Theorizing A Draft Day Trade For The Sharks
After winning the lottery last week, the San Jose Sharks have arguably the top trade chip leading up to the draft. According to recent reports, particularly from The Fourth Period, the Sharks are giving serious thought to moving the second overall pick for the right move.
This isn’t to say that San Jose wouldn’t love to have Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, but they already have a glut of high-level forward prospects and only so many spots for them on the roster. Given their dire need for defensive help, it would make far more sense for the Sharks to draft one of Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, or Carson Carels. Still, by all accounts, any of those defenseman would be considered a reach at second overall, given the drop-off in talent after McKenna and Stenberg.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many defensemen available on the trade market that would satisfy the immense value of the second overall pick this season. Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils and Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs are already known trade candidates heading into the offseason. Still, it’s highly unlikely that New Jersey and Toronto would add the necessary assets to get a trade over the finish line. Furthermore, there’s no chance that top-level defensemen like Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, or Cale Makar will be on the move anytime soon, if ever.
However, there may be an opportunity for San Jose to acquire one of the top defensive prospects available in this year’s draft, and a younger top-four defenseman in the same trade. Enter the New York Rangers.
The Rangers already have six defensemen signed through next season, with Scott Morrow also looking to crack next season’s opening night roster. Seeking a decent raise this summer, Braden Schneider was a blue liner that New York peddled at the deadline, and will presumably be available again this summer.
Obviously, Schneider wouldn’t come close to having the value in his own right for the second overall pick. However, the Rangers have the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, which would give the Sharks a pathway to having a guaranteed shot at Reid, Verhoeff, or Carels (assuming McKenna and Stenberg are taken with the first two picks).
As previously mentioned, given the drop-off in talent after McKenna and Stenberg, it’s likely the Rangers would have to add a few more pieces to the trade to get it across the finish line, but not by much. Center Adam Edstrom, who hasn’t exactly worked out with the Rangers so far, could benefit San Jose by giving them more size on their fourth line. Additionally, New York has four third-round picks in the upcoming draft. Including one of those four may be enough to satisfy the Sharks’ demands.
The hypothetical trade, at least on paper, appears to be a win-win for both teams. The Rangers would have the ability to draft a new face of the franchise, especially one that can jump into the roster next season, and the Sharks could add a right-handed defenseman who is already ready to go, and one of the best defensive prospects available in this summer’s draft.
Regardless, there will be a lot of movement leading up to the draft, as is the case every year, and the Sharks could very well retain the pick and select either McKenna or Stenberg to put their offensive firepower over the top.
Latest On Sharks Draft Plans
After jumping into the second overall selection from last week’s draft lottery, the San Jose Sharks may capitalize on their luck by entertaining trade offers, outlined by The Fourth Period this morning.
With Toronto winning big last Tuesday, dominating many of the headlines, somewhat cast aside was the Sharks moving up seven spots to #2. Picking in the top five in each of the last three years, including second overall last summer (Michael Misa), the difference now is San Jose hardly needs another young forward in their pipeline, suddenly in win-now mode and past rebuild status. With Ivar Stenberg the clear cut second best player overall, defensemen such as Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff could be more attractive based on needs, but a reach at second overall from a value perspective.
2026 draftees aside, the Sharks netted an asset which would land a haul of NHL-ready talent, especially on the back-end, from any team looking to move up and select Stenberg. Known to be seeking upgrades on the blueline this summer, there’s perhaps no better trade chip than the one they hadn’t even expected to be holding today. As mentioned in the article above, GM Mike Grier also shopped his top pick last year, not ending up dealing it. If that proves to be the case again, rivals may be forced to prepare to deal with Stenberg, as part of a downright scary forward group in years to come.
Macklin Celebrini Named Team Canada Captain For IIHF World Championships
With their season coming to an abrupt end yesterday, injuries affecting the Philadelphia Flyers have begun to be revealed. Bill Meltzer of Flyers.NHL.com shared that Owen Tippett is dealing with a sports hernia, Cam York was playing through a fractured rib, and Christian Dvorak was battling a separated shoulder.
By yesterday’s Game 4, the Flyers were running with a patchwork lineup, including Carl Grundström and rookie Oliver Bonk, both of whom spent time in the AHL this year.
