Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As The Teal Turns- The San Jose Sharks after being almost too quiet for the past month finally made news this past Tuesday and lots of it. Some of the news was expected while other items certainly were not (at least to most of the public anyway). The good news first was the resigning of goalie Alex Stalock to a two-year deal which was a move that everyone expected. Stalock is a good value and frankly the only Shark who really earned a new deal this past season (you cannot reward anyone else after a record setting playoff collapse). The Sharks also resigned Mike Brown which was a small surprise, but the contract really has very little if any impact on the salary cap and he fills a roster spot which is about all it really does. Then came the shocking firing of now former Sharks color commentator Drew Remenda and the revelation that the Sharks TV deal with Comcast is the lowball deal of the century. The deal is reportedly so bad that it could ultimately cost the Bay Area and Northern California it’s franchise. The last two items will be gone over in more depth. The Sharks also have the draft which begins Friday, June 27th. GM Doug Wilson will be in charge of it again which means anymore who knows what to expect. Free Agency begins July 1st, but don’t look for team teal to be active there at all per in-house policy. As for any trades, they can still happen and this is an item that remains to be seen. If you are looking for either Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau to be moved, right now it seems somewhat unlikely baring the unforeseeable. NBC Sports had an article talking about the Sharks franchise being at the stage of a “Nervous Breakdown”. One thing seems for certain, operational flaws which mostly happened behind the scenes now seem to be coming to the forefront. The Sharks certainly could have realized that their “Stanley Cup” dream and window now has finally closed. To make matters still worse, that window may have been slammed and nailed shut by the rival Los Angeles Kings for some years to come. In all truth, the Sharks may only need to retool the roster, but it’s starting to become obvious with the franchise hemorrhaging money that operating on the cheap or even attempting a hockey version of the “Moneyball” approach may be where the Sharks are heading (or “Money Puck”). This off-season will be anything but dull. If you are a Sharks fan, putting your hopes for the franchise winning a Cup on indefinite hiatus may not be a bad idea.