Now that the Sharks almost certainly have Brad Stuart in the mix for next season (and probably several more to come), its worth speculating just what the teams blue line will look like at the start of the 2012-13 campaign.
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At 32 years old, Stuart, who the Sharks still need to sign after the team acquired his rights on Monday, has enough left in the tank to be a top four defenseman. Along with Dan Boyle, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, thats a pretty good group that matches up well with other teams top-fours around the league. The 25-years old Vlasic is coming off of his best season as a professional and should continue to improve; Burns, 27, is expected to have a greater impact after a year of adjustment, and the aging Boyle proved last season that he can still be a top NHL blueliner in just about every facet of the game.
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Which is why it surprises me that many think Boyle will be the one departing this summer.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old Boyle has two years remaining on his contract at 6.67 million per year, and, according to CapGeek.com, a limited no trade clause in which he can choose eight teams after June 30 in which he would not accept a trade. That leaves 21 other NHL clubs, several of which would undoubtedly be interested in his services.
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But before your mind wanders as to what kind of return a Boyle trade would produce for the Sharks, here are a few facts and figures to consider regarding the veteran defenseman.
In his fourth season with San Jose, Boyle led the team in ice time at 25:34 a game, something hes done every year hes worn teal. That includes nearly four minutes a night on the power playthe most among Sharks players for the unit that finished second in the NHL with a man advantage.
San Jose Sharks
Boyles 48 points (9g, 39) assists were tops among Sharks defensemen in scoring, placing him eighth overall in the league. Boyle was second in the NHL among defensemen in shots with 252, behind only Ottawas Erik Karlsson.
Thats not exactly easy to replace.
After a broken foot and sticks that were the wrong length (remember that odd story?) hindered the start of his season, Boyle was among the most important players on the team in the second half of the year. Without him, the club wouldnt have even gotten a sniff at the postseason.
At the same time, after signing Stuart to what will probably be in the 3-4 million-a-year range, San Jose will likely have to clear some salary. The Sharks currently have 14 players signed for just over 55 million, and still have to lock up players like Tommy Wingels, Justin Braun, Andrew Desjardins and TJ Galiardi, who are all restricted free agents.
To me, that means Douglas Murray may have played his last game with the Sharks.
Murray has one year remaining on his deal for 2.5 million, and it was clear in the postseason against St. Louis (and even before then) that hed lost a step. The hard-hitting Murray suffered through an injury-plagued 2011-12, and that may have affected his foot speed down the stretch and in the playoffs, but even early in the season he didnt seem to be moving very well.
That lack of mobility didnt help San Joses miserable penalty kill, either, as Murray was third on the team in shorthanded time-on-ice per game (1:48) for that 29th-ranked unit. The Sharks are expected to employ an aggressive approach to killing penalties next season, and Murray just simply cant keep up.
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Now that Stuart is here, Murray is expendable, and it shouldnt be too tough for the Sharks to find a taker for him. The unrestricted free agent market for defensemen is pretty thin this year, and there are always teams looking to upgrade their blue lines in the offseason. Taking a flier on a guy who had an off year, but who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, could appeal to a number of clubs. The Sharks should be able to find a home for the seven-year veteran without too much trouble, and could perhaps land a mid-round pick in the upcoming draft in Pittsburgh at the end of the month.
That makes a whole lot more sense than trading the still valuable Boyle.