Ferraro Expected To Be Trade Deadline Move By Sharks

The San Jose Sharks appear to be done making offseason moves right now, which means many of their players on one-year deals or on the final year of their deals are staying put for at least part of the season. Mario Ferraro has been a top-4 defenseman that we have kept an eye on for a while as his name was in trade rumors last season as well.

David Pagnotta said, "expect to hear Mario Ferraro's name out there again this season, likely in the second half."

The Sharks have $20 million in cap space, so they aren't in the business of increasing that at the moment and getting closer to the cap floor. They still have to put a serviceable team out on the ice, even if they are still projected to finish at the bottom of the league. In terms of which position is the strongest, I think the Sharks' defense takes that crown to begin the season, but there will absolutely be mid-season moves as Ferraro, along with Timothy Liljegren, John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, and Vincent Desharnais, are all UFAs next offseason.

Ferraro offers the most value because he has been in the number one role in San Jose since Karlsson left and Ferraro is only 27 years old. It is tough to judge a defenseman fully while on a bad team, so the expectation is that he will improve upon leaving, even with a reduced role. The lesser role on a contender that would acquire him allows the d-man entering his prime to play with a better partner, have easier matchups, and potentially surprise many people with his play. He is very defensive focused, so a team looking for someone like that, who could even possibly sign him before he becomes a free agent, will show interest.

Ferraro should once again log big minutes for the Sharks even though Shakir Mukhamadullin will be a full time NHLer and Dmitry Orlov and Leddy are now on the team as well. I'd keep an eye on the Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and other teams who will need an upgrade on the back-end and will be contenders as they will be looking at Ferraro.