Sharks Announce Trade/Relocation Plans

The roster turnover continued for the Sharks this weekend as they acquired John-Michael Liles from the St Louis Browns for the second time this season.  The first time around the deal was voided by the league due to red tape.  The current deal had all the 't's crossed and 'i''s dotted.  In Liles, the Sharks add an offensive defenseman who will fill a spot on the left side.  He joins a defense corp that features many two-way defensemen so Liles should have little difficulty fitting into the new run and gun philosophy. 

Going the other way is Ladislav Smid and Frederik Sjostrom.  Both players have been involved in talks throughout the season so the trade did not come to a shock to either player.  The move leaves the Sharks with only six players that were on the roster last season. 

In other news, it was revealed today that the Sharks will be relocating to a new city in 2011.  Starting next year the New England Sharks will be known as the Las Vegas Hitmen.  After crunching the numbers, ownership determined that the current situation was no longer economically viable.  The loyal collection of core fans will be missed, but attendance has continued to drop despite the improved product on the ice. 

The Hitmen will become the first professional sports team in Las Vegas in some time as there have always been serious concerns about the gambling environment.  However, all issues have been cleared with the league and the local authorities, so the Sharks were given the green light.  There were simply too many sports teams in the New England area, but that won't be a concern in Nevada as the Las Vegas Hitmen will be main sports attraction in the city.  More details will be released in the coming weeks.