Offseason Checklist: San Jose Sharks
The offseason has arrived with roughly half of the league finished up after missing the playoffs and several more joining them following their first-round eliminations. It’s time to examine what those teams need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at San Jose.
The Sharks were supposed to be a team that was set to contend. That was the idea behind the Erik Karlsson trade three years ago and while they did that in 2018-19, they missed the playoffs entirely a year ago and weren’t much better this season. Their veteran core struggled mightily and while they had a bit of cap space to add some mid-round picks at the deadline, they don’t have a lot of wiggle room to significantly shake up their core. With that in mind, GM Doug Wilson’s checklist for the summer is somewhat restricted with seven of their eight highest-paid players having some form of trade protection.
Donato Decision
One thing the flattened salary cap did last offseason was increase the number of players that were non-tendered to avoid salary arbitration. With the Upper Limit staying at $81.5MM, that’s likely to be the case again this summer. San Jose has one of those players in winger Ryan Donato who is owed a $2.15MM qualifying offer in July.
The Sharks acquired the 25-year-old in October for a third-round pick, a reasonable price to pay for someone that has shown some flashes of being an impact NHL forward, albeit mixed in with some inconsistent play as well. Unfortunately for Wilson, Donato provided more of the latter than the former, finishing up his year with six goals and 14 assists in 50 games while averaging 12:37 per game.
In a normal year, he’d be likely to get another opportunity given his previous stretches of being a productive top-six piece. Give him a small raise and go from there. But in this cap environment, it’s hard to envision Donato getting $2.15MM on the open market. Bottom-six forwards were largely squeezed out a year ago and with teams as cap-strapped now as they were then, that’s not likely to change.
As a result, if San Jose wants to retain Donato, they need to try to work out a new deal before free agency opens up in late July. Offer a cut in pay to see if he wants to stick around – that’s perfectly legal despite the qualifier that’s owed – with the understanding that if an agreement can’t be reached, he’ll be non-tendered. It’s a bit of a heavy-handed approach but don’t be surprised if many other teams take a similar approach with some of their RFAs.
Add A Goalie
It was only a few years ago that Martin Jones looked like their long-term goalie of the future and his $5.75MM AAV through 2023-24 potentially being a bargain. No one’s saying that now. The 31-year-old posted a .896 SV% for the third straight season, a rate that is well below average for a backup let alone a starter. All of a sudden, forget about the old thought of it being a bargain contract. Now, Wilson may need to give serious consideration to buying him out. If you’re curious as to what that would cost, the cap hit would range from $1.667MM to $2.917MM over each of the next six seasons. That’s a steep price to pay but it would give them a bit of space to try to add a better option.
Even if they don’t buy him out, the Sharks need to add another goalie, preferably a starter instead of another reclamation project. Josef Korenar had some good moments in his first taste of NHL action but he has another year of waiver exemption; he needs to be playing as much as possible in the minors and he’s not ready to push for full-time NHL duty just yet. As is often the case, there are quite a few goalies available in free agency and the trade market could feature a few more options than usual. They should be able to nab a reasonably-priced option and with the struggles they’ve had between the pipes lately, the right choice could yield a few more wins in the standings on their own.
Extension Talks For Hertl
If you were curious as to which of their eight highest-paid players doesn’t have any trade protection, it’s Tomas Hertl. He will be entering the final year of his contract next season so when free agency begins and the calendar flips to the 2021-22 season, the 27-year-old will be eligible to sign a contract extension.
While many of the top players in San Jose underachieved offensively this season, Hertl was one of the exceptions. He finished second on the team in scoring to Evander Kane and had he been healthy and played in all 56 games, he might have got the top spot. Nevertheless, his 19 goals and 24 assists in 50 games was good enough for the second-highest point per game average of his career, a pretty good showing.
When Hertl signed a four-year, $22.5MM deal back in the 2018 offseason, it looked like it might be a bit high considering he had only reached the 20-goal mark twice and never had more than 46 points in a season. Since then, however, he has certainly lived up to the deal, picking up 153 points in 170 games, well above a 46-point pace over a full regular season.
