San Jose Sharks 15 Best Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.
 
My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.

If you’d like to browse my other best/worst contract lists, click here. Enjoy! 
 
Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.

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The San Jose Sharks for a while were the most successful team in the salary cap era to never win a Stanley Cup. In the first 15 years, they made the playoffs 13 times, advancing past the first round 9 times. Doug Wilson sat in the GM chair for most of that run run, and managed to parlay player desire to stay in San Jose into cost savings at the negotiating table. Player quotes after receiving these contracts took a very similar tone to those of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, with an overwhelming desire to live in a beautiful city.
 
Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and eventually Brent Burns, Logan Couture, and Joe Pavelski were the key cogs of that success, driving the team’s impressive performance (those 5 players inked 9 of the team’s best 15 deals). Despite that prolonged winning, the team only got 1 crack at the Stanley Cup, losing in 6 games to Pittsburgh.
 
As the stars who carried the team began to age, that success began to wane. 2020 was their worst season in 17 years, and was the start of a playoff drought. The window looks firmly locked shut, but it will be a few years before payroll obligations allow for a proper rebuilding process.
 
 
1. Brent Burns
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	D
Date:	2011-08-01		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	48
Total Money:	$28.8M		Playoff PTS:	34
Cap Hit:	$5.8M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	34.8	345	279	1244
Per 82 GP	7.0	82	66	296	22.5

“It certainly would have been viewed in our minds differently if it was only a one-year deal. That’s the risk you have to take in this business. You have to go with what you think makes your hockey team better both now and in the future. This type of player doesn’t come around that often and there was certainly a risk involved.”

– Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson traded Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and a 1st round pick to acquire Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild. Burns had 1-year remaining on his previous deal and was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when it expired. Wilson signed him to a 5-year extension a few weeks after the trade. Burns had scored 46 PTS for the Wild and earned an appearance in the NHL all-star game, so Wilson was forced to pay a premium, but escaped with a shorter term than Brent could have procured on the UFA market.
 
In retrospect, this might have been a bit of a curse, since Burns required a mammoth new deal when this was over. It might have been smarter to go 8 years and then cut ties with him at age 35. Brent did have a bumpy start to this treaty, getting moved to forward in year one and missing some games due to injury.
 
By year three when he was moved back to the blueline, Burns suddenly evolved into one of the league’s best offensive defensemen. Brent celebrated his 30th birthday at the end of year three and rather than start a downward trend, he got even better in year four, earning his first Norris trophy nomination after scoring 74 PTS (plus an addition 24 PTS in the playoffs helping the Sharks to the Stanley Cup final). He would win the Norris trophy in year five. Any money he might have left on the table from this deal got thrown in the pile for his next jackpot.
 
 
2. Joe Pavelski
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2010-06-24		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	41
Total Money:	$16M		Playoff PTS:	28
Cap Hit:	$4M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	21.0	286	237	906
Per 82 GP	5.2	82	68	260	19.9

"I don't think there's any doubt and history has shown that the marketplace would have been very friendly and kind to these two players. Supply and demand. It's awfully rare that these type of players are available."

– Doug Wilson

Joe Pavelski had spent his previous 2 years scoring at a 60-point pace, and raised his national profile with a strong performance at the 2010 Olympics. His production should have warranted a higher salary, but instead inked an almost identical deal to Travis Zajac one year earlier.
 
Pavelski scored 237 PTS in 286 GP (68-point pace) with a +53, including a career high 41 goals and 79 PTS in year four (which for 2014 was the 2nd lowest non-entry level AAV of players with over 75 PTS). The Sharks ostensibly got an $8M center for $5.2M. This was a bit risky from Pavelski’s perspective, as he sold 2 UFA years at a discount and expired when he was 29-years-old. Fortunately he aged well and earned another big pay day.
 
