Sharks’ draft spot represents critical rebuilding moment

Sharks’ draft spot represents critical rebuilding moment

Hockey hasn’t been played in San Jose for more than two months, but that didn’t stop Doug Wilson from suggesting the Sharks have reached a critical point.

San Jose’s general manager is executing his plan to rebuild on the fly after the team missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time under his watch of 11 years.

The next step for Wilson & Co. comes in the NHL’s two-day entry draft, which begins Friday in Sunrise, Fla.

The Sharks hold the ninth overall pick, the first time in eight years that they’re in the top 10.

“We know we’re going to get a good player,” Wilson said.

With their last top-10 pick, the Sharks selected forward Logan Couture at No. 9 in 2007, “and that worked pretty well.”

Trading the pick to move up or down is an option.

Experts suggest at least the first dozen picks should yield a nice player.

“On the draft floor, sometimes things come out of left field,” Wilson said.

All of the players selected at No. 9 from Couture through the 2013 draft are established NHL regulars.

Most made their league debut within two years of being drafted and all seven remain with the team that chose them.

Various mock drafts suggest San Jose could take left wing Lawson Crouse from Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, left wing Timo Meier from Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League or defenseman Zach Werenski from the University of Michigan.

“We always go in and take the best player,” Wilson said.

San Jose has eight picks in this year’s seven-round draft — and 26 picks over the next three years.

Combined with approximately $17.5 million in salary-cap space, Wilson said the Sharks are in good position to entertain offers and be aggressive if they see an opportunity this week or next when the free-agent market opens Wednesday.

“We’ve got to have a good draft, we’ve got to make good decisions on utilizing those assets and using the cap space we have, not only for now, but into the future,” he said.

Though expecting to add a good haul of young players this week, Wilson says more talent is needed before the start of next season.

Wilson said last week that the team will not re-sign unrestricted free-agent defenseman Scott Hannan or fourth-line winger John Scott.

Teams with interest can start talking to those players Thursday and start signing them Wednesday.

Will we be adding more goaltenders?

The answer is yes, said Wilson, without getting any more specific about whether that will happen through the draft, trade or free agency.

Goaltending and fortifying a defense that figures to include Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brent Burns, Justin Braun, Brenden Dillon and Mirco Mueller are the priorities.

Winger Raffi Torres — who had surgery on a torn ACL and played only five games last season — is on schedule to return and compete for wide-open third- and fourth-line roles.

“We have to play better as a team with better structure,” said Wilson, who will lean on new head coach Peter DeBoer to get that done.

Ross McKeon is a freelance writer.

Sharks’ picks

The Sharks have the No. 9 overall pick in this year’s NHL draft, but they have only one other choice in the first 105 selections.

Here’s a look at their draft positions as of Wednesday:

First round:

y - from N.Y. Islanders

z - from Tampa Bay (via Islanders)

NHL No. 9s since 2007

N.Y. Islanders