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San Jose Sharks Notes: Four Qualifying Offers Extended

By Patrick Leiva

May 19, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates after scoring a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates after scoring a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Jose issued qualifying offers to four of their current players, headlined by Tomas Hertl and Dylan DeMelo.

The San Jose Sharks made a bit of news on Monday as they extended qualifying offers to four of their free agents to retain their negotiating rights.

Forwards Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto, Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Dylan DeMelo were all issued qualifying offers, likely meaning all four will be returning in teal next season.

Five players who didn’t receive qualifying offers include Jeremy Morin, Jeremy Langlois, Petter Emanuelsson, Chris Crane and goaltender Joel Rumpel, meaning all are now free agents.

This news isn’t all that surprising as Doug Wilson fully intended to keep Hertl and DeMelo in the fold. Nieto was someone who could’ve been on the fringe so I wouldn’t expect him to receive much of a raise, if any, on his next contract.

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It will be a pivotal season for Nieto after amassing just eight goals and nine assists with a minus-eight rating last year. In his three seasons in teal, Nieto has 28 goals and 40 assists to go along with a minus-28 rating as he hasn’t shown the finishing ability to go along with his speed.

Meanwhile, Hertl is due for a nice raise after his best year in teal. He’s coming off his entry-level contract, and according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, sounds like he might be in line for a bridge deal.

He finished the regular season fifth on San Jose in scoring with 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) as he really established himself on the top line alongside Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. He added six goals and five assists before missing the final four games of the postseason due to a knee injury.

Injury concerns have been one of the few knocks on Hertl which might be why the two-year bridge deal makes sense from a Sharks perspective.

DeMelo was also a clear candidate to receive an offer since he showcased plenty of promise in his first year in teal. He showed poise and an ability to move the puck up the ice, something that’s been missing on the bottom pair for San Jose.

Finally, Carpenter was the leading scorer for the San Jose Barracuda, notching 18 goals, 37 assists and 55 points in 66 games with a plus-20 rating. He will likely remain in the AHL next season as well but he provides nice insurance for the organization.

Sergei Makarov Receives The Call

One former Shark received some good news on Monday as well as Sergei Makarov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

He would play two seasons in teal, forming one of the most famous lines in franchise history along with Igor Larionov and Johan Garpenlov.

Next: Sharks Free Agency Outlook

He would register 92 career points with San Jose, including leading the Sharks in scoring during the 1993-94 regular season when he scored 30 goals and 68 points. He helped lead team teal to their first playoff victory as San Jose dispatched the heavily favored, top-seeded Detroit Red Wings in seven games.

It’s a deserved honor for Makarov who starred for his home country of Russia for many seasons. Followers of the Sharks from the very beginning will always remember the impact Makarov made as that line helped put San Jose on the map as a hockey town.

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