I watched both Rocky and The Godfather over the weekend, and it’s hard to pick out which of those masterpieces is the better film. Both contain riveting stories, exceptional acting, outstanding dialogue, and an attention to detail that’s made them favorites more than 30 years after their theatrical release. However, all of their outstanding qualities are nearly shattered by the performance of Talia Shire. She’s okay when she’s quiet, but when she starts hollering at Paulie Pennino or screaming at Michael Corleone it almost sends the entire movie off the rails. I begin to cringe when Shire starts getting crazy, then she explodes into her awful tantrums and you just have to wait it out, remembering that it will all be over soon.
I’m sure fans of the San Jose Sharks can relate around the NHL trade deadline. The Sharks are usually enjoying great success by the end of February; the story is intriguing, the major players are performing well, and things are looking up. It might not feel like a masterpiece at that moment, but the potential is there. Then the trade deadline rolls around and you start to hear rumors about the talent that’s available. The sellers are separated from the buyers, potential targets are identified, roster needs are analyzed, and San Jose general manager Doug Wilson starts getting crazy. He can’t resist the deadline, the same way Shire can’t resist screaming like a wounded monkey. Just like a dramatic scene, the tension builds and pressure mounts until the powder keg ignites.
Boom! Suddenly Shire is a whirlwind of spinning limbs, smashing vases and stomping her feet, grabbing Paulie by the lapels and screaming like a living testament to overkill. Amateur moviegoers are impressed by her lack of restraint, while veterans want to put her in restraints. Boom! Suddenly Wilson pulls the trigger. Moves are debated, cynics are derided, and the general manager proudly announces that he didn’t have to move a roster player to land the new faces. Amateur fans are convinced that the Sharks are renewed by fresh blood that will help take them over the top, while veterans realize the negative impact those trades will have on the future, regardless of the short-term outcome.
The familiar situation played out once again over the weekend, with the Sharks acquiring Niclas Wallin and a fifth-round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round pick. Wallin is a depth defenseman who is set to become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason. He’s not a bad player, but he turns 35 in less than two weeks, he doesn’t have any offensive ability, and he averaged less than 13 minutes per game during the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference finals last season. Wallin isn’t exactly a difference-maker, but he’s a welcome addition to the Sharks’ blueline, which has struggled with depth issues from the moment Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich were dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for a pair of cadavers.
There’s no doubt the Sharks are better today than they were yesterday, but their prospect system — which already ranks among the worst in the league — has taken another hit. Add that second-round pick to the long list that have been traded away with little to show for it in terms of either playoff success or roster talent. Of course, everyone can understand why Wilson made the trade. During the past week, he’s watched his team ice defensemen who are defensively inept (Jay Leach), physically overmatched (Derek Joslin) and prone to horrendous turnovers (Jason Demers), making Evgeni Nabokov’s job much harder than it had to be. Consider the fact that injuries to Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic had made Kent Huskins the team’s third defenseman, and you realize just how dire the situation had become in San Jose.
Wilson’s problem is that he could have gotten a better defensive defenseman without having to give up a roster player or a draft pick. The Anaheim Ducks placed 31-year-old Nick Boynton on re-entry waivers on Friday (the same day that the Wallin trade reportedly fell through) leading to speculation that the Sharks could pick him up at half of the prorated portion of his $1.5 million cap hit. The only obstacle appeared to be San Jose’s spot in the waiver order, and it was assumed that Boynton would be pick up before the Sharks would have an opportunity to put in a claim. As it turns out, Boynton cleared waivers. We’ll never know why the Sharks refused to shift gears and go after him. If they had, it would have given them a player comparable to Wallin in ever way.
Boynton hasn’t won a Stanley Cup, and that’s the major difference between him and Wallin, who lifted Lord Stanley’s mug with Carolina in 2006. However, he’s younger (barely 31 vs. 34 and 353/365ths), cheaper (prorated $750K vs. $1.725 million), better offensively (7 points vs. 5), better defensively (+1 plus-minus vs. -5), and has a lot more left in the tank than the aging Swede. If Wallin carries some tremendous advantage over Boynton that could justify the Sharks giving up a second-round pick for him I would love to hear it. Then again, if someone could make the argument that it was necessary for Shire to lose her mind and jeopardize two of the greatest films of the 20th century, I’m all ears for that one as well.
In the end, you just couldn’t keep Shire from seizing the moment. She was going to do crazy on her terms, without being wrangled by common sense. Her performances didn't destroy those movies, and Wilson's deadline deals haven't destroyed the Sharks, but they cast a stain that lingers for a long time. If the Sharks falter again and Wallin walks during the offseason, it will represent one more misstep and squandered opportunity in a long line of them. It seems deadline Wilson has struck again, flying off the handle without much thought for the future. Of course, given his playoff track record and the mess he’s leaving his successor, it’s hard to imagine Wilson has much of a future in San Jose.
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We’re knee-deep in Sharks-Leafs at the Garner house tonight, so join me for the SharksBuzz Postgame Show immediately after the final buzzer sounds. We’ll discuss the Wallin deal, the trade freeze, the trade deadline, the Olympics, and much more. Plus, we'll be joined by HockeyBuzz Leafs blogger Mike Augello, so give us a jingle at (724) 444-7444, talkcast ID# 74909.
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