REPORT: Sharks Centerman Expecting To Be Traded

This San Jose Sharks center will be an unrestricted free agent after this season and figures to be traded by the March 7 deadline.

Nico Sturm has been a very serviceable player for the San Jose Sharks, but he understands the situation at hand. 

Sturm signed a three-year contract during the summer of 2022 with a cap hit of $2 million. With no extension in place and the Sharks in a free fall down the standings, Sturm recognizes he could be one of the main pieces to be dealt. 

"Realistically, as long as nothing's done, I might probably expect to get moved," Sturm told the Mercury News in late December. "If there's no contract extension, that's just the reality of life in the NHL."

Sturm leads all Sharks players in face-off win % at 63.3%. That doesn't include Collin Graf or Danil Gushchin, who have only taken a few draws and haven't lost. 

Sturm has always been in a bottom-six penalty-killing role for San Jose, and with the infusion of young talent, his role has slightly diminished. He's still producing decent offensive numbers, even in a limited role. 

In 40 games this season, Sturm has five goals and five assists. His five goals tie him for the same amount of goals he scored last season in 63 games. He likely won't reach the 14 goals and 12 assists he scored his first season with the club, but he is only averaging 9:49 TOI compared to 14:44 in 22-23 and 14:40 in 23-24.

"Probably now we're about halfway done throughout the year, and I'm certain [the front office] has some sort of better picture now of where we're at as a group, and where they how they want to move forward in the in the next few years to come," Sturm said.

Sturm told the Mercury News that he feels he's at the point in his career where he can get a heads-up from the front office about what to expect for his future. 

"I'm certainly expecting to hear what's going on with my future. I think I also deserve that at the point that I am in my career," Sturm said. "Either way, regardless of how it goes, I'm going to do my job. I'm going to be nothing but a professional. Whether I do sign an extension or do get moved, I'm going to keep doing my job, not going to sulk about it."

The San Jose Sharks have seven pending UFAs. With the NHL's Trade Deadline on March 7 this year, rumors involving those seven will almost certainly get louder daily.

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