Brent Burns met with the media inside a nondescript locker room at Sharks Ice in San Jose last April and all but declared that time was running short for him to be a part of a Stanley Cup-contending team again.
“It’s definitely tough when you lose three years not making the playoffs,” said Burns, who was 37 then. “I think everybody feels that way whether they’re young or older.”
Just over a year later, Burns is right where he wants to be. Traded by new Sharks general manager Mike Grier to Carolina last July, Burns and the Hurricanes, starting Thursday, face the upstart Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference final, eight wins away from hoisting that elusive silver chalice.
A handful of other ex-Sharks are in the same spot, as former members of Team Teal also dot the lineups of the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars, who start their Western Conference final on Friday.
While those teams compete for the Cup, the Sharks have gone four straight years without a postseason appearance, with no definitive end to the playoff drought in sight.
Here’s a look at the former Sharks on teams that are still alive in the playoffs, why their time in San Jose came ended, and evaluating the aftermath.
Carolina Hurricanes
Brent Burns
Sharks tenure: June 2011 to July 2022
Why it ended: Having been a part of three straight sub-par Sharks teams, not knowing when things might improve, and already in his late 30s, Burns wanted to be on a winner and agreed to be traded to the Hurricanes on July 13 of last year. In exchange, the Sharks received a conditional 2023 third-round draft pick, forward Steven Lorentz, and goalie Eetu Mäkiniemi. The Sharks also agreed to keep 34 percent of Burns’ $8 million average annual salary, meaning San Jose retained $2.72 million on their salary cap ledger for this year and the next two.
What’s happened since: Burns had 61 points in 82 regular season games as the Hurricanes won the Metropolitan Division. He’s now tied for third on the team with eight points in 11 playoff games. Erik Karlsson went on to have a monster 101-point season as the lead horse on the Sharks’ blue line, but the team had its worst season in 27 years. Lorentz, 27, established himself as a reliable depth center and effective penalty killer, but it’s unclear as to whether Makiniemi, 24, can turn into a full-time NHL goalie. The Sharks wanted to clear some cap space, but probably should have gotten a bit more back from Carolina in the deal.
Stefan Noesen
Sharks tenure: December 2019 to April 2021
Why it ended: After Noesen was claimed off waivers by the Sharks from Pittsburgh, he had eight points in 39 games with San Jose before he was traded to Toronto as part of the deal that saw Nick Foligno go to the Maple Leafs. Noesen played a gritty, no-nonsense style while in San Jose as he split time between the AHL and NHL.
What’s happened since: Now 30, Noesen’s playing his best hockey. He signed a two-way deal with Carolina in August 2021 and scored 48 goals in the AHL last season. Now in the first year of a two-year deal, Noesen had 36 points in 78 games for Carolina this season, averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game. He also has six points in 11 playoff games. The Sharks are now in search of players like Noesen, guys who add sandpaper while also contributing offensively.
Note: Former Sharks goalie Zach Sawchenko is also on Carolina’s roster after he signed a one-year deal with the organization last summer but hasn’t played an NHL game this season.
Dallas Stars
Joe Pavelski
Sharks tenure: November 2006 to June 2019
Why it ended: Pavelski, coming off a 38-goal season as a 34-year-old team captain, wanted a three-year contract extension to remain with the Sharks in 2019. Then-general manager Doug Wilson didn’t budge, and Pavelski walked, signing a three-year, $21 million deal with the Stars as a free agent on July 1 of that year.
What’s happened since: In four seasons with Dallas, Pavelski has 240 points in 287 regular season games and just finished a 77-point season as a 38-year-old. He already has a new contract for next season. The Stars have made the playoffs in three of four years with Pavelski. Conversely, the Sharks have spiraled in Pavelski’s absence, going 104-145-41 for a .429 points percentage that ranks fourth-worst in the NHL.
Pete DeBoer, Steve Spott
Sharks tenure: Summer 2015 to December 2019.
Why it ended: After coaching the Sharks to four consecutive playoff appearances, including the 2016 Cup Final, head coach DeBoer, and assistants Spott, Dave Barr, and Johan Hedberg were all fired by Wilson, who felt the team needed a fresh voice after a 15-16-2 start.
What’s happened since: Both DeBoer and Spott were hired and fired by the Golden Knights after just two-plus seasons. DeBoer was then hired by the Stars in June of last year and Spott, DeBoer’s right-hand man, was brought about a couple weeks later. Bob Boughner took over for DeBoer in San Jose in December 2019 but went 14-20-3 to finish the season, an indication that those Sharks just didn’t have the horses.
Vegas Golden Knights
Adin Hill
Sharks tenure: July 2021 to August 2022.
Why it ended: Hill signed a two-year deal with the Sharks after he was acquired from Arizona for a 2022 second-round draft pick. But he was injured for almost all of the second half of last season, leading San Jose to acquire Kaapo Kahkonen in March 2022. The Sharks re-signed Kahkonen to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. Rather than go into camp with a three-headed monster at goalie, with James Reimer also under contract, Grier offloaded Hill to Vegas for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
What’s happened since: Hill’s move to Vegas came two weeks after it was determined that Robin Lehner required hip surgery and was going to miss the entire 2022-23 season. Hill, now 27, was the Golden Knights’ No. 2 goalie for most of the year and went 16-7-1 with a .915 save percentage in 27 games. Hill is now 3-1 and has a sparkling .934 save percentage in five playoff games as he’s taken over the No. 1 job from the injured Laurent Brossoit. The Sharks are now looking for a goalie who can tandem with Kahkonen.
Did the Sharks mishandle their goalie situation? They probably gave up too much to get Hill, then weren’t patient enough with him, and eventually received too little for him in return.
Source: www.mercurynews.com