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Sharks place Paul Martin on unconditional waivers; What's next?

June 22, 2018, 1:16 PM ET [4 Comments]
Steve Palumbo
San Jose Sharks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Paul Martin's time in teal and black in over. The San Jose Sharks have placed Martin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. The move comes as news is spreading that the Sharks are part of the final four teams in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes.




The Sharks have been very busy lately clearing cap room to go after the likes of Kovalchuk
and John Tavares, while bringing back Joe Thornton.

Per Cap Friendly, with Doug Wilson's recent shenanigans (Hoffman/picks/etc) and the Martin buyout, San Jose heads into free agency with nearly $19 million in cap space and 20 players under contract.

Tomas Hertl, Chris Tierney and Dylan DeMelo are all RFA's.

The NHL recently announced the salary cap ceiling for the 2018-19 season will be $79.5 million.




With the NHL draft tonight and free agency just days away, the Sharks could be entering into one of their big summers in recent memory. San Jose is a team that fancy's itself as a piece or two away from really challenging for the Stanley Cup.

As a Devils' fan, the thought of Ilya Kovalchuk puts me in a sour mood. That said, a right winger with goal scoring ability would be a nice addition to the Sharks top six. I don't see Tavares departing from Long Island, leaving Kovy as SJ's best free agent option.

I expect Wilson to be more active in the trade market. The Sharks GM pulled off a blockbuster when he acquired Evander Kane last season and then signed him to a long term deal. I fully expect him to pull another rabbit out of a hat in order to put the Sharks in the best position to win.

What do you want Wilson to do? What is San Jose's best option for winning now and in the future?

The fun begins tonight with the NHL draft. Let the game within the game begin.

thanks for reading,
Steve
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