Sharks Expected To Name Macklin Celebrini Captain
- Coming as a shock to nobody, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported that it’s highly likely Macklin Celebrini will be named captain of the San Jose Sharks ahead of next season. Specifically, Kaplan said, “Celebrini wearing a “C” as captain next season is all but guaranteed.” Eligible for an extension this summer, Celebrini would become the 14th captain in franchise history, and the first since Logan Couture in the 2023-24 campaign.
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Four-Time Cup Winner Claude Lemeiux Passes Away At Age 60
New Jersey Devils cult star and four-time Stanley Cup-winner Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60. Lemieux played through 21 seasons and 1,215 games in the NHL between 1983 and 2009. He was a true pest, filling a unique and impactful lineup role through seven years with the Montreal Canadiens, six with the Devils, five with the Colorado Avalanche, three with the Phoenix Coyotes, and one each with the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks.
Lemieux’s hockey career began in the QMJHL. He racked up 66 points and 213 penalty minutes in the 1982-83 QMJHL season, immediately establishing his place as a forward adamant about making the scoresheet in one way or another. Montreal drafted Lemieux in the second-round of the 1983 NHL Draft and returned him to the junior league for the next two seasons. He finished his QMJHL career with a staggering 210 points and 379 PIMs in 103 games before turning pro full-time in 1985.
Lemieux spent his first pro season in the AHL. He finished the year with 53 points and 145 PIMs in 58 games – then stepped up as an X-factor addition to Montreal’s run to the 1986 Stanley Cup. Lemieux recorded three points and 31 PIMs in five games of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals, helping the Canadiens seal a 4-1 series win over the Calgary Flames. The gritty winger would go on to net 53 points in his NHL rookie season in 1986-87 and would continue to pace for 50-to-60 points on Montreal’s second-line role through the 1989-90 season.
Montreal sought a bit more well-roundedness in the 1990 summer, leading the Canadiens to trading their gritty winger to the Devils in exchange for playmaker Sylvain Turgeon. That move kicked off the heart of Lemieux’s career, as he joined a loaded New Jersey offense already featuring Brendan Shanahan, Peter Stastny, Kirk Muller, and John MacLean. Lemieux scored 47 points in 78 games of his first season in New Jersey.
That dip below 50 points was quickly forgotten when Lemieux led the team in scoring with 68 points of their transformative 1991-92 season. Through major roster turnover, including the emergence of Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur, it was Lemieux’s all-out energy and work ethic that held the Devils together. He willed the team to the 1992 postseason to extend what was, then, a six-year streak of playoff appearances for the winger. He topped the lineup again with a career-high 81 points in 1992-93, while continuing to pace for 150 PIMs every season.
The 1993-94 season brought some relief to Lemieux’s lineup-leading responsibilities. He scored just 44 points and 84 PIMs in 79 games that season – but seemed to be conserving his energy all year long, and spent that reserve on a tremendous 1994 playoff run. Always a playoff star, Lemieux raced to 18 points and 44 PIMs in 20 games of the ‘94 postseason as New Jersey pushed to the Eastern Conference Finals.
They would lose that series to the New York Rangers – but Lemieux repeated his performance in 1995, with a quiet regular season followed by a loud playoffs. He recorded 13 goals, 16 points, and a tame 20 PIMs in 20 playoff games as New Jersey breezed to the 1995 Stanley Cup. While the lineup was full of superstars – including the legendary defense pairing of Stevens and Scott Niedermayer and starting goaltender Brodeur – it was again Lemieux’s nasty edge that brought the Devils life. His ability to play a chippy, relentless style proved exhausting for opponents and led to multiple goals scored from seemingly inside of the opposing crease. His ability to tie everything together landed Lemieux the 1995 Conn Smythe trophy – the only individual award he would win in his expansive career.
The Devils, surprisingly, traded Lemieux to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 1995-96 season. He was again swapped in a one-for-one deal, this time returning Wendel Clark to the Devils. Lemieux was in a familiar situation, joining a strong Avalanche lineup that included Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Patrick Roy. He was the final addition in Colorado’s top-six and reached a lofty 39 goals and 71 points in 79 games of the regular season. Lemieux kept it rolling with 12 points and 55 PIMs in the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, once again proving to be the X-factor behind a loaded offense en route to his third Stanley Cup win and second consecutive win.