With that in mind, it’s likely that Hertl’s camp will be seeking an increase on his next contract, even with wingers taking a hit in free agency last summer in a marketplace that is likely to be more restrictive than usual for the next few years. Wilson will have to decide if the time is right to do that or to let the season play out first. One thing he can dangle now that he can’t next fall? He can offer to put in trade protection into the final season of his existing contract as he’s now old enough to have that protection in his deal (only UFA-eligible players can have it). Maybe he won’t be the only highly-paid player without that for much longer.
Redirect Cap Spending To Offense
The Sharks have been in the bottom ten in scoring in each of the last two seasons. Part of the reason for that is that they’ve dedicated a lot of money away from the forwards. By the time they round out their roster for next season, it’s going to be close to a 50/50 split in terms of money on forwards versus goalies and defensemen. It’s hard to improve offensively with that much money tied up in non-forwards.
Granted, Karlsson and Brent Burns are supposed to help carry the load offensively but that simply wasn’t the case this season. Add a slumping Marc-Edouard Vlasic to the mix and their big three on the back end counts for $26.5MM without much production from that group. In a perfect world, they could get out of one of those contracts which all run through at least 2024-25 but their high price tags and trade protection make that extremely difficult.
One smaller move they could try to make to add some money to the pot for their forwards is to move out Radim Simek. His four-year, $9MM contract is hardly excessive in terms of cost but he has had difficulty staying healthy and had a limited role when he did play this season. Finding a new team for him would give Wilson a little bit more room to try to add up front which, with their veteran defenders slowly down offensively, will be needed if they want to have a chance at working their way back into playoff contention.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Sharks Agree To Terms With Daniil Gushchin
May 21: The Sharks have officially announced the three-year, entry-level contract for Gushchin.
May 17: The San Jose Sharks have worked out a deal with one of their prospects as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Daniil Gushchin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal, which carries a $925K AAV, breaks down as follows:
2021-22: $842.5K salary (including signing bonus, $82.5K performance bonuses, $80K AHL salary
2022-23: $867.5K salary (including signing bonus, $57.5K performance bonuses, $80K AHL salary
2023-24: $867.5K salary (including signing bonus, $57.5K performance bonuses, $80K AHL salary
The 19-year-old was a third-round pick of San Jose (76th overall) back in 2020 after a strong second season with Muskegon of the USHL. He followed that up with an even better showing this season, notching 32 goals and 32 assists in just 46 games to lead the Lumberjacks in scoring. However, Gushchin wasn’t supposed to play there this season as he had committed to playing with Niagara of the OHL. When that season didn’t start on time, he was loaned back and with the OHL not playing at all, he was able to stay there for the entire season.
Gushchin won’t be expected to push for a roster spot with San Jose right away. He will be eligible to go to the AHL next season but he will still be young enough to play junior hockey for the IceDogs and could see his contract slide a year unless he plays in more than nine NHL games in 2021-22, a scenario that seems unlikely at this point.
Snapshots: Hartman, Hamaliuk, Senators
The NHL has issued a $5,000 fine to Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman for a “dangerous trip” on St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais. This is the maximum allowable fine amount under the CBA, once the incident was deemed to not deserve a suspension.
The incident occurred partway through the second period in last night’s game. As the puck was dumped into the corner, Hartman pushed his stick into the back of Blais’ leg and caused the Blues player to tumble backward. Hartman was given a two-minute penalty on the play and will have to fork over a few dollars as well.
- Now that his WHL season is over, Dillon Hamaliuk has been added to the San Jose Barracuda roster for the Pacific Division playoffs. Hamaliuk, 20, scored 13 points in 16 games with the Kelowna Rockets this season and will get his first taste of professional hockey down the stretch. The 6’4″ forward signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks way back in October 2019, a few months after being selected 55th overall in the draft.
- The Ottawa Senators haven’t had a captain since trading away Erik Karlsson, but that could be changing soon. At his year-end media availability today, GM Pierre Dorion told reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that he will sit down with owner Eugene Melnyk and head coach D.J. Smith to discuss the captaincy, suggesting either early next year or through the season the team will name one.
Adam Raska Signs With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have signed one of their 2020 draft picks, inking Adam Raska to a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward competed for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL this season after taking part in the World Juniors for the Czech Republic.
