San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng reports that the San Jose Sharks have brought in free-agent winger Andrew Cogliano. The Sharks will pay him $1M on a one-year contract. Cogliano, a longtime Anaheim Duck, returns to the Pacific Division after three years with the Dallas Stars.
This could prove to be a shrewd pickup for Sharks, especially at that price point. While Cogliano’s name doesn’t carry as much weight as it once did, much of that is due to the role he was asked to play with the stars. A former “iron man” with the Ducks, Cogliano was one of the most dependable players in the NHL for more than a decade, playing every game in each of his first 10 seasons and consistently producing around 30-40 points. In Dallas, Cogliano’s two-way ability was valued more than his offense, playing a physical, grinding role rather than a top-six scoring role.
Regardless of how San Jose uses him, Cogliano should outplay his $1M valuation. The veteran forward has more than 1,000 games of NHL experience and is a versatile forward who can contribute all over the lineup. He likely will never get back to his old scoring numbers, but put in the right situation, he can still contribute on the score sheet while playing solid defense up front. His familiarity with the division certainly won’t hurt either.
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