Should we fire DW?

[Irie]

He definitely made good moves this year. Regardless of what we want, this WCF berth will probably give him a fair amount of rope.

This is really the first season he's actually signed sought after UFAs. Granted they weren't top tier, but they were guys that still had some upside and actually played well last season. Wilson's MO had been to always trade assets to acquire players to address holes, and over pay for plugs. His management style has consistently left the Sharks thin in quality prospects.

Ward and Martin may turn out to be risky signings in the last year of their contracts, but they were good value this year, and really helped this team. As some one who has been often critical of Wilson's moves, I did praise both of the signings when they happened on these boards.

Love reading back through this now. Wilson continues to develop and build a contender on the fly after only one year of DNQ.

Sharks are going to the Finals. Wilson and company deserve full credit for the moves to bring in the young talent they did to revitalize this team and St.Louis won't have the legs to match them.

The WCF appearance is great, but as for the talk of best Sharks team ever, or GM of the year, I still contend that this is the Sharks' luckiest post season ever. Facing a Kings Defense featuring Schenn, Scuderi, Mcnabb and McBain, and no Martinez for most of the series, and then a tired, 96 point nashville team in the second round is arguably the softest first two opponents a Sharks team has ever faced in the first two rounds.

If this team beats the Blues (Which I am really hoping they do), I will be the first to eat all the crow for everything I have posted in this thread. But until then, I see this team as solid, but not really Stanley cup champion caliber.

 

[Paka Ono]

As a long time DW hater, if winning the cup means I have to eat crow, so be it!

 

[Pinkfloyd]

As a long time DW hater, if winning the cup means I have to eat crow, so be it!

Fire him anyway.

 

[Mach12]

He's probably got a job for life now

 

[hohosaregood]

He's earned himself a couple more years.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

He's adapted. Look at how they've changed in the last 3 years in terms of drafting and using the Euro FA market.

 

[Bleedred]

I never thought he was a bad GM, just that maybe he was meeting his expiration date here like Todd did behind the bench. He is the third or fourth longest tenured GM with their respective teams right now.

But it's hard to argue with ANYTHING he or this organization did this offseason. Whether it was trading the first round pick for Jones, hiring DeBoer, the signings made, keeping Thornton and Marleau, etc. Although I don't like the Dillon deal, but it's miniscule and nitpicky.

 

[OrrNumber4]

If this team beats the Blues (Which I am really hoping they do), I will be the first to eat all the crow for everything I have posted in this thread. But until then, I see this team as solid, but not really Stanley cup champion caliber.

Well then...

 

[clunk]

Like I said earlier in this thread. He filled the Sharks' needs beautifully. He put you guys over the top. Very good GM.

 

[Limekiller]

DW was bad for a few years, but I certainly must give him all praise for this season. He made the right moves. Hat is off to him.

 

[Grave]

I guess the burnt hotdog has earned a stay of execution

 

[Mach12]

DW was bad for a few years, but I certainly must give him all praise for this season. He made the right moves. Hat is off to him.

I was with him most of the time. The ONLY thing that really ticked me off was his treatment of Patty/Joe. All water under the bridge now I hope, but more than anything this was unforgivable.

 

[Led Zappa]

As a DW defender through and through I feel vindicated.

 

[sharski]

I was with him most of the time. The ONLY thing that really ticked me off was his treatment of Patty/Joe. All water under the bridge now I hope, but more than anything this was unforgivable.

winning cures all

but the fact that it was pretty much confirmed that earlier this year Marleau gave a list of 3 teams he wouldn't mind being traded to still disturbs me

 

[Nighthock]

From the beginning of the offseason last year, DW did eveything right. He did what we had been hoping for years - get a goalie, get some defense, get a damn good coach, fill all needs at the deadline. I'm very impressed.

 

[Irie]

Great consistent effort, great win, and great job by DeBoer and Staff, and By Wilson, first with his moves this season, and with his coach staff hirings.

As someone who has been a fan since this teams inception, (and someone who has been very critical of Wilson the past 2 years) I honestly feel like this is the first team in Sharks playoff history where the Sharks goaltending has been stanley cup caliber. (and I really don't care about the "stats" some of you can pull out from past playoff seasons. If you watched the series in the past, you know there were always soft goals that haunted this team at the worst possible times and cost the Sharks games in close series. Goaltending often was not the sole reason they got bumped, but had they got the kind of goaltending in past years that they have been getting this year, they would have won some of those elimination series.

I admit, I was not thrilled with giving up the 1st for Jones. I felt this team was a Thornton or Vlasic injury away from being a bottom 10 finisher, and a serious contender to be a draft lottery team. I felt trading the first last summer was a huge mistake, almost regardless of how Jones played.

I was very wrong.

Jones has been exactly what this team has needed throughout their history. A goaltender that could be the difference in terms of a win here or there, and someone who wouldn't be the sole reason the team lost at least one game in almost every series they've played in the post season. And Wilson did an oustanding job of targeting him and negotiating with Boston to pick him up from the kings.

