The San Jose Sharks have been quietly busy over the last few days, taking care of some business on the homefront while (somehow) managing to sign yet another enforcer. Michael Haley was added on a one-year contract, and will likely spend a majority of the 2014-15 campaign in the AHL.

That wasn't the only deal that the Sharks have doled out this week. Let's have a look at the new contracts and whether or not they make sense.


Scott Hannan

General manager Doug Wilson didn't like what he saw out of the Sharks in the playoffs last season, and vowed to "rebuild" the team this summer. No one was quite sure what he meant when he said that—now we know it means signing as many goons and talentless hacks as possible—but folks generally assumed that younger players would be given a chance to cement roles on the team during training camp.

San Jose has a few solid young defenseman, and that's the only reason the choice to keep Hannan was confusing. As a No. 6 or 7 guy, the veteran makes perfect sense. He's serviceable and isn't a possession anchor like some similarly built defenders can be. With Brad Stuart gone, there seemed to be a few holes for prospects like Mirco Mueller or the recently added Matt Tennyson.

That doesn't seem to be the case now, with the Sharks electing to retain Hannan. Again, not a bad move when viewed from a basic perspective, but when looked at alongside the other things San Jose has done and what Wilson has said, it's a bit of a head scratcher.

And now Scott Hannan’s back in SJ. Rough summer for Sharks fans.

— Kent Wilson (@Kent_Wilson) July 10, 2014

One year and $1 million isn't a bad contract. Hannan will just prevent a younger player from making the jump to the NHL this season. Which doesn't add up for a rebuilding team.


James Sheppard

One of San Jose's restricted free agents, James Sheppard landed himself a solid one-year, $1.3 million contract following an inconsistent and mildly bizarre rookie season. When given the chance to skate alongside a center like Joe Pavelski, Sheppard was effective in the offensive zone and couldn't be honed in on as a defensive liability.

Once the Sharks tried him as the third-line center, things went off the rails for the 26-year-old.

@TravisHeHateMe Haha I actually think he's a terrific bottom-six winger. It's when they tried to make him the 3C that everything fell apart.

— Fear The Fin (@fearthefin) July 8, 2014

He doesn't have the two-way skills needed to be a reliable bottom-six pivot, and he doesn't seem to have the finishing touch needed to provide a threat as a top-six forward.

San Jose didn't go out and get married to the guy. His contract is only for a season, but again, retaining him prevents one of the Sharks' young and promising prospects from cracking the lineup. Wilson has been all about giving the youth a push from within the organization, but some of his moves this summer indicates that the chatter might have been smoke and mirrors.


Tommy Wingels

What's that you say? Finally a deal that makes sense? Hallelujah.

Tommy Wingels was a surprising bright spot for the Sharks last season, potting 16 goals, adding 22 assists and leading the team in hits with 216.

If Dustin Brown was willing to actually man up and fight, it would be against a guy like Tommy Wingels, making goons irrelevant.

— Andrew Bensch (@ViewFromBensch) July 9, 2014

More than just a scoring threat, Wingels saw time as both a penalty killer and on the team's second power-play unit. A multi-tool of a player if there ever was one, Wingels brings the kind of speed and tenacity that the Sharks seemingly lacked at times last season. Worth noting is his apparent affinity for the PK. While he was on the ice the Sharks actually outscored their opposition despite being shorthanded. That's wild.

Making $7.4 million over the three years of the contract, Wingels will be fairly compensated for his contributions without handcuffing San Jose's ability to add more talent to the bottom-six. If they ever decide to do that, that is.


Conclusion

The Wingels deal aside, the Sharks continue to make puzzling personal choices this summer. Keeping Mike Brown and adding John Scott was strange enough, but re-signing Hannan and extending Sheppard runs counter-course with what Wilson says he wants to do.

If he is serious about allowing a few prospects to move up, then there will be a few roster clearing trades coming before October. Otherwise, all the talk of a rebuild was just for effect. None of these contracts are bad in and of themselves, but in the context of the summer as a whole, they don't really make sense.

Except for Wingels. He's going to be a good Shark for a long while.

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