Tippett was unable to skate in any of the four second round games against the Hurricanes, with an ailment which was not revealed at the time. If he had limped into a game, a full tear would have been possible, which would greatly affect his health moving into next season. The 27-year-old tied his career high in goals this year (28) and played in all but one regular season contest, the best of his career to this point. He should be all set for next fall.
Meanwhile, both York and Dvorak played through their injuries. York skated in 24 minutes or more in each of the last three games against Carolina. The 25-year-old appeared hampered at times, but his overtime series winning goal over Pittsburgh was an unforgettable moment.
Finally, Dvorak came away with four assists, impressively not missing a single game despite his injury. It was a season to remember for the 30-year-old, setting a career high with 51 points in 80 games, and earning a five-year extension with the team.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Edmonton Oilers face an off-season of changes after a disappointing first round exit, but as written by The Fourth Period, that may not include Connor Ingram, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy, who are expected to explore being re-signed. Dickinson, 30, effectively replaced Adam Henrique as a third line center. Mostly a shutdown penalty killer, he did find the back of the net twice in the playoffs, capable of providing a scoring spark at times. He’d require a serious pay cut from his current $4.25MM to stay with the Oilers. Another former Blackhawk, the 33-year-old Murphy played top four minutes in Edmonton, starting 58% of his shifts in the defensive zone as a stay-at-home sidekick for Darnell Nurse, the duo anchoring the penalty kill. Finally, as far as depth goaltenders go, Ingram brought above average results at a .899 save percentage and 2.60 goals-against-average, but Edmonton must find a solution with Tristan Jarry in order to avoid leaning on the persevering 29-year-old Ingram so heavily again.
- Sharks 19-year-old superstar Macklin Celebrini has been named captain of Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championships. It’s a passing of the torch of sorts, as he’ll lead alongside veteran assistants Ryan O’Reilly and John Tavares despite being the youngest skater on the team. Celebrini is no stranger to the international circuit, leading Canada in the World Juniors, and already a top line star at the highest stage, last February in Milan where he came away with a silver medal. A face of the future of Canada Hockey, the Vancouver native wasted no time, recording three points earlier today in a resounding 6-1 exhibition defeat of France.
Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks Win 2026 NHL Draft Lottery
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the 2026 NHL draft lottery, shared by the league, which was conducted at the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey this evening. On 8.5% odds, Toronto jumped from #5 to the top selection and will be first on the stage on June 26 in Buffalo.
They were not the only club to have luck on their side, as the San Jose Sharks jumped from #9 to the second overall selection (5.2%), leaving the Vancouver Canucks to drop from the top slot to #3 overall. At this point, with the lottery determined, the 2026 draft’s first 16 selections are now official:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- New York Rangers
- Calgary Flames
- Seattle Kraken
- Winnipeg Jets
- Florida Panthers
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings)
- Washington Capitals
The Maple Leafs will have their choosing of the first player, for the first time since 2016, where they netted Auston Matthews, a draft which was also held in Buffalo. It will be the third time ever, the first being Wendel Clark in 1985. Of all the lottery scenarios tonight, Toronto’s chances at winning were a wild possibility, and sure enough, it has happened.
After hiring John Chayka as general manager, it was already apparent there’s serious pressure on the new regime to win over Matthews. Things couldn’t be off to better of a start than they are tonight. With a sparse free agent market, and complicated trade assets, the Leafs got a lucky break which has dramatically shifted their outlook. Just hoping to stay in the top five, to avoid relinquishing their pick to Boston as a result of the Brandon Carlo trade, that’s no longer a concern. Boston fans may simply look ahead to next year, but with conditions existing on the Philadelphia/Scott Laughton deal as well, they may have to wait for 2028 to obtain Toronto’s first rounder, while the 2027 selection would end up in the hands of Philadelphia.
Not to be outdone, already building one of the most talented young teams in the league, San Jose will pick #2 for the second consecutive season, despite taking a serious step forward, going 39-35-8 on the back of soon to be 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini‘s 115 points. It’s an embarrassment of riches for a team already thought to have one of the highest ranked prospect pools in the NHL, who will pick in the top five for the fourth straight year.
