In a somewhat surprising move, the San Jose Sharks opted not to qualify goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood Friday, just days after acquiring his rights from the New Jersey Devils for a 2024 sixth-round pick. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Sharks and Blackwood were not close in their brief contract discussion prior to Friday’s qualifying deadline. Discussions between the two parties remain ongoing, but the 26-year-old netminder could absolutely land with another NHL team after the market opens Saturday.
The Devils moved on from Blackwood with better options available internally. He was due a rather rich qualifying offer of $3.36M, a number he won’t come close to on the open market after his performance last season. The Sharks would surely like to keep him — after all, they do have a vacant spot in their goalie tandem with James Reimer not returning — but it doesn’t seem they’re prepared to pay over market value to keep him around and would rather have just thrown away the draft pick.
Some other Western Conference tidbits as free agency looms:
- As expected, Minnesota Wild enforcer Ryan Reaves will hit the free-agent market Saturday, as confirmed by his agent, Kevin Epp. With essentially no cap space to speak of, Minnesota doesn’t have the luxury of spending on a player whose main impact is felt in the locker room and before trips to the penalty box. Reaves did record a respectable five goals and 15 points last season, though, his most in three seasons. He’s expected to command some interest — namely from the Toronto Maple Leafs, says The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta.
- Another player who won’t be re-signing in Minnesota, at least for now, is forward Mason Shaw, who was also not issued a qualifying offer. Shaw suffered the fourth ACL tear of his career this season, putting his long-term playing future in extreme jeopardy, and The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes the team won’t be making the decision to re-sign him until he’s completed his rehab. The team would like to extend a contract offer to him in the meantime, but with its limited cap flexibility, it’s not a feasible gesture. He is free to sign if another NHL team comes calling before he completes his recovery.
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