Ben Shelley: Analyzing Tomas Hertl’s new contract

Excellent! Now go and get the Kings to do it too.

From an outsider.....I wouldn't have signed him.
He's a good player and the only one scoring because he's the only one left.
You're in the same boat as Montreal...weird limbo with some big contracts you can't move. People who either aren't healthy enough to live up to their contracts, or just won't now that they're too old. You almost need to pull a Minnesota but it's painful.

Montreal's gm gets all these accolades for what he pulled at the deadline LOL...dude that was the easy lifting. It's the dead weight that's still on the books you can't move and can't buy out.

those defense contracts and, sadly to say your captains contract have you bogged down....Your goalie money is in decent shape you don't really owe much there...

but if you'd traded Hertl and maybe used him to get rid of one of those D contracts with some or none retained....say Vlassic or Burns to Toronto you might have gotten out from under one of those deals and could retool faster. (yes I'm aware your D have no trades and no moves)

The team is really going to feel the crunch in 23/24 when Meir gets a new deal. Say he gets north of 7mm AAV, then that will be 6 guys making more than that. Those guys are also mostly (hockey) old. 5 of the 6 will be 30+. 3 will be 35+ with Karlsson close behind at 33. They must be counting on Eklund to be really good. He'll have plenty of mentors.

I think it really depends on your definition of "compete". I don't believe the Sharks are trying to compete for a cup... I think they're just trying to "make the playoffs."

I'm not a fan of the direction they're going right now, but I can understand it. I wish they'd lean into a little more of a rebuild, but a full tear down, they're just not in a position to do an Arizona like scorched earth rebuild; they have too many immovable contracts. And San Jose isn't a market that is going to financially support a 3-5 year rebuild. Their attendance is already suffering.

It will be interesting come next season if Meier is having another good season and doesn't revert to his 2020/2019 self. That might finally push them to buyout Vlasic and his atrocious contract.