It was in the 1996 postseason that Lemieux delivered one of his most notorious hits. He hit Detroit Red Wings star Kris Draper into the boards, resulting in Draper sustaining a concussion, broken jaw, broken nose, and broken cheekbone. The injuries required reconstructive surgery that forced Draper to have his jaw temporarily wired shut. The hit cemented Lemieux’s status as a cheap-shooting, grinder and would lead to a prolonged rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings.
Lemieux continued to perform at a top level and help ensure runs to the playoffs through Colorado’s next three seasons. He was traded back to the Devils in 2000 in a colossal exchange that sent Brian Rolston back to the Avalanche. Lemieux didn’t miss a beat in one year back in New Jersey, notably notching 10 points and 28 PIMs in 23 games of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs as he supported a fourth Stanley Cup win.
Lemieux moved to the Phoenix Coyotes after winning another Cup with the Devils. He was an early great in the Coyotes franchise but the move would bring an end to Lemieux’s 15 consecutive postseason berths in 2001. He willed the Coyotes back to the postseason in 2002, all while notching diminishing offense and penalty totals on a roster still trying to find its core. The Coyotes flipped Lemieux to the Dallas Stars in January 2003. After another down year, he opted to step away from the NHL for the 2003-04 season, moving to Switzerland’s National League for one season before announcing his retirement in 2004.
Retirement did not keep Lemieux out of the spotlight. He assumed the president role for the ECHL’s Phoenix RoadRunners from 2005 to 2007 and was frequently featured in TV and media. After stepping down from his front office role in the ECHL, Lemieux built up towards a return in the 2008-09 sason. At the age of 43, Lemieux began the year with the China Sharks of the Asia League, then signed a contract with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks in November. That led into a two-way contract with San Jose in December and a call-up to the NHL in January. Lemieux would score one point in 18 games with San Jose as the Sharks chased the President’s Trophy as the league’s top team.
Lemieux stayed a prominent hockey figure well after his second retirement in 2009. He was most recently a torch bearer in one of Montreal’s pre-game ceremonies during the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. It was his final public appearance. Lemieux will be remembered as one of the greatest NHL players to hate among many fans. He was a tenacious, relentless, and aggressive winger who seemed to constantly deliver devastating blows – whether it was timely goals or injury-inducing hits. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Lemieux’s family, friends, and countless fans.
Photo courtesy of RVR Photos-Imagn Images.
Sharks Sign Phillip Sinn To Entry-Level Contract
The San Jose Sharks have looked towards Germany to reinforce their blue line. Defenseman Phillip Sinn has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks set to begin next season. Sinn spent last season with EHC Munchen of Germany’s DEL and played five games with Team Germany at the 2026 World Championships. Reports of NHL interest around Sinn was first reported by German hockey news source Eisblog.
Sinn, 22, is a true shutdown-defenseman. He scored just nine points across all levels of competition in the 2025-26 season, including three points in 35 games of his DEL season. Despite those low marks, Sinn stood out with a long reach and physical style that helped secure an otherwise offensively-leaning defense corps – led by former Carolina Hurricanes defender Ryan Murphy. Sinn was most productive in a seven-game assignment to Germany’s minor-pro league, where he recorded four assists.
The 6-foot-2 defender rose through the ranks of Austrian hockey and made his debut in the country’s top league in 2023. He finished his first pro season with seven points in 30 games with EC Salzburg and captained Team Germany at the 2024 World Junior Championships – where he scored four points in five games. Sinn has since built a tendency for very little scoring in top pro leagues, but near point-per-game scoring in minor-pro leagues, through trips in Austria and Germany. Those tenures include no scoring in 12 games in the Champions Hockey League, but two points in three games of Germany’s Deutschland Cup.
Sinn will bring another big body and shutdown ability to the Sharks defense corps. He could have a hope at one day filling the hard-working, shutdown role filled by Mario Ferraro in his final months in the Sharks lineup. That dream will be far off, though, as Sinn enters his North American career behind prospect Leo Sahlin Wallenius on the depth chart and almost certainly headed for a second-pair role in the AHL.
