Sharks Rumors

Expansion Primer: San Jose Sharks

June 13, 2017 at 6:02 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence Leave a Comment

We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

The San Jose Sharks took an expected step backwards this season after an impressive display in 2015-16 saw them reach Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. The team is certainly at a crossroads, with long-time leaders Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton hitting unrestricted free agency. They were ousted quite easily in the first round by the upstart Edmonton Oilers, and GM Doug Wilson will look to craft a strategy that will put them back in contention for a title.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:

Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Mikkel Boedker, Joel Ward, Tomas Hertl, Melker Karlsson, Jannik Hansen, Chris Tierney (RFA), Barclay Goodrow (RFA)

Defensemen:

Brent Burns, Paul Martin, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun, Brenden Dillon, David Schlemko, Dylan DeMelo, Mirco Mueller (RFA)

Goaltenders:

Martin Jones, Troy Grosenick, Aaron Dell

Notable Exemptions

Joonas Donskoi, Timo Meier, Kevin Lebanc, Marcus Sorenson, Danny O’Regan, Tim Heed, Joakim Ryan

Key Decisions

The Sharks are looking to infuse some youth into their lineup next season, and they are hopeful that one of the poor-performing vets in Mikkel Boedker or Joel Ward will be the only loss to expansion. Unfortunately for them, it seems unlikely that the Golden Knights are looking to acquire many greybeards. A huge debate, at least from the outside, is whether they will opt to protect 8 skaters and one goalie, or the more popular 7F/3D/1G setup. San Jose has done quite well to build a stable group of defensemen, but they do have some forwards they’d prefer not to sacrifice.

On offense, there are three locks to be protected, at the least. Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski are the offensive leaders of this team and are both in the primes of their careers. Tomas Hertl has amazing creativity and flare, and will only improve as he just turned 23. Melker Karlsson seems the next safest bet, as he has displayed great defensive play and versatility. He is the team’s swiss-army knife, and has too much value to sacrifice. The remaining group of forwards that would be exposed if San Jose opts to go the 4F/4D/1G route would be thus: Mikkel Boedker, Joel Ward, Jannik Hansen, Chris Tierney. Losing one of Hansen or Tierney would be irritating, but surmountable.

On defense, Brent Burns is a dominant offensive force from the blueline – he led the league in points from the blueline. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic takes the bulk of quality competition and has been a rock defensively. Justin Braun didn’t have the most phenomenal year, but he is an integral piece of the team going forward. This leaves Paul Martin, David Schlemko, Mico Mueller, and Brenden Dillon all exposed – with one of the group nearly certain to be lost. Martin has been a top-pairing guy for a decade, and his loss would be significant. Vegas’ has stated the goal of starting young and could certainly pass over the 36 year-old. It’s a sizable risk, but it certainly seems a possible scenario that he remains untouched. Dillon hasn’t performed well enough to warrant protection over the other two D-men. He had a much better possession season this year (53.0 Corsi For %) than last (49.3% CF), but his offensive impact is truly minimal. He also sees bottom-pairing minutes and a lower quality of competition than Schlemko.

Of the remaining two, Schlemko is clearly the better player at this moment. Schlemko had a great possession year (54.6% CF)and has been a positive influence on every team he’s played. Protecting Schlemko would serve to provide insurance if Martin were for some reason claimed. There is a marginal case to protect the younger Muelller, as he is only 22 and could serve as a cheap option on the blueline for the next few years. He did only played 4 NHL games last year, and impressed no one, but as a recent first-rounder Vegas could jump on the opportunity. The organization does seem low on him, so he could easily find himself on the outs.

In net, Martin Jones will obviously be the protected asset. The team just re-signed backup Troy Grosenick, but with the plethora of available goalies Vegas can choose from, he’s entirely safe.

