Doug Wilson finally made a move to help the blue line. Maybe I should have titled this breaking news.
At the end of the season in an article here on Bleacher Report, I actually suggested letting Brian Campbell go and signing Rob Blake, who I am sure came at a much lower price (details of the contract were not disclosed). Of course, that was when I was suggesting Bob Hartley, who coached Blake when they won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche.
When Wilson hired Todd McLellan to run the Detroit offense, I thought a puck-moving defenseman was more in line with the necessary skill set. Nonetheless, Blake is a solid two-way defenseman with a championship pedigree. Despite his advanced age (38), he was still productive: 71 GP, 9 G, 22 A; he was -19, but that was on the team with the worst record in the league.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Because the New York Rangers signed Dimitry Kalinin, the pool of available defenseman with the appropriate skill set is dwindling. Teppo Numminen, Bret Hedican, Jay Bouwmeester, Bryan Berard, and Andrej Meszaros are the best puck-moving defensemen remaining.
Numminen is also aging and has health issues. Bouwmeester is a restricted free agent, and would cost the Sharks draft picks; moreover, he has not reached his potential yet, although that could be because he's been stuck in Florida. Bryan Berard was suspended for testing positive for steroids, and is not very good defensively: he has finished in the negative in seven of his eleven years, including each of the last five.
Meszaros, however, is not yet 23 years old but already has three years of experience, never missing a game and registering 26 G, 84 A, and a +24 rating. Hedican will turn 38 before the season, but he has Bay Area ties and has tasted champagne from the Cup.
In addition, the Sharks would be smart to go after some blue line presences that are cut more from the stay-at-home cloth but would bring the steady hand of veteran play to stabilize the team's young unit. Jason Smith has been a team captain and has a few years left on him. Marek Malik is one of the most under-rated defenders in the league, and has the best +/- rating since the lockout.
However, Wilson is more of a draft and develop guy, so don't expect a big splash in what's left of the free agency period. I would expect to see Christian Ehrhoff become the team's next priority.
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