San Jose Sharks: Assessing all four trade deadline deals
By Andrew Bet
1. Brenden Dillon traded to Washington for two draft picks
An unrestricted free agent after the season, Brenden Dillon’s name immediately became a possible trade target, perhaps even during last season. The Sharks’ farm system may be at the bottom amongst NHL clubs, but are rather strong with defensive depth on the San Jose Barracuda.
His departure became clear after a home loss against the Florida Panthers as Dillon got emotional in the locker room during the postgame.
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Upon heading out for a road trip to the east coast, Dillon got traded to the Washington Capitals. For Dillon, he gets an opportunity to be on a contender and his work ethic gave him the chance to be on a team like the Capitals.
A well-respected player amongst his San Jose teammates, Dillon originally came from a trade with the Dallas Stars. Dillon improved each year with the Sharks, becoming a better skater and defenseman with a team-first attitude.
His services will be missed in San Jose and amongst fans and certainly will get a lucrative contract for any team in the offseason.
Washington sent San Jose a second-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft and a conditional third-round selection in 2020 or 2021. The Sharks retained half of Dillon’s contract for the Capitals to stay under the salary cap.
With teams looking for a top-four defenseman, obtaining a second-round pick was a significant pickup for Wilson, considering the Sharks did not have a high draft pick for this year.