Wilson also did an outstanding job not wasting money on resigning guys to contracts they did not deserve this season, and his targeting of Martin and Ward was exactly what most of his detractors have been pushing for for years now. whether or not it was desperation to keep his job, or if he really had an ideological change in the UFA market, whatever influenced his moves, his performance last offseason was top notch.

The Sharks have had one of the best cores in the league for the past ten years. Amazing to finally see what spending UFA dollars on serviceable players and bringing in solid, consistent playoff goaltending would actually do for this team.

I am quite all right with Wilson hanging around for a while, assuming he has learned that you CAN build a competitive team by spending (smartly) in the UFA market to fill glaring holes (sometimes
), instead of trading away all your assets to fill them. He has earned it.

I still feel like Wilson's long term plan has been shifty at best, but I will give you Wilson supporters tons of props for sticking by him through last seasons mess and believing in his vision. You were right.

For the record, I am (and have been since the turnaround in December), glad that I was wrong and it came together

Regardless of the SCF outcome, Wilson's moves this last year have been the reason this team finally made the finals.

 

[Bleedred]

Great consistent effort, great win, and great job by DeBoer and Staff, and By Wilson, first with his moves this season, and with his coach staff hirings.

As someone who has been a fan since this teams inception, (and someone who has been very critical of Wilson the past 2 years) I honestly feel like this is the first team in Sharks playoff history where the Sharks goaltending has been stanley cup caliber. (and I really don't care about the "stats" some of you can pull out from past playoff seasons. If you watched the series in the past, you know there were always soft goals that haunted this team at the worst possible times and cost the Sharks games in close series. Goaltending often was not the sole reason they got bumped, but had they got the kind of goaltending in past years that they have been getting this year, they would have won some of those elimination series.

I admit, I was not thrilled with giving up the 1st for Jones. I felt this team was a Thornton or Vlasic injury away from being a bottom 10 finisher, and a serious contender to be a draft lottery team. I felt trading the first last summer was a huge mistake, almost regardless of how Jones played.

I was very wrong.

Jones has been exactly what this team has needed throughout their history. A goaltender that could be the difference in terms of a win here or there, and someone who wouldn't be the sole reason the team lost at least one game in almost every series they've played in the post season. And Wilson did an oustanding job of targeting him and negotiating with Boston to pick him up from the kings.

Wilson also did an outstanding job not wasting money on resigning guys to contracts they did not deserve this season, and his targeting of Martin and Ward was exactly what most of his detractors have been pushing for for years now. whether or not it was desperation to keep his job, or if he really had an ideological change in the UFA market, whatever influenced his moves, his performance last offseason was top notch.

The Sharks have had one of the best cores in the league for the past ten years. Amazing to finally see what spending UFA dollars on serviceable players and bringing in solid, consistent playoff goaltending would actually do for this team.

I am quite all right with Wilson hanging around for a while, assuming he has learned that you CAN build a competitive team by spending (smartly) in the UFA market to fill glaring holes (sometimes
), instead of trading away all your assets to fill them. He has earned it.

I still feel like Wilson's long term plan has been shifty at best, but I will give you Wilson supporters tons of props for sticking by him through last seasons mess and believing in his vision. You were right.

For the record, I am (and have been since the turnaround in December), glad that I was wrong and it came together

Regardless of the SCF outcome, Wilson's moves this last year have been the reason this team finally made the finals.

I was just thinking about the goaltending tonight after the win. I agree for the most part that the Sharks didn't really have Stanley Cup caliber goaltending in the past. I loved Nabokov, but he left much to be desired in some playoffs. I don't think it's the first time ever that the Sharks had Stanley Cup caliber goaltending, as I felt the 2004 Nabokov could have won the cup with a little more luck. As well as a couple other years of Nabokov, but there were also just as many where I felt he wasn't very good either.

Niemi in 2011 was not good enough. I always doubted he could win another cup again, or at least as anything more than a passenger. He's still regarded as a passenger to the Hawks cup in 2010, but I think he played pretty good for the first 3 rounds. It wasn't until the SCF that he got shellacked, and the other team had a career crap goaltender that came crashing back to earth 10 times harder than Niemi that round. The only year I felt really confident with Niemi in the playoffs was 2013. I'm not sure if he could have won the cup that year, but he was one of the last people I blame for losing that 2013 series to the Kings.

Jones hasn't been standing on his head, but I feel that aside from the occasional bad goal or two, he's been making the easy stops that should be made. I feel like the amount of stoppable goals going in the Sharks net during the playoffs was much higher in years past. Outside of the 2013 Niemi and a few years here and there from Nabby.

 

[OrrNumber4]

I was just thinking about the goaltending tonight after the win. I agree for the most part that the Sharks didn't really have Stanley Cup caliber goaltending in the past. I loved Nabokov, but he left much to be desired in some playoffs. I don't think it's the first time ever that the Sharks had Stanley Cup caliber goaltending, as I felt the 2004 Nabokov could have won the cup with a little more luck. As well as a couple other years of Nabokov, but there were also just as many where I felt he wasn't very good either.

