Sharks sign Colin White to one-year deal

Aug. 3, 2011

RATTO ARCHIVESHARKS PAGESHARKS VIDEO

Follow @RattoCSNRay Ratto
CSNBayArea.com

The Sharks seem to have completed their near-total retool of their defense Wednesday with the signing of 33-year-old veteran Colin White, who had just been made a free agent in New Jerseys cash-out housecleaning.White joins Brent Burns and Jim Vandermeer as inclusions into what had been a soft spot in the Sharks profile, and essentially changes the teams backline character more dramatically than at any other time in the teams history.RELATED: Sharks sign D Brent Burns to five-year extension
White was made available when the Devils, who need to free up money to resign Zach Parise, had to clear the decks of all extraneous cash. General manager Lou Lamoriello, who no longer has full freedom of action in Jersey, was reluctant to part with White, but the realities under new ownership have changed.

White became an unrestricted free agent, and has already been paid 2 million of his 3 million salary for 2011-12 by the Devils. The other team in the hunt, Pittsburgh, was believed to be offering a similar deal, but White acceded to what can best be called a whirlwind semi-courtship by the Sharks.RATTO: Sharks' Burns deal not about money
White is a solid stay-at-home defenseman with particular upside on the penalty kill, and will probably be paired with Jason Demers, though Vandermeer, a backup fist to Douglas Murray when the harder edge is required, will probably see significant time as well.This may be the first time in Sharks history when there hasnt been at least one significant hole in the defense corps, and the inexpensive nature of the signing allows them to maintain a 4 million salary cap cushion as the enter training camp next month. Nothing else is expected from them now, but then again, nothing else was expected when they got Michal Handzus either, so Doug Wilson may squeeze out one more small deal before September.