With the NHL Draft and free agency looming, many storylines regarding who the San Jose Sharks might sign are appearing.
Reports have indicated that William Eklund and the Sharks have at least initiated discussions about an extension. How deep the conversation has gone is not yet known. Eklund isn’t eligible to sign an extension until July 1st.
The Sharks winger is also recovering from a nasty wrist injury that kept him out of the IIHF World Championship.
Eklund won’t become a restricted free agent until 2026, making his situation slightly different than a 2025 pending RFA.
The 2025 NHL off-season will be marked by uncertainty regarding contract pricing. One agent, whose client will be an RFA this summer, told me that it’s better to wait and see what the market is like before getting into deep extension talks.
The salary cap is set at $95.5 million for the 25-26 season. That represents a significant increase from the $88 million in 2024-2025. Although not officially announced by the NHL, the league projects further growth in the future.
In late January, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman projected the 2026-2027 cap at $104 million and the 2027-2028 cap at $113.5 million. These numbers are subject to change.
When it comes to extension talks for pending RFAs and extension players, the consensus seems to be that free agency and arbitration will determine the salaries. That is what an agent with an NHL pending RFA told me.
It would make no sense for young players like San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund to sign a long-term extension right now unless it was a massive amount of money. A bridge deal at two to four years long seems like the most likely outcome.
For UFAs like Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers, term might be the priority given their ages.
Shakir Mukhamadullin’s one-year deal with the Sharks is a perfect example of this. The d-man still needs to develop more, yes, but he allowed himself another chance to get paid even more after the 25-26 season.
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