The San Jose Sharks are still in “tear down” mode and continuing to retool this roster will be the top priority for this hockey team with the NHL’s lowest points total. But for Sharks fans everywhere, that’s okay since this team will open a long-term window for success when they continue to revamp their on-ice product in the 2024 offseason.
Because the Sharks roster is full of low-cost players heading into the offseason, they will have more cap space than almost every team in the league not named the Chicago Blackhawks or the Arizona Coyotes. This leaves them clocking in at nearly $38 million for 2024, but don’t be surprised when they keep taking the low-cost route.
So far, they have seven pending unrestricted free agents, and there is a good chance many of them end up elsewhere next season. General manager Mike Grier will more likely invest in his restricted free agents to create something he can work with for the 2024-25 season and opt for low-cost free agents.
San Jose Sharks have some cap space for the 2024 offseason
This doesn’t mean Grier won’t bring in a familiar name with solid production in previous stops, but we won’t see him signing anyone who will completely change the scope of this franchise. Further, it also shouldn’t surprise you if he moved Logan Couture this offseason, as he, like former star center Tomas Hertl, isn’t someone who would figure to be around for the better days of this rebuild.
Young players in the 2024 unrestricted free agent class could also be options, and so could any restricted free agent other teams in the NHL may not re-sign. Whether the latter will be long-term fixtures or stopgaps remains on how they would fare in 2024-25. But if Grier brings them in, it means he believes they are good fits and could hold value for one of the NHL’s most extensive rebuilding projects.