The Sharks will not issue a qualifying offer to center Noah Gregor, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. He will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
This will be Gregor’s third straight offseason with a non-tender. He was initially a fourth-round pick of the Sharks back in 2016 but was not given a qualifying offer by San Jose in 2023, leading to him signing a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs in free agency. Toronto also declined to qualify him, after which he landed with the Senators for the 2024-25 season. The Sharks brought him back to the organization in the deadline deal that saw Fabian Zetterlund head to Ottawa, but his second stint in the Bay Area will be short-lived.
The quick-footed Gregor first arrived in the NHL with the Sharks in the 2019-20 campaign, his first in the pros. While he bounced between the NHL and AHL his first two seasons in the organization, he established himself as a full-timer in 2021-22 with a 23-point showing in 63 games while averaging nearly 15 minutes per night, all of which still stand as career highs. While a proper depth offensive presence at times, he’s yet to provide the scoring punch necessary to elevate himself out of a bottom-six or even fourth-line role.
This season marked something of a new low for Gregor. He never gelled in Ottawa after signing a one-year, $850K deal there when free agency opened. He dealt with injuries and was limited to just six points and a -12 rating in 40 games when healthy, averaging 11:21 per game. He also had just one assist and a minus-nine rating in 12 showings with San Jose after the trade. His non-tender is an unsurprising one as the Sharks look to create roster flexibility for more impactful free agent signings and young players graduating to NHL roles.
While he hasn’t seen AHL action in over three years, a two-way deal seems likely for Gregor on the open market this season following his tough 2024-25 showing and burgeoning journeyman reputation. There’s still some late bloomer potential as he turns 27 in July, but he’ll have to work on rounding out his offensive skillset beyond just strong skating ability.