Sharks News & Notes (8/14/21)

 We have reached the point during the offseason when free agency, headlines, trades, and other transactions slow down. However, there have been a few headlines that were released recently that are worth discussing. Let's get into them: 

• The NHL has released the start times for every game for this upcoming season. Most Sharks home games will start at either 7:00 or 7:30 pm PT, with a few afternoon and early evening games here and there throughout the season. Most of their East Coast road games will start at either 4:00 or 4:30 pm PT with a few morning games as well. Other start times for Sharks games during the 2021-22 season include 5:00 or 5:30 pm PT for road games in the Midwest and 6:00 or 6:30 pm PT for road games in the Mountain Time Zone. 

•  Former Sharks legend Joe Thornton signed a one-year, $750k deal to join the Florida Panthers. Jumbo last played for the Maple Leafs this past season, recording five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 44 games. I didn't anticipate or expect that he would return to the Sharks this coming season, but I do miss him in teal. Most importantly, I'm glad Joe Thornton is getting another chance to possibly win a Stanley Cup. 

Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for all your Sharks offseason needs. 

Sources: NHL via Twitter, NHL Discussion via Instagram, Hockey Reference 

My Thoughts on the Evander Kane Situation, Part 2

 Evander Kane's off-ice issues are nothing new, and things have now taken a turn for the worst. His wife recently accused him of betting on his own games, partying in Europe, and cheating on her with multiple different women while she was pregnant and left on her own to take care of their daughter. On top of that, his and his family's home is also being foreclosed as well due to his bankruptcy. 

Evander denied these allegations after they came out and basically shifted the blame toward his wife, calling her "crazy," but these sound pretty serious to me. Another report released after these initial allegations from The Athletic revealed that several Sharks players don't want him back on the team, and he is seen as a locker room cancer in San Jose. 

If these allegations are in fact true, and they sound pretty convincing, the Sharks should terminate his contract. Not only this, but he should be kicked out of the NHL as well. I also don't want Evander Kane on the Sharks anymore as this will cast a dark cloud over the Sharks organization, causing the team to perform poorly for the third straight season and negatively impacting ticket sales as well. 

I was never a fan of Evander Kane during his tenures with the Jets and Sabres mainly due to his off-ice troubles. That all changed when the Sharks acquired him at the trade deadline during the 2017-18 season, and he made an immediate impact on the Sharks. Roughly four seasons later, the off-ice drama continued to follow Evander Kane to San Jose, beginning with having to file for bankruptcy last offseason due to his reported $1.5 million in gambling losses. He also was accused of sexual assault during his tenure in Buffalo. Kane clearly has a gambling addiction and needs some help. On top of that, I feel bad for his family due to their hardships brought on by Evander himself. 

The NHL is currently investigating the matter at hand and will come to a conclusion on the situation before the start of training camps next month. We shouldn't be too shocked if Evander Kane is guilty and convicted of these recent allegations brought against him, and that he is no longer on the Sharks' roster come next season. 

On a more positive note, clearing Evander Kane's $7 million cap hit for next season will give the Sharks more cap space to work with, and San Jose could make a push to trade for a player like Jack Eichel from the Sabres before the start of the 2021-22 season. 

On an even more positive note not relating to the Evander Kane situation, the Sharks were able to get recently-acquired goalie Adin Hill under contract today, signing him to a two-year deal with an AAV of $2.175 million. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California

Sharks 2021 Free Agency Day 1 Recap

 The NHL free agent frenzy has begun, and there have been many players that signed new deals today, whether it be with new teams or to stay with their current teams. Some trades were sprinkled in as well. 

Plenty of transactions took place around the NHL on the first day of free agency, but I will just cover the ones involving the Sharks and former Sharks players in this post. Let's begin: 

• The Sharks signed forward Nick Bonino to a two-year contract with a $2.05 million AAV. Bonino last played with the Minnesota Wild last season and is expected to fill the role of third-line center during his tenure with the Sharks starting next season. He scored ten goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 55 games with the Minnesota Wild during the 2021 season. His point totals from last season are tied for sixth on the Wild. Bonino also led the Wild in faceoff percentage (52.8%) and blocked shots among their forwards (50). He was initially drafted by the Sharks in the sixth round in 2007 but never previously played a game for San Jose. So far in his NHL career, Bonino has played 12 seasons with the Ducks, Canucks, Penguins, Predators, and Wild, recording 132 goals, 176 assists, 308 points, and 197 penalty minutes. He has appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 10 of those 12 seasons, scoring 19 goals and 29 assists for 48 points in 105 playoff games. Bonino won the Stanley Cup twice in 2016 and 2017 with the Penguins and has been in the top 15 in Selke Trophy voting twice in his career (2018-19, 2019-20).
  