Raska, 19, was the 201st player taken in 2020, after his first season in North America with the Oceanic. He scored 21 points in 35 games during that 2019-20 campaign, but came back at a better than point-per-game pace this time around. In 22 games this season he scored 25 points and added six more in eight playoff contests. Unfortunately, his club was defeated in the quarterfinals.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page and scream NHL talent, Raska is still very young and has scored at a high rate in the Czech junior system. It will be interesting to see if the Sharks send him to the AHL next season or loan him back overseas to continue his development at home. In his 11 career games in the Czech Extraliga, he has just one goal.
Alexander Barabanov Signs Extension With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks liked what they saw from Alexander Barabanov down the stretch. The Russian forward’s agent Dan Milstein tweeted out that his client has signed a one-year extension with the Sharks after being acquired at the trade deadline. PuckPedia reports that the deal is worth $1MM.
Barabanov, 26, originally signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2020-21 season, but was unable to make much of an impact in his time there. Through 13 games with the Maple Leafs, he registered just a single assist and failed to score a goal. Toronto found him a home willing to give him an opportunity at the deadline, trading Barabanov to the Sharks (in exchange for Antti Suomela), who almost immediately put him on the top line. In his San Jose debut, he scored the game-winner for his first NHL goal and would go on to register seven points in eight games with the team.
Given his age, Barabanov could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer when his one-year entry-level deal expired. Instead, he’ll get another chance to establish himself with the Sharks after a long KHL career. Barabanov will once again be a UFA at the conclusion of this new contract.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic States Desire To Stay In San Jose
With the Sharks missing the playoffs the last couple of years, it’s fair to wonder if some of the veterans may be hoping for a change of scenery. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was among those asked about that today and he told reporters, including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, that he has no intention of going anywhere:
20 years isn’t an exaggeration either. The 34-year-old just wrapped up his 15th NHL season and still has five years left on his deal with a $7MM AAV. Between that and a no-move clause that Vlasic acknowledged today he didn’t even know he had until recently, it’s safe to say he’ll be in a Sharks uniform for a while yet.
San Jose Sharks To Sign Santeri Hatakka
The San Jose Sharks have come to terms with one of their recent draft picks. According to CapFriendly, the Sharks are set to sign 2019 sixth-round selection Santeri Hatakka to an entry-level deal that will begin next season. It is believed to be a three-year ELC with an $850K AAV for the young defenseman.
Hatakka, 20, spent this season as a full-time player at the top pro level in his native Finland, playing for the Liiga’s Ilves. In fact, Hatakka is signed through the 2022-23 season with an option for an additional year, but the Sharks wanted to lock down the promising blue liner regardless of how long he plans to spend developing overseas. Hatakka held his own in the Liiga this season, recording seven points and an even rating in 44 games while receiving regular play time for a playoff team. Hatakka also played well against his peers at the World Junior Championship, recording two points in seven games for Team Finland en route to a bronze medal.
The Jokerit product is a well-rounded defender who some felt would be selected higher than he was in his draft year. While the Sharks have some impressive young names on the left side of the blue line already – Mario Ferraro, Nikolai Knyzhov, Brinson Pasichnuk in the pros alone – and long-term commitments to veterans Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Radim Simek, the team clearly sees upside in Hatakka and want to bring him into the organization and see what he can do. It may not be next year or even the year after, despite what the contract may imply, but one day Hatakka will be a factor in the San Jose depth chart.
Snapshots: Coyotes, Seguin, Hintz, Lightning, Ryan
The Arizona Coyotes and head coach Rick Tocchet have mutually parted ways and the team announced they will begin the search for their next head coach immediately. However, knowing that Arizona is struggling financially, it’s seems likely that the team will be looking at cheaper options for their head coach.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun points out that the team has as many as 10 candidates already for their open head coaching position with a strong likelihood they will reach out to several interesting hires, including New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert, San Jose Sharks associate coach Rocky Thompson and Providence College’s Nate Leaman, who recently coached Team U.S.A to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
All three come with interesting resumes if the Coyotes can convince them to leave their current posts.
- It looks like the season is over for two Dallas Stars. Head coach Rick Bowness said that forwards Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz will not play in the team’s final two games, according to Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks. With no playoffs this year, the team will allow both players to rest. Seguin has appeared in three games after missing most of the season due to hip and knee surgeries. Hintz has been playing with a lower-body injury for months, so now that the team has been eliminated from a playoff berth, both will be held out to prevent any more injuries.
