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.
GM Mike Grier Speaks On HC Ryan Warsofsky's Future
The San Jose Sharks took a step forward in 2025-26, upping their points total from a league-worst 52 to 86 this season, just four points short of a Western Conference playoff spot. Sharks GM Mike Grier gave Warsofsky a vote of confidence in his end-of-season media availability. Per The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka, Grier said Warsofsky has “done a good job” and added that “there’s no reason to think that he won’t be the coach [in San Jose] when the season starts next year.”
While the Sharks parting ways with Warsofsky seems somewhat out of question given the team’s dramatic year-over-year improvements, the reality is this past NHL season has been marked by teams pulling the trigger on coaching changes in non-traditional situations. The Vegas Golden Knights fired Stanley Cup-winning head coach Bruce Cassidy with less than a month remaining in the season, while the New York Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy with just four games remaining in 2025-26. NHL teams hold their coaches to extremely high standards, though it is important to note that the Sharks are in an entirely different stage of their competitive cycle than Vegas is, for example. But with the emergence of key contributors in San Jose such as star Macklin Celebrini, the competitive bar has been raised, and it’s up to Warsofsky to meet that bar next season.
Mario Ferraro Seeking Long-Term Deal
A subject of trade rumors for the past few years, San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro is only a few months away from being able to choose where he would like to continue his NHL career. According to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, whether it be in San Jose or elsewhere, Ferraro is seeking a longer-term deal.
Pashelka added that Ferraro is excited about the future of the Sharks organization, but it doesn’t currently seem that he’ll be back with the team next season. Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest reported that Ferraro is expected to test the free agent market, but the door hasn’t been closed from either side on a return.
Although he’s not a standout defenseman by any means, Ferraro may be able to take advantage of a thin free agent market to get what he wants. The 27-year-old blue liner scored six goals and 23 points in 82 games for the Sharks this season, averaging just over 21 minutes of ice time a night. Still, San Jose already has left-handed defensemen Dmitry Orlov, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Sam Dickinson signed through next season, meaning most of their available dollars should go to addressing the right-hand side.
Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini Open To Long-Term Extension
Despite being drafted with the first-overall selection two years ago, phenom Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks is already eligible for an extension off of his entry-level contract. According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, that’s something Celebrini is more than interested in. In Peng’s report, he quoted Celebrini saying, “I want to commit to this team and being here. I love it here.”
Celebrini’s upcoming contract didn’t get any cheaper for the Sharks, that’s for sure. He had a solid rookie campaign, scoring 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games with a -31 rating, averaging 19:47 of ice time. Unfortunately, he only finished third in Calder Trophy voting behind Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens and Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames.
There were some question marks surrounding his game on the defensive side of the puck, though much of that was credited to the Sharks team at large, rather than isolated to Celebrini alone. According to HockeyReference, Celebrini finished his rookie campaign with a 0.0 Expected +/-, meaning all of his -31 rating was due to the poor play of his supporting cast.
This season, Celebrini took his game to a completely different level. Not only did he take a step forward in his production, but he also has a real chance of being a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP. The 19-year-old finished with 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games with a +8 rating, averaging 21:19 of ice time per game.
Although hockey is a team sport, San Jose’s return to competitiveness this season can be solely attributed to Celebrini. The gap between him and the team’s next leading scorer, Will Smith (59 points), would have been third on the team in scoring (56 points).
He continued his successful season against the world’s best. Suiting up for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Celebrini scored five goals and 10 points in six games, helping Canada to a silver medal. If he takes another step forward during the 2026-27 season, it would be prudent for the Sharks to extend him as soon as they can.
While Celebrini’s extension won’t cause a domino effect in the upcoming free agent market, it surely will in the restricted free agent market. Since being drafted, Celebrini has often been compared to Chicago Blackhawk Connor Bedard. Bedard’s entry-level contract expires on July 1st, and there’s a decent chance that each side will wait for the other to sign, ultimately using the other as a comparable in their own negotiations.
Given his age and performance, it’s difficult to speculate on Celebrini’s next contract, especially given that the upper limit of the salary cap continues to rise. Recently, James Mirtle, Chris Johnston, and Michael Russo of The Athletic ran a poll of a few NHL agents about this very topic.
In the report, the trio quoted one agent, saying, “Why shouldn’t Celebrini make like 20 million bucks a year? I mean, it’s a lot, but look at that kid. I guess my point with Celebrini is I know it’s not apples to apples because Kaprizov could have become UFA, but if you’re him, why wouldn’t I say, Kaprizov’s getting this, why shouldn’t I make more than Kaprizov?”
