As we progress through the summer, the number of free agent signings has been dwindling down. However, some roster spots will soon start to become available – either due to injuries or due to coaches deciding not to rush prospects to the big league. Sooner or later, some of the remaining veteran free agents will be signing their new contracts. There are still some interesting names amongst the unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen available for the taking. The question is ‘Are the San Jose Sharks interested in any of them?’, and perhaps even more importantly ‘Should the Sharks go after any of them?”.
The San Jose Sharks already went out and fished a coveted UFA defenseman this summer –signing Paul Martin to a four-year deal with an average value of $4.85M per year. After some further acquisitions, the Sharks do not have much cap space available.
Currently, the Sharks have $1,005,004 available in cap space left, with 14 forwards, seven defensemen, two goalies, and some of the buyouts and retainers. The San Jose Sharks are already being ranked in the top of the league in terms of the salary cap spent, and there is no need to squeeze every cent out of the allowed $71.4M in cap ceiling. However, one million is enough to potentially fit in a serviceable player. Here is a look at some interesting names left for the taking from the UFA defensemen pool.
Cody Franson
2014-15 Cap |
Can the Sharks afford him?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$3,300,000
Unlikely
Yes
Unlikely
There are many who envision Franson playing on the right side of their favorite team. In theory, if the San Jose Sharks were able to get Franson, the defensive units could look something along the lines of: Martin-Burns, Vlasic-Braun, Dillon-Franson. Unfortunately, with the expected annual cap value of around $4-million, it is extremely unlikely the 27 year old defenseman will be wearing teal this coming season. He would be an upgrade over Tennyson, Mueller, or Cundari, but the price is too steep – the Sharks cannot do enough financial maneuvering to fit him in.
Christian Ehrhoff
2014-15 Cap |
Can the Sharks afford him?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$4,000,000
Unlikely
Yes
Unlikely
Mar 19, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Christian Ehrhoff (10) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Penguins 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Sharks do have a tendency to bring veteran defensemen back for their second stints with the team (e.g. Brad Stuart, Scott Hannan), so it’s not too hard to imagine Ehrhoff representing the beautiful city of San Jose. He remains a serviceable defenseman, and if he is able to completely recover from the concussion that he sustained last season – he can be a valuable addition on most teams. However, the San Jose Sharks aren’t likely to be one of those teams. The contract that Ehrhoff will likely command is beyond what the Sharks can afford. Getting Ehrhoff would also result in one too many left handed defensemen on the team, as San Jose already has Vlasic, Martin, Dillon, and Mueller.
Andrej Meszaros
2014-15 Cap |
Can the Sharks afford him?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$4,125,000
Unlikely
Not quite
Unlikely
When Meszaros broke into the NHL, he posted 39, 35, and 36 points in three straight seasons playing in all 82 games for the Ottawa Senators. However, the past few seasons have been riddled with injuries – he appeared in 185 out of 294 games. Meszaros did not stand out in any way on the Buffalo Sabres last year, and his production significantly dwindled. He will certainly be taking a paycut from his previous contract, but even then, Meszaros would only fit in as the seventh defenseman on the current Sharks roster, and it would make little sense to give playing time to him over any of the prospects in the system.
Lubomir Visnovsky
2014-15 Cap |
Can the Sharks afford him?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$4,750,000
Maybe
Not quite
Unlikely
Mar 3, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky (11) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Islanders 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Visnovsky is turning 39 this week, and has over 900 games in both the regular season and the playoffs. The Slovakian has been a productive defenseman, notably notching 67 points in 80 games during the 2005-06 season. That feat of productivity was almost 10 years ago, and the past season may just be the last season in the NHL for Visnovsky who missed more than half of the games over the course of the past two years. At this stage of his career, Visnovsky may provide some veteran mentoring to a team that has a young defensive corps, and is not realistically contending for the Cup. A more likely destination will be Europe.
Anton Volchenkov
2014-15 Cap |
Can the Sharks afford him?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$1,000,000
Yes
No
Unlikely
Another player who enjoyed some good years with the Senators right after the 2004-05 lockout. Volchenkov turned 33 earlier this year, has 696 regular season games under his belt, and has featured in 86 playoff games. The veteran certainly accumulated some valuable experience playing defense first type of hockey. However, having never been considered a good skater, it is getting harder for Volchenkov to keep pace with the up-tempo players these days. The role of the seventh defenseman is probably all he can hope for at this stage, and this looks to be another case where the Sharks do not need to plug this UFA into the fold. Even for a league minimum, it makes very little sense to go after the Russian.
Marek Zidlicky
2014-15 Cap |
Can the Sharks afford him?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$4,000,000
Unlikely
Yes
Unlikely
Apr 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Marek Zidlicky (28) passes the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in game five of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
On March 2 2015, the Czech native was traded to the Detroit Red Wings and ended up playing in 84 games last season (63 for the Devils, and 21 for the Red Wings). At his age he remains quite productive, and is a great addition to the team needing a right-handed power play specialist. However, the San Jose Sharks were the sixth best power play team last season, and considering the fact that Zidlicky is playing much better than his age would suggest – it may not be financially possible for the Sharks to acquire the veteran defenseman. As per Mike Halford of the NBC Sports – the Boston Bruins could be the landing spot for Zidlicky.
Tim Gleason
2014-15 Cap |
Affordable?
Can he improve the Sharks D?
Is he joining the Sharks soon?
$1,200,000
Maybe
Not quite
Unlikely
Gleason is another stay at home defenseman who can be an affordable option for teams looking for a serviceable bottom pair blue liner. Considering the skill set that Gleason brings to the table, he will likely find some suitors for just that role, but not from the team in the Northern California. Unless the Sharks catch a bad break, and several defensemen incur long term injuries, it is hard to see Gleason joining the Sharks.
Next: Sharks Early 2015-16 Outlook: Defensemen