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Connor McDavid Wins 2023 Ted Lindsay Award

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Connor McDavid has been named the recipient of the Ted Lindsay Award for the most outstanding player as voted on by the NHLPA. The award is unsurprising, given that McDavid ran away as the leader in almost every offensive category this season. McDavid posted 64 goals and 89 assists in 82 games this season as he led the league in goals, assists, and points. McDavid edged out Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson to win the award, the fourth of his young career.

More to come…

San Jose Sharks Hire Patrick Marleau In Player Development Role

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A San Jose Sharks legend has officially rejoined the team. Patrick Marleau has rejoined the organization as a player development coach and hockey operations advisor, the team announced today.

In his new role, Marleau will collaborate with the Sharks’ development staff, focusing on on-ice skill development for both Sharks prospects and players with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Additionally, he’ll serve as an advisor to Grier and the hockey operations staff.

Grier expressed his excitement about the re-addition of Marleau, a former teammate of his, to the organization:

It’s rare that you get the opportunity to add someone to your organization that brings a level of talent and character like Patrick Marleau. As one of the top players of his generation, Patty possesses an unlimited wealth of institutional knowledge about the game. Perhaps more importantly, he was a cornerstone piece in the Sharks becoming one of the NHL’s most dominant franchises over the last two decades and knows what it takes to win and succeed in the NHL. We are extremely happy to bring Patty back into the Sharks family as we continue building a team that our fans can be proud of.

Marleau’s career in and of itself boasts numerous remarkable achievements, including becoming the NHL’s all-time regular season games played leader surpassing Gordie Howe’s long-standing record of 1,767 games. With an astonishing 1,779 regular season games played, Marleau ranks among the top offensive players in NHL history (among career totals), although his peak may not have been as high as some of his peers.

The former captain will play a pivotal role in developing San Jose’s current class of the future, including forwards Filip Bystedt, Thomas Bordeleau, William Eklund, and defenseman Mattias Havelid.

San Jose Sharks Won't Re-Sign James Reimer

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  • Petkau confirmed to LeBrun another one of his clients, San Jose Sharks netminder James Reimer, will hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. The 35-year-old veteran of nearly 500 games posted career-worst numbers behind a struggling Sharks team, notching just 12 wins in 41 starts and recording a .890 save percentage. While it’s hard to blame him for the team’s shortcomings, it’s also clear his days as a high-end tandem netminder are over, and he’ll likely need to settle for a strict backup role if he wants to stay in the league next season. He’ll also likely take a marginal pay cut from the two-year, $4.5MM deal he signed with San Jose in 2021.

Latest On Sharks Draft Strategy

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  • Also on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek spoke on the San Jose Sharks (owners of the fourth overall pick) stating “they want defensemen and they want goaltenders.” Marek wondered about the team’s interest level in Reinbacher, and whether that would lead to them trading down at the draft once again after doing so at last year’s event. It has already been reported that the Canadiens are “aggressively” looking to move up in the draft, so perhaps based on this report a potential one-spot pick swap that would secure the Sharks Reinbacher and the Canadiens Smith could be in play. It must be noted, though, that it is incredibly rare for top-five picks to change hands, so the more likely scenario is always that each team simply picks from the pool of players left available to them.

Sharks, Erik Karlsson Reportedly

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It’s not often that a defenseman is traded the summer after a Norris Trophy-winning, 101-point season, but that’s exactly what might happen with Erik Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks. With San Jose looking to rebuild and Karlsson’s historic regular season unable to lift the team out of the NHL’s basement, this summer could bring the second trade of Karlsson’s career. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading program that Karlsson’s representatives and the Sharks had a meeting last week about the player’s future, and the outcome of the meeting was a unified focus between team and player to “try and get a trade done” for next season.

Karlsson, 33, is in possession of a full no-movement clause in his contract meaning he would have final control over any destination. The largest barrier to any potential move isn’t expected to be that clause, though. Instead, it’s likely to be Karlsson’s $11.5MM cap hit, and whether interested teams will be willing to take on the full weight of that hit. (or whether the Sharks will need to retain a portion of the contract) In any case, it appears the Sharks and Karlsson’s camp share a motivation to find a trade outcome before the start of next season.