Gavin McKenna, widely considered to be the top prospect, jumped from Medicine Hat of the WHL to Penn State University in 2025-26, seeking a bigger challenge. Adversity he got, facing questions early on about his production against higher competition, as well as an off the ice incident where charges were eventually dropped. Through it all, the Whitehorse, Yukon native stayed the course, tying for fifth in NCAA scoring with 51 points in 35 games. Barring any major developments, Leaf fans can expect to see #72 in the blue and white next fall, although his immediate full time NHL role is a question mark. Even if not an immediate standout, McKenna’s offensive flair, reminiscent of Patrick Kane, has him a potential star for years to come. It’s about as perfect of a match as the organization could hope for after losing Mitch Marner, as McKenna is a natural wing who could feast alongside Matthews.
Likely missing out on the chance to select McKenna, but certainly not complaining, the Sharks still have a tremendous prospect in their grasp, Ivar Stenberg. The Swedish winger posted 33 points for Frolunda of the SHL, playing against men and coming away fifth in team scoring despite playing in fewer games than teammates. Back in January, the 18-year-old was thought to be emerging as jumping McKenna for the top spot. Largely considered to be a top six lock, with first line upside, Stenberg could be an immediate contributor wearing the teal next season. If so, he’d complete an entire top six corps made up of dynamic young forwards: Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, Michael Misa, and Igor Chernyshov. Clearly not in much need of another forward, Stenberg is likely too strong a prospect to pass on.
Outside of McKenna and Stenberg, holding the highest upside, the field opens up a bit, which is especially cruel to Vancouver, who fell to #3, a range the haven’t found themselves in since selecting the Sedin twins in 1999. Defensemen Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, and Alberts Smits all offer top pairing potential as prospects any team would salivate over. If that’s the path they take, the Canucks would create a tremendous one-two punch with 20-year-old Zeev Buium.
Also worth mentioning, Caleb Malholtra stands out as the top center. Son of longtime NHL center Manny Malholtra, and current head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, Caleb will benefit from a major breakout campaign with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, and being a member of a draft class which is more thin down the middle among the top five. Besides the obvious connections, it will be a story line to watch on if Vancouver passes on the defensemen and considers Malholtra, who will join Boston University next fall.
Last year the New York Islanders jumped from #10 to the top spot. After a solid playoff window, their aging core was running out of juice. There was a fair bit of speculation on if they could select a game-breaking forward such as Misa or go with the top player, defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who lost a large chunk of his draft year due to injury.
New York went with Schaefer, as Misa landed with the Sharks, and the reward was massive. The teenager led all Islanders in ice time, playing over 24 minutes a night, scoring 23 goals and 36 helpers for 59 points in 82 games. The #1 pick finished second in the entire NHL in goal scoring from defensemen, a spectacular campaign for a player who wasn’t even a lock to make the roster. For how good he was as a rookie, it’s scary to think about what is in store. Such is indicative of the power of the draft lottery, and a number which will always be synonymous with Schaefer as an Islander; 3.5%.
Meanwhile, Toronto will hope to have the same sort of fortune with their selection. Often the NHL lottery is weighed by the “deserved” scale, up for interpretation. While every franchise deserves the opportunity to select game breaking talent, especially those with the worst records, it’s fascinating to consider how different things could be for the Maple Leafs, and just how much they had at stake tonight. Rather than forking over a top 10 selection to their playoff nemesis, and coming away with nothing from a lost season, the lights are as bright in Toronto as ever, and now, they’re on the clock for June 26.
Sharks Sign Patrick Giles To Two-Year Extension
The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Patrick Giles to a two-year contract extension, per a team release.
According to PuckPedia, the deal carries an $875K cap hit. Giles will earn an $850K NHL salary in 2026/27, a $250K AHL salary, and receive a $325K guarantee. In 2027/28, the deal will carry a $900K NHL salary, $300K AHL salary, and $375K guarantee.
The 26-year-old, who is repped by Shawn Hunwick of The·Team, was set to become a Group-VI unrestricted free agent in the summer. Giles’ expiring contract was a two-year, two-way pact signed in June 2024. 
Giles’ last deal paid him a league-minimum NHL salary in both years, with a $100K AHL salary in year one and a $150K AHL salary in year two. The deal also contained $132.5K and $180K guarantees in years one and two, respectively.
By re-signing Giles, the Sharks have gained some continuity in the lower portion of their depth chart.
