Saturday: It looks like the Dallas Stars have become the leading candidates to be Pavelski’s new home as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Stars have been in negotiations with Pavelski. With the team’s buyout of Valeri Nichushkin, the team should now have more than $10MM to spend on free agents and Pavelski would be the perfect complement on the team’s second line. With negotiations with Mats Zuccarello having fell apart, the team has made it clear they want a veteran scorer to join the team.
Friday: Two years ago the San Jose Sharks watched a franchise icon walk out the door. Patrick Marleau, a former captain who had suited up 1,670 times for the Sharks, was left unsigned on July 1, 2017 and the next day signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sharks, it has been reported, were not willing to give Marleau that third year, which now looks prescient given his recent buyout. Now Sharks GM Doug Wilson may be preparing for the same thing to happen again. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that after a conversation with the agent of Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, the “overwhelming sense” is that the pending free agent forward will be moving on to another team. Kurz calls it “the end of an era” and it is, even if Pavelski doesn’t have quite the tenure Marleau did two summers ago.
Set to turn 35 in two weeks, Pavelski has played his entire career with the San Jose organization. Debuting in November of 2006, Pavelski would score in his very first game—coincidentally on a goal assisted by Marleau—and basically never look back. The seventh-round pick from the 2003 draft would light the lamp 13 more times that season in just 46 games, and show that he would be beating goaltenders for a long time. In fact he has scored 355 goals in his Sharks career, more than anyone other than Marleau. His 406 assists trail just Marleau and long-time teammate Joe Thornton, as do his 761 points. He has served as captain for the last four seasons, including 2018-19 when he recorded 38 goals and 64 points.
So why are the Sharks letting him go? Perhaps because of the same reasoning that sent Marleau to Toronto. San Jose is facing a cap crunch after signing Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92MM deal that made him the highest-paid defenseman in the league. They have breakout power forward Timo Meier and powerplay dynamo Kevin Labanc to sign, as well as other unrestricted free agents potentially including Thornton and trade deadline acquisition Gustav Nyquist. The team has close to $15MM in cap space to play with, but has only seven forwards signed to one-way contracts at the moment and work to do to build their team back up to a contender. Pavelski simply might be pricing himself out of their market, given Craig Custance of The Athletic’s report (subscription required) that the number of teams making contact with him this week is “well into the double-digits.”
Pavelski has definitely visited with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, but that doesn’t mean his market ends there. He could have the choice of many teams around the league, though it will be interesting to see how long he eventually signs for. Thanks to his birthday falling in July, he won’t be constrained to the 35+ contract restrictions which may allow teams to be a little more frivolous with the term of the deal. For now, it sounds like that won’t be the Sharks—the end of an era indeed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Come to Dallas and be a leader for a young playoff ready team.
Go stars go!
I think Colorado is a perfect fit.
Damn Sharks treating him like trash!
agree with Pavelski to colo
Crime: Cap cannibalism caused by one bad signing by Doug Wilson (EK65, in case you forgot, Doug)
Victim: The Captain, Detective Pavelski, Badger Hockey. Want to stay in SJ? You *really* need to take a massive haircut and a piddly 1-2 year offer (max), and *only* after we get the other guys signed to whatever they want first. Sorry, but that’s “bidness”! And to think, Patty Marleau is still considering coming back? Ooof! The problem with his situation is that going to a hated in-state rival isn’t an option for retribution. The other hated in-division rival has to continue to pitch contracts overboard until they right their ship (VGK).
I agree with MacJablonski , Erik Karlsson is a good offensive forward , but his length of contract and salary is ridiculous , yes he produces, when healthy, but in recent years with the achilles injury in Ottawa, the chaos of him wanting out of Ottawa, locker room issues with several players, and signing the contract with San Jose it costs a few players to be shipped out in Ottawa within few years, then the numerous groin injuries with the contract has already cost them players like Marleau, now will most likely now Pavelski, possibly others, I always like Doug Wilson in his career in Chicago as player ,but the contracts he signed as GM with Karlsson , is costing the Sharks some of their main core veteran players, which will now drop San Jose down and may cost them all around , and will struggle to remain a play off team for years to come , I have lost all respect for Karlsson ,
gerald how does Karlsson cost SJ Marleau? I mean I agree the contract was nuts but not sure how he cost then marlesu before or now as Marleau is likely to settle for close to the league minimum to play in SJ.
your right priceisright guy forgot karlsson wasn’t with SJ at start of last year , my terrible oversight hopefully forgiveness is warranted thanks for ass chewing I needed it, just had a brain fart , am grateful that Marleau will more than likely be back at minimum salary, which I respect him taking less salary to help the team in the long run, as a long time Shark and will go out as a Shark, Thanks for bringing it to my attention. just hope they can find a way to retain Pavelski.
it would be nice but doesnt seem likely. since Joe and Marleau dound likely to take minimum money, it prices out Pavelski.
yeah! after looking at contracts of several Shark Free Agents it does look bleak for Pavelski in San Jose, even if the $3,270,000 coming off if they rid themselves of Dillon who is Free Agent after 2020 , with contracts of LeBanc, Nyqvist, Donskoi, looming as indicated by capfriendly.com and looking what lineup may look like , if some aren’t signed, and even the $6 million for Pavelski and $1 million to bring back Marleau , losing him and Thornton will hurt. clear out Dillon , Ryan, in free agency , LOOKS BLEAK totally agree.
So signing Karlsson means having to let 38 goal man and captain Pavelski go and trade one of the only good 4 Dmen they had in Braun. Very foolish of Wilson if you ask me.
Good Doug Wilson: Hard-liner on post-35 contracts.
Bad Doug Wilson: Seemingly bids against himself to overpay one or more players to undo the good contracts.
Maybe more quiet room time is needed… P.S., Doug, don’t get stupid on July 1 — let the other GMs get stupid, instead. HTH!
They already happened Pittsburgh GM loosing a point game player last year for someone may walk at end of again look what he did in Montreal in Galchenyuk Arizona did win this move cause they got pick as well and salary for signing more low salary players unless they go after big name player.