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So how are the San Jose Sharks going to get better this off-season?
Good news, it can’t get worse…right? The 2023-24 Sharks were the second-worst team of the salary cap era, their .287 Points % just ahead of the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings’ .275.
More good news: The San Jose Sharks project to have plenty of cap space to add established players, whether via trade or free agency.
Coupled with the 2024-25 salary cap rising to a projected $87.7 million, the Sharks could have more than $30 million to play with to add four or more forwards and significantly alter their defense.
Here’s how I arrived at that figure:
| FORWARDS | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| Couture, Logan | $8,000,000 |
| Granlund, Mikael | $5,000,000 |
| Kunin, Luke | $3,000,000 |
| Sturm, Nico | $2,000,000 |
| Kostin, Klim | $2,000,000 |
| Zetterlund, Fabian | $1,450,000 |
| Bordeleau, Thomas | $874,125 |
| Eklund, William | $863,333 |
| Smith, Givani | $800,000 |
| TOTAL | $23,987,458 |
| DEFENSE | 2024-25 |
| Vlasic, Marc-Édouard | $7,000,000 |
| Ferraro, Mario | $3,250,000 |
| Rutta, Jan | $2,750,000 |
| Benning, Matthew | $1,250,000 |
| Burroughs, Kyle | $1,100,000 |
| Mukhamadullin, Shakir | $894,167 |
| Thrun, Henry | $874,125 |
| Emberson, Ty | $813,750 |
| TOTAL | $17,932,042 |
| GOALIES | 2024-25 |
| Vanecek, Vitek | $3,400,000 |
| Blackwood, Mackenzie | $2,350,000 |
| TOTAL | $5,750,000 |
| BURIED PENALTY | 2024-25 |
| Knyzhov, Nikolai | $100,000 |
| TOTAL | $100,000 |
| RETAINED SALARY | 2024-25 |
| Burns, Brent | $2,720,000 |
| Karlsson, Erik | $1,500,000 |
| Hertl, Tomas | $1,387,500 |
| TOTAL | $5,607,500 |
| BUYOUT | 2024-25 |
| Jones, Martin | $1,666,667 |
| TOTAL | $1,666,667 |
| 2024-25 TOTAL | $55,043,667 |
Even with Logan Couture’s health in question, the Sharks will have a ton of flexibility.
My guess, RFAs Luke Kunin and Ty Emberson, and 10.2(c) free agents Thomas Bordeleau and Henry Thrun, are safe bets to return. For their cap hits, I just inputted their qualifying offers; their new contracts, if it isn’t just their QOs, shouldn’t stray far from there.
For depth, San Jose could also bring back RFAs Filip Zadina, Jack Studnicka, or Calen Addison, or UFAs Justin Bailey, Ryan Carpenter, or Jacob MacDonald. None will break the bank if they return.
I’ve also added top prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin to the opening night NHL roster.
So with all this space, who could the San Jose Sharks add this summer?
That’s another story, but Daily Faceoff’s top-50 free agents rankings, released today, might give you an idea.
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