Canada Registers Sam Dickinson, Jack Ivankovic At World Championship
Team Canada will finish off the World Championship with the help of two top prospects. San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson and Nashville Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic have been registered for the remainder of the tournament per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. Neither player is expected to suit up for Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against Team USA, which could be Canada’s last of the tournament.
Both Dickinson and Ivankovic have been with the Canadian side through the extent of the World Championships – but are only now lineup-eligible, after being registered. Circumstance may keep the duo from debuting with Canada’s men’s team but the chance to spend time with NHL greats like Sidney Crosby, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan O’Reilly will nonetheless be invaluable.
Dickinson wrapped up his rookie season in the NHL with quiet totals. After notching historic scoring during his three-year career in the OHL, the puck-moving defender only scored one goal and 14 points in the first 72 NHL games of his career. He struggled to bring his dominant offense to the pro flight – but still showed flashes of the heads-up playmaking that earned him 91 points in 55 OHL games just last season. Dickinson will be leaned on as a core, offensive-defenseman behind San Jose’s young forwards for years to come. The chance to join his future-captain, Macklin Celebrini, at the 2026 World Championships will be another chance to find his comfort at the top level.
Ivankovic played through his freshman season at the University of Michigan after being drafted in the 2025 second round. He was called upon right away by the Wolverines and quickly stood out as one of the team’s biggest difference-makers. Ivankovic stuck around a .920 save percentage for much of the year, until his season was derailed by a scary-looking, lower-body injury sustained in a January matchup against rival Notre Dame. The injury was believed to be long-term – but Ivankovic was only out of the lineup for one month before returning to full-time, starting duties. He finished the year with a .921 save percentage and 25-8-1 record while backstopping the school that spent much of the year ranked #1. He also followed an NHL teammate – O’Reilly – to this tournament but lost his chances to start thanks to Jet Greaves‘ .926 save percentage through five wins.
While both prospects may continue to watch the tournament from the press box, their addition to the roster will stand as a bode of confidence from Hockey Canada. Both players will almost certainly be major parts of Canada’s World Championship, and other international, rosters in the years to come.
Sharks Sign Jimmy Huntington To One-Year Extension
The San Jose Sharks shared earlier today that forward Jimmy Huntington has been re-signed on a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms have not yet been reported, but as a two-way pact it automatically carries at least a league minimum $850k at the NHL level.
A veteran of the AHL, the 27-year-old joined the San Jose Barracuda this past season and put together his best campaign yet, recording 48 points in 71 games. The center was third in team scoring, producing alongside several skilled youngsters such as Filip Bystedt and Quentin Musty.
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, Huntington feasted alongside Alexis Lafrenière with the Rimouski Oceanic in 2018-19. Catching on with the Lightning organization after a 92-point season, he went on to make a two-year stop with the Milwaukee Admirals. The Laval, Quebec native moved on to the Hershey Bears for 2023-24, helping lead the Capitals affiliates to a Calder Cup title, with 14 points in 20 games during the run.
Since finding himself out west, Huntington’s efforts this season in San Jose helped the Barracuda rank 13th in the AHL, although they were sent home by the Henderson Silver Knights in the opening round. Still seeking his NHL debut, the 6’0″ lefty will aim to build off a strong season, continuing to bring a well-rounded two-way game to the Sharks organization.
Flames Want To Move Up From Sixth Overall In Draft
A hot market for top-five picks in the 2026 NHL Draft is beginning to form. On the heels of reports that the St. Louis Blues want to crack into the top 10, it appears the Calgary Flames could stand in their way. The Flames are hoping to move up from their current spot of sixth-overall, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and Kyle Morton of Daily Faceoff. The San Jose Sharks’ second-overall pick could be Calgary’s target, with TSN’s Darren Dreger sharing that the Sharks could part ways with their pick. Pagnotta also said that the Chicago Blackhawks could shop around the fourth-overall pick.
It has been more than 20 years since the last time a team traded a top-three pick after it was declared. The last instance – Pittsburgh’s move to first-overall in 2003 to select Marc-Andre Fleury – saw the third-overall pick go the other way. Calgary would pull off an unprecedented move if they were able to swing their way into the top-five.
