The San Jose Sharks are a scary team that got even scarier on Sunday night.
The Sharks acquired veteran forward Gustav Nyquist in a deal with the Detroit Red Wings on the eve of the trade deadline, sending a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 conditional third-round pick to Detroit in the deal. The Red Wings will also reportedly retain 30 percent of Nyquist's cap hit ($4.75 million) this season -- the final year of his current deal.
As for the picks going to Detroit, the Red Wings will receive the lower of San Jose or Florida's 2019 second-round selections. The third-round selection in 2020 would turn into a second-round pick if the Sharks reach the 2019 Stanley Cup Final or re-sign Nyquist beyond this season.
In the 28-year-old Nyquist, the Sharks will get some additional firepower to add to their bottom six forward group. Nyquist was second on the Wings in scoring with 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) through 62 games this season. One of those goals came against the Sharks just hours before the trade on Sunday.
San Jose currently sits three points behind Calgary for the top spot in the Pacific Division with less than 20 games remaining in the season. The Sharks rank second among all teams in scoring but were looking to upgrade on the wing -- specifically the third-line, left-wing slot -- as they look to make a strong push for a Stanley Cup this postseason. They've made that upgrade with the addition of Nyquist.
The Swedish winger had a no-trade clause but was apparently willing to waive it for a deal to San Jose, where he thinks he has a legitimate shot to win his first Stanley Cup. The Wings were reportedly hoping to hold on to Nyquist with hopes of re-signing him, but they weren't willing to meet his reported asking price of five years at $5.5 million annually.