Although there are plenty of no-trade clauses (NTCs) on the roster, there are no players who require protection due to an NMC. Additionally, the Sharks will benefit heavily from their foresight (and/or luck) with having Thornton and Marleau both turning UFA this particular off-season. Vegas could theoretically “claim” either, but it wouldn’t do anything other than give the Knights a head start on potential contract negotiations. With those two older players relatively safe, the organization will focus on protecting others who will contribute to their chances in the near future. Schlemko had a solid year and will be playing long after Martin is retired, and that will likely be the tie-breaker.

Projected Protection List

F Joe Pavelski
F Logan Couture
F Tomas Hertl
F Melker Karlsson

D Brent Burns
D Marc-Edouard Vlasic
D Justin Braun
D David Schlemko

G Martin Jones

By all indication, the Sharks are trying to compete again next year. I fully expect them to sign at least one of Marleau and Thornton and to make another strong push in the Pacific before going complete re-build. Burns is still a top defenseman, and with a solid re-tooling of the bottom-six, it’s not an inconceivable goal. Schlemko is not too far behind Martin in terms of performance, and could see his role improved. They are flirting with moving him for assets, which wouldn’t be the worst decision if they then protected Martin. One of the two has to be there to round out the top-four on defense.

As for Vegas, they could go with a semi-“proven” commodity in the speedy Boedker, fill out the roster with the solid but unremarkable Tierney, take a risk on an unproven talent like Mueller, or go the safest route and employ the aged Martin to guide the youngsters along. They will have options, but no loss the Sharks couldn’t endure.

Offseason Keys: San Jose Sharks

June 10, 2017 at 8:23 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the San Jose Sharks.

After making the Stanley Cup Final the previous season, the Sharks took a step back this year as they were ousted by the Oilers in the first round. Now, the team finds themselves with a bit of cap space to work with this offseason, giving GM Doug Wilson the opportunity to potentially reshape his team. Here are some keys to San Jose’s summer.

Decisions On Long-Term Veterans

The Sharks have a pair of high priced veterans that they need to decide whether to retain or to let go in Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Both have been there long-term (Thornton 12 years and Marleau for 19) and reportedly would like to return but both will also be 38 next season and are on the downswing of their careers.

However, both players are still top six forwards in a free agent marketplace that isn’t brimming with a lot of high end options. If Wilson decides to go in another direction with both of them, each player should garner plenty of interest on the open market. However, both will almost assuredly come in well below their contracts from this past year (Thornton at $6.75MM and Marleau at $6.67MM).

That expected interest level makes their contract situations intriguing. Most players at the age of 38 go year-to-year to avoid any risk of the 35+ penalty. However, with the duo being among the better free agents available, they shouldn’t have much difficulty garnering a multi-year contract if that’s what they decide to chase down. It would be surprising if both were to walk but at the same time, it would also be surprising if both were to return as well as that would limit how much money they have to spend elsewhere.

Extension Talks

San Jose has a pair of key players that will hit one year before unrestricted free agency on July 1st. Goaltender Martin Jones has outperformed his contract ($3MM per season) since joining the team in the 2015 offseason and has emerged as a legitimate starting goaltender. Accordingly, he’s going to be looking to be paid like a number one starter and as a result, he could stand to double his contract starting in 2018-19.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the quieter top pairing blueliners in the league as Brent Burns garners most of the attention. However, the 30 year old has been a significant part of their back end for a long time now and has been a big bargain on their back end for a while now. He won’t be poised to take as big of a jump as Jones will but he’ll still be due a nice bump from his current $4.75MM cap charge.

Both players will garner long-term extensions and finding ways to get deals done quickly would not only lock up two key parts of their core but would go a long way towards determining whether they will need to pursue long or short-term deals with some of their offseason targets. Early indications are that progress is being made on new contracts with both players with the hopes of announcing them early in July.

Add Offensive Help

It sounds strange for a team that has the firepower on paper that San Jose did that they would need some help offensively but goal production was a concern at times this past season. They were in the bottom half league-wide in goals scored while they were well below the league average with the man advantage. Mikkel Boedker was added last offseason to help their attack but he struggled to make much of an impact. Youngsters like Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc showed signs of upside during stints with the big club but probably aren’t ready to step into a full-time top six role.

