Max Miller
The first move of the San Jose Sharks’ day was signing forward Mason Marchment to a five-year contract at $6.75 million AAV.
Marchment joins an organization he has been around for much of his life. His late father, Bryan, was a player and scout for the Sharks. The signing is not only a good move for the team but also a full-circle moment for the Marchment family.
“It’s pretty crazy for me, it’s just so full circle. This is really where I remember my dad playing the most is San Jose,” Marchment said. “There’s just so many good memories at the rink. It’s always special for me and my family, for sure.”
After trading William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators, the San Jose Sharks cleared more cap space to make moves. Although already having tons of space, clearing out even more allowed them to slightly overpay players, which didn’t happen here.
The 31-year-old winger might not be the best skater, but he’s productive. He may not score a bunch of points, but he can put up 50+ points if he remains healthy. Marchment has played six full seasons in the NHL, and he’s missed time in five of them. He was on pace to beat his career high of 53 points in his final season with the Dallas Stars. A facial injury in December of 2024 caused him to miss significant time. During the 24-25 season, Marchment scored 47 points in 62 games. He had scored 53 in 81 games the season prior.
The San Jose Sharks’ top-six forwards look dynamic, and while adding Marchment clogs the forward group a bit, I don’t think GM Mike Grier is done adjusting it. In this day and age, you’ve got to pay a pretty penny to get something on the open market, and the Sharks did that with Marchment.
Marchment’s deal is five years, which is a positive. The Sharks spent heavily on July 1st, but as of this writing, they have over $14 million in cap space. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith’s eventual extensions won’t kick in until 27-28; by then, the NHL Salary Cap will have grown immensely.
He’s not a penalty killer, but his size, 6-foot-5, will come in handy when covering the points in the defensive zone. The Sharks need puck movers and guys who can impact the game anywhere on the ice. Marchment appears to be just that.
The extension of Ty Dellandrea becomes murky at the moment, but it is unclear whether that makes a difference with this move. After all, Marchment and Dellandrea have been close since childhood, and their time with the Stars.
My Grade: B+
Grade overview:
Adding Marchment is a nice get for Grier, and he will certainly help the Sharks get closer to the playoffs in 26-27. The cap hit is reasonable, under $7 million is great considering it was reported to be there, and he’ll be good with a strong supporting cast. He’ll be motivated to play for his childhood team, one he tweeted about in 2013.
Was now the right time to get a player like Marchment? Probably, and it appears he signed right around market value. With the Sharks no longer in cap hell, moves like this are good. It still is a bit of a shock to the system, as you don’t want to block young prospects like Cam Lund or Quentin Musty. Marchment is a solid player; he’ll be a good Shark.
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