San Jose Sharks Sign Filip Bystedt

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The San Jose Sharks have gotten one of their more promising prospects under contract as they announced the signing of center Filip Bystedt to a three-year, entry-level deal. Bay Area News Group’s Curtis Pashelka reports the average annual value of the deal is $925,000 with a yearly signing bonus of $83,300.

Bystedt, 19, could play on either side of the ocean next year. Drafted out of the Swedish Hockey League, he’s eligible for AHL play if the Sharks choose to bring him to North America. The Sharks could also loan Bystedt, who was under contract in Sweden through 2025, back to his SHL club, Linköping HC.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and nearly 200 pounds, Bystedt broke out in a big way in his first full SHL campaign in 2022-23. After earning the 27th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Bystedt recorded seven goals and 20 points in 45 games with Linköping, solid production for a teenage player.

His game revolves around his combination of size and speed – he’s quite the skater for possessing such a rangy frame. It’s what permits him to excel offensively from the middle of the ice, posting positive impacts in transition and having a decent shot to go along.

If he doesn’t hit 10 games in the NHL this season, Bystedt is still young enough to be eligible for an entry-level slide. If he spends the entire year in Sweden (or the minors), his contract will kick in for the 2024-25 season instead.

Bystedt was one of three draft picks the Sharks received from the Arizona Coyotes on draft day in 2022, trading down from the 11th overall pick. Bystedt was the highest of those three selections. The selection was originally owned by Carolina, but was transferred to Montreal as compensation for signing Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an offer sheet. Montreal then traded it to Arizona in exchange for Christian Dvorak.

Jeffrey Viel Reportedly Leaving San Jose In Free Agency

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  • Undrafted forward Jeffrey Viel, now 26, was slated to be a restricted free agent this offseason with a strong likelihood of continuing his run with the San Jose Sharks into a sixth season. Now, it seems his time with the organization that plucked him out of the QMJHL as an undrafted free agent will be coming to an end. Viel’s agent, Allain Roy, relayed to The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak that “Viel will enter the market on July 1 and look for a new opportunity.” (subscription link) Viel only played four NHL games this season and as a result, qualified for Group Six unrestricted free agency. A valued leader, Viel scored 15 goals and 31 points in the AHL this past season and should be of interest to other teams looking to beef up their AHL middle-six.

Latest On Sharks, Michael Hrabal

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  • The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak reports that the San Jose Sharks have on multiple occasions during the season met with Omaha Lancers netminder Michael Hrabal via a team representative. (subscription link) Hrabal, who was measured at nearly six-foot-seven at the combine, is firmly in the mix to be the first goaltender selected at the draft, and it seems the Sharks could be eyeing him as a potential goalie of the future. The Sharks did not sign 2021 81st overall pick Benjamin Gaudreau to an entry-level contract and may enter this offseason with a priority placed on improving the quality of their goaltending prospect pipeline.

Some Teams Eyeing Kaapo Kahkonen As Reclamation Project

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It has been a bit of a rough go so far for goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen in San Jose.  When then-GM Doug Wilson picked up the 26-year-old at the 2022 trade deadline, he was hoping that the Sharks might have their goalie of the future.  The results haven’t been great, however, as Kahkonen had a 3.85 GAA with a SV% of just .883 in 35 games this season.  Despite that, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that there are a few teams around the league that view him as a worthwhile reclamation project which could give him some trade value this summer.  Kahkonen has one year left on his deal with a $2.75MM cap charge but at the moment, he is the only goaltender with meaningful NHL experience under his belt so it’s not a guarantee that GM Mike Grier will be open to moving him.  If he is though, it appears that there will be some suitors.

Free Agent Focus: San Jose Sharks

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Free agency is less than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the San Jose Sharks.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Noah Gregor – As the Sharks continue their rebuilding efforts, Gregor has quietly become a quality bottom-six option for San Jose to use throughout the season. Last year, Gregor had the best year of his career, scoring eight goals and 15 assists in 63 games. Gregor also had twice as many takeaways as giveaways and also managed to throw 118 hits for San Jose. This season, he continued much of the same, scoring 10 goals and seven assists in only 57 games.

