ESPN NHL

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- With his Sharks leading the Pacific Division and drastically improved from last season's 14th-place finish in the Western Conference, San Jose's Doug Wilson has had an impressive debut as an NHL general manager.

True, he inherited a great core of talent and a strong farm system, but with the clock ticking down to the March 9 trade deadline, Wilson's rookie year might ultimately be judged by what moves he does or doesn't make in the next 10 days.

Wilson, who helped build the farm system as the Sharks director of pro development for five seasons before he was promoted to exective vice president and GM on May 13, is quick to deflect credit to his players, coaching staff and scouting department. But together they've quickly returned the Sharks (30-16-11-6) to the top quarter of the conference by turning around specific areas of weakness to re-create a dangerous hockey club.

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