Win Now Move
Just a few days ago, I wrote that we will find out by the trade deadline what San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson really thinks about his team. With Friday’s trade of defenseman Jason Demers and a third round pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Brenden Dillon, the answer is much clearer. Wilson believes his team can still win now. That “team of tomorrow” and “not close enough with other teams” talk was simply posturing.While the Sharks get an even younger player back in Dillon (24-years-old), than Demers (26-years-old) if the Sharks were truly rebuilding, they would be looking to keep young defenseman with potential, not trade them away, particularly when they are struggling.
Dillon, a 6’4, 225 pound left-handed shooting defenseman brings a strong defensive acumen on the left side that the Sharks have been desperately missing. They will probably need to acquire one more defenseman before the deadline, but this is definitely a solid start. One just has to wonder though if they could acquire Dillon for a struggling Demers, what could they have gotten for Demers during the offseason when he was coming off a career year?
As well liked as Demers was in San Jose, this is certainly a good move for a struggling Sharks blue-line. It should (ideally speaking) mean a merciful end to the Brent Burns and Mirco Mueller second pair combination. As Fear the Fin notes, Dillon could be a good fit with Burns.
Sad to see Demers go, he and Vlasic were effective down the stretch last season, but Dillon-Burns could be a really good second pairing.
— Fear the Fin (@fearthefin) November 21, 2014
Mueller can then be bumped down and asked to play fewer minutes which should allow him to thrive without having to play against top players on a regular basis. A third pair of Mueller and preferably the right-handed shooting Taylor Fedun would be a really good skating duo, with Fedun a solid puck mover and Mueller being a defensive minded skater. Fedun however has spent the whole season in Worcester of the AHL and so a third pairing of Mueller with Matt Irwin or Scott Hannan still doesn’t sound very great. If not Fedun, the Sharks would be wise to acquire one more defenseman to improve the third pairing.
As great as Demers was a year ago with 34 points, carrying Scott Hannan to start the year and then flourishing with Vlasic on the top pair during the second half, he was off to a really slow start. Just three points in 20 games and a minus-6 rating wasn’t cutting it. Demers has been up and down throughout his career where as Dillon has been continually getting better each year. Albeit off to somewhat slow start with Dallas this season, this move makes a lot of sense for a team looking to shore up their blue-line.
The fact that Dillon is a left handed shot also shouldn’t be overlooked. Lots of casual fans and some hard core ones don’t give it much thought but playing one side of the ice as a defenseman is very different. More often than not, left handed shooters play the left side and right handers play the right. Picking up pucks along the boards is generally easier on the forehand of the stick, so left side, left boards forehand and vice versa. Furthermore, “D-D” passes are easiest with one left handed shot and one right handed shot on a defense pairing. This is one of the many reasons coaching staffs look to pair up a left shooter and a right shooter on each pair if at all possible. Outside of Vlasic, the Sharks were thin with left handed shooters last season. Mueller comes in and has potential and now with Dillon arriving the left side looks much stronger now than a year ago. Losing Demers however does take away from the depth of right-handed shooters, especially if the Sharks were to move Burns back to forward. Therefore, expect the Sharks to try and acquire a right-handed shooter by the deadline to replenish that side.
Time will tell if it is a good trade but this analysis doesn’t show much insight. The Sharks have “”definitely been missing defensive acumen on the left side?” They’ve had Vlasic and Hannan on the left side. Don’t think you’re gunna find better hockey acumen than that. Mueller has a lot to learn but he’s not going anywhere is he. They are in a lot more trouble on the right side.
Hannan is multiple years past his prime, Mueller isn’t ready for top 4 minutes yet. They have clearly had a hole on the left side of the top4 last year and this year. Stuart struggled big time last year, Hannan, Mueller, Irwin, none of them cut it so far this year for top 4 minutes.
Maybe the swap of D-man benefits both teams, as Dallas get a puck mover that shoots from the right (too many left shooters) for a big-bodied D-man that shoots left which San Jose needs to tangle with the Ducks and Kings forwards in their division. I also believe by Thanksgiving, Burns will be moved back to forward on Thornton’s line and either trade for another D-man or allow Meuller and Fedun to grow into their positions.
It can be a trade that works well for both. Sharks were desperate for some better defensive zone play from the bottom 4 d, still could use another dman imo, especially if like you said, they do the right thing and move Burns back to forward. Although not nearly as confident it will be by Thanksgiving, that is less than a week away lol
Completely agree, Andrew. Demers was trending downward and Dillon has lots of potential. More than that though, this is a team that needs a shake up. This is a move in the right direction, hopefully there’s more to come! Bringing up Fedun and possibly trading Irwin and a few others would also be a good move.
thanks for the comment Jeff! Yeah Dillon from what fear the fin dug up, spent a lot of time on the top d pair with robidas and more than held his own, big body that can skate, hopefully change of scenery sparks his game that may have been struggling a bit so far this year it sounds like. Definitely a defense change was needed, some better dzone coverage was paramount.