This is where it will get particularly tricky with their two veteran free agents. Both are still capable of contributing but are on the downside of their careers; it’s hard to expect Thornton and Marleau to significantly outperform their recent numbers which suggests if this core remains intact for next year, the offense may continue to have some difficulties.

As things stand, Wilson has $58.7MM committed for next season to 17 players per CapFriendly which gives them the flexibility to look towards making a bigger move if he sees fit. They’ll have the money to go after the top names in free agency or make a big splash via the trade market which should help get that offensive lift. It also makes them a team to keep a close eye on over the course of the offseason if Wilson decides to shake things up.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

San Jose Sharks Discussing Long-Term Extension With Marc-Edouard Vlasic

June 8, 2017 at 2:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The last we heard from Marc-Edouard Vlasic he was telling reporters he wanted to spend the rest of his career in San Jose. Now that might be coming close to a reality, as Kevin Kurz of NBC reports that both sides are after a long-term deal and it could be signed as soon as early July. Vlasic has one year remaining on his contract, and wouldn’t technically be allowed to sign an extension until July 1st, but the two sides can obviously agree to terms before then.

Now 30, Vlasic has been an absolute rock for the Sharks for more than a decade, starting as a 19-year old in 2006. Immediately logging over 22 minutes a night, his ice time has rarely dropped below that over the years as he’s put up against top competition night after night. The former second-round pick has won a Memorial Cup, Olympic gold medal, and the recent World Cup with Team Canada, but hasn’t been able to hoist the elusive Stanley Cup thus far. His role on the Sharks is extremely valuable, and like Brent Burns in November should sign a huge extension to stay there well into his thirties.

If for some reason an extension wasn’t reached, Vlasic would likely be the most sought-after defenseman on the market next summer. Up against the likes of Mike Green and John Carlson (if they too didn’t sign extensions), potential suitors would be numerous. That doesn’t appear to be the case though, and it’s more likely that teams will continue to be frustrated in trying to find a top pairing defenseman in free agency.

The Sharks, with large amounts of money coming off the books this summer when Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau hit the open market, have even more space starting next season. While an extention for Martin Jones should also be expected, and a new deal for then-RFA Tomas Hertl, San Jose would have more than enough room to fit in a $6-7MM (AAV) deal for Vlasic.

San Jose Sharks Re-Sign Goaltender Troy Grosenick

June 5, 2017 at 4:35 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks have locked up their AHL goaltender for the next two seasons, inking Troy Grosenick to a two-year extension today. The goaltender was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Financial details have not yet been released, but it can be expected to be a two-way deal for the 27-year old.

Grosenick was signed out of Union College after an outstanding NCAA career, and put up a .926 save percentage this season for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. That ranked him among the league leaders and earned him Goaltender of the Year honors for his work. For an organization that puts emphasis on success for their minor league affiliates, bringing him back is a big move for the Sharks.

With Martin Jones and Aaron Dell firmly entrenched in the NHL net for at least another season, Grosenick will likely have to wait to see if an injury occurs for him to get another chance at the highest level. In 2014-15 he played two games for the Sharks, actually recording a shutout and stopping 55 of 58 shots. His continued presence is a safety net for a team looking to contend again next season, as he would likely be a more than capable NHL backup should he be given the chance.

Where Will Thornton Land?

June 4, 2017 at 6:58 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 4 Comments

With a free-agent class this sparse, the expansion draft and the transactions it will force are certain to steal much of the thunder from Free Agent “Frenzy”. That said, there are quite a few names, who while not dazzling, could be invaluable additions to a cup-contending team. One of the names that has often been overlooked thus far is the masterful playmaker Joe Thornton. Only a year removed from a Stanley Cup Final, the San Jose Sharks now will need to make a decision on their two long-time leaders in Patrick Marleau and Thornton. For all the flack the forwards have gotten over the years for leadership issues, including both being stripped of the captaincy, they have been remarkably consistent assets to their franchise.

