I don’t see why everyone is freaking out about giving up draft picks. Marleau is 30, Heatley is 29, Joe is 30, Nabby is 34, Boyle is 33.  The time is now. The window is open. It may not be open past this summer if Patty and/or Nabby leave. Anything that helps us now, this year, is worth any and all of our draft picks. Detroit hasn’t stayed at the top of the league because they have had great first round picks. In fact, they have had the fewest first round picks, only 8 in the last 15 years.

When you are picking in the twentieth (or higher) position in the first round as the Sharks will likely be doing this year, you aren’t going to get an Ovechkin or a Crosby. You are doing well if he becomes an every day player. A second round pick has even longer odds.

When the window closes, the team is going into a slow decline like Dallas. And, most likely back into the wilderness, where we don’t make the playoffs. Maybe we even finish at the bottom five of the standings. Then your first round pick is worth keeping.

Here are the Sharks 1st round picks since 2005

Year     #          Player                                       Comments          

2005     8          Devin Setoguchi                         65 points last year

                                                                        This year, limited by injuries, on pace for 36

2006     16         Ty Wishart (MTL)                       Part of Dan Boyle trade (picked by Sharks).

                                                                        Still in AHL

2007     9          Logan Couture                           Showing promise. AHL All-Star

2007     27         Nick Petrecki                            Struggling in AHL          

The following first round picks passed thru the Sharks hands and these guys were

ultimately picked by other teams. This implies the Sharks would have picked the

same guy, probably not a great assumption, but it gives you a place to start. However, if you do look at who was available when these guys were picked, nobody jumps out at you.

2007     13         STL      Lars Eller                      Part of trading up for Logan Couture.

                                                                        Showing promise. AHL All-Star

                                                                        Rated below Couture

2007     22         MTL      Max Pacioretty              Part of Craig Rivet trade.

                                                                        Played 34 NHL games last year,

                                                                        Played 52 NHL games this year

                                                                        Back in AHL

2007     26         STL      David Perron                  Part of Bill Guerin trade.

                                                                        In 2nd NHL season. Shows promise.

                                                                        Had 50 pts (15G-35A) last year.

                                                                        On pace for 43 points this year.

2008     26         BUF      Tyler Ennis                    Part of Brian Campbell trade. 

                                                                        Played 1 game this year.

Now back in AHL

2009     26         ANA     Kyle Palmieri                 Part of Dan Boyle trade.

                                                                        On US World Junior pre-tournament team roster

                                                                        Now playing with Notre Dame in CCHA

Any draft pick this year may help us in 3-4 years, not now.