SAN JOSEOf the 25 players that ended the season on San Joses active roster, no fewer than 11 of them are either currently restricted free agents or are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
Not all of them will be back, of course. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said on Monday: Im not going to give you names, but there are probably five or six that we will not be negotiating with prior to July 1.
Among the group that would be free to sign with another team at the start of next month include Daniel Winnik, Torrey Mitchell, Dominic Moore, Brad Winchester, Jim Vandermeer and Colin White.
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Restricted free agents, who must be tendered a qualifying offer by June 25, include Tommy Wingels, TJ Galiardi, Benn Ferriero and Justin Braun.
Let the speculating begin.
The Sharks are likely trying to keep Winnik, who added good energy and some timely scoring down the stretch and into the postseason. Hes also a proven penalty killer, and was leading the Colorado Avalanche in shorthanded time-on-ice when he was acquired by San Jose as part of the deal for Jamie McGinn on Feb. 27. The Sharks are expected to employ a much more aggressive approach to the PK next season, and Winnik could end up being a key cog.
The others? You could make a case the Sharks will let Mitchell, Moore, Winchester, Vandermeer and White all test the open waters. Of that group, Winchester is probably the likeliest to re-sign, although even that seems like a long shot.
San Jose Sharks
Of the restricted free agents, you can count on the Sharks keeping Wingels, Braun and Galiardi in the mix. All are young, improving players that shouldnt cost the Sharks too much salary and should have places on the NHL roster in the fall. Ferriero, on the other hand, hasnt been able to lock down a roster spot despite several opportunities to do so in the past three years, and his days in a Sharks uniform may be over.
Other notable restricted free agents include Alex Stalock, Frazer McLaren, Tim Kennedy, Tyson Sexsmith, Nick Petrecki and James Sheppard.
Its been two straight seasons now that the NHL trade deadline has been, welldead. Many teams dont have the flexibility to make major deals with the salary cap in place, leading to a flurry of activity coming during the week of, or at, the NHL Entry Draft.
Wilson said on Monday that trade talks are heating up around the league, which is preparing for the draft in Pittsburgh this weekend.
There is a lot of discussion going on, said the Sharks general manager.
You take a look at the free agent market, and its very limited. What that does is it encourages people to get into trade discussion. Theres a lot of buzz going on in that. Everybody is looking for centermeneverybody. Everybody is looking for defensemen.
Wilson believes the Sharks are strong at both positions, and thats why his cell phone minutes are quickly accumulating.
We get a lot of calls from teams because we have things that people want. If the phone wasnt ringing, Id be more concerned in those positions.
One Sharks player that could be on the outs is defenseman Douglas Murray. With Brad Stuart now reportedly signed for the next three years, it pushes the 32-year-old out of the teams top four. Murray could probably bring back a mid-round pick, at worst, if the Sharks decided to part ways. Murray has one year remaining on his contract at 2.5 million.
Wilson likes the Sharks depth at defense, which doesn't help Murray's cause.
Weve got probably four or five young defensemen that we think are very close to following the Justin Braun model. Nobody knew much about Justin Brauna very good player. Theres a group of them that are not that far away from being able to play here, which is important, because they can either come to play here or we can use them as an asset, he said.
The biggest name on the market since February, of course, is Columbus captain Rick Nash. The Sharks were one of several teams in pursuit of one of the leagues premier goalscorers at the deadline, which came and went without Nash changing uniforms.
Its been reported that Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson has been insisting since February that Logan Couture be a part of any Nash deal to the Sharks, but Couture continues to be a non-starter for San Jose.
Its unlikely the Sharks will trade for the 27-year-old sniper, unless Howson eases his demands.