Sharks Help Vegas + Sign Sawchenko

The San Jose Sharks are helping Vegas win a Stanley Cup.

San Jose has acquired a fifth-round pick from Vegas, originally Buffalo’s, for retaining 25% of Mattias Janmark’s cap hit on his way to Vegas.

Here’s the full deal:

TRADE: #SJSharks acquire 2022 fifth-round draft pick (BUF) from @GoldenKnights in a three-team trade with Vegas and @NHLBlackhawks.

As part of the transaction, defenseman Nick DeSimone has been traded to Vegas.https://t.co/9dywuvpYtw pic.twitter.com/oBNnF7mHgu

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 12, 2021

Barracuda defenseman Nick DeSimone is also joining the Golden Knights organization.

25% on Janmark’s $2.25 million dollar cap hit comes out to $562,500. Compared to last season, when Toronto took on $1.1 million of Robin Lehner’s cap hit, on his way to Vegas, for a fifth, that’s an improved exchange rate.

Yesterday, the San Jose Sharks got a fourth-round pick from Toronto for retaining $1.375 million on Nick Foligno’s cap hit.

But did Doug Wilson have any hesitation about helping a bitter division rival?

“If we didn’t help Vegas,” Wilson stated, “five other teams would have.”

Sharks Sign Sawchenko

The San Jose Sharks also announced the signing of goaltender Zachary Sawchenko to a two-year entry-level contract. The pact begins this year and expires 2021-22.

This will solve San Jose’s taxi squad goalie problem: They want Josef Korenar and Alexei Melnichuk to alternate between Sharks back-up and Barracuda starter, but the taxi squad requires a goalie signed to an NHL contract. Enter Sawchenko.

Sawchenko had been signed to a contract with the Barracuda. The 23-year-old has registered a 1-1-0 record with a .917 Save % in the AHL this year.