San Jose Sharks Sign Ty Emberson To One-Year Deal

11:03 AM: The Sharks have confirmed the one-year agreement with Emberson per a team announcement.

10:22 AM: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that defenseman Ty Emberson and the San Jose Sharks have avoided arbitration. The Sharks organization will sign the young defenseman to a one-year, $950K contract for the 2024-25 NHL season, and will become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal if he doesn’t play more than 50 games next year.

Emberson was originally drafted with the 73rd overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes before he spent three years at the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA. Emberson turned pro after his junior season with the Badgers and scored one goal in five games with Arizona’s AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He did not perform well during his first professional campaign with the Roadrunners as he scored four goals and 11 points in 58 games while posting a -25 rating.

The Coyotes organization parted ways with Emberson the following summer by trading him to the New York Rangers in exchange for Patrik Nemeth, a second-round pick in 2025, and a conditional second-round pick in 2026. Emberson performed much better with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate as he scored seven goals and 27 points in 69 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack while posting a +17 rating. He also performed markedly well for the team in the postseason as he scored two goals and five points in only nine Calder Cup playoff contests.

After signing a one-year league minimum contract with New York during the following offseason, the team placed him on waivers shortly before the 2023-24 NHL season; eventually being claimed by the Sharks. With a middling defensive core, Emberson had access to NHL minutes in San Jose and scored one goal and 10 points over 30 games in his rookie season. Emberson showed effectiveness as a physical defensive defenseman with the Sharks as he posted 94 hits on the year while also achieving a 91.7% on-ice save percentage in all situations.

San Jose has made a few moves this offseason to improve their defensive core but it should not prohibit Emberson from reaching the 50-game mark. As a right-handed shot, Emberson should compete for top-four minutes as one of the best shutdown defensemen on the Sharks’ roster.