San Jose’s season ended in disappointment, but there’s still a bright spot.
Because Pittsburgh advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, the Sharks will receive the Penguins’ second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft from the Douglas Murray trade, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Murray, who was dealt to Pittsburgh in late March, netted the Sharks a pair of picks -- a second-rounder in 2013 and conditional pick in ’14.
The conditional pick worked like this: If the Pens either won two playoff rounds or re-signed Murray, the pick would be a second-rounder. If neither of those things happened, it would’ve be a third.
So that’s the good news for San Jose.
The potentially better news? The Sharks might not be done moving up the draft board.
The Ryane Clowe-to-New York trade also included a conditional pick -- if Clowe re-signs with the Rangers, the 2014 fifth-round pick sent to the Sharks will be upgraded to a second-rounder.
Clowe, 30, has already said he’d “love” to stay in New York.