Sharks common supervisor Doug Wilson was extra open than standard as he mentioned his team's focal point best as much as Friday night's NHL access draft in Pittsburgh.

"We can be on the lookout for sure wingers," he stated this week, leaving behind the usual line that San Jose seems to be for the most efficient to be had participant irrespective of position.

But for the Sharks, the real number of an 18-year-old participant continuously is secondary to the wheeling and working that is going on behind the curtain on the draft. So Wilson simply as simply might have been hinting at a blockbuster business as tipping his hand on his selection while the No. 17 general select comes around.

A yr ago, San Jose pulled off precisely that sort of deal -- sending Devin Setoguchi, prospect Charlie Coyle and its first-round pick out to the Minnesota Wild for Brent Burns and a second-round selection.

This year?

The largest identify at the buying and selling block is Columbus captain Rick Nash, a left wing who has regulate of the place he lands and could fortunately come to San Jose. However the Blue Jackets' asking worth reportedly contains Logan Couture -- and that makes it a non-starter in Wilson's eyes.

Two different key gamers who reportedly could also be converting groups -- Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Geese and James Van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers -- additionally play at the wing. And whilst it isn't most likely the Geese may business Ryan to a department rival, the Sharks may well be going after Van Riemsdyk.

Wilson's observe document displays

he's now not frightened of best offers. Still, whilst the Sharks regroup after a disappointing season and the earliest playoff go out in franchise history, he's conscious of the consequences:

"You do not want to fill one hollow and create every other" Wilson said.

Whether or not it is in the course of the draft, trades or unfastened agency, Wilson stated the Sharks could be trying to upload gamers who fit the extra competitive emblem of hockey that he and train Todd McLellan need the staff to play subsequent season.

If the Sharks decide to upload to their intensity at wing during the draft and never a tremendous trade, it is all however unimaginable to foretell whom they could pass after.

Two of the 3 so much very talked-about skaters play proper wing, however don't be expecting San Jose to industry as much as land Russian-born Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting or Sweden's Filip Forsberg. The cost most certainly could expend the Sharks' present roster, and Wilson wired that the team's objective is still to place essentially the most aggressive workforce at the ice every season instead of rebuild.

One participant who might be to be had and does appear to fit what the Sharks could be on the lookout for is Thomas Wilson, a 6-foot-4, 203-pound proper wing with the Plymouth Whalers recognized for his sturdiness greater than his scoring. Wilson is rated FIFTEENTH amongst North American skaters by the NHL's valuable scouting place of job and 18th general by Bob McKenzie of Canadian sports activities community TSN.

The Sharks have a name as a workforce that will get blended leads to the draft.

Wilson counters with a chart that presentations what number of video games every team's draft choices have performed within the NHL due to the fact that 2003, the yr he took over as common manger.

San Jose has the third-highest general at 3,829, trailing best the Montreal Canadiens and the Chicago Blackhawks. A few Sharks at the listing have performed the ones video games with different groups after being traded, however Wilson's aspect is that they introduced one thing in go back and have been belongings to the organization.

"There's probably not a end to it," Wilson stated of the statistic, "rather then it's important to ensure the people who find themselves doing all of your drafting have become complete worth of the place they are drafting from."

  • The Sharks are scheduled to open the 2012-13 season Oct. 12 in Anaheim, with their first house recreation three days later towards the brand new York Rangers. A exertions deadlock may lengthen the beginning of the season, however, because the NHL and its gamers will have to negotiate a brand new collective bargaining settlement this summer.

    The whole time table is on Web page 7.

    For extra at the Sharks, see David Pollak's Operating the Corners weblog at blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks.