San Jose Sharks general manager Ryan Schnell has been very busy over the past 48 hours completing three trades that will hopefully shake up a disapointing Sharks team that currently sits ranked 9th in the Western Conference with 66 points. The first deal came Monday night when the Sharks acquired former Selke trophy winning center John Madden from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Derek Morris, prospect Josh Hennessy, a 4th round pick, and future considerations. Madden is in the final year of his contract but the Sharks hope to discuss a contract extension with Madden in the near future. "Madden is one of the best defensive forwards in the league" said a Sharks scout. It appears Madden will lineup alongside P.J. Axelsson and Martin Lapointe to form one of the best shutdown lines in the league.
The second trade came Tuesday when the Sharks sent highly regarded defenseman Matt Carle along with promising forward Ryane Clowe, Richard Park, and a 5th round pick to the Calgray Flames in exchange for Rod Brind'Amour and Daniel Cleary. The 37 year old Brind'Amour joins the Sharks and become their oldest player, however he is nowhere near the end of his career. He accumulated 59 points in 62 games with the Flames so far this season. Cleary, a former Shark, who was traded in the Tomas Kaberle deal earlier in the year, rejoins the team and will likely play on a talented 4th line with Milan Michalek and Wayne Primeau. The acquisition of Brind'Amour leaves the Sharks with a glut of centers so the speculation is the Patrick Marleau will move to left wing. "We will ask Patty what he thinks about playing on the wing with Rod. Him and Max using their speed around the outside could be a scary thought for other teams." said head coach Ron Wilson. "It's hard to give up a guy with as much potential as Matt Carle, but with Tomas Kaberle and Dan Boyle as well as up and coming Shea Weber, we feel our defense is strong now and in the future." said Schnell.
The final trade came Tuesday night when the Sharks acquired defenseman Dick Tarnstrom from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 4th round draft pick. Tarnstrom has had a great year so far with 46 points in 66 games. He is also in contention for the Norris trophy. He will not play as big of a role in San jose as he did in Nashville, but he can expect to be an important part of the first power play unit.
After these three trades Schnell feels that this team can compete with anyone in the OTHL. "We have underachieved this season, but now their are no excuses. We have addressed our need for veteren leadership and experience and at the same time added some talented players to an already talented group. I expect this team to make the playoffs and have as good of a shot as any team to come out of the Western Conference." The Sharks will unveil their new lineup tomorrow night at the Tank when they host the Florida Panthers.