Former San Jose Sharks star Joe Pavelski retired from the game of hockey recently. He was a star with the Sharks for a long time and even helped them make the Stanley Cup Final. In 2019, the Sharks allowed him to hit NHL Free Agency where he signed with the Dallas Stars. This decision is one former general manager Doug Wilson looks back upon in a negative light.
Wilson recently spoke to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports Bay Area and San Jose Hockey Now. He mentioned that there are a lot of risks involved to bringing veterans back into the fold. However, the former Sharks GM said that he should have found a way to keep Pavelski in San Jose.
“We should have found a way to get it done,” Wilson told Peng. “It was a mistake. Sometimes, you can overanalyze things. But I as a GM, with my love for Pavs and realizing how special he was, I look back, I probably should have dismissed historical analysis of contracts for players that age and said screw it.”
Joe Pavelski remained a star after Sharks tenure
Pavelski joined the Stars and immediately made an impact for them. He certainly did not have youth on his side, but he did not let that stop him. The former Sharks star contributed in major ways offensively almost immediately. In fact, he turned in a career season in 2021-22 as he scored 81 points at 37 years old.
Pavelski's departure from San Jose didn't have an overwhelming negative effect on the Sharks. San Jose entered a rebuild it certainly needed following his departure. Now, the Sharks boast some of the best prospects in the NHL.
The on-ice impact is one thing, though. Doug Wilson pointed out that Pavelski resonated with the locker room, as well. And he believed that his personality would have messed well in a rebuilding locker room.
“It's rare to find a guy that is so blue collar, that does all the little things and works harder than anybody else but also has the high-end ability to be connected to the star players, and he himself was a star,” Wilson said, via Peng. “So, he could relate to anybody in your dressing room on your team.”
In the end, the Sharks and Stars did well after Pavelski's NHL Free Agency departure. San Jose entered the rebuild they needed. And they eventually drafted franchise cornerstone Macklin Celebrini in 2024. Meanwhile, the Stars chased a Stanley Cup thanks in no small part to Pavelski. Still, Wilson wishes he had another chance at that 2019 decision.
“Joe Pavelski is a player that we should be so proud of that we had the good fortune of getting him and having him as long as we did,” Wilson said, via Peng. “Pav beat all the odds … getting drafted in the seventh round and playing at the level he did until he was 40.”
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