Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
So how are the Sharks going to get better this offseason?
Good news, it can’t get worse … right? The 2023-24 Sharks were the second-worst team of the salary cap era, their .287 points percentage just ahead of the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings’ .275.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
More good news: The Sharks project to have plenty of salary-cap space to add established players, whether via trade or NHL free agency.
Coupled with the 2024-25 salary cap rising to a projected $87.7 million, the Sharks could have more than $30 million to play with to add four or more forwards and significantly alter their defense.
Here’s how I arrived at that figure:
| FORWARDS | 2024-25 |
| Couture, Logan | $8,000,000 |
| Granlund, Mikael | $5,000,000 |
| Kunin, Luke | $3,000,000 |
| Sturm, Nico | $2,000,000 |
| Kostin, Klim | $2,000,000 |
| Zetterlund, Fabian | $1,450,000 |
| Bordeleau, Thomas | $874,125 |
| Eklund, William | $863,333 |
| Smith, Givani | $800,000 |
| TOTAL | $23,987,458 |
| DEFENSE | 2024-25 |
| Vlasic, Marc-Édouard | $7,000,000 |
| Ferraro, Mario | $3,250,000 |
| Rutta, Jan | $2,750,000 |
| Benning, Matthew | $1,250,000 |
| Burroughs, Kyle | $1,100,000 |
| Mukhamadullin, Shakir | $894,167 |
| Thrun, Henry | $874,125 |
| Emberson, Ty | $813,750 |
| TOTAL | $17,932,042 |
| GOALIES | 2024-25 |
| Vanecek, Vitek | $3,400,000 |
| Blackwood, Mackenzie | $2,350,000 |
| TOTAL | $5,750,000 |
| BURIED PENALTY | 2024-25 |
| Knyzhov, Nikolai | $100,000 |
| TOTAL | $100,000 |
| RETAINED SALARY | 2024-25 |
| Burns, Brent | $2,720,000 |
| Karlsson, Erik | $1,500,000 |
| Hertl, Tomas | $1,387,500 |
| TOTAL | $5,607,500 |
| BUYOUT | 2024-25 |
| Jones, Martin | $1,666,667 |
| TOTAL | $1,666,667 |
| 2024-25 TOTAL | $55,043,667 |
Even with Logan Couture’s health in question, the Sharks will have a ton of flexibility.
