Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro, a pending UFA, could be on the move. Which contenders are eyeing his defensive grit and physical presence for a playoff push?
The San Jose Sharks have a handful of trade targets on their team this season. They are likely going to be the biggest seller this Trade Deadline. There’s John Klingberg, Jeff Skinner, Alex Wennberg, Ryan Reaves, Ty Dellandrea, and Nick Leddy. But there may not be one as sought after as defenseman Mario Ferraro.
Ferraro, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent who has been a popular name on the trade market for the last handful of seasons. But this could finally be the year that he is traded. The question is, who would be interested in him?
Well, let's look at three teams that could potentially be interested in him this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The first team that could be interested in Ferraro is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even though they rebuilt their blue line over the last few seasons, it looks like they may need to do more fine tuning because they have struggled defensively. Ferraro is more defensive than he is offensive, and he likely won't score more than 20 points per season. But he will contribute at least 150 hits and 130 blocks. His career high in blocks came in 2023-24 when he had 195. This would take some pressure off Chris Tanev and maybe even build another shutdown pairing for the Maple Leafs.
The biggest thing for the Maple Leafs would be the asking price. Obviously, there is no word on what that would be. But we can assume it may be more than what Toronto has. So, in order to make it work, they would need to get creative. It may require them moving out money for draft capital or prospects to bring in money. They are in an interesting spot. They need to add if they want to win, but they lack assets, which makes it tough. It is clear their Stanley Cup window is closing rather quickly, so they will need to do all they can to extend it for the next few seasons.
Colorado Avalanche
Next up, the Colorado Avalanche, who will likely be looking to add to their blue line as they gear up for a long playoff run. Right now, they have a good back end, but with injuries and a long season, they may be looking for more help.
The Avalanche have already struggled with injuries. Samuel Girard has been out, so they've been using depth defensemen Ilya Solovyov and Wyatt Aamodt. It would be an upgrade for them to acquire Ferraro from the Sharks. Especially if they are going to face off against one of the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in the first or second round of the playoffs. They will need to add to their blue line, and bringing in Ferraro, who excels defensively, could help them go further in the postseason.
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Detroit Red Wings
The last team is the Detroit Red Wings. They are a team that has drastically improved this season and could be looking to add to their blue line. If you look at their back end, you'll notice that they have a lot of younger defensemen who will be on the roster if they make the playoffs. However, there is also Jacob Bernard-Docker, Travis Hamonic, and Ben Chiarot, who are weaker defensively than Ferraro.
Ferraro would be an upgrade that would help the blue line become more defensively reliable. Obviously, they have Moritz Seider, who is their best defenseman, but adding another player who can hit, block, and eat minutes could help down the stretch and into the playoffs when things become more difficult. The Red Wings are an interesting team because right now they are one of the better teams in the Atlantic Division. But there are still 68 to 70 games remaining in the season, and things could go off the rails at any point. If they play well enough and earn a spot in the playoffs, or are in one by the time the 2026 Trade Deadline rolls around in March, it wouldn't be surprising if they look to add to their blue line. And furthermore, if Ferraro is at the top of their list.
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