The former Boston College forward has never been a big point producer – his 24 points in 67 AHL contests this season represent a career-high – but despite that fact he has still been able to earn call-ups to the NHL.
Over the past two years, Giles has earned the right to dress for 20 contests at the game’s highest level. Over that same amount of time, two years, he has produced just 35 combined points in the AHL.
What has made Giles a useful part of the Sharks organization, and the Florida Panthers before that, has been his versatility, work ethic, and defensive responsibility. He was the Barracuda’s top penalty-killing forward this season, and has even gotten a little bit of time on the penalty kill at the NHL level.
It’s that combination of useful traits that has made Giles the kind of depth player the Sharks clearly want to keep around. His defense-first style is such that coaches can trust him as a call-up option to fill in a fourth-line role when injuries hit.
Giles can give a team eight minutes of responsible, mistake-limiting hockey, and there is value in a forward who can do that even if his scoring is going to be limited. The Sharks must agree, as they have invested in Giles, at an increased cost, for another two seasons.
Photos courtesy of David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Lucas Carlsson Signs In Sweden
A Sharks pending unrestricted free agent has decided to forego testing the open market to head home instead. Djurgardens in the SHL announced that they’ve signed defenseman Lucas Carlsson to a four-year deal that begins next season.
The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons in San Jose’s organization although it didn’t amount to a lot of playing time at the top level. Carlsson played in 13 games down the stretch in 2024-25 and held his own while picking up four points in over 19 minutes per night of playing time. But after the Sharks overhauled their back end over the summer, he was on the outside looking in again. This season, he played exclusively with the AHL’s Barracuda, collecting 12 goals and 14 assists in 58 appearances.
Over his career, Carlsson has played in 73 NHL games between San Jose, Florida, and Chicago. He has spent the bulk of his career in the minors and has been quite productive down there, tallying 219 points in 359 games over parts of eight seasons.
With that in mind, Carlsson would almost certainly have received interest in another two-way contract this summer from teams looking for a quality veteran blueliner who can hold his own in a pinch in the NHL. But instead of seeing what offers might have materialized, he decided that it’s time to turn the page and head home. That likely will close the book on his time in North America unless a strong performance overseas yields one last opportunity down the road.
Macklin Celebrini Named Finalist For Ted Lindsay Award
The NHL kicked off award season today, announcing that Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers have been named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
Even if he doesn’t win, Celebrini’s finish as a finalist is a testament to the year he had. The 19-year-old had an outstanding season, scoring 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games, almost single-handedly leading the Sharks to the postseason. It wasn’t enough to crack the top-three in scoring leaders for the NHL, but he led the under-25 group by a long shot. The next closest was Wyatt Johnston (22) of the Dallas Stars, who scored 45 goals and 86 points in 82 games.
It would be a disservice to write about Celebrini’s regular season with the Sharks without also mentioning his performance with Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Despite falling to the United States in the Gold Medal game, Celebrini was unstoppable, scoring five goals and 10 points in six contests throughout the international tournament.
Mix Of Veterans And Prospects Is Helping Sharks Climb The Ladder
The San Jose Sharks have not been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2019. They have spent six seasons since compiling one of the strongest prospect pools in hockey, using strategic late-round drafting and trades to stock the cupboards from their top forward position all the way through their starting goaltender. That draft capital has already begun to pay off. Will Smith and William Eklund are established, top forwards for the Sharks – while Macklin Celebrini became a household name and broke the team’s scoring record, all before turning 20. Their success helped San Jose finish outside of the Pacific Division’s bottom-three for the first time since their last playoff appearance – but how long will it take until San Jose takes another step forward and returns to the postseason?
The top six scorers from San Jose’s 2025-26 season feature two players above the age of 30 and four younger than 24. That balance of veteran leadership and inexperienced talent has headlined San Jose’s roster construction in recent years. Winger Tyler Toffoli helped to fill some of the gaps left by Celebrini’s all-over style, while Alexander Wennberg has proven to be an invaluable, two-way center while Smith finds his footing between wing and center roles. Both Toffoli and Wennberg are signed through 2028, which should keep the construction of San Jose’s top-six relatively the same. But much of the same may not be enough for a Sharks club that finished 17th in the league in goals scored this season, even with their electric performances.
