Breaking Down San Jose Sharks’ Pending Free Agents

Mar 19, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) reacts during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Sharks beat the Maple Leafs 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The San Jose Sharks and general manager Doug Wilson have an important and busy offseason ahead of them. Wilson must rebuild a team and franchise that missed the postseason for the first time in 11 years, while trying to re-establish a cohesive culture between management and the players.

While Wilson is not typically active with the marquee free agents, he could be this year as the Sharks have some flexibility. Also, Wilson could decide to make a trade to take advantage of certain teams that might be up against the salary cap as the cap isn’t expected to go as high as many people thought.

Before looking at potential replacements outside the organization, decisions will need to be made regarding the unrestricted free agents in San Jose.

Antti Niemi

Niem is the biggest question mark for the Sharks heading into next season. Niemi has manned the nets in San Jose for the past five seasons, but it appears likely that he has played his final game in teal.

According to a report from Kevin Kurz of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, Niemi’s camp and Wilson have yet to have “serious discussions” regarding a new contract. This should come as no surprise as many feel the Sharks will look in a different direction in goal.

Backup Alex Stalock is still under contract for one more season, but he did nothing to grab a hold of the starting position. San Jose’s goaltending duo struggled this season ranking 23rd in the league in save percentage at .907.

Niemi has posted solid regular season numbers in San Jose, but his number have dipped come the postseason. In five seasons, Niemi has 163-92-35 record with a .917 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against-average (GAA). His worst season in the NHL was this past year with the Sharks where he posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.59 GAA, coming off last year’s postseason collapse against the Los Angeles Kings where he posted a .884 save percentage and 3.74 GAA. (Figures courtesy of Hockey-Reference).

It appears that Niemi’s time in San Jose has come to an end, although he shouldn’t get all the blame. While his play has been inconsistent at times, his defense did him no favors this year. He should be able to find a job somewhere at the NHL-level next season.

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Matt Irwin

Irwin is an interesting defensive prospect for San Jose who never seemed to gain his traction under Todd McLellan. Irwin, who is known more for his offensive prowess, showed strides in his game despite battling through some injuries throughout the season.

Irwin equaled his point total from last season with 19, while tallying a career-high eight goals this year. At this point, Irwin represents the Sharks best left-handed offensive option on the back end of their defense. While he still needs work in the defensive zone, he showed enough improvement to bring him back next year.

Irwin is coming off a two-year contract worth $1.5M and expect him to sign a similar type of deal this offseason.

Scott Hannan

Hannan just doesn’t have the foot speed to play consistently enough in today’s NHL. While Hannan will always be remembered in San Jose for his play early in his career and his battles with Peter Forsberg, time has caught up with him.

In 58 games, Hannan scored two goals and five assists, with 26 penalty minutes. Throughout his 1,055 games in the NHL, Hannan has 39 goals and 179 assists with a plus-two rating and 625 penalty minutes. Don’t expect him back in San Jose as the Sharks look to upgrade their porous defense.

John Scott

This was the most head-scratching signing in the NHL last offseason and Scott didn’t have much impact in San Jose. While he appears to be a good teammate to have around, Scott provides no value on the ice.

This should be an easy decision in letting the Scott experiment with the Sharks end after one season.

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