When you’re a struggling team approaching the trade deadline, contending teams will constantly be in contact, gauging which players you would be willing to part with and their asking price. Over the last couple of seasons, the San Jose Sharks have learned that all too well. As they progress through their rebuild, they continue to post poor results on the ice, but with those difficulties come opportunities to trade valuable players in exchange for assets, and this season is no different. Almost no players are untouchable, and plenty of teams, writers and fanbases wonder who they will ultimately give up. But while the Sharks absolutely should — and likely will — make some trades at the deadline, one player they need to retain is defenseman Mario Ferraro. His name has been thrown around in a few trade rumors, but he is simply too valuable to San Jose’s future to make a deal worthwhile.
Ferraro Is a Crucial Blueliner
As the Sharks build their roster back up, no aspect of the team needs an overhaul more than their defense. They’ve allowed the most goals in the NHL this season, and most of their defensemen are either too old or too young to be major contributors right now. Ferraro is the exception.
He may not be skilled enough to be a number-one defenseman, but he’s not far off from it. His aggressive, physical style can help set a tone for future Sharks teams and establish their identity. He’s a player who will show up nearly every game and give a complete 60-minute effort. Those players are rarer than many realize, and when you have one on your roster, you shouldn’t part with him.
Furthermore, while he’s known for his defense, his offense has been a pleasant surprise this season. He’ll certainly never fill Erik Karlsson’s role — and will likely never come close — but he’s trending toward a single-season career-high in points, and currently leads Sharks blueliners in the category. He’ll always be a defense-first player, but this season has demonstrated his versatility in a way that could give him an even more important role in the coming seasons in San Jose. Combine that with the maximization of his more developed skills, and you’ve got a defenseman who can be a core member of the Sharks for many years to come.
Trading Ferraro Would Introduce Too Much Ambiguity
Acquiring draft capital at the trade deadline can be helpful, but sometimes it’s better to hang on to the actual players rather than give them up for some uncertain future pieces. Ferraro is a prime example of this.
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The 25-year-old is basically the one sure thing the Sharks have on their blue line right now. As mentioned, most of the rest of the defensemen are either on the wrong side of 30 or painfully short on NHL experience. Shakir Mukhamadullin, Ty Emberson and Nikita Okhotiuk have all shown promise, but they are all in the very early stages of their careers and can’t be guaranteed to continue on a positive trajectory. After Ferraro, there are a whole lot of question marks and unfinished sentences.
Trading Ferraro would send the Sharks’ defense core from an unstable state into a practically blank void. The front office would be taking an enormous gamble that the up-and-coming blueliners will develop, that they can identify and draft more NHL-caliber defensemen, and that they don’t need someone as experienced and steady as Ferraro. As they try to stick the landing on their rebuild over the next few seasons, that’s a risk they can’t afford to take.
The Sharks will certainly look to sell over the next week, but they’ll still need some players that they can actually put on the ice as they return to a competitive state. For years to come, Ferraro should be one of those players.
Ferraro Wants to Remain With the Sharks
While most of the focus as the deadline approaches is on the moves the Sharks will make, less attention will be paid to the desires of the players. Sports is a business, and teams need to make tough decisions, but it is worth noting that Ferraro has openly expressed a desire to stay in San Jose. Not every player is willing to tough out a rebuild in order to reap the rewards at the end. But Ferraro is, and the Sharks should appreciate that and take advantage of it.
With only a handful of days left until the trade deadline, the Sharks will likely field calls about the possibility of a Ferraro trade. But they could also hold on to a good defenseman, take a step towards solidifying their blue line, and reward a player who wants to be part of the journey back to contention. Their best option is perfectly clear.