It will take another X-factor in the top-six to jump San Jose’s offense to the heights its capable of. That could come through another veteran presence, like winger Kiefer Sherwood who earned an extension with the Sharks before his first complete season in San Jose – thanks to his unique mix of capable goal-scoring and overwhelming hitting. But Sherwood’s role will likely end up depth behind one of San Jose’s emerging youngsters.
Winger Igor Chernyshov vindicated a breakout performance in the OHL last year with 19 points in the first 28 games of his NHL career this year. He played a strong and aggressive style that proved to compliment Celebrini’s tactical playmaking well. The two outscored opponents 20-to-17 in their minutes together – an early mark of gold in Chernyshov’s first season in North American pros.
Still, Chernyshov’s impact stands out as complimentary. To find a true game-breaker, the Sharks will have to turn towards OHL phenom Michael Misa. After setting records with his age-18 season in juniors, Misa posted a lackluster rookie year. He strung together nine goals and 21 points in 45 games and seemed to spend more time adjusting to physicality than he did dominating possession. Those struggles have motivated the junior goal-per-game scorer, who told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now that he is ready to show fans the “real me” next season. For a former OHL exceptional status grantee, that claim could carry a lot of weight. Misa commanded play at the junior level, flaunting a detailed ability to create offense. Misa taking over more play-driving at the NHL level could help to solidify one of Smith or Eklund on Celebrini’s wing next season, after the two rotated roles this year.
Once again, it will be the mix of veteran presence – Sherwood – and emerging talent – Chernyshov and Misa – that solidifies San Jose’s offensive group. But they will bring little without a solid defense to boot. The Sharks were again in the bottom-three of goals allowed this season. Part of that blame – though, certainly, not all of it – can be placed on young defenders like Sam Dickinson and Shakir Mukhamadullin. Neither carved out much of a role this season, with the end-of-year statline reading 14 points and 12 points for the pair respectively. Dickinson was another standout in the OHL but seemed to lack the same confident puck-moving in the NHL.
The Sharks may infuse some more confidence with the addition of Hobey Baker Award finalist Eric Pohlkamp, who has turned pro after winning a National Championship with the University of Denver. Pohlkamp also plays a commanding style, driving the puck on offense and throwing hits on defense. His game is more rooted in aggression than skill, which could help to carve out more space for Dickinson to drive the offense. At the least, it will give the Sharks a puck-moving defenseman on each of their top two pairs, while Mukhamadullin and Luca Cagnoni look to carve out roles behind them.
But while Dickinson and Pohlkamp both have potential to secure long-term roles, the Sharks are still missing a balance on the blue-line. Their veteran support has been led by Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, Dmitry Orlov, and Nick Leddy. None of the four were at their best in the 2025-26 season. Orlov led the blue-line in scoring with 37 points – enough to guarantee a pillar role next season. No roles will be guaranteed for Ferraro, Leddy, or Klingberg – though. All three are set to become unrestricted free agents and San Jose has acknowledged their need to improve on the back-end. While interdivision rivals, and clear impacts, John Carlson and Jacob Trouba will be hitting the open marke,t the Sharks are more likely to find that impact through trades.
Exploring the trade market could be a wise way for San Jose to spend their eight draft picks this year, including two in the first and fourth round. Seeking out a defenseman like Colton Parayko, Dougie Hamilton, or even a longshot addition like Roman Josi could have the added benefit of pushing San Jose towards the cap floor, while adding a top defender who can take pressure off of the Sharks’ emerging youngsters. With their mix of prospect talent, draft capital, and cap space – the Sharks are uniquely positioned to try and catch big fish all summer long. If they land one or two, it could go far in stabilizing a blue-line in need.
San Jose will hope those additions, and continued breakouts from top prospects, will continue their climb next season. Celebrini has broken the century mark as a teenager – a feat only managed by two other players, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, since 2000. That will give the team a franchise leader but it will take more juice on offense, and a pull out of the depths on defense, for San Jose to turn that into a playoff bid. The difference in postseason versus early summer was just four points for the Sharks this season – an easily surmountable gap if sparks fly next season.
Photos courtesy of Eakin Howard-Imagn Images and David Gonzales-Imagn Images.
Sharks Loan Leo Sahlin Wallenius To AHL
The Sharks announced that they have loaned Leo Sahlin Wallenius to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The move allows the Sharks prospect to continue his 2025-26 season now that his campaign in Sweden has concluded.