Additionally, another agent said, “It’s going to be in the $10 to $17 (million) range, depending on the number of years he’s willing to forgo. If he’s going to go very short-term, it’ll be $10 to $12 (million). If he’s going to give up term, it’ll be in the $12 to $15 (million). If he really wants to push, it could be $17 (million).”
Since the Sharks will only have a few months left to sign Celebrini to an eight-year contract, it would make sense for them to push for that if Celebrini remains open to it. However, using the above framework, Celebrini could sign an identical eight-year, $136MM as Kirill Kaprizov with the Minnesota Wild. If he looks to beat Kaprizov, Celebrini would immediately become the NHL’s first $140MM man, if not more.
Regardless, outside of the change in September that will drop the maximum contract length from eight years to seven years, there’s no real rush for either side. Celebrini is signed through next year thanks to his entry-level deal, and won’t become eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2030-31 NHL season.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto-Imagn Images.
AHL Shuffle: 4/17/26
Several smaller-profile moves will come across the wire today. Teams done with their seasons are sending their fringe talent back to the AHL for postseason play, while teams bound for the first round of the playoffs could be making some small alternations as well – in particular, settling on their “emergency” third goalie as the league permits for the playoffs. We’ll keep track of those moves today:
- The Flyers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov from AHL Lehigh Valley and reassigned Carson Bjarnason there in his stead. Bjarnason was up just yesterday for practice, but it now appears they’ve re-evaluated and will prefer to have the more experienced Kolosov as their #3 behind Daniel Vladař and Samuel Ersson to begin their clash with the Penguins rather than Bjarnason, a first-year pro. With Lehigh Valley now eliminated from playoff contention, there’s no use keeping Kolosov down there to try to get them in. Kolosov, who has a 5-11-1 record and a .863 SV% in 21 career NHL appearances, will be eligible to enter a playoff game as an emergency backup if both Vladař and Ersson leave with injuries.
- The Flames have reassigned forwards Rory Kerins and Aydar Suniev, as well as goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, to AHL Calgary following last night’s season finale against the Kings. Sergeev, 23, was exceptional in his first career start, guiding Calgary to a 4-1 win while posting a .964 SV% and saving 2.6 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck. Kerins and Suniev were both late-season call-ups for the Flames once the playoffs were no longer a possibility but didn’t do much in their reps, combining for one assist (Suniev’s) in 10 games. There won’t be any playoff action in store for the trio; the Wranglers are last in the AHL’s Pacific Division and won’t be heading to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
- The Blue Jackets have added goaltending prospect Evan Gardner to AHL Cleveland’s roster, per a team announcement. The 20-year-old’s Saskatoon Blades in the WHL were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by Prince Albert this week. The 60th overall pick in 2024, Gardner will be turning pro full-time next season with either Cleveland or somewhere in the ECHL (Columbus is one of the few teams without a designated affiliate). His entry-level contract remains slide-eligible for this season, so it won’t kick in until 2026-27. He had a .902 SV% and 2.96 GAA – both great numbers for career-lows – in 52 games for Saskatoon in his third and final junior season.
- The Sharks have assigned winger Igor Chernyshov and defenseman Luca Cagnoni to AHL San Jose for the Calder Cup Playoffs, per Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest. It could very well be the last AHL action of Chernyshov’s career. The 20-year-old looks well on his way toward being a top-six piece from the drop next season, rattling off a 9-10–19 scoring line in 28 games of call-up action this year while seeing significant time on Macklin Celebrini‘s left wing. The 2024 second-rounder also had 13 goals and 33 points in 41 AHL games to date. Cagnoni, a 5’9″ lefty, had only been up for the last few games to get an end-of-season look once the Sharks were eliminated from playoff contention. The 21-year-old went pointless in three games after seeing a six-game debut last season. He leads Barracuda defensemen in scoring with an 8-35–43 line in 67 games.
- The Oilers have added Calvin Pickard back from AHL Bakersfield to serve as the EBUG behind Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry in the postseason. Pickard started the season as Edmonton’s backup but was supplanted by Ingram after struggling to the tune of a .871 SV% and 3.68 GAA in 16 appearances (5-6-2 record). Fresh off his 34th birthday, he’s started playoff games in each of the last two years for the Oilers – including Game 5 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final – so there’s zero hesitancy about tossing him into the fray if Ingram and Jarry fall flat. Since clearing waivers and being assigned to Bakersfield at the beginning of February, Pickard has a .886 SV% and 3.26 GAA in eight games with one shutout and a 4-3-1 record.
