Sharks' Best Options on Defence

Now that the San Jose Sharks have lost once again to the Chicago Blackhawks, this time in pursuit of Niklas Hjalmarsson, their blueline is sorely lacking. However, there are other ways for them to bolster the unit should they be as willing to free up cap space as they were for the Swedish champion…here are the best options available, in order:

1. Marc Staal is rumoured to have lost favour with the New York Rangers, which with their track record on evaluating talent is hardly indicative of a player’s worth. At 23 years old, he should continue to get better and could be on the unit for some time to come. The restricted free agent could likely be signed for a figure of $3,091,963 or lower that would cost the Sharks only a second-round pick as compensation. In three years, the strong-skating Staal has only missed two games including the playoffs, averages over a point per five games on a team that struggles to score and generally finishes in the plus.
   

   Marc Staal may be a poor-man's Niklas Hjalmarsson

2. Kevin Bieksa could be the odd-man out in Vancouver, who just added Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard to their unit. At 29, he is peaking right now, and came back from an injury last season to score three goals and five assists in the playoffs. While he is not the player Hjalmarsson is, he has improved enough defensively to be an asset on both ends of the ice (138 points and -16 in 312 regular and post-season games). He has one year left on a $3.75M contract.
3. Sami Salo is 35 and would probably be more palatable for the Canucks to part ways with. However, he will also fetch a lower return (making him a pain-free option for the Sharks) and the team may be more worried about not being able to re-sign Bieksa next season. Salo’s cannon right-handed shot has helped him get 298 points in 739 regular and post-season games, and would be great on the point for San Jose. He is also adequate defensively, garnering an overall plus-100 rating. He has one year left on a $3.5M contract.
4. Tomas Kaberle has long been the subject of rumours, and would most likely be thrilled to waive his no-trade clause to come to San Jose. The 32-year old defenceman still has plenty left in the tank and has missed just 57 games over the last ten seasons. The one-year remaining on his $4.25M contract ($750,000 more than offered to Hjalmarsson) may be prohibitive given the Sharks cap status, but if they can make the room, he offers another great skater and power play quarterback: Kaberle has over 500 points in under 900 regular and post-season games while playing for a team that has missed the playoff more than they have made it.

For a look at some unrestricted free agent alternatives, check out my companion piece on Shark-Infested Blogger.