The Barracuda have a best-of-three first-round playoff series against the Henderson Silver Knights coming up, but it’s unclear if Sahlin Wallenius will be included in head coach John McCarthy’s lineup for game one. At the very least, the 2024 second-rounder will now be an option at his disposal.
If Sahlin Wallenius does get into McCarthy’s playoff lineup, his first game would be his North American professional debut. The 20-year-old spent all of 2025-26 at the professional level in his native Sweden, skating in 32 games for the SHL’s Växjö Lakers.
He had a successful season, scoring 13 points in the regular season and six points in 10 playoff games. He was also one of Sweden’s very best defensemen at this season’s World Junior Championships, scoring six points in seven games while regularly logging heavy minutes for the Swedes.
After a 2024-25 season that saw Sahlin Wallenius split his time between four different levels of hockey (SHL, Liiga, Allsvenskan, J20 Nationell), the level of consistency afforded to Sahlin Wallenius this season allowed him to take a real step forward in his development.
With his ELC signed last year, focus should be quickly shifting to when he might turn his attention to North America and the Sharks organization. Sahlin Wallenius’s contract status in the SHL is actually relevant for his developmental future and whether he might be able to stay in the AHL next season, in the (likely) event he doesn’t break camp on the NHL roster.
The NHL-SHL transfer agreement stipulates that any player who is under the age of 24, not drafted in the first round, and also under contract in the SHL be assigned back to Sweden rather than be sent to the AHL.
The fact that Sahlin Wallenius’ deal in the SHL is set to expire, and there has been no word about an extension, paves the way for him to be able to develop in the AHL. There are many cases of Swedish prospects doing so, such as Montreal Canadiens rearguard Adam Engstrom, who has been able to play for the AHL’s Laval Rocket in his age-21 and age-22 campaigns.
Regardless of where exactly he plays, this is a player who appears to have a bright future who is now set to dip his toes into the North American game. He was recently ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Sharks’ system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, who wrote that the defenseman “projects as a two-way skating third-pairing NHL D.”
As the Sharks continue to figure out who the building blocks on their blueline are, Sahlin Wallenius could be a name to watch on the Barracuda.
Sharks Expected To Target Defensive Upgrades This Summer
Last offseason, Sharks GM Mike Grier spent a lot of time reshaping his back end. He brought in Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg in free agency while adding Nick Leddy off waivers in an effort to raise the floor of his group. While Leddy struggled, both Orlov and Klingberg were contributors and arguably accomplished that objective.
But now, expectations will be higher heading into next season. San Jose didn’t miss the postseason by much and next season, the objective will likely flip from trying to be more competitive to trying to make the playoffs. To that end, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on a recent DFO Rundown appearance (video link) that the Sharks will once again be looking to shake up their back end this summer in the hopes of further bolstering the group.
It came out midseason that the Sharks had taken a run at acquiring New Jersey blueliner Dougie Hamilton last summer but the veteran wasn’t willing to waive his trade protection to facilitate a move. Although the trade chatter surrounding Hamilton eventually died down, new GM Sunny Mehta may still look to cut some money from their back end and if that happens, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Grier try again on that front.
Pagnotta suggested Toronto’s Morgan Rielly as a speculative addition but there is trade protection to contend with there, as well. But those two should serve as an idea of the type of veteran they’d like to add while they undoubtedly would want to add a defender that’s more in line with the age of their core group as well.
There will be room to reshape the back end. Last summer’s pickups Klingberg and Leddy are pending UFAs while Mario Ferraro and Vincent Desharnais are also set to hit the open market. Even if one or two were to return, that still leaves ample room for some newcomers. On top of that, the Sharks project to have more than $41MM in salary cap flexibility this summer, per PuckPedia. That means they can shop at the pricier end of the market without needing to worry about hurting their cap situation.
With the Sharks at the point where they’re looking to emerge from their multi-year rebuild and get back into the playoff battle, they’re not going to be in a spot where they’re picky about upgrades. Roster help is roster help and every improvement can make a difference. But with a back end that’s set to be headlined by Orlov and youngster Sam Dickinson next season as things stand, there is a definite need for upgrades and depth in San Jose so it could be another busy offseason when it comes to the back end.