Sharks Acquire Oskar Olausson from Avalanche for Danil Gushchin

 The Sharks made a trade this afternoon, sending forward Danil Gushchin to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Oskar Olausson, both of whom have primarily played in the AHL for the duration of their North American professional careers so far. 

Olausson spent most of last season with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, recording 11 goals, 15 assists, and 26 points in 61 games, along with three assists in seven Calder Cup Playoff games. He also appeared in two NHL games with the Avalanche and ranked ninth on the Eagles in goals last season. In total, Oskar Olausson has 33 goals, 33 assists, and 66 points in 163 AHL games with Colorado, along with four NHL games with the Avalanche. 

As for Danil Gushchin, he was the Sharks' final unsigned restricted free agent this offseason before getting traded this afternoon. Last season with the Barracuda, Gushchin compiled 28 goals, 23 assists, and 51 points in 56 AHL games. In total, Gushchin has 70 goals, 80 assists, and 150 points in 182 regular-season AHL games, along with two goals, three assists, and five points in 18 NHL games. His career AHL stats make Gushchin the Barracuda's all-time leading scorer. Soon after this trade was completed, the Avalanche signed Danil Gushchin to a new one-year, two-way deal worth $775k at the NHL level. 

Overall, this relatively minor trade did not really surprise me, as the Sharks ' last few offseason additions made Danil Gushchin's chances of cracking the Sharks roster out of training camp next season practically slim to none. The Sharks and Gushchin were also likely far apart on discussions regarding a new contract for him, or there may have been no discussions at all on this front. On the other hand, Oskar Olausson will get a fresh start and a likely increased role with the Barracuda next season, which should certainly benefit him in the final year of his entry-level contract. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, Curtis Pashelka via X, PuckPedia 

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Sharks News & Notes (7/23/25)

 These headlines being discussed here were originally announced last week, but I could not mention them here right away since I was on vacation and feeling unwell for a bit after returning home from said vacation. In addition, there was not as much of a rush to put this specific post together since the Sharks and hockey news cycle has really slowed down now. Let's get into them: 

The Sharks have made updates to their hockey operations staff. They are as follows: 

Joe Thornton - Player Development Coach/Hockey Operations Advisor 

Owen Hixon - Equipment Manager Assistant 

Charlie Townsend - Director of Hockey Operations 

AJ Bernstein - Hockey Operations, Strategy and Data Analyst 

Dylan Finan - Hockey Operations, Scouting Coordinator 

Jon Hull - Head USA Amateur Scout 

Tim Leroy - Assistant Equipment Manager 

Thomas Vanek - Hockey Operations Advisor 

Most importantly, it's great that Joe Thornton now has official roles with the Sharks besides Director of Vibes. In addition, Wednesday of last week was NHL 2025-26 schedule release day. Although I do not plan to list the Sharks' entire 2025-26 schedule here, it is worth noting that San Jose's season opener has been set for Thursday, October 9 versus the Vegas Golden Knights. This is the first game of a three-game homestand to begin the 2025-26 campaign, with the other two being on Saturday, October 11 versus the Anaheim Ducks and Tuesday, October 14 versus the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sharks' first road game of the 2025-26 season is on Friday, October 17 in Utah against the Mammoth, while their first road trip of the new season is from October 21-26 visiting the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Minnesota Wild. Another notable change from last season is that most of the Sharks' home games next season will start 30 minutes earlier at 7 pm local time instead of the usual 7:30 pm, which most can agree is an improvement for the team and the overall fan experience. 

Source: San Jose Sharks via Instagram 

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Sharks Re-Sign Jack Thompson to New Contract

 One of the final orders of business for the San Jose Sharks has been completed, as they re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Jack Thompson to a one-year, two-way deal worth $800k at the NHL level. 

Thompson’s 2024-25 season was split between the Sharks and Barracuda, recording four goals, six assists, and ten points in 31 NHL games, along with three goals, 11 assists, and 14 points in 27 regular-season AHL games. He also skated in all six Calder Cup Playoff games for the Barracuda. Among NHL rookie defensemen last season, Jack Thompson tied for second in goals, fourth in points, and is one of 11 to finish the year with six or more assists. 

