from Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea,

It was, quite possibly, a make-or-break year for general manager Doug Wilson, who took the brunt of the criticism from the fan base for a number of different reasons after the Sharks 10-year playoff run ended last season. Another playoff-free spring amid mounting attendance problems might have spelled the end.

Instead, Wilson had perhaps his best 12 months of his front office career, overseeing the organization’s resurgence and first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Nearly every move he made worked out.

Consider: Martin Jones looks like the next franchise goalie. Paul Martin and Joel Ward provided depth and experience on the blue line and at forward, respectively. Free agent rookie Joonas Donskoi could be a future 25-goal, 50-point scorer. Dainius Zubrus and Nick Spaling were upgrades over young players not yet ready for the NHL. Roman Polak struggled in the Final, but was an important piece down the stretch and in the first three rounds in a heavy Western Conference.

All of the key cogs are locked up or under team control for at least another season, too.

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