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Signs point to Sharks choosing not to retain Patrick White, instead will recieve compensation

Although the Trade Deadline is the most famous deadline in the NHL, there are a few others that have some significance. Yesterday, for example, was the last day to sign college prospects to professional contracts. If a team failed to do so, said prospect would return to the free agent pool.

The San Jose Sharks have appeared to chose to take the latter route with prospect Patrick White, who was acquired in the trade that sent Brad Lukowich and Christian Ehrhoff to Vancouver. Since White was a first round pick, the Sharks could chose to either sign White or take a second round selection as compensation, or more specifically, the 55th overall pick in the 2012 draft.

With yesterday come and gone and no news from the organization, it’s a pretty safe bet to assume that White has been cut loose.

White’s short career with San Jose was an extremely uneventful one. His acquisition was a mere blip on the radar in parts of a bigger move to acquire Dany Heatley, and his exit failed to register as well. It’s a long, hard fall for the 25th overall pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft.

Heading into that draft, White was ranked in the top-thirty prospects. Scouts touted his puck handling skills and strengthin the corners, suggesting that he would be an above average winger with a solid wrist-shot. However, there was one knock in his NHL scouting profile which, in retrospect, seems to have dictated his post-draft career.

He lacked urgency in his play.

It appears that lack of urgency has led White to an uncertain hockey future. In his senior season at the University of Minnesota, his last real chance to make an impression on the Sharks organization, White scored just five goals en route to a ten point effort in an injury shortened twenty-seven game season. Now, without a professional contract, White is an unrestricted free agent. At this point, it seems extremely unlikely that teams will be lining up to sign him.

The Ehrhoff trade was a cap-move, but even still, it was probably the worst value-for-value trades ever completed by the usually shrewd Doug Wilson.

Would you have re-signed Patrick White?

Yes 88
No 718

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