SAN JOSE — Barclay Goodrow is back with the San Jose Sharks.
Goodrow, 31, was claimed by the Sharks on Wednesday after the New York Rangers placed him on waivers the day before to help clear salary cap space before free agency begins on July 1.
Goodrow was first signed by San Jose as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and spent his first six seasons as a professional with the Sharks organization. He also scored one of the biggest playoff goals in team history in 2019 before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020.
Goodrow’s contract also has a modified no-trade clause, which states that he would only accept a trade to one of 17 teams. It’s unclear if San Jose was one of those teams, or if he would have accepted a trade to the rebuilding Sharks if they were one of the other 15 teams.
By claiming Goodrow, who had been an alternate captain with the Rangers since joining the team in 2021, the Sharks did not have to consider whether Goodrow would accept a trade back to San Jose since he did not also have a no-movement clause.
The Sharks had the first crack at claiming Goodrow off waivers since they finished last in the NHL’s overall standings this past season. By claiming him, the Sharks are absorbing his entire $3.64 million cap hit for the next three seasons.
The Sharks are expected to have a young team next season and are in the market for players of Goodrow’s ilk as they aim to insulate their rookies and become a harder team to play against. Earlier Wednesday, the Sharks acquired forward Ty Dellandrea from the Dallas Stars for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick that originally belonged to the Winnipeg Jets.
If Goodrow had gone unclaimed, he would have remained with the Rangers and could still have been traded. The Rangers could also have bought out the rest of his contract or simply assigned him to the AHL.
Goodrow has three years left on a six-year, $21.85 million deal he signed with New York as a free agent in 2021.
His cap hit is steep, considering Goodrow had 12 points in 80 games and averaged just 12:34 in ice time per game this past season.
Goodrow, though, did have six goals and eight points in this year’s playoffs as the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final. His regular season numbers are skewed somewhat, considering over 80% of his zone starts came in the defensive end.
The Sharks have enough salary cap space to absorb Goodrow’s cap hit as a waiver claim.
A decade ago, former NHL player and late scout Bryan Marchment convinced former Sharks general manager Doug Wilson to sign the undrafted Goodrow to an entry-level contract in March 2014. Goodrow played most of his first three pro seasons in the AHL with the Barracuda before becoming a full-time NHL player during the 2017-2018 season.
Goodrow won over Sharks fans with his versatility and no-nonsense style, and was popular in the San Jose dressing room for his willingness to stick up for teammates. In 2019, he cemented his spot in Sharks lore by scoring one of the most famous goals in team history.
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In overtime of Game 7 of San Jose’s first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights, Goodrow took a pass from Erik Karlsson inside the blue line, skated toward the Vegas net, and scored around goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Sharks a series-clinching 5-4 win.
Goodrow was dealt Lightning at the 2020 trade deadline for a first-round draft pick used on forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. Goodrow won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, adding 12 points in 43 playoff games.
For his NHL career, Goodrow has 169 points in 572 regular-season games and 24 points in 97 playoff games.