The San Jose Sharks made five roster decisions on July 1st. General Manager Mike Grier explained the reasoning behind all of them.
Sharks addition of Nedeljkovic is precisely what they wanted
The Sharks got their No. 2 goalie, Alex Nedeljkovic, from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2028 3rd-round pick.
Grier told reporters that the Sharks have had their eye on acquiring the netminder for a little bit.
“Getting [Nedeljkovic] in net was big for us—someone who can push [Yaroslav Askarov] and is a proven winner in this league,” Grier said. “He’s a really solid guy, and [Ryan Warsofsky has] spent some time with him. A competitive guy. Having competition in the net was important for us, so we’re happy to get him in.”
Grier said that he feels Nedeljkovic’s personality will mesh well with the rest of the San Jose Sharks.
John Klingberg brings puck-moving and experience to the Sharks’ blue line
A desperate need for the Sharks was a puck-moving, right-handed defenseman. John Klingberg matches that. At 32, Klingberg played for the Edmonton Oilers last season and demonstrated his recovery from a major hip surgery in 2024.
“Klingberg was someone targeted for a little while now. We need someone who can run a power play. He showed he was getting healthier and healthier, healthier this year,” Grier said.
Sharks feel Kurashev was misused last season
The San Jose Sharks are expecting Philipp Kurashev to play in the top-nine forwards next season.
Grier told reporters that Kurashev’s performance during the 23-24 season, where he scored 54 points, proves he can play with top players.
“Kurashev is someone we’ve liked for a while. We like the versatility of being able to play center and wing and be able to move him all around the top nine,” Grier said. “I think he’s shown in the past he’s been able to play with good players and be a productive NHL player.”
Gaudette fills a team need and can chip in some goals
Mike Grier’s goal when he signed Adam Gaudette was to fill a team need. A bottom-six forward with some offensive touch around the front of the net.
Like most bottom-six forwards, Gaudette can be a center or a wing. He’s a decent face-off player, too. With the Ottawa Senators last season, Gaudette finished with a face-off win % of 50.3.
“[Gaudette] fills a little bit of a need for us. A right-shot center. He can [play] wing as well, which gives us flexibility with the lineup,” the Sharks GM said. “He’s pretty good on face-offs, and He’s really good around the net, as you guys can see with the 19 goals he had this year.”
Getting Eklund’s contract done was a reward for what he’s done and will do
William Eklund signed a three-year contract extension starting in 26-27 on Tuesday. Similarly to what the Swedish winger told reporters this morning, the Sharks are showing that they are bought into him being part of the future.
“I think both sides were happy with the three years. We’ll continue to watch Eklund grow and develop and see where he falls in with the rest of our group as we continue to build this thing,” Grier said. “We’re really, really excited to have him signed up. He’s kind of the first guy who’s been here since I started, and that we’ve extended to start building this thing.”
Eklund’s new deal will carry an AAV of $5.6 million.
The San Jose Sharks GM must continue to spend money this off-season. While there isn’t an obvious move to make to reach the cap floor, Grier was emphasizing that it is just the first day of free agency.
He told reporters that the Sharks will “continue to chip away” to reach the floor.
Grier spoke about many topics, and more stories will be written about what the Sharks GM said after the first day of NHL Free Agency.
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