Overall, signing one of the Sharks’ only remaining restricted free agents in Jack Thompson to a new deal is a no-brainer, especially since right-shot defensemen have been a huge positional need for Team Teal for at least the past few years. As of now, Thompson will likely begin next season with the Barracuda in the AHL unless he steps up and blows everyone away during training camp or a roster spot on the blue line opens up due to an unforeseen injury, but I am glad he and the Sharks were able to work out a new contract for him. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App, Locked on Sharks 

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Sharks Legend Joe Pavelski Wins American Century Championship

 Sharks legend Joe Pavelski has won this year's American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament that takes place in Lake Tahoe every summer. This is his first time ever winning the tournament, leading the way with 73 points, including a big third round on Sunday with 29 points. Pavelski's final round of this year's tournament was highlighted by birdies on holes three, four, seven, 13, and 16, along with closing it out with an eagle on hole 18. 

Joe Pavelski also becomes the third NHL player to ever win the American Century Championship, joining five-time champion Dan Quinn and hall-of-famer Mario Lemieux. As for the past three tournaments, Pavelski finished in second twice and in third once, including a playoff-hole loss to former tennis star Mardy Fish last year. In total, Pavelski has participated in the American Century Championship nine times, finishing in the top ten eight times and as the runner-up three times. This is a huge milestone weekend for Joe Pavelski, as not only did he win his first-ever American Century Championship, but this tournament coincided with his 41st birthday on Friday and his 17-year wedding anniversary as well. 

I did not watch any of the American Century Championship, but I do normally hear about it every year since at least a few Bay Area pro athletes usually participate in this annual celebrity golf tournament. I am proud to hear that one of my all-time favorite players to ever wear a Sharks sweater won his first American Century Championship this year and glad that Joe Pavelski is doing well and still going strong after his retirement from the NHL. 

Source: NHL.com 

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Sharks Sign Jeff Skinner to 1-Year Deal

 The Sharks have made another addition to their roster, signing forward Jeff Skinner to a one-year contract worth $3 million. 

Skinner will easily fill a top-six or top-nine forward role with Team Teal and give them more scoring help that they wanted. Last season with the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner registered 16 goals, 13 assists, and 29 points in 72 regular-season games. He also added a goal and an assist in five Stanley Cup Playoff games in the first-ever postseason appearance of his NHL career en route to the Oilers’ second consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance. 

In total, Jeff Skinner has amassed 373 goals, 326 assists, and 699 points in 1,078 games across 15 seasons split between the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, and Edmonton Oilers. He set career highs of 82 points and 47 assists in the 2022-23 season along with 40 goals in the 2018-19 campaign. Other accolades earned by Jeff Skinner in his NHL career so far include six seasons of scoring at least 30 goals in a season, a Calder Trophy for best rookie in 2010-11, and a two-time All-Star in 2011 and 2019. 

Overall, I am definitely a fan of this latest addition to the Sharks. Not only is this a reasonable contract for Jeff Skinner and Team Teal, but he will provide additional scoring for a Sharks offense that could really benefit from it and mentor the younger players without San Jose having to give up assets for his services. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Acquire Ryan Reaves from the Maple Leafs for Henry Thrun

 The Sharks have made a somewhat unexpected trade Thursday evening, acquiring forward/enforcer Ryan Reaves from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Henry Thrun. 

This trade was primarily conducted to further restructure and help clear some of the logjam on the Sharks blue line. I want to begin this trade discussion with who the Sharks received in this deal in Ryan Reaves. Reaves is more known for his hard-nosed, agitator style of play and ability to fight than his scoring prowess. Many Sharks fans remember Ryan Reaves for his time with the rival Vegas Golden Knights, as he would often make the Sharks' lives difficult whenever the Sharks and Golden Knights faced each other during his tenure with Vegas. Last season with the Leafs, Reaves registered two assists and 28 penalty minutes, along with one goal in three AHL games with the Toronto Marlies. In total, Ryan Reaves has compiled 63 goals, 74 assists, 137 points, and 1100 penalty minutes in 912 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He has also been on teams who have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 14 of his past 15 NHL seasons, recording three goals, six assists, nine points, and 116 penalty minutes in 113 playoff games. Reaves' biggest goal of his NHL career was a game-winner scored in Game 5 of the 2018 Western Conference Final to send the expansion Golden Knights to the Cup Final. I see Ryan Reaves getting sheltered fourth-line minutes on the Sharks next season, but most importantly, he will protect and stand up for the Sharks' stars and younger players better than any other Sharks player has in the past few seasons. 

