The San Jose Sharks’ most notable addition so far this offseason was signing center Nick Bonino to a two-year contract, at a $2.05 million cap hit.
Bonino scored 10 goals and 26 points in 55 games with the Minnesota Wild this past season, a pace of 15 goals and 39 points per 82 games. He’s played a total of 681 career NHL games, having also spent time with the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins (where he won two Stanley Cups) and the Nashville Predators. Bonino is coming off a contract which carried $4.1 million AAV.
It wasn't surprising to see the Sharks spending money on a third-line center and I actually liked this signing quite a bit. Bonino isn’t going to be a long-term solution but the Sharks desperately need better depth down the middle and Bonino is a decent option. He can still score at a rate of about 15-20 goals and 35-40 points per 82, meaning he should bring strong production for what he’s being paid. He’ll also likely be used on the penalty kill and can play on the power play as well.
Even considering that Bonino is 33 years old, the two-year term at a low price means there’s minimal risk in the signing. He should be a decent short-term fix and can hopefully bridge a gap, buying the Sharks time to develop some younger players and gradually integrate them into the lineup.
Even though it’s not a major move by any means and the Sharks still have several issues in their lineup, the Bonino signing was a fairly good one for the team. He’s likely to play a key role on San Jose’s third line and bringing him on board is a step in helping to address the team’s lack of forward depth.
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Do you like the Nick Bonino signing for the Sharks?