Editing San Jose Sharks (section)

===Dean Lombardi era (1996–2003)===
During the 1996 off-season, [[Dean Lombardi]] was hired as general manager. The [[1996–97 NHL season|next season]] was no better under [[Al Sims]], with the Sharks again finishing last and winning only 27 games. Their standing would help them draft [[Patrick Marleau]] in the [[1997 NHL entry draft]]. The Sharks returned to the playoffs in [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]] with goaltender [[Mike Vernon (ice hockey)|Mike Vernon]], whom they acquired from the Red Wings, and new head coach [[Darryl Sutter]]. For the next two years, the Sharks made the playoffs, yet never advanced past the first round. In 1999, San Jose acquired former Toronto Maple Leafs and [[Montreal Canadiens]] star [[Vincent Damphousse]]. San Jose's luck changed in the [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000 season]], when the Sharks finished with their first-ever winning record. In an upset on par with the one they had pulled on Detroit six years earlier, the Sharks managed to eliminate the [[St. Louis Blues]], who had finished [[Presidents' Trophy|first overall in the league]] that year, in seven games. However, the Sharks were defeated in the second round of the playoffs by the [[Dallas Stars]]. It was their second time losing to Dallas.

[[File:Nabokov Toe save.jpg|thumb|[[Evgeni Nabokov]] was awarded the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] in the [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01 season]].]]
In [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]], Kazakh goaltender [[Evgeni Nabokov]] won the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] as the NHL's best rookie. The team also acquired Finnish star forward [[Teemu Selänne|Teemu Selanne]] from the [[Anaheim Ducks|Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]]. In the [[2001 Stanley Cup playoffs|2001 playoffs]], the St. Louis Blues eliminated the Sharks in six games in the first round, avenging their 2000 defeat by San Jose. The team's breakout year was [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02]]. Veteran [[Adam Graves]] was acquired for [[Mikael Samuelsson]], and the Sharks won their first Pacific Division title. They then defeated the [[Arizona Coyotes|Phoenix Coyotes]] in the first round of the [[2002 Stanley Cup playoffs|2002 playoffs]], but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the second round.

Following the 2001–02 season, the Gunds sold the Sharks to [[San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises|a group of local investors]] headed by team president [[Greg Jamison]]. With starting goaltender Nabokov and defenseman [[Mike Rathje]] in contract disputes with general manager [[Dean Lombardi]] and the retirement of veteran defenseman [[Gary Suter]], the team got off to a terrible start. [[Kyle McLaren]] was acquired in a three-way trade with the Montreal Canadiens and [[Boston Bruins]]. [[Dan McGillis]] was acquired in exchange for long-time Shark [[Marcus Ragnarsson]], but the team could not turn itself around. Sutter was fired and replaced by [[Ron Wilson (ice hockey, born 1955)|Ron Wilson]] midway through that season.

Near the 2003 [[NHL trade deadline]], captain Owen Nolan was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, signaling a new era in Sharks history. In addition, the newly acquired McGillis was traded to Boston, [[Bryan Marchment]] went to Colorado, and [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) star [[Shawn Heins]] and forward [[Matt Bradley]] were moved to the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]. The Sharks acquired [[Alyn McCauley]] and [[Wayne Primeau]] during this season. Reportedly, due to having just acquired the team as well as the team's bad start, the ownership group wanted general manager Dean Lombardi to move high-priced players on the roster. Lombardi failed to do so and consequently lost his job. During that debacle year for San Jose, there were some bright spots. [[Jim Fahey]] led all rookie defensemen in the NHL in points, despite playing in only 43 games.

Lombardi's tenure with the team ended with his dismissal on March 18, 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2003 |title=Sharks name Doug Wilson new GM |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/sharks-name-doug-wilson-new-gm-1.397538 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]].ca}}</ref> Doug Wilson was named to the role on May 13.<ref name=wilsonresign>{{Cite web |last=Gulitti |first=Tom |date=April 7, 2022 |title=Wilson steps down as Sharks general manager after 19 seasons |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/doug-wilson-steps-down-as-san-jose-gm/c-332731486 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=[[National Hockey League|NHL]].com}}</ref>