On the other hand, Henry Thrun did not have a particularly great season for the Sharks in 2024-25. Heading into the 2025-26 season, Thrun would likely be competing with a few others for the Sharks' seventh defenseman spot on their roster and not be guaranteed to earn it. During his three seasons in teal from 2023 to 2025, Thrun recorded five goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 119 games. At this point in his NHL career, Thrun would probably benefit from a change of scenery, and I feel for the once-promising young defenseman. 

Overall, I am not the biggest fan of this one-for-one swap, and I was kind of shocked when I first found out about it. I would not have imagined that a once-bitter rival and thorn in the side of the Sharks in Ryan Reaves would end up joining the good guys at some point in his career, and I now find myself rooting for a player that I was previously not very fond of. In addition, Henry Thrun deserves better, and I hope he finds greater success in Toronto. As I think about it more, this trade makes sense for both the Sharks and Maple Leafs, as Toronto is often in need of more defensemen and San Jose could certainly benefit from a guy like Ryan Reaves to better protect its young star players. It may not be my favorite trade that the Sharks made in recent years, but there is always a possibility that this could work out in the Sharks' favor, and I hope that is the case here. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Sign Jakub Skarek to 1-Year Deal

 The Sharks announced today that they signed goaltender Jakub Skarek to a one-year contract worth $775,000. 

Skarek played much of last season with the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL, compiling a 5-13-1 record, a 3.52 goals-against average, and a .884 save percentage in 22 games. He also has a 3.94 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage in two NHL games with the New York Islanders last season. His brief NHL stint with the Islanders consisted of his big-league debut on February 2 against the Florida Panthers, in which he stopped 27 of 32 shots, along with stopping all seven shots he faced in a relief appearance against the New York Rangers on February 25. In total, Skarek has a 49-84-16 record, five shutouts, a 3.34 goals-against average, and a .890 save percentage in 161 AHL games, all with Bridgeport. In addition, Skarek earned AHL Goalie of the Month honors in January of the 2021-22 season. 

Overall, Jakub Skarek's stats may not be that great due to Bridgeport being a subpar team during much of his tenure with the Islanders organization, but he provides more goalie depth for the Sharks organization. I expect him to play much of, if not all of, next season with the Barracuda in the AHL unless either Yaroslav Askarov or Alex Nedeljkovic go down with an injury at any point during next season. This is a relatively minor signing, but Skarek now becomes an important goalie option for the Sharks next season in the event of an injury to either Askarov or Nedeljkovic. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov + Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers

 The Sharks have further added to their defense with two transactions that put them safely over the salary cap floor, signing Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract and claiming Nick Leddy off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. 

Dmitry Orlov's contract carries an average annual value of $6.5 million, a bit of an overpayment but a necessary one for the Sharks for this solid two-way defenseman. Last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Orlov recorded six goals, 22 assists, and 28 points in 76 games. He ranked third on the Hurricanes in points among defensemen and was Carolina's team leader in hits with 101. He also compiled a career-best six-game assist streak from November 17-27, recorded his 300th NHL point on October 15, and skated in his 800th NHL game on October 31. In addition, Orlov registered four assists and 39 hits in 15 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Hurricanes in their most recent playoff run to the Eastern Conference Final last season. In total, Dmitry Orlov has 76 goals, 251 assists, and 327 points in 867 games with the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes, along with four goals, 37 assists, and 41 points in 107 Stanley Cup Playoff games and a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018. He has averaged at least 20 minutes of ice time in six of his last eight seasons and appeared in ten consecutive playoff seasons since 2015-16. 

Nick Leddy recorded two goals, three assists, and five points in 31 regular season games with the Blues last season, along with one assist in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. In 2023-24, Leddy recorded 28 points to finish third among Blues defensemen in points that season. His best season so far came in 2015-16 as a member of the New York Islanders, in which he set career highs of 11 goals, 35 assists, and 46 points. In total, Nick Leddy has 75 goals, 341 assists, and 416 points in 1,042 NHL regular season games with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, and St. Louis Blues. He also has eight goals, 31 assists, and 39 points in 137 Stanley Cup Playoff games, along with a Stanley Cup ring with the Blackhawks in 2013. 

