Doug Wilson talks NHL draft, EK65, his own future and the changes he envisions

The San Jose Sharks have not missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since Doug Wilson took over as the team’s general manager in May 2003. When the Sharks failed to make the postseason in 2003 and 2015, the team came back the following year to advance to the Western Conference final and the Stanley Cup Final, respectively.

That history of turnarounds was a major reason why Sharks’ majority owner Hasso Plattner’s publicly backed Wilson in January, saying, “The last time we failed to meet our winning standards in the 2014-15 season, we were able to quickly rebound and re-establish a winning culture for the next several years.”

Still, Wilson’s long term future with the team may be in question if the Sharks are not able to return to the playoffs in 2021.

“I don’t look at it that way,” said Wilson, who has a record of 710-409-147 as the Sharks’ GM.  “My job is to do what’s right for the organization, not do what’s right for me. The team always comes first. We’ve been very fortunate to have very successful teams for a long period of time. The key is to bounce back, and to be honest in your evaluation. There’s things that we could have done differently, things that we would have done differently.

“We do not take missing the playoffs lightly, and we’re not a team that’s going to go into this long, protracted rebuild.”

Several factors will go into whether the Sharks can get back to the playoffs for the 15th time in 17 seasons and once again become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Can some of their best players return to form? How will they be able to add talent without much flexibility under the salary cap? What might he do with his seven draft picks this season?

Wilson touched on a few of these topics in a Zoom conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The NHL draft

Might Wilson dangle one or more of his draft picks — including the 2020 first rounder he received from Tampa Bay — to bring in a player that could potentially help the Sharks get back into the playoff picture next season?

Don’t rule it out.

Wilson this week noted how important this year’s draft will be to the Sharks, but also didn’t discount the idea of a deal that could immediately address one of his team’s needs.

The NHL earlier this spring floated the idea of holding its entry draft next month. Instead, after some pushback from some league general managers, the draft will be held after the conclusion of the playoffs this fall.

That opens up more possibilities for Wilson, who would not have been able to acquire players had the draft been held in June. The Sharks own seven picks this year, including three in the top two rounds.

“Getting a pick in the first round, having the other two second (rounders), we know we’ll come out of it with some good players,” Wilson said. “You can utilize players or picks or prospects to make trades, too.

“We would have been ready either way. The ability to potentially alter your lineup with the draft after the season does have its advantages, though.”

The Sharks have traded their first round pick aix times under Wilson, sending their 2008, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2019 and 2020 selections for Brian Campbell, Dan Boyle, Brent Burns, Martin Jones, Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson, respectively.

Lack of production from Karlsson, Burns

The Sharks likely won’t be able to return to the playoffs next season without some drastic improvement from their top players.

It starts with Karlsson and Burns, who both had down years.

Karlsson, who had groin surgery last summer and needed thumb surgery in February, had 40 points in 56 games. Burns had 45 points in 70 games. The Sharks were one of the lowest scoring teams in the league with 182 goals, and had the 23rd-best power play at 17.5 percent.

Karlsson had 45 points in 53 games in 2018-19, and Burns had 83 points in 82 games, breaking his own franchise record for points in a season by a defenseman.

“I think in Erik’s case, it’s going to be health,” Wilson said. “This is the one benefit that he’s going to have. He’s going to have all the time now to get healthy and to get that elite level fitness that great players have, and that he’s been able to have in the past.

“I think (Burns), the same thing. He had a couple things that were dinged up and all that. They care a lot about how we play and the performance that we have. It’s what makes them great players.”

The Sharks also need to defend better from start to finish. Although they were able to cut down on quality scoring chances against in the second half of their season after Bob Boughner was named interim head coach, the Sharks, during 5-on-5 play, still allowed 162 goals, second most in the league behind Detroit (169). SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 12: San Jose Sharks interim head coach Bob Boughner stands behind the bench during their game against the New York Rangers in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

“One of the things that troubled us and really put us in the position that we were in was how we defended,” Wilson said. “Here we were the best penalty killing team in the league by quite a bit, which is basically using the same goaltenders and the same defensemen and most of the same forwards. We need to apply that mentality to 5-on-5 when it comes to defending.

“When it comes to attacking offensively, we want to activate Erik and (Burns). They’ll be some adjustments to how we play that I think will be beneficial to both of them and to a group of our forwards that historically have been able to create offense in this league.”

Big changes on the horizon?

Changes are coming to the Sharks’ roster, but Wilson does not necessarily feel an overhaul is required or a massive contract needs to be moved to help get the team back into a playoff position next season.

The Sharks have 11 players on one-way contracts for next season at a combined salary cap hit of over $63 million, according to CapFriendly.com. If the cap remains at $81.5 million, that doesn’t leave a ton of wiggle room, especially if the Sharks are looking to add an experienced goal scorer or goalie, and fill out the rest of the roster.

The Sharks have eight players who will all have a salary cap hit north of $5 million next season, including Karlsson ($11.5 million), Burns ($8 million) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic ($7 million). Those three salaries will make up about 32 percent of next year’s cap, if it remains flat.

Clearing cap space by trading one of those players would alleviate that problem, but it won’t be easy. Karlsson and Vlasic both have full no-movement clauses for next season, and Burns has a modified no trade clause in his deal.

“We have good players on this hockey team,” Wilson said. “Yes, we need some guys to step up into some advanced roles and we have to be playing the right way. Yes, we have to add some players. How you add players can come in many different ways. UFA market, trade market, internal guys coming in, and some guys (we) signed in college or free agency.

“Yes, this team will be different. How we get there is no different than a lot of teams.”

Is Joe Thornton returning?

Joe Thornton is one of seven pending unrestricted free agents on the Sharks roster. Thornton is in no hurry to retire, but the question is whether he’ll be back for a 16th season with the Sharks, who appear to be a long way away from becoming a Stanley Cup contender again.

Wilson said he and Thornton talk frequently, adding that, “There’s nobody that loves the game and this organization any more than Jumbo. He’s a special guy and he knows how we feel about him. These are probably tough times for him, too, sitting indoors. Nobody loves to be with his teammates more than Jumbo.”

It’s not known how many Sharks players are still in the Bay Area, but if Thornton is around, one would think he would like to go to the team’s practice facility to work out at some point. Santa Clara County’s shelter in place order remains in effect at least until the end of the month, and the NHL projects players might be allowed to begin returning for voluntary workouts next week.

“The local health officials always have the final say on what we can do and when we can do it,” Wilson said.