Mar 9, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Matt Nieto (83) celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The San Jose Sharks are in desperate need of a strong offseason after floundering through last season. With the NHL Draft upcoming on Friday and Saturday, and free agency just around the corner, it’s a big week for the franchise and general manager Doug Wilson in particular.
It appears that Wilson and the Sharks are poised to strike this offseason as they have eight draft picks, including the ninth overall selection, along with plenty of cap space after the NHL and NHLPA announced an increased salary cap for next year.
NHLPA, NHL announce team payroll range for 2015-16. pic.twitter.com/vgsAoIX6XO
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 23, 2015
According to the release, the salary cap for next season will be set at $71.4M, a slight increase from this year where the cap was set around $69M. Currently, according to General Fanager, the Sharks have about $17.7M in cap space committed to 17 players. Now, Wilson will have his work cut out for him as he needs to add at least two defensemen, a starting goaltender and additional forward depth.
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Wilson indicated recently that talks with restricted free agents Brenden Dillon and Melker Karlsson are progressing and they should both be expected back in 2015. Let’s say they eat up $4M between the two; that would leave San Jose with just under $14M and the ability to acquire talent in a variety of ways.
They could target a trade, dip into free agency, or even try to go the offer sheet route, although that typically doesn’t work out. Wilson has been adamant all season that the Sharks would be aggressive this offseason and be able to take advantage of other teams who are up against the cap.
Also, San Jose is in a good spot in relation with the draft as they will be selecting in the Top-10 for the first time since 2007 when they selected Logan Couture. It’s expected that Wilson will hold on to their first-round pick; however, the interesting spot could be what the Sharks do with their second-round pick (#39). Could Wilson include that pick in a trade in some sort of trade or will he keep the selection in what’s considered a deep draft?
San Jose is set up nicely for a strong offseason, but it’s up to Wilson to execute the plan he’s been building for the past couple of seasons. There’s no more excuses or time for Wilson as he must get it right this year; otherwise, he will likely be out the door.