Sharks Roster, Long
Alan Hepburn
People have been curious as to the method the Sharks will use to
get their roster next summer. Well, what follows is an article from
"Rink Report", the Official Newsletter of the San Jose Sharks (reprinted
without permission):
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Shape of Things to Come: Forming The Sharks' Roster
As with expansion teams in any sport, players are acquired from many
sources. Same goes for the San Jose entry in the NHL, but with an
added twist.
Not only will players be selected from other NHL teams, young players
taken in the NHL Entry Draft and the possibility of trades and free
agent signings, but a dispersal draft between the Sharks and the
Minnesota North Stars will be held, essentially providing a division
of the North Stars' roster between the two teams. In a nutshell, here
is how the player selection process will go next June:
Dispersal Draft
Phase 1: Prior to the expansion and Entry drafts, Minnesota will
protect 14 skaters and 2 goaltenders who had played in at least 50
NHL games by the end of the 1989-90 season. Then, San Jose will select
14 skaters and 2 goaltenders from the North Stars' reserve list
(excluding 1990 draft picks). Up to three players can be unsigned
North Stars draft choices, another three can be players signed between
May 2 and June 15, 1990.
Phase II: After San Jose chooses its 14 players and 2 goalies, the
remaining players on the Minnesota reserve list, including 1990 draft
picks, will be divided between the two teams, who will take turns
selecting players until San Jose has a roster of 30.
Summary of Dispersal Draft - A total of 30 players may be acquired by
the Sharks...many are players who have been performing with the
successful Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League (North
Stars' farm club) and are developing into NHL performers...others are
players who have been playing collegiate hockey, in the Canadian and
U.S. junior leagues or in Europe...there likely will be a few
players with several games of NHL experience.
Expansion Draft
The Sharks and the North Stars will take turns selecting players, one
from each of the other 20 NHL teams' reserve list. Those teams will
be able to protect 16 skaters and 2 goaltenders. Ten players each will
go to the Sharks and the North Stars.
Summary of Expansion Draft - 10 more players added to the San Jose
roster...Sharks must assume contracts of any player drafted...players
to be obtained include some proven NHL veterans...good source of
finding role players or veteran leadership.
Entry Draft
The NHL's 1991 annual draft of amateur players (mostly 18-year-olds)
will find San Jose picking 2nd in round one and 1st in each of the
subsequent 11 rounds.
Summary of Entry Draft - The Sharks will get a quality player...most
believe Canadian junior star Eroc Lindros will be the first player
taken - he could slip to 2nd, but if not, there are plenty of quality
players to make this a very attractive draft position...a total of
12 players will be selected by San Jose...similar to baseball's amateur
draft where players, also drafted at age 18, usually take three years
to develop into big leaguers.
Trades and Free Agent Signings
The Sharks will be able to make trades and sign free agents starting
July 1, 1991.
Total Roster
San Jose can own rights of up to 80 players...typically, around 25
players will be on the NHL roster, the rest playing in the minors,
juniors, or collegiate ranks.
*****
Well, there you have it, in a nutshell (that sure is a big nut :-)).
Any guesses as to who might make up the initial roster???
--
Alan Hepburn "There is nothing so powerful as truth ...
mail: al...@spitfire.nsc.com and often nothing so strange."
- Daniel Webster