Moving up in the draft could be a strong way for Calgary to spark their rebuild. The draft class is led by premium forward talents Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra. Each of the three have the potential to one day lead an NHL lineup, as do top defense prospects Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff. Should those five names all slide off the board before Calgary’s pick, the Flames would be left with the tough job of guessing the next-best star. Left-defensemen Carson Carels and Alberts Smits have caught attention all season with their dominant two-way play and play-driving ability respectively; while centermen Viggo Bjorck, Tynan Lawrence, and Oliver Suvanto have each held high-end acclaim through points in the season.
Outside of the top-five, there seems to be no guarantee of who will hit. Calgary would be stuck in a guessing game as they look for the draft selection who could propel their young lineup forward. Acquiring either San Jose or Chicago’s pick would effectively subvert that issue, allowing Calgary the chance to land a player with a strong chance of becoming a difference-maker. Their roster could use impacts at seemingly every position – whether it’s a playmaking winger to support Matthew Coronato, a true top-center, or an all-around defenseman who can take pressure off of the offensive-minded Zayne Parekh.
The uncertainty of a lower, top pick would be less of a concern for the Sharks or Blackhawks, who have each landed multiple top-five picks over the last four seasons. The draft class still boasts upside through the teens and the pair of rebuilders could stock their cupboards by pushing Calgary to add more draft capital and a strong prospect like Andrew Basha, Henry Mews, or even breakout college star Ethan Wyttenbach.
The package needed to trade into the top-five will only richen as more teams eye a potential trade. It seems to be a great year to be an established-rebuilder like San Jose and Chicago, who could field a long list of offers as they consider whether to take another star prospect or prioritize quantity over quality. Meanwhile, Calgary’s focus appears set to shift towards finding the X-factor they need to pull together a lineup that – thanks to the emergence of players like Kevin Bahl, Yan Kuznetsov, and Connor Zary – seems to wield promising depth.
Blues Trying To Move Up In 2026 NHL Draft
Three picks in the 2026 NHL Draft first round may not be rich enough for the St. Louis Blues. The club is putting concerted effort into trying to move up from their current standing at 11th-overall, TSN’s Darren Dreger shared on Hockey Sense with Andy Strickland. Dreger added that the San Jose Sharks, who currently sit at second-overall, could be willing to move down from their current selection.
The last top-three pick to be traded also belonged to the Sharks, who sent what would become the 2020 third-overall pick to the Ottawa Senators in their September 2018 acquisition of star defenseman Erik Karlsson. Toronto also traded what would become the 2010 second-overall pick to Boston in September 2009, setting up the Bruins’ selection of Tyler Seguin. The last instance of a top-three pick changing hands after it was declared came in 2003 – when the Pittsburgh Penguins moved from the third-overall pick up to first-overall to select Marc-Andre Fleury.
St. Louis could feel driven to pull off a trade of this magnitude by a rare opportunity in front of them. While star scorer Gavin McKenna has dominated attention for first-overall, Swedish phenom Ivar Stenberg – the younger brother of Blues prospect Otto Stenberg – has formed a strong case behind him. The younger Stenberg is currently lighting up the IIHF Men’s World Championships with seven points in six games. He has cemented a top-line role on Team Sweden, capping off a year that saw him earn a similar spot on Frolunda HC, who finished second in the SHL regular season.
Stenberg is a true dynamo, capable of dominating games with his breakaway speed and heads-up playmaking. He can hold the puck for as long as needed to create sneaky and successful scoring chances. He is just as involved away from the puck, staying focused in scoring areas and working to make plays on defense. That full-ice impact made Stenberg hard to ignore since he made his SHL debut last season.
The older Stenberg also made waves over the season, earning his NHL debut in mid-December and ultimately scoring 10 points in 32 games of what would become his NHL rookie season. That was only seven points fewer than the scoring total he posted in 36 AHL games. He seemed comfortable at the top level and – after easing into the role – embraced a much-needed center position in St. Louis. His arrival could help St. Louis justify selecting yet another winger headed likely headed for a top-six role, after they landed Justin Carbonneau in the 2025 class.