Gregor once again made plenty of hits, and completed a good amount of takeaways, continuing to be a strong option for the Sharks given their current forward depth. Still only 24 years old, Gregor does not project to be anything more than what he currently is. There is some growth potential for a 30-point season, but Gregor may top out there offensively. As the Sharks continue their rebuild and find their way back to the Stanley Cup playoffs, Gregor has the play style that makes for a perfect deadline acquisition for a contending team in the near future.

Although he typically plays on the wing, San Jose may be able to recoup some assets in the next couple of years for Gregor should they trade him to a contending team. If they do stay course, and retain Gregor for the foreseeable future, he would be a great defensive option for the team once they do return to contention.

F Fabian Zetterlund – Unlike Gregor, Zetterlund does carry some serious offensive upside for the Sharks. Acquired in the trade that sent Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils, Zetterlund was one of the main pieces of San Jose’s return. Before the trade, the former 63rd overall pick scored six goals and 14 assists for the Devils in 45 games played this year.

His offense did not translate as well once he touched down in the Bay Area of California, earning only three assists in the next 22 games for the Sharks. Unfortunately for Zetterlund, in San Jose, he was only able to average just under 14 minutes of ice time per night.

In the next several years, if the Sharks are able to bump Zetterlund’s playing time to over 15 minutes a night on average, Zetterlund’s offensive capabilities should thrive. He has always been known as a player with impressive speed and has always stood out as one of the more engaged players on the forecheck.

Other RFAs: F Jacob Peterson, F Evgeny Svechnikov, F Jonah Gadjovich, F Martin Kaut, G Eetu Makiniemi, G Strauss Mann

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Andreas Johnsson – Also acquired in the deal for Meier, Johnsson was receiving almost completely zero playing time in New Jersey. After two years prior with the Devils, Johnsson had completely fallen out of favor with head coach Lindy Ruff.

Unfortunately, much of the same continued with the Sharks since the trade. In only 11 games played in San Jose, Johnsson had three assists, losing the rest of the season to an injury. For a one-time 40-point scorer with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it has been quite a fall from grace for Johnsson.

Although Johnsson may become a quality roster filler for San Jose during their rebuild, he is unlikely to find himself back in the Bay Area. Losing seemingly an entire season before unrestricted free agency has not typically worked out well in the past, and with a youth movement expected for the Sharks, Johnsson’s roster spot is likely better spent with a younger player.

G James Reimer – During the first year of his contract spent in San Jose, Reimer was actually quite good for the Sharks. In 48 games played during the 2021-22 season, Reimer held a 19-17-10 record, posting a .911 SV% and a 2.90 GAA. With not much of a solution in the net, Reimer held a trajectory of being a great stop-gap for the Sharks as they determined their long-term options.

This year, Reimer’s numbers fell off dramatically, holding a record of 12-21-8, managing a .890 SV% and a 3.48 GAA. Already having goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen in the mix, the Sharks shouldn’t be expected to retain Reimer this offseason. Likely not finding a role as starting goaltender this summer, Reimer could be coveted as a reliable backup option for most teams.

Other UFAs: F Jeffrey Viel, F Kyle Criscuolo, F C.J. Suess, D Derrick Pouliot, G Aaron Dell

Projected Cap Space

With a mostly mild crop of both restricted and unrestricted free agents heading into this offseason, San Jose’s salary cap situation looks more than manageable. Heading into this summer, the Sharks will have around $14.1MM to spend, with little of that being used to retain both Gregor and Zetterlund.

Given the decent amount of cap space, the Sharks should have a decent enough cushion to retain salaries on any potential trades this offseason. Although it would be in their best interest to clear these salaries overall, the likes of Erik Karlsson, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and potentially Logan Couture could all be on the block this summer.

Once a cap-strapped perennial contender every season, the Sharks’ salary cap situation is looking to open up more and more each year. As rookie General Manager Mike Grier continues to cultivate the roster for this team, the Sharks are going to have plenty of options moving forward.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

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