I am hoping for a re-build as well but there is no way we can say that is what is going to happen. It really depends on which of the 'big' guys DW ends up trading and if the return is really picks/prospects or actually roster players. If they are unable to trade any of the big pieces OR if the return of the pieces are established (and older) roster players, then what option do we have other than going for it.
Also, I agree with that trade. Hjalmarsson is good return but we would need an additional pick/prospect with it. Not a negative contract like Versteeg.
Regardless of the trades, its undeniable the signals Wilson is sending.
1) He clearly doesn't think this team was/is good enough, he's said so himself at length. He's not going to go into next season with the same roster and expect to win a cup.
2) He has 100% ruled out trading ANY of our valuable futures (Hertl, Nieto, Couture, Pavelski, Braun, Vlasic, Mueller, 1sts). When you are a 'step away' from the cup, you trade your future assets to get 'over the hump'. That's what you do, the Sharks have ruled out trading any of the players that could accomplish that. Short of a miracle trade dropping in his lap, the Sharks do not have enough trade equity available to improve.
3) He has left Thornton's name out of every single discussion he's had thus far, and he's been talking far more than usual. Not a mention of his name, barely any mention of Marleau's. He's going on and on at length about Couture, Pavelski, Hertl, Nieto... hell he's even talking up Stalock and Brown, but not one word about Thornton.
4) He's made numerous comments alluding to a captaincy change, again without even mentioning Thornton by name.
5) He's used the word 'rebuild' twice so far when questioned. GM's don't use the word 'rebuild' when they are contending. They do what Wilson did the previous seasons and say things like "retool and refresh". He used to say "We are not rebuilding, we are refreshing". Now he's saying "we are rebuilding". The definition of the word didn't suddenly change, he changed his strategy after a dismal failure by a group he has clearly lost faith in.
Wilson is very, very deliberate about what he says and does. He is rebuilding this team, whether he can trade Thornton or not, he's going to do the best he can to rebuild. If he can trade Thornton, it will be a shorter rebuild, if he can't, this is going to be more painful. But either way, the Sharks window is shut, they are just trying to reopen it again as soon as possible and for as long as possible.