Ivar Stenberg would bring true top-end ability to the Blues lineup. It would be a final piece for St. Louis, who has already seen wingers Dylan Holloway, Jake Neighbours, and Jimmy Snuggerud excel in their top-nine roles. But while they have each excelled in limited top-line minutes, they’ve proven most effective when rotating through the lineup with each other. Stenberg could add another strong impact to that mix until he can graduate into a lineup-leading role.
The cost of pulling off the first top-three trade in more than two decades wouldn’t be cheap. Many expect San Jose to target an addition on defense after adding Michael Misa with the second-overall pick last season. The Sharks would likely find strong defenders still on the board outside of the top-five, just as they would at second-overall, in a draft class filled with high-end, defense prospects. Moving down would offer a chance to add even more to their riches – potentially emerging defense prospect Theo Lindstein or shutdown defenders Colin Ralph or Arseni Koromyslov from St. Louis’ pool. The Sharks could also ask for multiple first-round picks from a Blues club currently wielding picks 11, 15, and the Colorado Avalanche’s undetermined first-rounder. Packaging all three picks could be enough to make a deal – though adding another prospect could prove a worthwhile supplement.
The St. Louis Blues have made multiple bold decisions to revamp the lineup from its 2023-24 state. They surprisingly fired Drew Bannister mid-season and offer-sheeted Edmonton Oilers free-agents Holloway and Philip Broberg. Those additions helped push them to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but couldn’t return them to the 2026 postseason. That could be cause for one more bold decision before Doug Armstrong leaves the post he has held for longer than a decade. In doing so, St. Louis – a team that began built around a trio of brothers – would be hoping to land their eighth set of siblings in franchise history.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Offseason Checklist: San Jose Sharks
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at San Jose.
While the Sharks extended their franchise-worst playoff drought to seven consecutive years, it’s fair to say that this season was a step in the right direction for their rebuild. The team saw their point total jump by 34, allowing them to hang around the playoff picture longer than a lot of people would have expected coming into the year. Even with that big jump, they still have a lot to try to accomplish this offseason.
Rebuild The Back End
Last summer, GM Mike Grier put his back end through a bit of an overhaul as he tried to raise the floor of his group. That resulted in the signings of Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg, while Nick Leddy was brought in via a rare summer waiver claim. There was some hit-and-miss within that group but on the whole, the back end was better so Grier gets a passing grade on that front.
Now, he needs to do it all over again, perhaps to an even bigger extent this summer. Among regulars on their roster this season, the only ones under contract are Orlov and Sam Dickenson. Meanwhile, Shakir Mukhamadullin is a pending restricted free agent. Everyone else – Klingberg, Leddy, Mario Ferraro, and Vincent Desharnais – will hit the open market this summer, potentially leaving four roster spots to try to fill.
Ferraro is the one that they’d undoubtedly like to keep and he has made it clear that he’d like to stay. But as one of the better players set to be available, he’ll have the leverage to command a long-term deal, something that the Sharks don’t appear inclined to offer just yet. Short-term reunions with Klingberg and Desharnais could be explored while Leddy almost certainly won’t be back.
It’s safe to say that Grier will need to make a move or two on the free agent market but given the thinned-out group, he’ll also need to do something on the trade front. With a deep cupboard of draft picks and prospects, they’ll be in a good position to add there. But after a summer of turnover last year, it could be an even bigger one with potentially four newcomers (perhaps including prospect Eric Pohlkamp) joining San Jose’s blueline.
Core Extension Talks
The Sharks were led offensively this season by a pair of sophomore players, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Both players will be extension-eligible on July 1st, leaving a 10-week window to try to work out an eight-year deal before that option gets eliminated with the new CBA beginning in mid-September. It’s fair to say that both players are part of the long-term core group so getting them locked up should be high on the priority list.
Celebrini is coming off an absolutely dynamic season. He took his offensive game to an elite level, potting 45 goals and 70 assists to finish fourth in the league in scoring, a performance that likely will have him finishing within the top five in Hart Trophy balloting (although he’s not among the three finalists). It’s very rare for a second-year player to have that type of impact and he has already become the elite piece they hoped they were getting when they made him the first-overall pick in 2024. And while this won’t factor directly into his contract talks, he played quite well for Canada at the Olympics and is currently impressing at the Worlds as well.
