The San Jose Sharks reshaped their roster ahead of the NHL trade deadline, making several moves to adjust the lineup.
On Thursday the San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Jett Woo from the Vancouver Canucks. In return, Vancouver receives defenseman Jack Thompson.
At 23 years old, Thompson has played 34 games in his NHL career, holding 10 points and -11 rating. This season, Thompson has played primarily with the San Jose Barracuda.
Woo was originally drafted by the Canucks in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft. While the 25-year-old spent most of his career in the AHL, he served as an alternate captain this season.
Since Vancouver Canucks never gave Woo an NHL opportunity, the Sharks can evaluate how he fits their prospect rotation. San Jose recently acquired Kiefer Sherwood from Vancouver as well. Having another former Canucks player in the system could help with the adjustment.
On Wednesday, Sherwood signed a five-year contract extension with Team Teal, worth about $28.75 million. The 30-year-old forward was acquired ahead of the Olympic break in exchange for two second-round draft picks and Cole Clayton.
Within his first five games with the Sharks, Sherwood has logged one goal, one assist, and a +1 rating. Prior to the trade, Sherwood scored 17 goals in 44 games, while ranking high in hits across the league. A five-year extension signals that the Sharks org views Sherwood as a long-term part of their lineup.
The Sharks have six players set to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Alex Nedeljkovic could be contended to a team needing a backup or insurance goalie. Sergei Bobrovsky has also been linked to the SHarks recently, per Elliotte Friedman.
Timothy Liljegren, Vincent Desharnais, Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, and Ryan Reaves are the other players who could attract interest.
Ferraro, 27, is one of four Sharks who have played in every single game this season. Relatively young and popular with fans, Ferraro could remain a key part of the rebuild, if not traded.
Team Teal could be more likely to move Klingberg or Liljegren, or let the latter walk as a free agent.
Liljegren has 11 points (10 assists, one goal) in 43 games played, with a -7 rating. The 26-year-old defenseman is usually paired with Dmitry Orlov or Ferraro, when not a healthy scratch. Liljegren has had a few injuries throughout the season as well, but returned to the lineup in early January.
Elsewhere, 33-year-old Klingberg has logged 21 points this season (10 goals, 11 assists),45 GP, and a -11 rating. The veteran d-man is frequently in the same rotation pair as Liljegren, alongside Orlov. Klingberg averages 21:01 TOI per game, third among skaters, and second among d-men.
While the trade deadline looms on Friday, Team Teal turns their attention back to the ice. San Jose has two games at home, hoping to ride their three-game winning streak in back-to-back matchups. The Sharks take on the St. Louis Blues on Friday, and the New York Islanders on Saturday.
You can “Like” CAM6RUF on Facebook and “Follow” us on X for more sports articles like this one.
Featured image courtesy of San Jose Sharks on NHL.com
“From Our Haus to Yours”
