Let’s look at this from the Sharks’ point of view. They’re very top-heavy on contracts – their top 8 guys are on nearly $59 million compared to the Bruins’ highest-paid 8 on $50 mil. On their NHL roster they currently have a massive 16 guys who they’ll need to either re-sign or move on within the next 18 months. A good few of those players are going to want more money and, even with the expected increases to the Cap, that’s going to be a real squeeze for San Jose as things stand. On top of that this season is clearly a bust for them so time to really cash-in as much as possible on the next draft.
So you can definitely make a case that they need to dump one or two of their expensive longer-term contracts and maximise their draft picks as part of what they hope will be a swift rebuild. How does Backes help them? Well the $6 mil ain’t cheap, or even 5 if they don’t intend to actually play him, but his contract only has 1 year left to run, as opposed to the longer deals that Meier, Couture, Hertl and their top D are on. They can retire Backes after a rebuilding year just at the time when a lot of younger guys are negotiating new contracts, freeing up valuable funds. So Backes becomes a viable option for them to take on as long as he comes with suitable additional ‘compensation’ in the form of high draft picks and/or a couple of good younger players or prospects who will give the Sharks good service for reasonable value – Heinen, Moore, Zboril, Vaak etc. all potentially fit this bill, plus the Bruins have a pick or two that may be of interest to them. As such, the Bruins make sense as a team that the Sharks can do good business with, plus they have the advantage of being in a different conference so they aren’t giving away players to a team that may haunt them too much over it.
So who do San Jose give up? Thornton obviously kicked this speculation off, plus Meier, Labanc and Dillon have all been named here. Meier and Dillon make the most sense for both teams in terms of their contracts and attributes. As I’ve already said in another post I really don’t see the need for Jumbo Joe back in Boston but if the Sharks are happy to move him, he is keen for a final Cup tilt and the Bruins can afford to take him alongside Meier and possibly Dillon as well, then I have no problem with it provided it brings the help we really need.
As long as Sweeney is sensible and the Sharks are willing to deal fairly in how much they ask for in the trade, a deal just might work.
So you can definitely make a case that they need to dump one or two of their expensive longer-term contracts and maximise their draft picks as part of what they hope will be a swift rebuild. How does Backes help them? Well the $6 mil ain’t cheap, or even 5 if they don’t intend to actually play him, but his contract only has 1 year left to run, as opposed to the longer deals that Meier, Couture, Hertl and their top D are on. They can retire Backes after a rebuilding year just at the time when a lot of younger guys are negotiating new contracts, freeing up valuable funds. So Backes becomes a viable option for them to take on as long as he comes with suitable additional ‘compensation’ in the form of high draft picks and/or a couple of good younger players or prospects who will give the Sharks good service for reasonable value – Heinen, Moore, Zboril, Vaak etc. all potentially fit this bill, plus the Bruins have a pick or two that may be of interest to them. As such, the Bruins make sense as a team that the Sharks can do good business with, plus they have the advantage of being in a different conference so they aren’t giving away players to a team that may haunt them too much over it.
So who do San Jose give up? Thornton obviously kicked this speculation off, plus Meier, Labanc and Dillon have all been named here. Meier and Dillon make the most sense for both teams in terms of their contracts and attributes. As I’ve already said in another post I really don’t see the need for Jumbo Joe back in Boston but if the Sharks are happy to move him, he is keen for a final Cup tilt and the Bruins can afford to take him alongside Meier and possibly Dillon as well, then I have no problem with it provided it brings the help we really need.
As long as Sweeney is sensible and the Sharks are willing to deal fairly in how much they ask for in the trade, a deal just might work.
Last edited:
!