The priciest post-entry-level contract in terms of AAV is Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who signed an eight-year pact worth $12.5MM per season. Given Celebrini’s performance this year and the considerable upward movement in the salary cap, there’s a good chance there will soon be a new record on that front. In terms of cap percentage, McDavid’s deal was 15.72% of the Upper Limit when it was signed, an amount that would equate to around $17.8MM in 2027-28 based on current cap projections. It’s fair to say Celebrini won’t command something in that territory but something in the $14MM range or even $15MM on an eight-year deal certainly feels palatable. And if that’s not a number San Jose is willing to go to just yet, they can wait out the year but would only be able to do a seven-year pact next summer.
Smith, meanwhile, had a solid second NHL season himself, recording 24 goals and 35 assists in 69 games to finish second on the team in scoring. While he was drafted as a center, he hasn’t played there much so far in the NHL but that could change down the road depending on how Michael Misa, another high draft pick, performs in that role. Whether it’s at center or the wing, the Sharks are hoping he’s a top-line fixture and Smith’s camp will be expecting an extension offer in that territory. Again, given the big bumps coming to the salary cap, there could be some sticker shock on the price, which plausibly could approach the $10MM mark on an eight-year agreement.
Given that there is some variance potential in where both sides think Smith will land, it’s entirely possible that an extension isn’t worked out this summer. In that case, they can simply let next season play out and use that performance to help shape contract talks. While it’s possible that they could look to do a bridge contract as they did with William Eklund last summer, that’s probably not the most advisable approach at this time; there’s no need to commit that soon to a short-term second pact.
Add PK Help
With a patchwork (albeit improved) back end and a goalie tandem that was a little shaky (Yaroslav Askarov’s rookie year was hot and cold and Alex Nedeljkovic is an okay backup), it’s unsurprising that the Sharks were once again a team that got scored on a lot. While they shaved 20 goals off last year’s number, they still allowed 290, more than 3.5 per game. Some of that can be attributed to what was just noted but the penalty kill also has to wear some of the blame.
San Jose allowed 58 power play goals this season, sixth-most in the NHL. Their success rate was 76.4%, 26th in the league. These are numbers that can definitely stand to be improved upon. And if they have genuine playoff aspirations next season, then these numbers have to be improved upon.
One way to do that is to get some help up front. San Jose’s four most-used forwards shorthanded in terms of ATOI per game were Ty Dellandrea, Collin Graf, Alexander Wennberg, and Barclay Goodrow. Dellandrea and Wennberg were second-wave players in 2024-25, Graf was a rookie, and Goodrow is widely expected to be a buyout waiting to happen. With due respect to these players, they can certainly be improved upon.
With a young team, it should come as little surprise that the Sharks struggle at the faceoff dot. Getting a checker who can win draws is a good place to start. A veteran who can fill a fourth-line checking specialist role would also help. This isn’t going to turn things around by any stretch but adding a few percent to the success rate is probably worth a few points in the standings as well. Those adds would also allow the young core a bit more time to develop before potentially being thrust into that role down the road as well.
It’s also worth noting here that San Jose’s four most-used blueliners shorthanded in terms of ATOI were Ferraro, Desharnais, Timothy Liljegren, and Vincent Iorio. In other words, two pending UFAs, someone who was traded at the deadline, and someone lost to a waiver claim. As Grier looks to reshape his back end, finding some reliable penalty killers will be a particular point of emphasis.
Add A Core Piece
Over the course of the rebuild, the Sharks have brought in several core pieces, headlined up front by Celebrini, Smith, Misa, and Eklund, with Dickinson representing the future on the back end. Their good fortune in the Draft Lottery will ensure they get another one as they now hold the second selection in next month’s draft. They should get a core piece from that pick.
In a nutshell, that alone would check the box in this section. They will get a future core player in the draft to add to their stockpile. But if they’re aiming on getting to the playoffs next season, Grier needs to be aiming for a current core addition as well.
In a perfect world, that player would be in the same age group as the current core. Having said that, the only way to get that is to probably trade the number two pick. For the right young player, that shouldn’t be off the table but it’s probably not Plan A either.
But this is a young enough group that they could stand to add a top-six forward up front as they did with Tyler Toffoli two summers ago. And, obviously, a core defender or two would go a long way. They were in on Dougie Hamilton last offseason but it’s believed he invoked his trade protection to stay in New Jersey. It’s possible they could try to circle back on that front but they might be better off looking elsewhere.