Goaltending can so often be about fit rather than absolute talent. Nabokov was one of the worst goalies in low-shot, grinding games...he needed to see a lot of action to stay in games. There are definitely times he would make an unworldly save, but he's also more prone to stinkers. I'm not sure how good he'd be on the current team...he might have given the team a chance in game 4...but he would have been prone to having brain-freezes that would have cost the Sharks games 2 and 3.

Niemi in 2011 was not good enough. I always doubted he could win another cup again, or at least as anything more than a passenger. He's still regarded as a passenger to the Hawks cup in 2010, but I think he played pretty good for the first 3 rounds.

Oof, Niemi was horrid through the first two rounds and then lights-out against the Sharks (well, the Sharks never went after him like the other three teams did).

Jones hasn't been standing on his head, but I feel that aside from the occasional bad goal or two, he's been making the easy stops that should be made. I feel like the amount of stoppable goals going in the Sharks net during the playoffs was much higher in years past. Outside of the 2013 Niemi and a few years here and there from Nabby.

Yeah, this is what it comes down to. Jones can make "the saves" necessary to preserve a win. I don't know if he can steal a win...but he can preserve one. At their heights, Nabokov and Niemi could steal games for the Sharks, but often couldn't be a good domino.

Give me not the goalie who can make the most total saves or the most impressive saves, but the most important saves.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Another fundamental change. He saw the need for a big, positional goaltender that is a puck swallower. Also credit to Hedberg and Jones for dramatically improving his puckhandling.

 

[Bleedred]

Goaltending can so often be about fit rather than absolute talent. Nabokov was one of the worst goalies in low-shot, grinding games...he needed to see a lot of action to stay in games. There are definitely times he would make an unworldly save, but he's also more prone to stinkers. I'm not sure how good he'd be on the current team...he might have given the team a chance in game 4...but he would have been prone to having brain-freezes that would have cost the Sharks games 2 and 3.



Oof, Niemi was horrid through the first two rounds and then lights-out against the Sharks (well, the Sharks never went after him like the other three teams did).



Yeah, this is what it comes down to. Jones can make "the saves" necessary to preserve a win. I don't know if he can steal a win...but he can preserve one. At their heights, Nabokov and Niemi could steal games for the Sharks, but often couldn't be a good domino.

Give me not the goalie who can make the most total saves or the most impressive saves, but the most important saves.

Looking at his game log from the 2010 playoffs, Niemi had a .921 against Nashville in round 1, but his overall save percentage for the playoffs was down the .909 after the Vancouver series. Then up to .921 by the end of the Sharks series. So I correct myself in saying he was strong until the finals. He wasn't very good in rounds 2 or 4, but was in rounds 1 and of course that crappy WCF in 2010.

I thought Jones was fine in game 4. It was more about the puck just not hitting him, but that was one game where he played bad on paper, that I didn't think he really had a chance on any of the goals. The only bad one's I think he allowed this series was the game winner in game 1, one of the goals in game 5 and that garbage time second goal to Tarasenko to send him home a little happier.

 

[Frosty415]

CBC showed him right before the SHarks won tonight, he had a really stupid goofy smile..

made me grin like an idiot, he built a great team.

 

[Kale Hulls]

There aren't enough holes for everybody who was calling for his head to crawl into right now.

 

[Irie]

Well then...

Yeah yeah, I posted my kudos to DW earlier, (see above). I was a little slow as I was too busy celebrating the series win

Just remember... just because some of us fans question and disagree with some moves of the organization doesn't make us less of fans. Many of us have spent a ton of money supporting this team over the years, and we are entitled to voice our displeasure with bad moves. A lot of fans critical of DW gave him major props during the offseason for his moves (go check the threads and you will see us there, praising the moves).

We're passionate. And these boards are for mature discussion. We are all allowed to disagree and post our thoughts. This years team is playing great this postseason, and this run has been amazing to watch, but let's face the facts, they have not played any team that has been playing anywhere close to as good as any of the past 5 western conference champions were playing this time of year the previous 5 years (and the Sharks were ousted by 3 of those teams in their past 4 playoff appearances). It's an amazing accomplishment, but i feel it should be kept in context when measuring it against prior teams that came up a bit short if we want to be honest and respect how good some of those teams actually were too, even if they failed to reach the finals.

 

[Limekiller]

For all the complaints I and many others have had about DW over the years, I must admit we certainly could have had it much MUCH worse. Benning up in Vancouver has been a complete disaster. Just look at his trades over the last year, and what he gave up and got back:

Holy crap-on-toast, Batman, that's f'ing terrible.

Much as Vancouver annoyed the crap out of me in previous years, they've shed most of their truly terrible people, and you just have to feel for their fans with that kind of GM. Even Toronto and Edmonton look to be in better hands going forward, and when was the last time you could say THAT?

 

[LeftHeartInSF]

Quote frankly, DW seems to have finally learned his lesson that you cant sacrifice defence and rely only on a high octane offense. We are balanced and coached well. This is the team we should have had for the past decade.