Sheng Peng
The San Jose Sharks’ defense needs all kinds of help.
Such is life on the worst team in the NHL.
Which UFA defensemen can help?
Assuming the Sharks stay out of the high-end of that pool, because GM Mike Grier seems reluctant to hand out maximum-length contracts — Aaron Ekblad, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Ivan Provorov could all garner those — there’s still help to be had out there.
Right now, the San Jose defense looks like left-handers Mario Ferraro, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Henry Thrun, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, along with right-handers Vincent Desharnais and Timothy Liljegren.
Left-handers Luca Cagnoni and Sam Dickinson, and right-hander Jack Thompson are prospects waiting in the wings.
Perhaps that means two outside additions then? Not counting the prospects, and because Desharnais, Thrun, and Vlasic may not be everyday line-up fixtures.
That could come via trade too, of course, but let’s look at unrestricted free agents here.
Let’s zero in on a half-dozen candidates, Matt Grzelcyk, Nate Schmidt, Dante Fabbro, Brian Dumoulin, Ryan Lindgren, and Nick Perbix.
Stathletes, NHL scouts, and other league sources discuss specific areas where they can help the San Jose Sharks.
Let’s start with the power play, where the Sharks finished 26th in the NHL with an 18.6 percent success rate.
Matt Grzelcyk
The 31-year-old left-hander was a big part of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ power play, sixth-best in the league.
His 40 points, a career-high, actually makes him the most-prolific UFA blueliner available.
“Great puckmover,” a league source said, “would have a great influence on young players.”
It’s also San Jose Hockey Now’s understanding that Grzelcyk is looking for reasonable term and is open to a variety of competitive situations.
That sounds like a good fit for the Sharks.
While the 5-foot-10 puckmover isn’t the biggest body, he’s also a willing defender who’s killed penalties in the past.
According to Stathletes, Grzelcyk led Pens blueliners in Cross-Ice Passes and Passes Closer to Net (receiver is closer to net after pass) in the offensive zone, both rate areas where the Sharks can certainly use improvement.
Nate Schmidt
The 33-year-old left-hander, a lot of experience playing the right side, is enjoying a resurgent post-season with Florida Panthers. He’s put up three goals and 12 points in 22 playoff contests and has been a fixture on the Panthers’ second unit PP.
Schmidt took less money to sign with the defending champs last summer, so it’s hard to say if he would be interested in being part of the San Jose Sharks’ rebuild. But no doubt, his effervescent personality would add waves of good vibes into any room.
Schmidt’s still a dangerous puck-mover too: During the regular season, he led all Florida blueliners in Assisted Expected Goals, which means he’s setting up quality chances.
The 6-footer has been more of a bottom-pairing rearguard on contending teams in recent years, but chances are, he can handle more of a workload with the Sharks.
After Grzelcyk and Schmidt, it’s going to be hard to find power play help in free agency.
There should be more help on the defensive side of things though. The Sharks’ penalty kill also struggled last year, their 74.2 success rate 27th in the NHL.
Dante Fabbro
The San Jose Sharks could’ve claimed the 26-year-old right-hander off waivers from the Nashville Predators in November, but passed, allowing the Columbus Blue Jackets to swoop in.
The six-footer found his game in Columbus, averaging 21:39 a night, third-most on a Blue Jackets squad that just missed the playoffs. He also potted a career-high nine goals and became a go-to penalty killer.
Per Stathletes, Fabbro led his defense in zone entry denials.
This was the exact right time for the UFA to have a career year.
So could the Sharks be interested in him now?
One league source believes that Fabbro will return to Columbus.
That’s well and fine for an NHL scout, not with San Jose, to let the Blue Jackets pay for Fabbro’s career season.
“Love his compete,” Scout #1 said, “just think he’s a bottom-pairing guy on a contender.”
Of course, the Sharks are far from contending, so Fabbro can help them. But at his age and after a revelatory year, he’s probably looking to get paid top-four money, and for a while.
So does San Jose believe in Fabbro long-term?
Brian Dumoulin
The two-time Stanley Cup winner is not who he was, but Dumoulin is still an effective defender.
The 6-foot-4 left-hander was a go-to penalty killer for both the Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils last season.
Per Stathletes, the 33-year-old led the Ducks in Turnovers Created, or forced, a testament to his defensive activity.
“Steady,” Scout #2 said. “Can play higher in the line-up if needed.”
So on a Cup contender, Dumoulin is a bottom-pairing rearguard, but he can still play up.
“Dumoulin’s a solid veteran who can move the puck and is good defensively,” Scout #3 said. “He is getting up there in age, but a real solid player.”
As you’ll read in a little bit, a number of these league sources think that Dumoulin is the best defensemen of this particular UFA bunch.
Ryan Lindgren
The 6-foot-0 left-hander is just 27, but he has seen some hard top-four minutes over the years.
“Lindgren’s injury history is a concern, especially with how hard he plays,” Scout #2 said.
That said, he’s still a capable defensive defenseman and penalty killer, and a good fit in any room.
“He plays with an edge,” Scout #3 said.
He’s also still an alert defender: Per Stathletes, his pass interception rate was second among New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche rearguards last year.
“Lindgren wouldn’t offer much in the puck moving department,” Scout #2 added, “but makes up for it off the puck.”
San Jose Hockey Now thinks that he could be open to coming to a competitive situation like the Sharks’.
Nick Perbix
Unlike the aforementioned defensemen, Perbix has never played top-four minutes. He also wasn’t a regular on the Tampa Bay Lightning PP or PK last season.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander is just 27 and doesn’t have a lot of tread on his tires.
Stathletes micro-stats, also, suggest that Perbix might be an intriguing, multi-faceted defensemen.
At 5-on-5, he was either first or second on the Lightning in a diverse range of rate stats: Slot Passes, OZ Possession Time, Successful Zone Entries, and Turnovers Created.
If these skills can translate to heavier usage in all situations, including special teams, Perbix might be a late-bloomer.
So, he could have a lot of suitors this off-season.
Scout #1 opined though: “He is not hard for his size.”
Other UFAs
31-year-old right-hander Cody Ceci is an obvious return candidate and had interest in re-signing with the San Jose Sharks before he got traded with Mikael Granlund to the Dallas Stars. In the vein of possibly Grzelcyk or Lindgren or Dumoulin, the 6-foot-4 stay-at-home defender might be seeking stability i.e. term more than anything.
Brent Burns, 40, coming back to his old stomping grounds would be a nice story, and he’s still got all-around game, but you figure he’s going to chase a Stanley Cup, which won’t be in San Jose next year.
In much the same way, Dmitry Orlov has a ton of winning experience, and the 5-foot-11 left-hander is still a capable top-four defender. But the 33-year-old appears to want to play for a winner.
6-foot-0 right-hander Henri Jokiharju, a 2017 first-rounder, is a reclamation project, but a league source opined that “his game is lost”.
So given these choices, who would these league sources sign if they were the San Jose Sharks?
“I would take Schmidt [over Grzelcyk on the power play], but I don’t think he would take the Sharks,” a league source said.
This source thinks Perbix, Dumoulin, Lindgren, and Grzelcyk, in that order, are helpful and realistic targets for San Jose.
How about between veteran shutdown options Dumoulin and Lindgren?
“Dumoulin has probably more value than Lindgren,” Scout #4 said.
Scout #2 agreed, “Dumoulin is a safe pick.”
Scout #1 accounted for Sharks needing help at both ends, choosing Grzelcyk and Dumoulin from all this bunch.
That’s maybe not the most exciting off-season, but both should provide solid hockey and genuine leadership for a rebuilding San Jose Sharks squad which needs all the help that it can get.