San Jose has more than ample cap space this summer, more than $41MM, per PuckPedia. They have plenty of trade chips. So, even with a thinned-out UFA market, Grier should be able to add at least one core player to help his current group while getting a long-term core addition via the draft. They’re already set up nicely for the future and should add to that upside this summer.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto-Imagn Images.
Mario Ferraro Likely To Test Unrestricted Free Agency
San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro is likely “going to UFA,” Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on today’s 32 Thoughts Podcast. Friedman said it “doesn’t sound like” there has been much progress on a contract extension between Ferraro and the Sharks, and as a result it appears likely the veteran defenseman will test the open market on July 1.
This confirms what Sharks GM Mike Grier told the media at the end of the season, saying Ferraro would “probably at least test free agency” before finalizing any potential extension with San Jose. (Quote via Josh Frojelin of San Jose Hockey Now)
While there is enough time between now and the start of free agency for things to change, Friedman’s report indicates that Ferraro’s time as a Shark is soon to come to an end. Ferraro was a second-round pick by the team (No. 49 overall) at the 2017 NHL Draft, plucked from the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL. After two solid seasons of college hockey at UMass-Amherst, Ferraro broke into the NHL in 2019-20. He earned an NHL spot out of training camp and hasn’t relinquished it since.
Across seven seasons in the Bay Area, Ferraro played in 490 NHL games, scoring 114 points. While his arrival in San Jose coincided with the team’s decline from consistent playoff contender to basement-dwelling rebuilder, Ferraro has been a steady presence on the Sharks blueline throughout those lean years.
A captain in the NCAA, Ferraro quickly took on more of a leadership role in San Jose. In 2021-22, his age-23 campaign, Ferraro was named an alternate captain and has held onto that status through 2025-26.
Now 27 years old, Ferraro has a chance to earn a life-changing contract this summer.
He’s on the younger side when it comes to unrestricted free agents, meaning interested teams can go into negotiations with Ferraro with less fear of the risks of age-related decline. That factor will help him drum up league-wide interest on the open market.
An additional factor aiding Ferraro’s case in free agency is his experience. While he has not yet played in the playoffs in his career, Ferraro has handled a top-four, if not top-pairing workload for a half-decade. His average time-on-ice per game for his career is 21:14, but that’s weighed down by his rookie season, when he averaged just 15:53 per game. From 2020-21 through this past season, Ferraro has averaged 22:00 time on ice per game.
He has consistently played a heavy workload in San Jose, including in 2023-24, when he was the team’s No. 1 defenseman. He has also been a fixture on the penalty kill, leading the team in time-on-ice per game while short-handed in three of the last four seasons.
While offensive production has never been a major element of Ferraro’s game, his ability to weather significant minutes stands out in what is expected to be a thin free agent class. AFP Analytics projects Ferraro to receive a four-year, $5.1MM AAV deal as a free agent, though that could be a conservative estimate given the way player costs have risen as projected increases in the cap have gotten priced into contracts on a more regular basis.
San Jose has more than enough cap space to afford to match any offer made to Ferraro in free agency. PuckPedia projects the Sharks to have nearly $42MM in cap space this summer. But the Sharks have to plan carefully, as they have extensions for their young stars to consider down the line, and they won’t want to commit too much money too far down the line in order to preserve as much financial flexibility as possible for when Macklin Celebrini and others are eating up significant portions of the cap.
Additionally, taxes are a factor that works against the Sharks whenever they look to bid on free agents. While they have had success in the past on the open market, suggesting they have been able to work around this obstacle, the reality is players take home a greater portion of their salary playing in a low-tax market such as Tampa Bay, or Nashville, than in a market like San Jose.
The tax calculator tool provided by Cardinal Point Athlete Advisors shows that if Ferraro were to receive identical offers at AFP Analytics’ projected salary ($5.13MM) from San Jose and Tampa Bay, respectively, Ferraro would pay an additional $705K per year if he took the Sharks’ offer, compared to Tampa Bay’s. Over the lifetime of a four-year contract, that is nearly $3MM difference between the two offers.
