@ 4:00 PST
31-17-7, 69 points		21-25-11, 53 points
3rd in Western Conference		15th in Eastern Conference

Work these days is an absolute grind for all the wrong reasons.

Ever the diligent employee, I forsake the world of Twitter from 9-6 in order to handle my business. I love the company I work for, we have a ton of momentum going right now, and the office has added some new employees which have really made a big impact on the things we are going to accomplish. In other words, things are absolutely roses.

The only issue is that right now is the trade deadline frenzy.

Which means with little birdies chirping in your ear all day things can get a little hectic.

In case you missed it earlier (you didn’t, because unlike me, you’ve already surpassed your 3G data usage for this month), the Sharks acquired gritty forward Dominic Mooree and a 7th round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2nd round pick. That 2nd round pick was acquired from Minnesota last offseason in the deal that brought Brent Burns over to the team.

Moore gives San Jose some much needed depth up front and should fit in well with either the third or second line this year as the Sharks look to improve what’s cooking in the forward kitchen. As Matt said this morning, Moore really helps out San Jose on the penalty kill-– Moore has averaged 2:00 of SH TOI this season, clocked in at 2:07 last year, and will theoretically be able to spell the big guns of Pavelski, Marleau, Thornton, and Couture in this situation.

Another plus is the trust coaches seem to have in his game. He’s not going to see these kinds of totals with the Sharks this postseason, but when you come in as the fourth highest forward on your team for overall ice time during a run to the Eastern Conference Finals as Moore did last year, I think that speaks to the complete package of the player in question.

In terms of even strength production, Moore is pretty much what you would expect in this situation– while his CORSI numbers relative to his former teammates this year currently sits at 9th, he did come in 3rd last season on a Lightning team that was no stranger to giving up shots towards the net. He doesn’t bang the twine too often, which is something the Sharks still look like they need, but acquiring a solid forward to help round out their depth was a need the team clearly wanted to address before moving forward.

Coupled with his respectable quality of competition numbers (third line quality) as well as his good skating ability it’s safe to say that the Sharks got better today. The price San Jose paid for his services, a second round pick that looks like it could be in the top 40 overall considering Minnesota’s poor underlying numbers and current slide, is maybe a little much but that’s just nitpicking– the difference between a 2nd round and 3rd round pick is a relatively small difference for a team like San Jose who is in win-now mode, and the fact of the matter is that the Sharks got better today and acquired a versatile forward who will give them some responsibility in the defensive end.

Again, back to this deadline situation– I feel like I need to continue to address the Nash situation because, despite what I feel is an air tight case on why Nash won’t end up in San Jose, the rumors continue to swirl. When the ever-reliable Bob McKenzie talks you listen, and according to his sources the Sharks are one of the four teams in the running for his services as a “Plan B” option if the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers can’t get it done.

As I said earlier this week, if I’m Scott Howson I hold onto my assets until this summer when I can open up the field and truly explore what kind of return I’d be able to receive for my franchise player and current team Captain. With that being said, let’s run down the facts again:

• Unless Howson completely blows this deal and gets swindled, any trade for Rick Nash starts and ends with Joe Pavelski or Logan Couture plus a significant package of either roster players or prospects. From my point of view I don’t think the Sharks have the assets in the system to get this done without giving up more roster players, which puts up the red lights for me.
• That being said, if there is a guy who can maneuver in tight corners and complete a deal for a superstar while keeping his core intact it is Doug Wilson. It’d take an absolute miracle, and with Los Angeles throwing around names like Bernier + Johnson it puts San Jose really behind the eight ball, but the fact that Nash has a No Movement clause definitely can swing things in favor of the Sharks.
• Maybe I’m just losing my mind but as many have said before me, this is starting to feel like the Dany Heatley trade that sent Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo to Ottawa. Your gut says no it won’t happen, but the rumors keep coming at a feverish pace.
• Long story short? This only happens if Columbus allows a potentially lame duck GM to make the biggest move in franchise history, other suitors fall out of the picture, and the Sharks are able to sell the Jackets on a couple of their prospects which from my vantage point don’t match up to what the cost should be for a player of his skill level.
• Unfortunately for Columbus fans, that’s a possibility however remote it may be.
• I’m still sticking to my guns– Nash to San Jose won’t happen, it feels like an offseason move for San Jose. I think it’s a far more realistic possibility at that moment in time. Furthermore, I think the deadline comes and goes without a Rick Nash trade and he gets moved in the offseason.
• Both Dan Rusanowsky and Jamie Baker said the same thing on the radio tonight in regards to a Nash-San Jose deal, with Drew Remenda and Randy Hahn echoing those sentiments on television. Five’s company or something like that.

Further complicating these issues is that Darren Dreger is reporting that an offer for Mikhail Grabovski of the Toronto Maple Leafs is on the table. The return? A second round pick and a prospect. Although the Sharks just gave up Minnesota’s second round pick, they do have a the 25th pick in the second round due to the fact that they did not re-sign Patrick White this offseason.

As Dreger mentions in the video linked above, Brian Burke stated that he may be able to sweeten the pot and get a first round pick out of the team in question. That sounds more like a Wilson play to me than one in which you round up the horses and sacrifice your depth for an impact player who probably won’t make as much of an impact as the combined weight of what you’re sending out.

It’s enough to make your head spin.

I feel like Lucille Austero right now.

Let’s get some levity against the Canes, pick up two points, and put this road trip back on track.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Pavelski, Clowe, and Burns.