According to Paul Gackle of The Mercury News, the San Jose Sharks are “actively shopping” for a fourth-line center. San Jose has been using wingers in the position for various chunks of the season, and need someone as more of a permanent fixture.
The Sharks find themselves in second place in the Pacific Division, but are by no means safe in that position. The Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are all within striking distance, and wildcard spots will be hard to come by with how well the Central is playing this season. The Sharks will need to strike soon if they want to solidify their playoff run, and center depth is the top issue they need to address at the moment.
It’s not like the team doesn’t have the flexibility to get something done. The Sharks are headed to the trade deadline with plenty of cap room and 46/50 roster spots currently occupied. If someone shakes loose from one of the imminent sellers, or perhaps a roster crunch forces another solid player onto waivers, you can be sure the Sharks would jump. Perhaps a player like Dominic Moore from Toronto, who has been a healthy scratch since December (though is expected to get back into the lineup tomorrow night) or Mark Letestu in Edmonton who has seen his role diminished greatly in recent weeks.
With Paul Martin moved to the minor leagues recently, there could be teams interested before long. If the veteran defender can recapture some of his previous performance, he could be used as a trade piece for a center. Unfortunately, the Sharks don’t have their second or third round pick in the upcoming draft, pieces often used to acquire depth centers at the deadline. Giving up any more picks in 2018 could leave them out in the cold come draft day, and weaken any potential negotiations down the road.
Would you guys be interested in Nielsen or Helm?
“…depth ‘at’ center.”
Tomas Plekanec would be a pretty good fit for the Sharks as a 3rd/4th line C. He’s a pure rental with a ton of playoff experience and despite the offensive struggles, he’s still a good defensive player and is still good on faceoffs. Sharks have a ton of cap space so Plekanec’s pro-rated $6 million cap hit and the Habs would very likely retain if asked/needed. I’d imagine a conditional 3rd would be a fair ask on Montreal’s part.