With a potential internal cap, can the Sharks really fix what ails them?
According to GeneralFanager.com, the Sharks have just north of $17M in cap space while needing two forwards, two defenders and a goalie to add to the active roster.
They need another top four defender and those don’t come cheap. Andrej Sekera is looking for $5.5-$6M per season, Cody Franson is looking for just under that and Mike Green probably wants more.
Let’s say the Sharks can woo Sekera for $5.5M per season. That drops the Sharks cap space to roughly $11.7M. A goalie for, let’s be cheap, $3M – 800K less than Niemi cost on the cap. That takes San Jose down to $8.7M of space, while still needing to add two forwards and a defender to ice a team. Lots of space? Sure it is, but not if you have an internal budget.
If San Jose wants to add anyone of significance in the off-season they will end up near the salary cap. So, what does that mean? It means that, perhaps, the Sharks aren’t going to do a single thing to really improve what they had last year.
The Sharks have the cap space to make a splash and really improve the team. The owner has the coin to purchase most of the 30 teams in the NHL all at once – but here we are with a budget mandate.
We know this team can’t win a Stanley Cup as it looks now, but is improving to chase that Cup even an option?
Everyone can cry about the cost of free agents all they want. That’s the market, deal with it. If you want a top four defender, you pay for one. The other option is to draft and develop them – which San Jose has clearly not done. Without spending near the cap this year the Sharks will be fighting for a playoff spot again – which means nothing in the grand scheme of things if you don’t have the team to go the distance.
Just getting in, or just missing out, doesn’t help a rebuild, so we can throw that lie in the fire again.
I should mention that $17M in space is without Raffi Torres, so it could be $15M in space with one forward, two defenders and a goalie – and the same needs.
San Jose is only in a great cap situation if they intend on using the available space. Otherwise, they might as well be considered hamstrung. Being a budget team is embarrassing when you have a poor GM. It only works if you can draft well and keep costs down on a year to year basis. Where the Sharks stand now gives them two options: 1) Scrap the budget or; 2) Remain stuck in mediocrity.
Other Notes:
- Rourke Chartier is off to the Memorial Cup after notching 8 points in four games for Kelowna to send Brandon home in a sweep. It’s a good sign considering his play had dipped in the first 12 games he played in the playoffs compared to his regular season performance.
- Brent Burns is currently beating Belarus by himself right now. Burns has two goals and a helper into the third period and is all but assured to be playing in the semi-finals, and for at least Bronze. Canada will face the winner of CZE/FIN.
- Ben Smith had a goal (!) for the Americans today as they squeaked by Switzerland 3-1. Smith is also guaranteed to be playing for at least Bronze. USA will face the winner of SWE/RUS.
- Todd McLellan appears to be on the verge of coaching Connor McDavid, or the Edmonton Oilers if you want to give them a real team name. Todd is cold, ice cold. His association with Mike Babcock gets him a job and he repays him by stealing McDavid out from under him.
Thanks for reading.