The San Jose Sharks have had a good season for the first time in years. They’ve been hanging around the Western Conference playoff picture all season long. Despite their rising stock, the Sharks could be sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
San Jose, unlike other clubs around the league, has a plethora of defensemen they could move. The Sharks have five impending UFAs who could entice contenders this season.
As the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta noted on The Sheet, the Sharks could move one, two, or all five, depending on the offers.
He stated:
“I think five guys, pending UFAs on that back end that teams are going to look at; Mario Ferraro is kind of leading that; you’ve got Liljegren, Desharnais, Leddy, Klingberg. San Jose will definitely listen.”
Now, moving these veteran blueliners could largely depend on where the Sharks are at the deadline. If the club is firmly in a playoff spot, they may back off on trading all of them. But then again, that’s no guarantee. That’s why moving their impending UFA blueliners could be the course of action.
Beyond this season, the Sharks have just Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson under contract. Shakir Mukhamadullin will be an RFA. Of course, the club will move to re-sign him ASAP.
That situation could prompt the Sharks to keep a couple of their veteran blueliners. But then again, San Jose could target other defensemen with some term on their contracts to fill those voids moving forward.
Sharks Could Have Trouble Moving Two of Their UFA Blueliners
Of the five aforementioned blueliners, two could pose a challenge for the Sharkscome trade time. Nick Leddy and John Klingberg have no-trade protection. Leddy has a 16-team no-trade clause. That means that pretty much half of the league is off limits.
Meanwhile, Klingberg has a full no-trade clause until January 30, 2026. After that, the list becomes a 14-team no-trade clause.
Nevertheless, Timothy Liljegren, Vincent Desharnais, and Mario Ferraro do not have any sort of trade protection. So, it would make sense that they would be the first to go.
Ferraro Drawing Most Interest
The Sharks have gotten the most interest for Mario Ferraro. The 27-year-old has been on the block for a while now. Rumors have linked Ferraro to just about every contender over the last couple of seasons.
But then again, if there was one blueliner the Sharks would like to hold onto, it would be Ferraro. By the same token, he’s the piece that could fetch the best return.
While Ferraro is certainly a valuable piece, there’s an argument to keep him. He’s still 27 and could be the anchor for the young blueline core coming up through the ranks. In addition to Mukhamadullin and Dickinson, the Sharks have Noah Beck and Mattias Havelid deserving a look.
With the Sharks potentially icing a very young defensive core, having at least two solid veteran blueliners would be a good idea.
Ultimately, the Sharks aren’t quite ready to make the playoffs. That’s why they can afford to sell off pieces and see what happens during the summer. They’ll have the cap space to bring in useful UFA blueliners if need be.
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