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Barclay Goodrow, San Jose Sharks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sharks Must Use Free Agency to Improve the Bottom Six

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Alex Hutton | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 10:45 AM ET

When discussing his team’s needs this offseason on Tuesday, June 24, San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier kept it simple.

“We need everything,” he told reporters. “You watched the games.”

While the Sharks certainly need to add a wide range of players, they can specifically utilize free agency to add bottom-six forwards. That unit should include several veterans, which the Sharks don’t have enough of, but can add through signings. Building a stronger bottom six would have many benefits for San Jose and could mark a small but important step in their efforts to rebuild their roster.

Sharks Need to Replace Deadline Departures

As recently as a few months ago, the veteran presence in the bottom six wasn’t a major problem for the Sharks. Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm provided a mix of production and experience, offering steady and dependable play expected of bottom-six forwards. They contributed a grinding style with penalty killing, occasional scoring and some veteran leadership. However, as impending free agents this offseason, they were traded in separate deals at the deadline. At this point, the Sharks’ most veteran bottom-six forward is Barclay Goodrow, who was one of San Jose’s worst players this past season.

The Sharks need to fill the void left in the bottom six by the trade deadline. A bad bottom six can ruin a good top six, nullifying good work with poor shifts — something Sturm and Kunin somewhat helped to mitigate. The Sharks have promising first and second lines, but if they fill the bottom two lines with inexperienced young players or bad veterans, they risk canceling out their best forwards. They’ll have plenty of free-agent options, including trying to bring back Kunin or Sturm. No matter who they add, they need to find experienced players who can back up the work of their stars.

Sharks’ Bottom Six Can Insulate Young Forwards

The Sharks are relying heavily on up-and-comers, particularly on their forward lines, and a strong bottom six will support those players in a variety of ways. For instance, the Sharks expect to give Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and William Eklund top-six minutes next season. All three project to have good seasons if they stay healthy, but their work could be wiped out if the bottom six can’t hold up their end of the game. Watching your teammates waste a strong performance of yours is always frustrating, but it’s especially difficult for players early in their careers. With a good bottom six, that issue will arise less frequently.

However, they’re not the only young forwards who would benefit from additions to the bottom six. At some point during the season, San Jose will want to bring some of their forward prospects to the NHL, where they’ll most likely play a bottom-six role due to the top six being fairly well-defined at this point. Their transition to the highest level will become much easier if they play alongside experienced veterans who set a tone for their line and provide an example for their younger linemates.

The ideal Sharks bottom-six free-agent signing is a smart veteran who feels comfortable playing alongside and tutoring young forwards. San Jose has a lot of moves to make this offseason, but they have to make sure to bring in at least one or two players who fall into that category.

Sharks Can Use Free Agency to Take First Leap

Adding to the bottom six won’t be comparable to the big splashes some other teams will make in free agency, but it’s a meaningful opportunity for a team like the Sharks. They are coming close to solidifying their top two lines, and for the first time in years, they can look to improve a position group on the margins rather than at the core. That would be a crucial way to get out of the bottom of the league standings and a key sign that the team is headed in the right direction.

In each of the last two seasons, the Sharks have had the NHL’s worst record and goal differential, but with a promising young group, they want 2025-26 to be the season that changes. Those main players will take big strides to get them there, but improving the bottom six would allow them to make the smaller gains that put them over the top to reach their goals.