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For a sixth straight season, the San Jose Sharks failed to make the playoffs. Still, the team is loaded with young talent and has the second pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Sharks have a lot of work to do to get out of the basement of the NHL standings. They have the resources to do just that, though. They also have the flexibility to make some solid offseason trades.
The Sharks did improve this past season. After going 19-54-9 in the 2023-24 campaign, they went 20-50-12 this past season. While it was an improvement, they were still the worst team by nine points and missed a playoff spot by 44 points. There is hope in San Jose, though. First, they have two first-round picks in this year's NHL draft, and two first-rounders in next year's draft. Furthermore, they have two second-round picks in each of the next two drafts.
San Jose also has cap flexibility. The retirement of Logan Couture brought in another $8 million in cap space this season. That leaves them with over $53 million in projected cap space this offseason.
San Jose trades a veteran blueliner
San Jose is in a great spot with the salary cap and has plenty of young talent on the roster. Still, they will need to start working towards re-signing that young talent. They have five pending restricted free agents, including Jack Thompson on the blue line. Furthermore, Ty Dellandrea, William Eklund, Henry Thrun, and Zack Ostapchuk are all entering the final years of their deal before restricted free agency. Still, financial prudence is in order for the franchise.
This past season, Mario Ferraro led the team in ice time and the top defensive pairing. He was joined by Timothy Liljegren at the end of the season. Liljegren was solid, with six goals and 11 assists in his 67 games this past year. Meanwhile, Vincent Desharnais and Thrun played on the second defensive pairing. In the third group, the left side was led by Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
Vlasic played in just 27 games this past year, and staying on the ice has been an issue in recent years for the blue liner. He not only missed over 50 games this year, but also missed 25 games in the 2023-24 campaign. Furthermore, his on-ice time has stopped over the past three years, as has his overall production. The Sharks may not get a lot back from the 38-year-old lifetime member of the Sharks.
Still, there are reasons to trade him. To begin with, it would save the franchise up to $7 million this year, depending on whether they need to retain salary or not. Furthermore, his contract is expiring at the end of the year and will most likely not be re-signed. The Sharks also have multiple young defenders in the minor league system that could use some NHL experience, as the Sharks will likely not be in contention again this year. Finally, Vlasic may want a chance to chase a Cup. Being with the Sharks since the 2006-07 season, he has played in 142 playoff games for San Jose. He also played in the Stanley Cup Final, but he has yet to hoist the trophy.
Could Nikolai Kovalenko be moved?
The Sharks have multiple pending restricted free agents this offseason. The most intriguing of the group could be Kovalenko. The son of former NHL player Andrei Kovalenko, Nikolai was drafted 171st overall in the 2018 draft by the Colorado Avalanche. He would continue to play in the KHL until moving over at the end of the 2023-24 season. After playing four regular season and two playoff games for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, he would play two playoff games for the Avalanche.
This past campaign, Kovalenko played 28 games with the Avalanche, scoring four goals and adding four assists. He would then be traded to the Sharks in the move that sent Mackenzie Blackwood to Colorado. The Russian winger would score three goals with nine assists playing primarily on the third line for the Sharks. Furthermore, his advanced stats showed a player primed to take another step. His shooting percentage and IPP, the measure of a player being involved with a point when a goal is scored with him on the ice, both jumped drastically in his time in San Jose.
Still, Kovalenko is a restricted free agent. He is projected to make just over $2 million in his upcoming contract, but with the amount of youth the Sharks already have, there may not be a spot for him. If the Sharks go after any top-six forward-level free agents, this could lead to Kovalenko dropping to the fourth line. The Sharks could be wise to get value out of him now, as they prepare for the future.
The Sharks use draft capital to make a big move
The best asset the Sharks currently have to trade is their draft capital. They have eight picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts. This year, it is the second overall selection, plus the 30th and 33rd picks in the draft this year. They could use some of that draft capital to make a big move this offseason. A great option for the Sharks is to move some of their draft capital and trade for Evan Bouchard. The Sharks already have young and upcoming forwards in Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. They could make this move and keep the second pick in the draft as well, although that would require a large trade package to be sent to the Oilers.
The Sharks have the money to sign a player like Bouchard to a long-term deal. Furthermore, this will be a major upgrade for the Sharks' offense and power play. Currently, the Sharks do not have a solid scoring option from the blueline for 5v5 situations or the man-advantage. Bouchard could solve that immediately. Still, with the 30th pick in the draft, plus multiple second-rounders, the Sharks could convert that into a major play for the blueliner.
The future in San Jose is bright, and they have plenty of options this offseason. Still, they need to find the perfect combination so they can get back to making the playoffs.
