[Drury18]

San Jose, CA (CPHL Press) -- The San Jose Sharks have undergone a massive transformation since Feb 11, 2015 when Drury18 took over as GM. The team has gone from chum in the water to a potential playoff contender through a number of trades (23 to be exact) and UFA signings.

The Sharks have also seen almost a complete turnover of their AHL team bringing in a number of quality prospects which will ensure the team is competitive for years to come.

The initial lineup on Feb 11th when the new GM took over was abysmal at best. With only one competitive line (Neal-Turris-Kunitz), one quality defence pairing (Ehrhoff-Seidenberg) and two AHL quality goalies, it was obvious that a rebuild would be needed and that the rest of the 2014-15 season would be a long one focused around dealing and acquiring pieces to be competitive in 2015-16. "The playoffs were already out of reach when I came to this team" said GM Drury18. "The decision was made early that our focus would be to start this rebuild and try to acquire pieces and players that we could start putting our stamp on the team and push for the playoffs in 2015-16. We immediately jumped into trading and trying to see where our current assets could take us. Ending the year winning 7 of our final 10 games was a good sign that the team was pointed in the right direction heading into next season".

In a press conference Monday, the Sharks revealed their current 2015-16 lineup, with 4 competitive lines, 3 sets of shutdown defence and 2 goalies that will be a 1a/b combo during the season. Addressing the recent comments about the team's goaltending: "We've heard the comments from a couple teams in the East. Their comments are tabloid fodder, not sports news. We have a good team, lots of cap and a ton of strong prospects to address issues if they come up during the season. We are happy and confident going forward with this team and ready for the season to start".

The Sharks did note they are still looking for a couple of good quality AHL defencemen to add to the farm and they would then consider the team complete. "Yes, we are looking for a couple of AHL defencemen. It's one of our weaker spots in the AHL and we are hoping to correct this before the start of the CPHL season".

When asked if she had any advice for new GM's, Drury18 said: "Just keep trading and trying to better your team. Turn it into the team you want, make your mark. We had one of the weakest teams in the league only 5 months ago and after a number of trades, some of them harder decisions then others, we have created a team that I am personally a fan of and one that will give us a shot at the playoffs".

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Above: San Jose Sharks lineup on Feb 11, 2015

Below: San Jose Sharks lineup on July 27, 2015