In the summer of 2011, the San Jose Sharks retreated in every sense of the word.
Strategically, general manager Doug Wilson decided to yield assets up front to bolster the back end. Military outfits have to do this sometimes, and given that the best blue line generally wins the Western Conference, it seemed a prudent move.
Wilson traded centre prospect Charlie Coyle and 30-goal scorer Devin Setoguchi for All-Star defenceman Brent Burns. In the process, they retreated down the draft in a swap of picks, retreated in the standings five places and were defeated faster than any playoff team in franchise history.
When Wilson traded the trifecta of resources—a top-six forward, their top prospect and the first pick they have—for one player older than anyone he let go, he envisioned immediate results. But that does not mean he should abandon the philosophy.
The reason the move did not succeed was because the Sharks forwards remaining did not perform well.
In the first six seasons with Wilson at the helm, San Jose had at least eight forwards with 10 goals. There were only seven in 2010-11, but all of them had at least 20 goal ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by MJ Kasprzak
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