By Guest Contributor Kyle McLorg
The San Jose Sharks announced a trade deal shortly before the start of their match-up with the Lightning. No, it wasn’t Rick Nash; it wasn’t even Travis Moen, as I suggested a few days ago.
Doug Wilson decided to make his trip to Tampa about more than just a hockey game, picking up Dominic Moore and a 7th round pick from the Lightning while leaving a 2nd round pick (originally acquired from Minnesota in the Brent Burns trade) at the door.
Moore, a center who has been playing on Tampa’s third line, accumulated 4 goals and 15 helpers in 56 games this season. He’s racked up 48 penalty minutes as well as a -10 rating on the year.
On the surface these stats certainly aren’t eye-popping. More importantly, however, are the abilities that Doug Wilson hopes Moore will bring to the Sharks. What did Wilson see in Moore?
“Character is a big thing,” Wilson said. “the type of teammate he is.” DW is probably looking for a little more than character, though.
Moore was a penalty killer in Tampa, a spot that was weak for the Sharks last year and has continued to underwhelm this season. Moore was also a stand-out in the playoffs last year, scoring 3 goals and 8 assists while averaging 17:46 of TOI over an 18-game span.
Some people are saying that a 2nd round pick is a pretty steep price for a 3rd line center and a 7th round pick. Time will tell whether or not that’s true; but price aside, the Sharks have certainly filled a few key needs down the stretch, namely a penalty killer and a playoff performer.
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You can find more of Kyle McLorg’s writing at Ruthless Sports. Follow him on Twitter @Ruthless_Sports.
