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When Did It All Go Wrong For The San Jose Sharks?

Ryan Merkley San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks had made the playoffs 21 times in 28 seasons between 1991 and 2019. That statistic alone tells a story about a team that never took a break from competing. Fast forward to the current day and the Sharks have yet to make an appearance since 2019, heading for a franchise-record fourth-straight miss. So, where did it all go wrong in San Jose? The truth is the current product on the ice is a result of so much more than aging players who played passed their prime.

It’s easy to forget the whirlwind of changes and transitions the Sharks have undergone stemming from their nearly 20-season stretch of contention. So, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the string of changes throughout Sharks’ history that I’ve observed made this team who they are today.

Poor Drafting During the Sharks’ Contending Years

Part of the reason San Jose was able to continually retool on the fly was shrewd drafting between the late ’90s to 2010s. I was surprised myself when I dug into the full list of draft picks of the decade-long tenure of Doug Wilson, Jr. as the director of scouting between 2012-2022. During that span, San Jose produced just three top-six talents, all in the first round. To add insult to injury, one of those top-six players is now centering the Ottawa Senators’ top line, a repercussion of the Erik Karlsson trade. No disrespect, but Kevin Labanc is not a top-six threat.

Despite striking gold with Timo Meier, Thomas Hertl, and Josh Norris, the majority of Wilson, Jr.’s selections haven’t panned out. The Sharks are now feeling the impact of those several years of predominantly failed drafts, selections masked by a scarcity positive impact players. Gone are the days of the Sharks’ notorious late-round draft hits, aka Ryan Clowe, Joe Pavelski, Christian Ehrhoff, and Steve Bernier, who were all drafted in the fourth round or later.

Ryan Merkley, Sharks’ 2018 first-round draft pick (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Thankfully, it appears as if Wilson, Jr. left with a bang by heading the drafts of Thomas Bordeleau, Tristen Robins, and William Eklund between 2020-21. Only time will tell if the trio can alter the course of the Sharks’ franchise. Nonetheless, the shoddy yield by their former director of scouting has brought you the current results on the ice.

The Departure of Accountability

Let’s replace the term “accountability” with the name “Joe Pavelski” because the two are synonymous when it comes to Sharks’…

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