Sharks are going to sign $14.5 million free agents, or more

Sharks are going to sign $14.5 million free agents, or more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The San Jose Sharks have some money to spend.

The NHL salary cap for the 2026-27 season was announced on Wednesday, and the Sharks aren't even near the salary floor.

In fact, they'll have to spend at least $14.5 million just to get to that floor:

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The Sharks will have to fill that with multiple players, it would seem. There isn't just one guy out there worth that amount on an annual basis.

One of the top free agents is Sabres winger Alex Tuch, although he seems likely to return to Buffalo.

Maybe one of the logical targets is the free agent defenseman Darren Raddysh of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He just put together the best season of his life, by far, and is looking at a big payday.

Defensemen Rasmus Andersson and John Carlson are also quality free agents on the back end. Carlson seems like he could return to the Capitals after they traded him to the Ducks at the deadline, though.

Guys like Boone Jenner and Charlie Coyle from the Blue Jackets could get into the picture as potential center signings, but they aren't particularly exciting.

Maybe most intriguing is the idea that the Sharks could loom as a logical landing spot in a trade for a disgruntled veteran who asks out of town elsewhere -- with the guys you'd dream on in that scenario being Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

It's just clear the Sharks will be shelling out more money. They've just got to figure out for whom.

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