- The Mammoth announced that they’ve recalled winger Danil But and goaltender Matt Villalta from AHL Tucson. With Tucson out of the playoffs, recalling their AHL starter in Villalta isn’t an issue to serve as their EBUG. He has just two NHL starts to his name but is a known AHL commodity, posting a .895 SV% in 33 outings for the Roadrunners this season. The more pressing move, of course, is the re-infusion of But into the mix. Utah has given its 2023 12th overall pick several looks on the roster this season in top-nine duties, with the 6’5″ Russian managing three goals and four assists in 29 games. It doesn’t appear he’ll be in their Game 1 lineup to start, even with Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain still unavailable, but he’ll almost surely be the next man up in case of any other lineup changes.
- The Islanders added Russian forward Daniil Prokhorov to their AHL roster, from KHL side Dynamo Moscow. The club drafted Prokhorov in the second round, No. 42 overall, at the 2025 NHL entry draft, their fourth selection overall. The 18-year-old forward was recently ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Islanders’ system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Wheeler called Prokhorov, who stands 6’5″, a ” big, strong, driven, hardworking player.” AHL Bridgeport will be the fourth team Prokhorov has played for, in the fourth league. He scored one goal in 23 KHL games for Dynamo Moscow, 18 points in 25 games for Dynamo St. Petersburg in Russia’s second-tier VHL, and had six points in eight games at the MHL level, which is Russia’s top junior league. Prokhorov will soon make his debut on this side of the Atlantic for a Bridgeport team that has already clinched its playoff spot, and is playing out its final season in Connecticut before an offseason relocation to Ontario.
- The Wild recalled netminder Cal Petersen from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild today. Petersen, 31, is the No. 3 netminder on the Wild depth chart and will likely occupy a spare goalie role for the team during its first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars. Recalling Petersen today allows him to join the team in advance of the start of their series against Dallas. The AHL Wild have already been eliminated from playoff contention, so today’s move turns over their net to Samuel Hlavaj and Riley Mercer, while allowing the team’s No. 3 goalie to join the NHL team and provide them with additional insurance in case one of Minnesota’s two regular goalies (Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson) become unavailable.
- The Kraken reassigned forward Jani Nyman and netminders Niklas Kokko and Victor Ostman to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. With the Kraken’s season concluded, the move allows three potentially significant contributors to re-join Coachella Valley in advance of what the club hopes will be another extended playoff run. Nyman, 21, scored 21 goals and 33 points in 38 games at the AHL level this season, and was the Firebird’s leading goal scorer in 2024-25. Kokko, 22, went 18-10-2 in 33 games for Coachella Valley this season and posted a .903 save percentage. Ostman, 25, signed out of the University of Maine for 2024-25 and spent last season as a tandem goalie in the ECHL. He has had a strong AHL campaign in his second year of pro hockey, going 17-14-3 with a .907 save percentage in 35 games with Coachella Valley.
- The Canucks announced that forward Ty Mueller and defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev have been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Both Mueller and Kudryavtsev had been on the Canucks’ NHL roster in the final days of the club’s NHL campaign. They have each been key AHL contributors this season. Mueller, 23, scored 35 points in 58 games this year for the AHL Canucks, while Kudryavtsev, 22, scored 18 points in 42 games playing a top-four role including time on both sides of special teams.
- The Ducks reassigned defenseman Tristan Luneau to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, as the team prepares for their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. The 22-year-old got into his first NHL game yesterday. A 2022 second-round pick, Luneau has been one of the AHL’s most productive offensive defensemen since joining the league. He led San Diego in scoring last season with 52 points in 59 games, and leads the team in scoring by a defenseman this year with 41 points in 69 contests.
- In a similar move to the Wild’s recall of Petersen, the Senators recalled netminder Leevi Merilainen from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators today. Belleville, like Iowa, has already been eliminated from playoff contention, so Ottawa is seemingly content to turn its AHL net over to other names for the final games of the season while getting the team’s No. 3 goalie onto their NHL roster a few days early. Merilainen played a solid 18 games for Belleville this season, posting a .909 save percentage, but struggled in 20 games at the NHL level. His .860 save percentage in 20 games with the Senators this season is the lowest save percentage by any goalie with at least 15 games played.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
At Least Eight Teams To Carry Overage Penalty Into 2026-27
The NHL adds contract performance bonuses to the salary cap hit of each team at the end of the season. Any price over the salary cap is carried over to the team’s cap hit in the following season. Performance bonuses are broken up into two categories. A-level bonuses are paid out for reaching set numbers of goals, assists, points, plus-minus, or time on ice per-game. End-of-season accolades, such as an All-Star or All-Team nomination, are also A-level bonuses. B-level bonuses are worth up to $2MM and can include leaderboard rankings, minimum stats reached, or award wins. More details about performance bonuses can be found on PuckPedia.
