Possibly trying to spark his moribund team to life, San Jose Sharks General manager Doug Wilson traded a fifth-round pick Tuesday to Atlanta for physical left winger Ben Eager.
Eager has a history of not playing nice, and he was recently suspended four games by the NHL for intentionally trying to injure Toronto’s Colby Armstrong. While Eager’s talent is undeniable, the small price the Sharks paid means he is bringing along some baggage, and we don’t mean luggage. Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Bill Tiller sounded like he would have traded Eager for a ham sandwich.
Eager, a first-round pick in 2002, has three goals and seven assists on the season. San Jose currently has a 23-19-5 record and would be out of the playoffs if they started today. The Sharks will be the fourth NHL team in Eager’s career.
