The Sharks have struck a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sharks are sending the contract of Ryan Ellis, Defenseman Jake Furlong, and a 2028 4th-round-pick to Chicago, and in return, they are getting Goaltender Laurent Brossoit, Defenseman Nolan Allen, and a 2028 seventh-round pick.
There is alot of moving parts in this deal. The main motivator for the Sharks appears to be clearing the Ryan Ellis contract off the books; he had a 6.25 million cap hit through next season, and gives the Sharks a little more flexibility next offseason. For the Hawks, Ellis will help them reach the cap floor next season with the Shea Weber contract coming off their books.
The Sharks are getting back Luarent Brossoit, who is coming off a major knee injury and has been exclusively in the AHL this season despite his 3.3 million cap hit. He will add needed depth to the Sharks' goal crease, as neither AHL option, Gabriel Carriere nor Jakub Skarek, provides much confidence in the event of an injury to Nedeljkovic or Askarov down the stretch. Brossoit has put together a strong NHL career as a backup and will at least provide some stability at the AHL level for the time being.
The Sharks also upgraded their defense in a swap of prospects, getting Nolan Allen for Jake Furlong. Allen was a first-round pick in 2021 by the Hawks and has somewhat stalled as a prospect with just 6 points in 29 AHL games after posting 8 points in 43 NHL games a year ago. Still just 22 years old, the stay-at-home defender still has some upside as a 3rd pair option and could get a look with the Sharks down the stretch, who have 5 pending UFAs on the backend that could be moved out before the deadline. Allen also has the ability to play both sides, adding some versatility as a depth option. The Sharks are giving up Jake Furlong, the 2022 5th-round pick, who showed some promise in juniors, even cracking Team Canada’s U20 roster in 2024. Unfortunately Furlongs game has not translated to the pros, with just 10 points in 78 AHL games with the Cuda.
To finish off the trade, the Sharks will be trading back 3 rounds in the 2028 draft from 4th to 7th. Hardly a big issue with the draft two years out.
Overall, a swap of depth pieces that adds some extra injury insurance for the Sharks down the stretch while clearing some long-term money off the books.