At least NHL teams will carry an overage penalty into the 2026-27 season per PuckPedia. That number is down from 11 in the 2025-26 season and 15, an NHL record, in the 2024-25 season. This year’s list includes:
New York Islanders: $3.5MM
The Islanders paid out every last bit of rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer‘s potential $3.5MM performance bonus. He was awarded $1MM for his per-game scoring and ice time, then earned an additional $2.5MM by finishing in the top-10 of defensemen scoring. The Islanders utilized long-term injured reserve to exceed the salary cap at the end of the season. That will leave all of Schaefer’s performance bonus as overage headed into next season.
Colorado Avalanche: $2.29MM
Colorado lands an overage penalty thanks to Brent Burns‘ performance on an age-35+ contract. Burns had a potential for $4MM in performance bonuses on his deal and earned $3MM of that by playing in 10 games this season. Colorado utilized LTIR earlier in the year but finished the season with a little more than $700K in cap space. That space will help offset the cost of Burns’ bonuses just a bit, though Colorado will still carry a penalty into 2026-27.
Dallas Stars: $2.08-$3.08MM
The Dallas Stars paid out $80K in bonus to Justin Hryckowian for reaching 70 games this season. Captain Jamie Benn also earned $2MM of a potential $3MM in bonuses for playing in 50 games. That includes appearing in the season finale, which netted him $500K on its own. Benn has the potential to earn an additional $1MM in bonus – $500K each if Dallas wins the Western Conference Finals and Stanley Cup. That will sit the Stars with just over $2MM in overage currently and the potential for $3MM if they win it all.
Montreal Canadiens: $1.93-2.07MM
The Montreal Canadiens finished the year with less than $50K in cap space, in part thanks to their mid-season acquisition of Phillip Danault. Rookie Ivan Demidov landed $1MM in bonuses, of a potential $2MM, for his per-game scoring and ice time totals. Oliver Kapanen also earned $250K in bonuses for his per-game totals. He could earn an additional $137.5K if he is named to the NHL All-Rookie Team – a feat that seems unlikely with rookie forwards like Demidov, Beckett Sennecke, Benjamin Kindel, and Jimmy Snuggerud also in the running. Montreal also paid out $400K in bonuses to star defenseman Lane Hutson for a variety of reasons and $80K to rookie goalie Jacob Fowler for reaching 10 games. They will sit just shy of $2MM in overage penalty and could crest that mark if Kapanen earns all-team honors.
Ottawa Senators: $0-1.41MM
The Ottawa Senators will have to sign some big checks if they go on a playoff run. They have already paid out $1MM to Claude Giroux, and $750K to Lars Eller, for playing in 60 games and reaching the postseason. Giroux will earn an additional $500K if Ottawa wins in the first round – a cost that would be absorbed by their end-of-year cap space. But Giroux and Eller will also be eligible for $250K in bonuses if Ottawa wins the second round, and Giroux can net an additional $500K for wins in each of the Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. That will leave Ottawa with four potential outcomes: no overage penalty, $414K in overage penalty (third-round loss), $914K in overage penalty (Stanley Cup Final loss), or $1.414MM in overage penalty (Stanley Cup win).
New Jersey Devils: $1.25MM
The Devils paid out two bonuses that pushed them into the red. Young defenseman Simon Nemec earned $750K in bonuses for his scoring, plus-minus, and ice time per-game totals. Winger Evgenii Dadonov landed $500K for scoring at least one point, $250K for playing in 10 games, and an additional $250K for reaching 20 games. He did not play in his 20th game of the season until March 29th, earning the 37 year old a late-season chip. Now, the Devils will carry more than $1MM in overage penalty into next season.
San Jose Sharks: $918.7K
The San Jose Sharks finished the year with $4.8MM in cap space but still land on the list of overage penalties. Much of that is thanks to their young stars. Macklin Celebrini earned every bit of his $3.5MM in potential bonuses with his franchise record-setting scoring. Will Smith earned $1MM, and William Eklund earned $450K, in bonuses for their scoring and ice time per-game. Those marks also earned Sam Dickinson $250K and Collin Graf reached his contract cap of $500K in bonuses. That amounts to $5.425MM, pushing the Sharks into the red for next season.
Edmonton Oilers: $250K
The Edmonton Oilers will face their second-straight season with $250K in overage penalty next year. This time, it is a result of rookie Matthew Savoie, who earned $250K with his ice time per-game. Edmonton finished the year utilizing LTIR to exceed the salary cap.