•  The Sharks added another depth forward via free agency in Andrew Cogliano to a one-year, $1 million deal. Cogliano recorded five goals, six assists, 11 points, and 24 penalty minutes in 54 games with the Dallas Stars last season. He was third among Dallas forwards in short-handed ice time and fifth among Dallas forwards in blocked shots (24) during the 2021 season. So far in his NHL career, Cogliano has scored 240 goals, 170 assists, 410 points, and 371 penalty minutes in 1,066 games with the Oilers, Ducks, and Stars. He has also played in 100 Stanley Cup Playoff games and recorded 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points with the Ducks and Stars, including the 2020 Cup Final with the Stars. Cogliano has the the sixth-longest consecutive games streak in NHL history with 830 games from October 4, 2007 to January 13, 2018 and played in 99.2% of his team's games that he's been able to play in.
  

• The Sharks found their 1A goalie in free agency via James Reimer, signing him to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.25 million. Reimer previously had a stint with the Sharks as the backup to Martin Jones during the 2015-16 season when he was acquired from the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline. He was solid during the limited time he saw in net with the Sharks that season when they made their first-ever Cup Final appearance, earning a 6-2-0 record with a 1.62 record, .938 SV%, and three shutouts. Last season with the Hurricanes, Reimer had a 15-5-2 record with a 2.66 GAA and a .906 SV% in 22 games. In his two seasons in Carolina, James Reimer had a 2.66 GAA and a .910 SV%. In addition, Reimer has earned at least a .910 SV% or better in seven of his eleven seasons in the NHL. Over the course of his NHL career, Reimer has earned a 173-131-43 record, 2.79 GAA, and a .913 SV% with the Maple Leafs, Sharks, Panthers, and Hurricanes, along with a 5-5-0 record, 2.70 GAA, and a .925 SV% in 11 playoff games. Heading into next season, the Sharks' goaltending tandem will consist of Reimer and Adin Hill, which is already an upgrade over any combination of Martin Jones, Devan Dubnyk, Josef Korenar, and/or Alexei Melnichuk from last season.
  

• In addition to the free agency additions, the Sharks made a minor trade with the Coyotes by acquiring forward Lane Pederson for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Pederson recorded one goal and two assists for three points in 15 games with the Coyotes last season. He made his NHL debut on April 2 against the Ducks and scored his first NHL goal in his debut. Pederson also scored seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL last season.
  

• It didn't take long for recently bought-out Martin Jones to find a new team, as he signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers to become the backup to Carter Hart next season. 

•  Former Sharks forward Kurtis Gabriel signed a one-year, $750k league minimum deal to join the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last season with the Sharks, Gabriel appeared in 11 games with the Sharks and recorded 55 penalty minutes, having invigorated the Sharks during a portion of the season with his increased physical presence. He was also a King Clancy Memorial Trophy finalist this past season, having raised awareness and stood up for the LGBTQ+ community throughout his time off the ice. 

•  The Sharks also signed defenseman Jaycob Megna and recently-acquired forward Nick Merkley to new one-year contracts. Megna spent last season as the captain of the AHL Barracuda. 

•  Former Sharks goalie Aaron Dell signs a one-year, $750k deal with the Buffalo Sabres. Dell spent much of last season with the New Jersey Devils.
  

The Sharks' free agent signings on the first day of free agency were great as they filled immediate needs on their roster, which were in goaltending and center depth. All three of the Sharks' newest free agent players were signed for under $5 million combined, which looks awesome against the salary cap. I am most excited about the Bonino and Reimer signings as both are great fits in San Jose. 

Lastly, I read a report confirming that Patrick Marleau will not return to the Sharks next season, and I have no idea what's next for him. We will find out soon.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Sharks either make only minor moves or don't make any more moves until the start of next season in October. With the improvements the Sharks have made so far this offseason, I am already excited for what's in store for them this coming season, and truly believe that they can compete for a playoff spot in 2022. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, NHL Discussion via Instagram

Sharks Buy Out the Remainder of Martin Jones' Contract

 The wait and uncertainty are over: on the day the NHL buyout window is set to expire, the Sharks have placed Martin Jones on unconditional waivers and bought out the remaining three years of his contract, ending Jones' tenure in San Jose. 

This was an absolutely necessary move as Jones has been on a steady decline since the 2019-20 season. He was a solid goalie from 2015-19 in the first four seasons of his Sharks tenure and was an integral piece in the Sharks' playoff run in 2016 that led to their first-ever Stanley Cup Final appearance. He was signed to a six-year, $34.5 million extension in 2017 that would begin in the 2018-19 season. This past season, Martin Jones had a 15-13-4 record with a 3.28 GAA and a below-.900 SV%. His overall record with the Sharks over the course of six seasons in teal was 170-121-27 and had a .916 SV% in 60 playoff games. 

According to CapFriendly, the Martin Jones buyout will cost the Sharks a total of $10 million against the salary cap over the next six years.

I like Martin Jones as a person and am very appreciative of what he has done for the Sharks franchise from 2015-19, but his time was up with the Sharks, and the goaltending in San Jose needed a shake-up since that was one of their biggest weaknesses this past season. 

The Sharks will now be looking for a second goalie to pair with Adin Hill, and their best bet on finding another goalie would be via free agency, which starts tomorrow. We will find out who they add in net possibly within the next few days.

