The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Barclay Goodrow to a two-year contract extension. Goodrow was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next offseason, and would have been eligible for arbitration. The deal will carry a $925K cap hit, paying Goodrow slightly more in the first year according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.
Goodrow, 25, played in 47 games for the Sharks last season, the first of his career in which he didn’t spend any time in the minor leagues. That trend was set to continue this year after suiting up for the team’s opener last night and playing just under nine minutes. Now waiver eligible, the team is using Goodrow as a fourth-line center and penalty killing option but likely hoping to get some of the offense that he’s produced in the AHL. In his two seasons with the San Jose Barracuda, the undrafted forward scored 45 goals and 84 points in 118 games, playing in all situations.
Earning just $650K this season, Goodrow is an inexpensive roster option for the Sharks who have little cap space after acquiring Erik Karlsson. The team, who believe they can contend for the Stanley Cup this season, will need all the space they can get if they’re to make any additions at the deadline. They’ll also need plenty of room if they intend on re-signing Karlsson, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Joonas Donskoi and Marcus Sorensen next summer, as all five are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Deals like this one guarantee that the team can fill the bottom part of their roster with inexpensive but effective options, and allows GM Doug Wilson to hand out long-term big money contracts to his veteran players.