One of the Sharks' 20th anniversary logos, also revealed this week

I’ll be following the draft both today and tomorrow, but here’s just a quick rundown of what has happened this past week.

Brad Staubitz to the Minnesota Wild for a 5th round pick
I like this move. The Sharks only had four draft picks this year, and managed to get another one by giving up their “most minor penalties taken per 60 minutes in the NHL” enforcer. And not a 7th rounder, which I would have expected for an RFA enforcer – a 5th! And regarding team toughness, which does admittedly go down a bit with Staubitz’s departure, there are two prospects in the AHL who both bring size, fighting ability, and actual hockey skills to the table: Frazer McLaren and Brandon Mashinter. See ya, Staubtiz, and to paraphrase the great Humphrey Bogart: We’ll always have Tootoo.

NHL Schedule was released
If you haven’t seen my giant run-down of the schedule yet, click here.

Evgeni Nabokov will not be re-signed
I promise to have an entire post dedicated to him after the craziness of the draft and everything dies down, but for now, let me just say that while it was probably time for the Sharks to move on from the goalie that has been the stalwart in goal for the past decade, all Sharks fans will miss him. From his quirky sense of humor and die-hard competitiveness to chanting “NABBY! NABBY! NABBY!” most every game, from breaking onto the scene with a Calder Trophy to the save of the decade against Brendan Morrow in 2008, we will always remember the greatest goalie in Sharks history. I, for one, will give Nabby a standing ovation whenever the Sharks may play him. And I also hope that someday in the future, his number 20 will be raised to the rafters of HP Pavilion.

Sharks receive Brett Sterling, Mike Vernace, and a 7th round pick from the Atlanta Thrashers for future considerations
This trade seems weird on the surface, but in the context of that night it makes perfect sense. The Chicago Blackhawks were dumping a bunch of contracts they didn’t want on Atlanta (including Shark killer Dustin Byfuglien), but that would have caused Atlanta to go over the contract limit. So the Sharks swooped in, acquired two expiring contracts that would only be valid for the next week or so, and got a 7th round pick for the troubles. Future considerations is a fancy way of saying nothing. So, basically, the Sharks received a 7th round pick for helping deplete the Chicago Blackhawks’ depth and get Byfuglien into the other conference. There is no downside to this.

Patrick Marleau signs for 4 years, $6.9M per
The first of two contract signings yesterday. I’d been advocating for Marleau to be re-signed ever since it became clear that he wasn’t going to be traded. He was the top center UFA out there, with 44 goals and 84 points the past season. It was expected that he’d probably re-sign with the Sharks, although that didn’t stop armchair GMs from drooling over him. His contract falls in line with other Doug Wilson deals – relatively short and the complete opposite of cap circumvention. It’s a bit more expensive than I would have liked, but he does deserve it over his past two seasons, and would be incredibly hard to replace. Shark for life, please.

Joe Pavelski signs for 4 years, $4M per
This is right around where most people pegged him at, even a little less for some, especially after his “Big Pavelski” playoffs. He was one of the ultimate steals the past two years, signed for only $1.67M, and so he deserves the doubled salary. Especially compared to Ryan Kesler – who is a very similar player in most regards and is signed for $1M more – this is a great contract for the 25 year old player, who is by all accounts still going to get better.