sawchuk1971
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- Jun 16, 2011
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Doug Wilson admits not signing Pavelski was a big mistake
- Thread starter sawchuk1971
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Smirnov2Chistov
EEK!
JPT
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GMs coming out to tell us about mistakes they made that we already knew about
Beukeboom Fan
Registered User
I can't say I blame Wilson though. How many time do those 35+ YO contracts work out vs. not? As a Hawks fan, the Seabrook contract was a disaster before it was signed, and it was the final nail in the Hawks coffin. In this case (or AP in STL), it's especially tough when it's your captain and he plays a smart game that theoretically is going to age well.
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OrrNumber4
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DW biggest mistake was keeping Joe Thornton for so long.
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Nobody could have predicted anyone would age as well as Pavelski did. He's gotta be top 1% in that regard.
Bingo.
This is a terrible move in hindsight, but was prudent in practice. Wilson couldn't have predicted that Pavelski would be the 1/1000 players that can sustain production until they're 40.
Pavs career aged like wine. Nobody could of predicted that
Whut? Dude was taking pennies on the dollar to stay. DW's biggest mistake was staying loyal to Vlasic and Hertl.
Especially since he did the same for Marleau (let him go), and Toronto ultimately had to give up a first to dump his cap hit.
SomeDude
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What’s next, is Ray Shero going to have second thoughts about drafting Derrick Pouliot over Filip Forsberg?
spintheblackcircle
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Vlasic
Except Pavelski was still consistently a 60+ point guy when he went to Dallas while Marleau was already down in the 40's when he went to Toronto. I know he had a terrible 1st year in Dallas, but it was still a huge mistake.
LeonDraisaitl
Registered User
It was still a smart decision (not in hindsight), but ONLY if DW was committed to rebuilding at the time. Problem was, he wasn't.
In both instances the money was too much. Pavs was never gonna play with a Robertson or a Hintz in SJ.
OrrNumber4
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By 2009, Thornton had shown that he couldn't be the face of the franchise on a cup-caliber team...he was too awful in the playoffs. DW should have cut-and-run at that point.
Khelandros
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Wait, are you talking about 29 year old FA Alex Pietrangelo? Who signed with Vegas, as a 29 year old FA coming off a Stanley Cup run?
I Hate Blake Coleman
Bandwagon Burner
Beukeboom Fan
Registered User
I thought that AP was a little older than that. Regardless - he was looking for an 8 year deal to 38 YO after playing a physical game, and the back half of the deal is likely to be painful. I probably would have signed him regardless, but I can respect a GM not wanting to end up with a potential anchor for 3-4 years on the roster.
Elysian
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- Jun 13, 2010
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Not like that would have saved the Sharks from the inevitable. This just sped it up and they got Celebrini and Smith out of it. They are better off.
Sidney the Kidney
One last time
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I'm still not convinced that idiot would see it as a mistake even if he were given the benefit of hindsight a decade later.
What’s next, is Ray Shero going to have second thoughts about drafting Derrick Pouliot over Filip Forsberg?
bleedgreen
Registered User
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
In retrospect, of course it was.
But at the time, as a sharks fan I agreed that it was a difficult but correct choice. Who would've predicted he was going to go on to be a productive elite player for like 4 more years? That's not exactly the norm for signing guys when they're approaching the backside of their 30s.
Plus it's not like it would've saved the Sharks. They were stuck in cap hell and falling apart already. As @TheBeard says above, the issue wasn't that he let Pavelski go. it's that he did it with the expectation that the team would remain competitive for more than just a year or two instead of recognizing that the ship was already sinking.
Also that godawful Vlasic contract. That was an albatross before the ink even dried on it.
But at the time, as a sharks fan I agreed that it was a difficult but correct choice. Who would've predicted he was going to go on to be a productive elite player for like 4 more years? That's not exactly the norm for signing guys when they're approaching the backside of their 30s.
Plus it's not like it would've saved the Sharks. They were stuck in cap hell and falling apart already. As @TheBeard says above, the issue wasn't that he let Pavelski go. it's that he did it with the expectation that the team would remain competitive for more than just a year or two instead of recognizing that the ship was already sinking.
Also that godawful Vlasic contract. That was an albatross before the ink even dried on it.
What would re-signing Pavelski have done for the Sharks? Prolong their mediocrity?
