It’s now been three days since free agency opened and the San Jose Sharks still have a lot of work to do to reach the cap floor. As of right now, they have $32 million in cap space and sit at $62.8 million in used cap space, which means they need to get to $70.6 million to be cap compliant. 

In total, they need to spend north of $7.8 million. The moves they’ve made so far have helped, but they still need to make a few more to hit the floor. Ideally, the Sharks would want to add a few players that can further the development of the roster and not have them losing 50 games. There are still a few options out there, but before we get into that, let’s recap what the Sharks did over the last few days.

William Eklund: 3 years, $16.8 million ($5.6 M AAV)

The day started with the Sharks announcing the contract extension of Eklund. At just 22 years old, he is a key piece of the core. The idea of a bridge deal was smart — it allows him to maximize his earnings, especially when the cap continues to climb. Eklund has had a good start to his young career. In 77 games last season, he had 17 goals and 41 assists for 58 points. Over his career, he’s scored 110 points in 174 games. This was some tidy business from GM Mike Grier, who is rebuilding this Sharks team the right way.

Philipp Kurashev: 1 year, $1.2 million

The signing of Kurashev is one that could be very underrated. After he was left unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks, he gets another opportunity to prove he can play in the NHL with the Sharks. At 25 years old, he has potential to be a good depth player for the team this season. Last season he struggled — he had 14 points in 51 games. However, over his career, he has shown some promise. He’s scored 48 goals and 82 assists for 130 points in 317 games. If the Sharks can get him back to the level he played at in 2023-24 when he had 54 points in 75 games, he could be a steal for them. 

John Klingberg: 1 year, $4 million

This is one of those signings that was likely a bit inflated based on the Sharks’ cap situation. Klingberg had struggled the last few seasons with injuries, but showed that might be in the past during his brief time with the Edmonton Oilers. He only played in 11 regular season games with the club and scored one goal and three assists. If the injuries really are behind him and he can play close to the level he did during his time with the Dallas Stars, then San Jose will have a very good trade candidate at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. In his career, he has scored 416 points in 644 games. His career-high in points came back in 2017-18 with the Stars when he scored 67 points in 82 games. It wouldn’t be surprising if Klingberg is traded to a playoff-contending team at the deadline after having a solid year in San Jose.

Adam Gaudette: 2 years, $4 million ($2 M AAV)

The addition of Gaudette was a good one. After getting back into the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, he showed he has what it takes to be a good depth scorer. In 81 games, he had 19 goals and seven assists for 26 points. With the Sharks, there could be a chance at a more elevated role, which would allow him the opportunity to score more. He’ll likely slot into the bottom six, potentially on the third line, where he will drive the net, shoot the puck, and get under the opponent’s skin. 

BREAKING: San Jose Sharks Acquire Bowers From New Jersey Devils The San Jose Sharks have acquired forward Shane Bowers from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Thomas Bordeleau.

The Sharks also made a handful of depth signings that will stay within the organization:

• Colin White: 1 year, $775,000
• Samuel Laberge: 1 year, $775,000
• Jimmy Huntington: 1 year, $775,000
• Cole Clayton: 1 year, $775,000
• Pavol Regenda: 1 year, $775,000

Grier also completed two trades in the last few days. He acquired Alex Nedeljkovic from the Pittsburgh Penguins to backup Yaroslav Askarov. He also swapped Thomas Bordeleau for Shane Bowers in a one-for-one trade with the New Jersey Devils.

With the Sharks needing to spend $7.8 million, there are a few players they could target to help get there. Here are a few free agent options:

• Nikolaj Ehlers: $8M x 6 years
• Dmitry Orlov: $7.5M x 1 year
• Robby Fabbri: $4M x 1–2 years
• Jeff Skinner: $4M x 1 year
• Luke Kunin: $3M x 1 year
• Anthony Beauvillier: $3M x 1–2 years

There may need to be a combination of these players to reach the floor, but other options are still available. There’s also the Daniel Sprongs and Cam Atkinsons of the world who could be signed for around $1 million per season. Regardless, Grier has the better part of two and a half months to get the team over the cap floor, which could allow him to look for a trade or two.

Sharks Acquire Alex Nedeljkovic From Penguins The San Jose Sharks have acquired goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2028 third-round pick.

Sharks Sign John Klingberg, Philipp Kurashev & Adam Gaudette In Free Agency The San Jose Sharks have announced that they have signed John Klingberg, Adam Gaudette and Philipp Kurashev to contracts.

Sharks Sign William Eklund To Three-Year Contract Extension The San Jose Sharks have signed William Eklund to a three-year contract worth $16.8 million. The contract carries an average annual value of $5.6 million, which is a great cap hit for a bridge deal for a team on the back half of a rebuild like San Jose.