- When asked whether Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta, who are all considered day-to-day, would be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs, head coach Jon Cooper didn’t give a convincing answer, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required). “I don’t know,” Cooper said. “I hope so. We’re planning on it. But we’ll have to see.” Hedman is dealing with a lower-body injury, McDonagh with an upper-body injury, while Rutta is dealing with a lower-body injury. There is a report, according to Smith, that Hedman, who missed his first game of the season Saturday, was injured in a collision against the boards against Columbus on March 30 and had to be helped off. While he came back to the game not too long after, the rumor is that he might require surgery after the season, although Smith was not able to get that confirmed by Tampa Bay staff.
- Despite briefly considering retirement before his triceps surgery, Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan said he is eager to return for a 15th season and hopes it can be with the Red Wings, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 34-year-old, who signed a one-year deal last offseason with Detroit and will now be an unrestricted free agent, scored seven goals and 14 points in 33 games before going down with an injury on March 28. “I want to play hockey next year. I hope it’s Detroit,” Ryan said. “I haven’t had those conversations yet. I expect they’re going to come sometime down the line.”
Snapshots: Kane, Morrow, Tangradi
Evander Kane has had a tremendous season for the San Jose Sharks, recording a team-best 45 points in 52 games. The achievement is all the more impressive given the safe assumption that Kane’s focus has not solely been on hockey this year. The star forward has been mired in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding all season, filing in January and then in March motioning for an extension on the decision until June on the grounds that his contract with the Sharks could be terminated following the end of the season. While it remains to be seen whether this in fact occurs or not, the latest development in the case has the bankruptcy court deciding that Kane’s case will remain in Chapter 7 as opposed to Chapter 11. A lender had filed a motion for Kane to be treated as a business under Chapter 11 due to his debt mostly coming from gambling losses. Such a decision would have opened up Kane’s future income to his lenders in the bankruptcy decision, but such an outcome was avoided.
At least one lender has decided that if they can’t get to Kane’s future earnings via bankruptcy decision, they’ll go after a greater return on their defaulted loan another way. Per The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, Professional Bank has sued Kane for $15MM, alleging fraud on the basis of misrepresenting the Sharks’ role in his repayment plans. This amounts to ten times their initial loan due, justified as “punitive damages.” This is highly irregular in a case such as this, as punitive damages are not substantiated by a claim but rather are meant as punishment. Punitive damages to this massive extent are very unlikely to be awarded, especially with Kane’s bankruptcy proceeding still ongoing, but Professional Bank will try their best.
- Winning a national championships comes with some added perks, the least of which is increased recruiting power. Defending champs UMass flexed their newfound market power today, convincing potential 2021 first-round pick Scott Morrow to flip on his commitment to North Dakota and got to Amherst. Multiple sources have confirmed the move, with the talented right-handed defenseman moving from one powerhouse to another. Morrow was expected to join a deep group of NHL-caliber defensemen at UND this year, but will have more of an opportunity to shine as a top blue line option at UMass. It has worked out nicely for Cale Makar, Mario Ferraro, Zac Jones, and several other NHL prospects over just the last few years.
- Eric Tangradi, Real Estate Agent? In a unique twist, former NHL winger Tangradi announced his retirement by transitioning it into the reveal of his new career. A big, powerful winger who appeared to have NHL chops early in his career, Tangradi never could quite translate his AHL production to the next level. He still managed to play in 150 NHL games with the Penguins, Jets, Canadiens, Devils, and Red Wings, but recorded just 16 career points. Tangradi will likely be remembered more for his many years of dominance in the minors, recording over 350 points in 488 career NHL games.
Sharks To Have Contract Talks With Ryan Donato After The Season
- The Sharks are expected to hold contract talks with winger Ryan Donato once the season comes to an end, notes Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. The 25-year-old is in his first season with San Jose since coming over from Minnesota in an offseason trade and has managed just six goals and 14 assists in 50 games this season. Owed a $2.15MM qualifying offer this summer, the fact he has arbitration eligibility puts him in that zone where it could be deemed too risky to tender him an offer. With that in mind, early talks to see if something can be agreed to beforehand certainly makes a lot of sense.