SAN JOSE – Sharks general manager Doug Wilson got a very nice round of applause from the SAP Center crowd on Tuesday night when he was recognized for becoming just one of four individuals to both play in 1000 NHL games and serve as a general manager for another thousand.
That attitude towards Wilson wasn’t nearly as pleasant just 21 short months ago. With the Sharks headed for a long, playoff-free summer, and some feelings of consternation still palpable from a public argument with Joe Thornton, many fans let it be known that they were ready for someone else to take the reins of the organization.
Since then, Wilson repaired the product on the ice while concurrently mending what was an obvious fissure in the dressing room. He oversaw the organization’s first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final last season, and they’re in a good position to do it again, sitting in first place in the Pacific Division at the All-Star break.
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He recalled those final days of the disastrous 2014-15 season – and the organizational rebound – on the latest Sharks Insider Podcast.
“I would rather our fans be emotional and passionate than have apathy,” Wilson said. “We didn’t perform, and I felt the same way they did, to be honest. Now, what are we going to do about it?
“We did some work, made some tough decisions, took some swings at some things that I think worked out pretty well. You can’t be paralyzed and be afraid to take swings.”
One of those swings was on unproven goaltender Martin Jones. The Sharks packaged prospect Sean Kuraly and a first round draft pick to Boston for Jones, who at that point had just 34 games of NHL experience as a backup.
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While nothing will likely ever surpass Wilson’s acquisition of Joe Thornton back in 2005, the trade for Jones – who could be the franchise goalie for the next decade – could very well go down as one of his best deals.
“He was the guy,” Wilson said. “We gave up a lot to get him. When guys like that become available, you have to feel comfortable paying full value for them, and that’s what we did.”
The Sharks have also restocked their cupboard with young talent, some of which has already broken through to the NHL roster. Others are still with the AHL Barracuda, who are having a strong season under coach Roy Sommer.
Just how NHL-ready some of those other players are thought to be will surely factor into how active Wilson is at the trade deadline, which is on March 1. Considering the tight schedule and how difficult the Sharks’ travel can be, Wilson figured the organization would need 30 players this season. So far, 27 have skated for the club in 2016-17, including six in their first year.
Not surprisingly, Wilson didn’t give much of a hint as to what the Sharks are looking at. Logic suggests, though, that a little more offensive punch and perhaps a more experienced backup goaltender could be on the wish list.
“We have a lot games between now and [the deadline], compressed pretty well. So, we’ll see. But, we do feel really good about this group,” Wilson said. “We believe in our players and we believe in our guys on the Barracuda, because they’ve earned that.”
Still, Wilson will never be afraid to take that proverbial bat off of his shoulder.
“Our history speaks for itself. If there’s a way to help this hockey team or add something, we’ve always done it, and we’ll always explore it.”