At the 2022 Trade Deadline, the San Jose Sharks made a move to send Andrew Cogliano to the Colorado Avalanche. In return, the team was able to secure a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Unfortunately, signing veteran players in free agency was not enough to put the Sharks back in contention. As a result, they sent Cogliano north to give him a chance to win his first Stanley Cup. As of June 26th, their mission was a success. The Avalanche dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning to become Stanley Cup champions.
With Cogliano’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Sharks saw an opportunity to turn a depth player into future assets. Although Cogliano provided a good veteran presence to a young Avalanche team, the Sharks could get more use out of their newly acquired fifth-round draft pick than initially meets the eye.
Sharks Could Use the Fifth-Round Pick
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is a long way away. The draft class is largely unknown, and the spotlight will be centered on the 2023 Draft, with players like Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov available. However, once the draft previews get underway, the fifth round is not exactly the most scouted. This should be no issue for the Sharks, though, especially since they have thrived in the late rounds as of late. Realistically, they can still find a great player late in the draft.
The fifth round is not entirely devoid of talent. Players like Ray Ferraro, John Klingberg, and Kirill Kaprizov were all fifth-round selections who went on to make significant impacts on their respective squads. If the draft pick the Avalanche sent the Sharks in return for Cogliano becomes the next Kaprizov, the Sharks will have made out of that trade like bandits. Even if the Sharks find just a serviceable player in the fifth round, the trade will have been a win for both teams.
Sharks Could Trade for Depth
One of the best parts of owning multiple late-round picks is that they can be used to acquire depth players. When the trade deadline rolls around, teams pass around their depth draft picks like a bowl of mashed potatoes at Sunday dinner. Clearly, like in Cogliano’s case, getting depth players to contribute in a playoff run can make all the difference between being a first-round exit and Stanley Cup champions.
More likely than not, the Sharks will be in no place to contend in two years. However, the Sharks are in a weird place where their future is uncertain. They have the assets they need to compete again, but their older players need to return to form as well. If they are able to pull off every aspect of their return, then the Sharks can use the pick they got in this trade to get more depth for a playoff run.
In some ways, fifth-round picks are more valuable than the players that are selected with them. There is a level of uncertainty with each late-round pick that allows them to be traded for NHL players one for one. The Sharks can use that to their advantage in the future. If they can find a player to acquire at the deadline that brings them their first Stanley Cup, the Cogliano trade would be all the more worth it.
The Cogliano trade proved to be a success for the Avalanche, and now it is time for the Sharks to live up to their end of the deal. They have a lot of options to consider with what they can do with that fifth-round pick. However, whatever they decide to do, Sharks fans can only hope that it delivers them a Stanley Cup of their own.
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