The San Jose Sharks may still be working with an interim general manager but that won’t stop them from signing contracts for next season. The team has signed minor league defenseman Nick Cicek to a two-year entry-level contract. PuckPedia reports that the deal will begin in 2022-23, and carries an NHL cap hit of $837.5K.
Joe Will, interim GM, released the following statement:
Nick has a strong track record of leadership in his career, having been the captain of the Portland Winterhawks last season, and he has even been an alternate captain for the Barracuda this year in select games. Among AHL rookie defensemen, he’s top 10 in scoring and top 15 in goals. Nick has a bright future and we’re excited to add him to our NHL defensive depth.
Cicek, who will turn 22 next month, joined the San Jose Barracuda this season after going undrafted out of junior and has been outstanding from the drop of the puck. With 23 points he sits ninth among all AHL rookie defensemen in scoring, just one point behind Artemi Kniazev for the team lead despite playing in seven fewer games than the second-round pick. The 6’3″ Cicek has also racked up 60 penalty minutes, including a pair of fights. One of those came after Andreas Englund hit San Jose forward Jeffrey Viel, earning Cicek a misconduct for instigating.
That mix of skill and toughness is obviously an attractive package, especially when it comes in someone that is so lauded for his leadership as Will points out. Whether Cicek can continue his development and become an NHL player remains to be seen, but the Sharks obviously like what he has done this year enough that they’ve rewarded him with a contract that makes it possible.
“Cicek, who will turn 22 next month…” – @Gavin – Did you think what I thought when first visiting his HockeyDB and EliteProspects pages? This guy looks like a 30-ish grizzled vet. I dread, however, Roozy’s inevitable over-pronunciation of his name. It may be early in his pro career, but he could be a needed physical presence for the Sharks/Barracuda.
There were times watching him in Portland where I wasn’t convinced he was junior-aged.
link to youtube.com
Tell me that doesn’t look like a Chicago Blackhawk, instead of a Portland Winterhawk.
@Gavin – Didn’t the people in charge say something like, “We ran out of his size in the Portland sweaters and found these at a local store.” And, speaking of his age, that makes me think of one of the Amalie commercials on 970 WFLA during Bolts’ games – “You had a beard BEFORE it was cool – like in 3rd grade!” That Ciona for the Thunderbirds has what I call the classic “Head like a cinderblock – tough as nails.”
@Gavin – I just caught a look at Beniers at NHL.com – he has the same affliction – “Old-before-your-time-itis.” Both of them must have been sneaking into bars for the last five years.