The San Jose Sharks couldn’t stop at just one free agent signing for the day. After it was reported earlier that the team had signed Russian goaltender Alexei Melnichuk to a two-year entry-level contract, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic tweets that the Sharks have also added Fredrik Handemark on a one-year entry-level deal.
Handemark, 26, has been playing in the SHL for the past seven seasons, captaining Malmo for the last three. He was among the league leaders in scoring this past year, recording 38 points in 52 games. The big-bodied center comes with plenty of polish as a two-way force, even if he hasn’t ever really been one of the most dynamic offensive weapons. Handemark has led the SHL in faceoff percentage in two of the last three seasons.
Adding an established pro like Handemark is another sign that the Sharks aren’t interested in the rebuilding path, despite their struggles this season. The team is reloading for another run at the playoffs, given that their core is still made up of aging veterans on long-term contracts. Introducing some more center depth with a cheap signing can only help those playoff prospects, though it’s still to be determined whether Handemark can contribute enough to help the NHL squad.
Melnichuck and Handemark are the Abbott and Costello of eastern Europe.