Lastly, I hope Martin Jones gets another chance with another team or whatever career path he wants to take next and wish him nothing but the best. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, The Athletic, CapFriendly

Sharks News & Notes (7/26/21)

 A few noteworthy headlines were released regarding the San Jose Sharks today, and with free agency beginning in a few days, let's get into them: 

• The Sharks acquired the rights to forward Nick Merkley from the New Jersey Devils for the rights to defenseman Christian Jaros. Both players involved in this deal are pending RFAs. Nick Merkley is not related to Sharks prospect defenseman Ryan Merkley and recorded two goals and eight assists for ten points and seven penalty minutes in 27 games with the Devils last season; these stats are all career highs for him except for penalty minutes. Over the course of his NHL career, Merkley has a total of three goals and nine assists 12 points in 32 games with the Coyotes and Devils. In addition, Nick Merkley wasn't issued a qualifying offer by San Jose, therefore making him a UFA, but he and the Sharks are expected to come to a separate agreement on a new deal. On the other hand, Christian Jaros played a limited role with the Sharks this past season and has mainly been a liability in that limited role. 

• Speaking of qualifying offers, the Sharks have issued one to forward Noah Gregor and will retain his negotiating rights. However, forward Ryan Donato was not issued a qualifying offer by the Sharks, now making him a UFA. Recently-acquired goalie Adin Hill was previously issued a qualifying offer by the Coyotes, therefore his rights are retained by the Sharks.
  

•  The Sharks should be either trading or buying out Martin Jones any day now, but it hasn't happened yet. Who knows if it will ever happen. The chances are still unlikely, but if Martin Jones is still on the Sharks' roster come next season and their goalie tandem consists of Jones and recently acquired Adin Hill, something is wrong and the Sharks are basically tanking next season. Betting on Martin Jones to bounce back in net next season and keeping him on the roster is a huge gamble that isn't worth taking. Jones has been on a steady decline since the 2019-20 season and has proven that he is no longer a starting-caliber goalie in the NHL anymore. We will find out the situation with Martin Jones in San Jose soon as the buyout window in the NHL closes tomorrow at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT and free agency begins on Wednesday. 

Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for all your San Jose Sharks offseason needs. 

Source: sjsharks.com 

Sharks 2021 Entry Draft Rounds 2-7 Recap

 The remaining rounds of the 2021 entry draft have wrapped up, with the Sharks making a total of nine selections in this year's entry draft. San Jose's remaining eight selections were made on the second day of the entry draft. They also traded the 71st overall pick to the Blues for the 81st and 177th picks.

I'll admit that I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to players drafted in later rounds, explaining why I don't plan to go into detail regarding the Sharks' remaining eight selections. Players that get drafted in later rounds are less likely to become stars, pan out, or make the NHL at all, but there have certainly been exceptions to this as there have been hidden gems in rounds 2-7 throughout history. 

Besides the 7th overall selection in William Eklund, here are the rest of the Sharks' picks in this year's entry draft: 

Round 3, Pick 81: Benjamin Gaudreau (G), Sarnia Sting (OHL) 

Round 4, Pick 103: Gannon Laroque (D), Victoria Royals (WHL) 

Round 4, Pick 121: Ethan Cardwell (F), Barrie Colts (OHL) 

Round 5, Pick 135: Artem Guryev (D), Lindsay Muskies (OJHL) 

Round 5, Pick 156: Max McCue (F), London Knights (OHL) 

Round 6, Pick 167: Liam Gilmartin (F), London Knights (OHL) 

Round 6, Pick 177: Theo Jacobsson (F), Modo Jr. (Sweden) 

Round 7, Pick 199: Evgenii Kashnikov (D), Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) 

Be on the lookout for additional news coming up as the buyout period ends Tuesday and free agency begins on Wednesday. 

Source: sjsharks.com

Sharks Draft William Eklund at Seventh Overall

 The first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is officially in the books. The Sharks had the seventh overall pick and selected Swedish center/winger William Eklund from Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League. 

Eklund is projected to be an elite forward, and some experts see him as potentially the best player to come out of this draft class. He is a fantastic skater with great speed that makes plays happen. Eklund is also a great defender as well. 

Eklund has been tearing up the SHL before getting drafted by the Sharks, registering 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in his second season with Djurgardens IF, bringing his totals to 11 goals, 14 assists, and 25 points in 60 games in the SHL. His second-season stats were also career highs for him. Eklund led the SHL in goals, finished second in points, and tied for second in assists. He also had the most game-winning goals on Djurgardens with three. In addition, Eklund was named SHL Rookie of the Year and Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year. NHL Central Scouting ranked William Eklund as its Top European Skater in this year's entry draft. 

Many people consider William Eklund at the seventh overall pick to be a steal. The Sharks should be very lucky that Eklund fell to the seventh overall selection because there were previously talks of him going sooner than seventh before the draft started. I am over the moon excited about this selection, especially since Eklund has such a high potential in the NHL. I can totally see Eklund becoming a franchise player for the Sharks in at least a few seasons and a superstar in the entire league as well. The Sharks’ future is now in good hands, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing Eklund play in the NHL sometime soon. 

Sources: ESPN, NHL Discussion via Instagram, Sharks + SAP Center App