In other words, the Sharks and other markets are at a natural disadvantage when competing for free agents. Of course, the Sharks do have some advantages, such as their climate and up-and-coming roster. It’s difficult to isolate the free agent decision-making process to just one variable. And it has to be said that the true tax situation NHL players navigate is far more complex than a simple side-by-side calculator will be able to reflect.
But given all of the things working in Ferraro’s favor, it’s no surprise that he would want to see what kind of offers he’ll receive from around the league before deciding whether to move on from the only NHL franchise he’s ever known.
Photos courtesy of Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Sharks Primed To Target Free-Agent Defensemen To Insulate Youth Core
With the 2026 NHL offseason rapidly approaching, General Manager Mike Grier has positioned the San Jose Sharks as major players in the summer market. The team is loaded with the second-most projected cap flexibility in the entire league ($41.5M), and the Sharks have a remarkably clear runway to shape their roster. As it stands, the Sharks have 17 of 23 active roster spots filled and a wide-open contract bank with just 25 of 50 standard player contracts utilized.
Up front, the heavy lifting is already largely completed. Aside from deciding on veteran depth options like 39-year-old unrestricted free agent Ryan Reaves and 26-year-old Pavol Regenda, who is coming off a Group 6 UFA status, the primary forward focus centers on finalizing extensions for key restricted free agents Philipp Kurashev, Collin Graf, and Zack Ostapchuk. Because this forward group is young and cost-controlled, the true intrigue of the summer shifts entirely to the blue line.
The bigger part of the puzzle, however, San Jose’s defensive corps for next season looks incredibly sparse and requires immediate attention. The only locked-in pieces under contract are veteran Dmitry Orlov, who will anchor the top four at 34 years old, alongside highly touted prospects Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni, who appear ready for everyday NHL minutes at 19 and 21, respectively.
Apart from that trio, Grier has a complete blank slate. Four major unrestricted free agents are seeking clarity about their future with the Sharks, and the decisions made here will determine whether San Jose utilizes its substantial cap space for internal extensions or pursues high-end talent through trades and the sparse open market.
The primary focus of those internal conversations will undoubtedly revolve around Mario Ferraro. At 27 years old, Ferraro perfectly fits the leadership timeline for a transitioning franchise, and extending him to a term contract should be a priority if Grier wants to insulate his rookie class with proven stability on the back end. On the depth front, 29-year-old Vincent Desharnais is another logical target for retention, offering the exact kind of size and physical snarl that the Pacific Division demands on a short-term, reasonable deal.
The Sharks are expected to move on from their older free-agent blueliners. Nick Leddy, now 35, will likely be allowed to test the open market as the organization transitions to younger blueliners. Similarly, 33-year-old John Klingberg is a significant wildcard after an injury-plagued campaign. While he could theoretically serve as a cheap, short-term option to provide power-play utility, the roster spots are simply too valuable to commit to aging health risks when younger assets need room to develop.
Because the Sharks have tens of millions in space and are well away from any sort of cap crunch, Grier is under no obligation to bring these veterans back out of necessity. Instead, he can shift his gaze toward a highly lucrative unrestricted free agent class to completely accelerate the rebuild.
On the right side, 29-year-old Rasmus Andersson is among the top of the free agent class, offering a pristine mix of top-pairing minutes and transition play that would perfectly complement a rookie like Dickinson. If Grier wants an injection of pure championship pedigree and elite power-play leadership, 36-year-old John Carlson could be on the radar as a premium short-term bridge option, while 32-year-old Jacob Trouba provides a rugged, veteran alternative to entirely reshape the identity of San Jose’s zone.
If the Sharks pivot toward adding sheer size and shutdown stability to insulate their creative rookies, the market offers intriguing depth targets as well. The 33-year-old Jamie Oleksiak brings a massive frame and extensive defensive coverage that can lighten the load for a developing blue line, while fellow 33-year-old veteran Connor Murphy offers a reliable, defensive-minded presence capable of eating tough minutes on the penalty-kill.
With elite future assets already in the cupboard and the financial firepower to easily outbid the field or absorb heavy contracts, expect Grier to be incredibly aggressive. The Sharks are fully expected to use their financial leverage to secure at least one of these premier targets, ensuring the next generation of talent has a world-class safety net on the back end.