Overall, Dmitry Orlov is certainly an improvement for the Sharks on their blue line, and they have more than enough cap space to overpay for his services. It is also worth it for the Sharks to take a chance on Nick Leddy through the waiver wire, as he fills a team need and will definitely earn a bigger role with the Sharks next season than he did with the Blues last season. Both Orlov and Leddy will provide an important veteran presence for the this young, up-and-coming Sharks team next season, especially on defense. Now that the Sharks are over the salary cap floor, these two latest additions should breathe a sigh of relief for this franchise in that regards. It will be interesting to see what else they might have in store between now and the start of training camp in the middle of September. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Trade Thomas Bordeleau to Devils for Shane Bowers

 The Sharks made a relatively minor but somewhat significant trade today, as they traded forward Thomas Bordeleau to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. 

Bordeleau was a once promising young prospect that I previously thought highly of, but this trade makes sense for him as he will not have much opportunity to crack the Sharks roster going forward. He spent practically all of last season with the Barracuda, recording 14 goals, 24 assists, and 38 points in 59 games. Bordeleau would have had more of an opportunity for a greater role with the Sharks last season if not for an injury he suffered prior to the start of last season. He also has some NHL experience under his belt, having made his NHL debut near the end of the 2021-22 season and registering six goals, 12 assists, and 18 points in 44 games at the NHL level. The top highlight of his Sharks tenure was scoring the shootout winner over the Vegas Golden Knights in a game in late April of 2022 to help sink the Golden Knights' playoff hopes that season. 

As for Shane Bowers, he spent most of last season with the Utica Comets of the AHL, recording three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 65 games. He also appeared in four NHL games with the Devils last season. In total, Bowers has 44 goals, 53 assists, and 97 points in the AHL with the Utica Comets, Providence Bruins, and Colorado Eagles. He also has 13 total NHL games under his belt, 12 with the Devils and one with the Avalanche, the latter of which was his NHL debut on November 10, 2022. 

This to me sounds like a change-of-scenery deal for both Bordeleau and Bowers, but as I heard and thought more about this particular deal, it seems like the Devils received the better end of this trade with Thomas Bordeleau. Time will tell how this trade turns out for both teams and players involved. 

In other news, the Sharks continue to further solidify the Barracuda's roster, re-signing forward Pavol Regenda to a one-year, two-way contract. He split last season with the San Diego Gulls and San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, compiling 13 goals, 28 assists, and 41 points in 72 games. After Regenda was acquired by San Jose on January 22, Regenda scored nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 36 AHL games. He also played in all six Calder Cup Playoff games for the Barracuda last season, tying the team lead with three goals in those games. On a side note, the Sharks are in the midst of their development camp, with their prospect scrimmage taking place tomorrow. Not only is it cool to see many of the Sharks' newest prospects partake in it, but it was a full circle moment for Patrick Marleau's family, as his oldest son Landon is a full participant in the Sharks development camp as well. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App, San Jose Sharks via Instagram  

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Sharks 2025 Free Agency Day 1 Recap

 The NHL Free Agency period has officially begun, and the Sharks have made a flurry of moves on the first day of free agency to make improvements to this team and move significantly closer to reaching the salary cap floor for next season. Let's begin: 

The first Sharks transaction of note on the first day of free agency this year is not a new addition, but a contract extension of a key forward. William Eklund has been re-signed on a three-year contract extension worth $16.8 million, carrying an average annual value of $5.6 million. Eklund set career bests in goals, assists, and points with 17, 41, and 58 respectively in 77 games. Out of his 17 goals in his second full NHL season, six were scored on the power play and two were game-winners. Eklund led the Sharks in assists, finished second on the team in points, and tied for fourth on San Jose in goals in 2024-25. He is a key forward that the Sharks should build around going forward, and I am glad he and the Sharks are able to keep William Eklund around for at least the next three seasons. 

The next signing the Sharks made was a relatively minor contract extension, signing forward Colin White to a one-year, two-way deal. He mainly played with the Barracuda in the AHL last season, recording 12 goals, 13 assists, and 25 points in 48 games, setting AHL career bests in goals and games played. He also appeared in three NHL games for the Sharks in 2024-25 and led the Barracuda with five assists and six points in the 2025 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. This provides a necessary reinforcement for the Barracuda next season and a potential option for the Sharks in case a player gets injured. 

