersey!”

So, in terms of what it would have cost the Sharks to get Pronger - it boils down to this. The Ducks wanted a 2nd line forward, a top young D prospect and two first round picks. The Sharks could have offered Michalek and Petrecki but San Jose didn’t have the two first round picks - plus I think Michalek and Petrecki are better than the Lupul/Sbisa combo - so it would have been a bad deal on our end. We’ll be better off with Pronger on Broad Street.

I would think Doug Wilson is going to try and get a few extra picks tomorrow, perhaps trading down from one of his 2nd rounders to get two later picks to add more prospects to the cupboard. Day Two isn’t usually full of major trades from what I remember in the past (am I wrong?) so I’m guessing that any news on Clowe or others will just have to wait.