The San Jose Sharks and general manager Doug Wilson had a busy, but productive offseason by most accounts. It was much needed as the Sharks stumbled down the stretch, finishing fifth in the Pacific Division and missing the postseason for the first time in 11 seasons.
However, instead of standing pat as he did last offseason, Wilson was aggressive in filling in some of the holes in his lineup. Antti Niemi, who had been the starter for the past five seasons but had one of the worst seasons of his career, was traded to the Dallas Stars.