Marleau looks the more likely of the two to stay put. The 37 year-old did net 27 goals this past season, good for 3rd on the team behind only Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. With him being only one of three forwards to net more than 11 goals last year, his loss of production could be devastating. Unless Marleau wants to chase a championship elsewhere, he seems a good lock to stay. He will certainly be expected to take a paycut from his $6.66 MM, as would Thornton ($6.7 MM) if he decided to stay. Thornton, on the other hand, could get quite expensive, and negotiations could be considerably more complicated.

Proven, top-nine capable centers are at the top of many teams’ wanted lists. Most teams in the league wouldn’t be averse to taking Jumbo Joe on a sweet deal, so you could even expect a cap-crunched squad like Chicago or Pittsburgh to make a call if he truly is looking for a championship. Toronto would certainly be willing to take a risk on the aging player, and Edmonton would love his veteran presence. Anaheim and St. Louis would both love his talents as a third-line pivot and are both conceivably just a piece away. Montreal looks to be headed in the direction of youth up front, but they’ve been looking for a strong presence up the middle for years. There is no shortage of landing spots for Thornton if he would decide to test the market, and this interest could easily drive his price up.

Ultimately, however, it’s hard to see Thornton leaving Northern California, especially to a conference rival. He has stated his desire to return to the team, saying “I’d love to come back….but we’ll have to see.” It could turn into a drawn-out process, depending on how hard other teams make strong pitches for him. He is 38 years-old and scored just 7 goals last season, so age is an element that will enter the calculus in a new deal. But when the next best available centers are Martin Hanzal and Nick Bonino, the competition for his services could get fierce. As of yet, no contract negotiations have reportedly begun for either Marleau or Thornton.

Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Players Expire

June 1, 2017 at 4:33 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2017 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. None of the selections were made any higher than the fourth round, though even that is an unfortunate loss for a team hoping to hit a late-round stud. Below is the full list of players:

Buffalo Sabres

Giorgio Estephan (6th round, 2015)
Gustav Possler (5th round, 2013)

Calgary Flames

Riley Bruce (7th round, 2015)

Chicago Blackhawks

Roy Radke (6th round, 2015)

Colorado Avalanche

Wilhelm Westlund (7th round, 2013)

West Notes: Braun, Dallas Goaltending, Berube, Therrien

May 27, 2017 at 11:38 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

This offseason could be one of change for San Jose. Two long-term veteran forwards in Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are both eligible for unrestricted free agency and if both walk, there are going to be some holes to fill offensively.

On the flip side, the Sharks have strong defensive depth not to mention a lot of money tied into their back end; they have nearly $27MM committed to their top seven for next season. (That amount is expected to jump considerably for 2018-19 as well assuming the team can get a deal done with Marc-Edouard Vlasic.)

Accordingly, CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz anticipates that GM Doug Wilson will deal from his blueline to try to add some offensive help and brings up Justin Braun as a player who could be dealt. Braun has been paired up with Vlasic in a shut-down role in the past and fared well while he has a decent cap hit of $3.8MM for three more seasons that will likely intrigue some teams.

The Sharks do have some depth on the back end with players like Mirco Mueller, Tim Heed, and the recently-signed Radim Simek waiting in the wings so if they do trade from their position of strength, it shouldn’t force them to spend big in free agency to replace whoever gets moved.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

Stars GM Jim Nill noted to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that he has yet to decide who will back up recently-acquired Ben Bishop next season. The team has two pricey veterans in Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi who each have one year remaining on their contracts. If they aren’t able to find a taker for one via trade or expansion in the coming weeks, a buyout is a likely outcome. Lehtonen has had the better numbers of the two so despite the fact he has the higher cap hit of the two ($5.9MM versus $4.5MM for Niemi), the early expectation is that he’ll stick around while Niemi will be let go.
Chicago Wolves head coach Craig Berube is the top candidate for the lead assistant coaching job with the Blues, reports Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The fit is a logical one given that the Wolves will no longer the primary AHL affiliate for them starting next season. However, he is in the running for the head coaching job with Buffalo. Rutherford notes that former Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien is also a candidate for the role but they don’t appear to be interested in former Buffalo bench boss Dan Bylsma.

