Ahead Jonathan Dahlen and defenseman Nicolas Meloche have been among the many gamers not given qualifying affords by the Sharks previous to Monday’s deadline, and can now turn into unrestricted free brokers.
Different pending restricted free brokers forged apart by the Sharks have been forwards Joachim Blichfeld, Zach Gallant, Jake McGrew, and Antoine Morand, defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk, and goalie Zach Sawchenko. Blichfeld has already signed with a workforce within the Swedish Hockey League.
The Sharks did give qualifying affords to pending RFA forwards Sasha Chmelevski, Jonah Gadjovich, Luke Kunin. and Noah Gregor, defenseman Mario Ferraro, and goalie Kaapo Kahkonen.
NHL groups had till Monday to subject qualifying affords to their pending RFA’s. Those who weren't certified are free to signal with any workforce as of Wednesday.
That the Sharks gave a bodily participant like Gadjovich, 23, who had three factors and 74 penalty minutes in 43 video games final season, a qualifying provide forward of Dahlen maybe says one thing about the kind of workforce Grier envisions, at the least for subsequent season.
“We’ve talked about from day one the kind of workforce I need to have, the kind of gamers I need to have,” Grier stated. “In order that was the standards for the choices we made. There are all the time cap points and 50 contract points that go into it, however from day one, I’ve been fairly clear concerning the sort I need to have.”
Dahlen, the son of former Sharks ahead Ulf Dahlen, was initially acquired in Feb. 2019 by the Sharks from the Vancouver Canucks for 2018 third-round decide Linus Karlsson.
Dahlen then spent two full seasons along with his Swedish hometown workforce of Timra IK, and was the Allsvenskan’s main scorer and MVP each years, earlier than he and the Sharks agreed to a one-year, one-way contract in June 2021.
Dahlen began the yr with 14 factors in 27 video games and was a fixture within the Sharks’ top-six ahead group every time he was wholesome or not in COVID-19 protocol.
However Dahlen struggled mightily within the second half of the yr and completed the season with 22 factors in 61 video games, together with simply two in his last 21 video games, as he fell into the doghouse of former coach Bob Boughner.
Dahlen’s averaged round quarter-hour of ice time per sport by means of the primary three-plus months of the season however noticed his taking part in time dip precipitously from February on, because the grind of an 82-game common season took its toll. During the last three months of the season, Dahlen performed roughly 11 minutes per sport and was a wholesome scratch on a handful of events.
“There’s a sure sort of profile of participant and issues that we’re searching for to form of make this workforce the kind of workforce that I would really like it to be,” Grier stated. “(Dahlen) doesn’t match the profile proper now. I want him one of the best.
“He had a very good season with the Sharks final yr, however coming into the season, there have been going to be modifications. I believe we knew that and he simply occurred to be one in every of them.”
Meloche, who turns 25 subsequent week, performed 50 video games for the Sharks this season, averaging near 17 minutes of ice time per sport. His function beneath Boughner grew within the second half, as he performed in 34 of the workforce’s last 37 video games.
The Sharks, although, have already got near 36 % of their cap tied up in 5 defensemen, and not using a new deal but for Mario Ferraro, and couldn’t come to phrases on a brand new deal for Meloche, who had arbitration rights.
“We simply thought the place we have been numbers-wise on the again finish and the sum of money we've got tied up within the again finish that, mainly, it didn’t make it make a ton of sense proper now,” Grier stated.
With Meloche gone, the Sharks, as of Monday afternoon, have solely 4 different right-shot defensemen beneath contract — Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Ryan Merkley and 2021 draft alternative Gannon Laroque.
The Sharks will look at the checklist of gamers who weren't tendered affords by NHL groups Monday and may dip into the free company pool to herald one other right-shot defenseman Wednesday or later.
Grier stated he’s had preliminary conversations with the camps of Kahkonen, Ferraro and Kunin,
“We like all three of these gamers and hope to get one thing carried out with them quickly, ahead of later,” Grier stated. “It’s all a part of the negotiation, however the talks have all been good up to now.”