After some time that seemed relatively quiet for them passed, the Sharks signed a few new players, starting with defenseman John Klingberg on a one-year, $4 million deal. He is a right-shot, puck-moving defenseman who fills an organizational need for the Sharks this offseason. Last season, Klingberg appeared in 11 regular-season games and 19 of 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Edmonton Oilers, scoring one goal, three assists, and four points. His best playing years thus far have been his first eight with the Dallas Stars, in which he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2015 and recorded a career-best 67 points (eight goals, 59 assists) in 2018, earning a spot on the NHL All-Star Team that year. Over the course of his 11-year NHL career, Klingberg has registered 82 goals, 334 assists, and 416 points in 644 games with the Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers, along with nine goals, 34 assists, and 43 points in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Overall, I like this low-risk, high-reward signing for the Sharks, and I hope Klingberg can bounce back in teal after he missed most of last season due to a back injury. 

Next up, the Sharks signed Philipp Kurashev to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million. This is another low-risk, high-reward, prove-it deal for San Jose, as Kurashev will certainly be used in a depth role to fill the Sharks' bottom forward lines. Last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Kurashev scored seven goals, seven assists, and 14 points in 51 games. His best season to date was in 2023-24, when he scored 18 goals, 36 assists, and 54 points in 75 games with the Blackhawks. Over the course of his NHL career from 2020 through 2025, Philipp Kurashev has 48 goals, 82 assists, and 130 points in 317 NHL games, all with the Blackhawks. 

San Jose continued to add to its forward depth, signing Adam Gaudette to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million. This is a sneaky good signing for the Sharks, as I can see Gaudette easily fitting into a middle-six role with them next season. He is coming off of a career year with the Ottawa Senators in 2024-25, recording 19 goals and seven assists for 26 points in 81 games. Gaudette also ranked sixth on the Senators in goals and led Ottawa in scoring the first goal of the game eight times last season. In total, Adam Gaudette has 46 goals, 50 assists, and 96 points in 301 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and St. Louis Blues. 

Team Teal then found its veteran backup goalie behind Yaroslav Askarov for next season, acquiring Alex Nedeljkovic from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2028 third-round pick. Last season with the Penguins, Nedeljkovic appeared in 38 games, compiling a 14-15-5 record with a 3.12 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. He also has a 1-0-0 record with a 3.00 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in one game with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL last season. His best season so far has been his first full NHL season in 2020-21, in which he posted a .932 save percentage and a 1.90 goals-against average, and was named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team and finished third in Calder Trophy voting that year. In total, Nedeljkovic has a 74-60-27 record, a .903 save percentage, a 3.00 goals-against average, and nine shutouts in 179 career NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. On top of that, he has a knack for offense, scoring his first career NHL goal on January 17, 2025 in the Penguins' win over the Buffalo Sabres. Alex Nedeljkovic is also the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and an assist in the same game and the only goalie to score a goal in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. Overall, I see Nedeljkovic as the a better backup goalie option for the Sharks than practically any goalie on the free agent market, and I am happy that San Jose's front office executed on this trade. 

The Sharks conclude their first day of free agency this year by signing three career AHLers to one-year, two-way deals to help boost depth and production for the Barracuda: forwards Jimmy Huntington and Samuel Laberge, and defenseman Cole Clayton. 

In addition, prior to the official start of free agency, the Sharks issued qualifying offers to pending RFAs Thomas Bordeleau, Danil Gushchin, and Jack Thompson, thus retaining their rights. On the other hand, two more players who appeared in at least some games for the Sharks last season did not receive qualifying offers, therefore becoming unrestricted free agents: Nikolai Kovalenko and Georgi Romanov. This is great for the two forwards and one defenseman who received qualifying offers and will likely sign new contracts sooner than later. However, I am not  shocked in regards to Kovalenko and Romanov not receiving qualifying offers, and that is okay. What makes this not surprising with Nikolai Kovalenko is that he openly voiced his displeasure with how the Sharks utilized him last season. As for Georgi Romanov, he was not great in his extremely limited sample size with Team Teal last season, and Gabriel Carriere, who recently signed a new one-year, two-way contract with the Sharks, is ready to take over as the primary goalie for the Barracuda in the AHL next season. I see both Kovalenko and Romanov returning to their home country of Russia to play over there next season. 

Overall, it has been a busy first day of free agency for the San Jose Sharks, and I like what they have done so far to better their odds of climbing out of the basement of the league next season. However, they are not done yet making moves this offseason, as the Sharks still have roughly $8.7 million of cap space to spend in order to reach the cap floor. I expect the Sharks to continue to retool their defense and potentially bring in another depth forward to reach the salary cap floor over the next two months, so watch this space for more on these developments. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, Multiple Sources via Instagram and X

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