The San Jose Sharks are not trying to be a competitive NHL team next season. There is no way around that fact. They have $19.7 million in cap space, according to Puckpedia, that they could have used to improve their team. The future is on the roster with a lot of great young forwards on their team. But for the Sharks to compete early in Macklin Celebrini's career, they needed to add defense this offseason.
The Sharks did pick up Nick Leddy, Dmitry Orlov, and John Klingberg this offseason. But Leddy and Klingberg have one year left on their deals, while Orlov has two. Their top defensemen are all in their mid-30s and not on the team for extended periods. They do have younger defensemen, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Mario Ferraro included, but they need new contracts, too. There were options in free agency and in trades that they passed up on despite having the assets.
The Sharks lost the NHL Draft Lottery despite having the worst record in the league. They moved aside so the New York Islanders could fly up the board and take Matthew Schaefer first overall. San Jose should not be upset with adding Michael Misa to their prospect pipeline, but he does not meet their needs.
The Islanders were not going to trade the pick and had their sights set on Schaefer. There is nothing the Sharks could do about that, but they should have stressed defensive additions more than they did after the draft. The free agency pool was not as strong this year, but it is the only way San Jose could have raised their floor.
Who were the best options that the Sharks passed up on in NHL free agency and in trades?
The Sharks needed a bigger splash on defense
While the Sharks did put together a strong decade of competitive playoff hockey on their resume, they are still not a free-agent destination. They may have had to pay extra to land these players, but with so much leftover cap space and the cap exploding in the next two seasons, they have the money.
The Utah Mammoth signed Nate Schmidt after a successful run with the Florida Panthers that ended in a Stanley Cup. They signed him to a three-year deal worth $3.5 million, with some trade protection. The Sharks easily could have afforded that, and could have paid him more if he did not want to join an uncompetitive team. Schmidt has more in the tank than Orlov or Leddy do, and has recent Stanley Cup experience.
The Sharks were right not to join the Noah Dobson, K'Andre Miller, or Vladislav Gavrikov sweepstakes. Those were the three biggest-name defensemen to change teams this offseason. Dobson was traded for two first-round picks from the Islanders to the Canadiens. Miller went from the Rangers to the Hurricanes for a first and a second. And Gavrikov signed a $49 million deal with the Rangers. Those would have been win-now moves, which the Sharks are not in the market for.
Someone like Ryan Lindgren would have been a solid fit with the Sharks. He landed with the Seattle Kraken on a four-year deal worth $4.5 million annually. The Kraken are not going to be competing for the Stanley Cup this year, so Lindgren's top priority was not a championship. That is where the Sharks should have swooped in and added a decent defenseman who can lead the group for years to come.
The entire Sharks defense will look different a year from now. And if they want to compete for a Stanley Cup before their forwards get crazy expensive, they need great defense in front of Yaroslav Askarov.