Florida Panthers: $150K
Defenseman Jeff Petry earned $150K in bonuses for reaching 50 games played with the Florida Panthers before the Trade Deadline. He earned an additional $60K for reaching 60 games, though that bonus came after his trade to the Minnesota Wild.
Photo courtesy of Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Sharks Sign Eric Pohlkamp To Entry-Level Deal
2:08 p.m.: Pohlkamp’s deal has been registered, per PuckPedia. It carries a cap hit of $1.05MM, and he can earn up to $450K in Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses in each of the two seasons. His qualifying offer upon expiry will be $1.064MM.
11:37 a.m.: The Sharks will be signing defense prospect Eric Pohlkamp to his entry-level contract in the coming days, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. The deal will begin next season, so he won’t play in tonight’s season finale against the Jets.
Pohlkamp’s deal, when announced, will be a two-year pact running through 2027-28. He’ll be a restricted free agent at that point under team control until the 2031 offseason.
San Jose has been littered with top draft picks over the last few seasons. This far into a rebuild, though, it starts to become clear what later-round selections they might be hitting on. Pohlkamp appears to be one of them.
Selected in the fifth round in 2023, the 5’11” righty was passed over entirely in the draft the year prior. Now 22, he’s spent the last three years in the NCAA – one with Bemidji State, two with Denver – where he’s developed into a star. As a junior this season, he was a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and took home a national title with the Pioneers, leading the team in scoring with a 18-21–39 line in 43 games.
While Pohlkamp is undersized, he doesn’t play like it. He’s put on enough muscle to hit the 205-lb mark and is frequently laying into opponents. A legitimate two-way threat that the Sharks lack at present, there’s a non-zero chance he’ll step into an NHL role out of the gate in the fall.
Pohlkamp sits at #5 in San Jose’s prospect pool, one of the league’s very best, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He’s the top-ranked right-shot prospect in the system and arguably their second-best up-and-coming rearguard overall behind 2024 11th overall pick Sam Dickinson.
There’s a 20-plus minute upside in Pohlkamp’s game with play on both special teams units. He ended the season with both hand and foot injuries, Denver head coach David Carle told Wheeler, so it’s not looking like he’ll join AHL San Jose for its playoff run before joining the Sharks for training camp in the fall.
Conditional Pick Finalized In Ryan Ellis Trade
- Additionally, the San Jose Sharks will receive elevated draft compensation, too (via PuckPedia). In the Ryan Ellis contract dump earlier this year between the Sharks and the Philadelphia Flyers, the Flyers allowed the Sharks to receive the better of their 2026 sixth-round pick or Columbus’ 2026 sixth-round pick. Since the Flyers qualified for the playoffs, San Jose will receive Columbus’ sixth-round selection in the upcoming draft (via PuckPedia).
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Sharks Recall Luca Cagnoni
The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have recalled Luca Cagnoni from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Cagnoni hasn’t played in the NHL this season, but got into six NHL games last year. In the meantime, he’s been one of the AHL’s most productive offensive defensemen, scoring 16 goals and 52 points as a rookie in 2024-25, and 43 points in 67 games in 2025-26.
The 5’9″ 180-pound blueliner is a former WHL star who is generally considered to be one of the better prospects in the Sharks’ system, which is one of the league’s very best. As with most defensemen his size, he has had to answer questions related to whether he’ll be able to handle the physical rigor and intensity of the NHL, but so far in his two-year professional career, he’s answered those questions in an emphatically positive direction.
The Sharks have not yet been eliminated from the playoffs, but their hopes of reaching the postseason are very slim. In the event they are eliminated from the playoffs before the end of the regular season, this recall will allow the team to get a look at Cagnoni’s progress.
His success at the AHL level suggests he could be nearing the point of NHL-readiness, and the Sharks are likely to want the chance to assess how close they believe Cagnoni is to making a real push for a full-time NHL roster spot.
The environment of the Sharks defense is favorable to Cagnoni, as he could have a significant opportunity ahead of him. San Jose’s defense is almost entirely unsettled for next season, with only Sam Dickinson and Dmitry Orlov under contract for 2026-27.
Mario Ferraro, Vincent Desharnais, Nick Leddy, and John Klingberg are set to hit unrestricted free agency, while Shakir Mukhamadullin will be an RFA. Klingberg has quarterbacked San Jose’s No. 1 power play unit this season, and if the Sharks let him walk, a significant amount of time on the man advantage will open up – time Cagnoni could very well seize if he makes the team.