San Jose Sharks Sign Radim Simek, Filip Sandberg

May 23, 2017 at 12:53 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The San Jose Sharks have officially announced the signing of Radim Simek, a deal that had been reported in great detail over the past week. They also, however, announced the signing of Filip Sandberg, a Swedish forward whose market had yet to be revealed. Simek will be under a one-year entry-level contract, while Sandberg will sign a two-year entry-level deal.

While the Simek deal had been previously reported, the team offers some insight onto why they felt he was a good fit for the team going forward. GM Doug Wilson had this to say about the Czech defender:

Radim is a quick transition defenseman who drives the play offensively and plays with a physical edge. We like his offensive instincts especially on special teams and think his game will translate well in North America.

It’s true, Simek has proven he can contribute offensively but it will be his physical play that will allow him to stand out in the North American ranks. Though he stands under six feet, he can handle himself against professional players as he showed at the most recent World Championships for the Czech Republic. The 24-year old has a chance to compete for a spot in the NHL as soon as next season, though it will be tough to crack the Sharks group.

Sandberg on the other hand is a shifty forward capable of putting up points in bunches as he did for HV71 en route to an SHL Championship. In 16 playoff games, the 5’9″ forward scored 14 points, leading his club and ranking third in the entire postseason. At just 22, he still has room to grow and adapt to the North American game but he will have to prove he can compete physically before the Sharks hand him a roster spot. Both players will still need a lot of hard work to make an impact at the highest level, but have easily done enough in their hockey careers to warrant a closer look.

Radim Simek Received Offer From Rangers

May 22, 2017 at 3:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

As one could expect from the report yesterday, the New York Rangers did indeed make an offer to Radim Simek before he decided to go with the San Jose Sharks. There isn’t a ton of difference between possible entry-level contracts relative to the entire salary structure of a team, but perhaps the Rangers weren’t willing to guarantee the same financial commitment the Sharks were. The eventual deal earns Simek $830K in the NHL, and could still include signing and performance bonuses. The Rangers already signed Alexei Bereglazov and Neal Pionk this spring, adding some youth to their defense corps from the NCAA and European free agent ranks.

Pacific Notes: McDavid, Simek, Rakell, Eaves

May 21, 2017 at 6:42 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Extension talks have yet to begin between the Oilers and Connor McDavid’s camp but there are already plenty of theories as to what it may take to sign him. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests (video link) that one potential avenue that McDavid may consider is to not sign the maximum eight year deal but rather something around five seasons, similar to what other top players such as Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, and Patrick Kane (among others) have done in the past.

Doing so would then allow McDavid to be eligible for unrestricted free agency sooner and would allow him to potentially cash in on a max-term, bigger money deal at that time. From the standpoint of the Oilers, this route would allow them to save a bit on his AAV as he still has four years of team control remaining once his contract expires in 2018. With Leon Draisaitl needing a new contract as well, that extra money could come in handy. In the same video, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos notes that the expectation is that the AAV for both young stars will be pretty close on their second deals, potentially within $500K.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

The Sharks have agreed to terms with Czech defenseman Radim Simek, according to an iSport report in the Czech Republic (link in Czech). Simek’s European agent, Petr Hemsky, confirmed to them that Simek has signed a one year deal worth $830K if he’s with San Jose for the entire season. There is likely a signing bonus not included in that amount as Simek will receive an entry-level contract. The article states that the Rangers were also interested while it was reported last week that Vancouver was also interested in Simek’s services.
The Ducks won’t be getting any help from the infirmary when it comes to their elimination game against the Predators on Monday night. The team announced (Twitter link) that both Patrick Eaves and Rickard Rakell did not travel with the team to Nashville and will not play in Game Six. Both players are currently dealing with lower body injuries and were the only 30 goal scorers on Anaheim’s roster this season.

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