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Monday, March 5, 2001
Sharks score with Selanne
By Barry Melrose
Special to ESPN.com
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The Sharks were having trouble scoring lately. And at this time of the season, they have to think of themselves as Stanley Cup contenders. So, although the Sharks didn't want to give up Jeff Friesen, they have to make moves they may not like to get a proven scorer like Teemu Selanne.
Selanne is exactly what the Sharks needed and makes them much more potent offensively. Apart from Owen Nolan, they didn't have a natural goal scorer. They have young players who have not developed to that point yet.
In the playoffs, you're not going to get a ton of chances, and Selanne doesn't need 10-12 great chances to score. In a tight checking playoff game, Selanne just needs one chance to put the puck in the net. Friesen is not that type of player.
The goals should come a lot easier with Selanne joining Nolan, Patrick Marleau and the other young players in the lineup. And if Vincent Damphousse can return in the second round of the playoffs, the Sharks become a pretty strong contender.
The trade should help both the Sharks and the Mighty Ducks, two teams going for different things. Steve Shields became the odd man out in San Jose. With the addition of Shields, look for the Ducks to move Guy Hebert before the trade deadline, which makes sense because the Ducks won't make the playoffs.
In Friesen, the Ducks get a great young player and somebody they can sell to their fans to show they have a plan for the future. Plus, Selanne probably needed to be out of Anaheim in a new environment.
With the trade, the Sharks have shown how much they believe in rookie Evgeni Nabokov. Philadelphia is doing the same thing, entrusting its season to Roman Cechmanek. Even though Nabokov has struggled lately, he has proven all season long he is an All-Star goalie.
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Break up the Ducks: Selanne traded to Sharks
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