 
3. Tomas Hertl
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2018-07-02		Age July 1st:	24
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	19
Total Money:	$22.5M		Playoff PTS:	15
Cap Hit:	$5.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	22.9	257	217	610
Per 82 GP	5.7	82	69	195	19.2

"He has the ability to be a dominant player in this league and proved during the playoffs that he can take over any given game with his combination of skill and strength. His capability to play both center and the wing gives our team some flexibility, and he has one of the most infectious personalities in our dressing room. We're excited he made this commitment to our organization."

– Doug Wilson

Tomas Hertl had never scored more than 46 PTS over his first 5 seasons, and was paid accordingly. The Czech center received an almost identical salary to Bo Horvat 10 months earlier, but only took a 4-year term that would expire at age 28.
 
Year one proved to be his break-out year, scoring 35 goals and 74 PTS (helping me win a fantasy hockey championship). Year two was derailed by injury, but he still managed an impressive 36 PTS in 48 GP while the Sharks season was in a tailspin.
 
 
4. Joe Thornton
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2007-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	39
Total Money:	$22.6M		Playoff PTS:	34
Cap Hit:	$7.2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	30.9	241	245	429
Per 82 GP	10.3	82	83	146	19.7

“There’s no question I was going to re-sign there. It’s just a perfect fit for me. The ownership wants a winner, and we’ve got a great young team there. I’m looking forward to being there for a long time.”

- Joe Thornton

Joe Thornton was one year away from hitting the UFA market at age 28 as a recent Hart Trophy winner, and could have written himself a blank cheque if he was willing to play for the highest bidder. Fortunately for Doug Wilson, Jumbo had no intention of playing anywhere but San Jose. Thornton accepting a 3-year term was borderline insane, at least that’s what his agent should have been telling him.
 
He could have procured a 10-year term on the open market if he really wanted job security, and was risking potentially leaving many millions of dollars on the table had he suffered a career threatening injury. It all worked out in the end, as Jumbo aged gracefully and still banked another $56M in salary after this contract.
 
Thornton had already begun a downward trend from his 127-point apex in 2006, but the slope was gradual enough that the Sharks still received 83 PTS per 82 GP over this span. He was among the highest paid forwards in the league throughout, so this wasn’t exactly a bargain, but he was still among the league’s most dominant centers. This would be the highest point per game contract he signed with the San Jose Sharks. His 3 best seasons in San Jose were under his Bruins treaty.
 
 
5. Joe Pavelski
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2013-07-30		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	53
Total Money:	$30M		Playoff PTS:	44
Cap Hit:	$6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	33.7	402	346	1130
Per 82 GP	6.7	82	71	230	19.5

“We use him on the point on the power play, we use him on the first line, we use him on key faceoffs, blocking shots”

– Doug Wilson

Joe Pavelski autographed this extension a year before his contract was set to expire, then proceeded to have a career best 41-goal 79-point campaign. He probably could have squeezed a few extra dollars out of Wilson after that, having accepted less term than he could have received as unrestricted free agent.
 
It’s entire plausible that Pavelski was more concerned with staying in San Jose than he was with maximizing career earnings. There seems to be that common theme emerging. Pavelski produced 164 Goals and 346 PTS in 402 GP, plus an additional 44 PTS in 53 playoff games. The center even received Selke Trophy votes throughout these years, though never won.
 
 
6. Barclay Goodreau
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2018-10-04		Age July 1st:	26
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	40
Total Money:	$1.9M		Playoff PTS:	12
Cap Hit:	$925K		Stanley Cups:	2

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	1.9	125	46	174
Per 82 GP	0.9	82	30	114	15.6

“Barclay is the big center. We needed a big, physical center, and he brings that”

– Julien Brisebois

The one thing you won’t find many of on this Sharks best contracts list is Stanley Cup championship, and Barclay Goodrow won a pair for San Jose Tampa Bay on a 2-year deal. In that regard it might even belong higher, though he was just a third line role player for the Sharks Lightning. The Lightning paid a steep price to acquire him (1st and 3rd round picks), but were only willing to do so because his cap hit was so low. They paid extra for the bargain against the cap.
 
In the regular season he averaged 30 PTS per 82 GP with a 15.6 average time on ice, which is higher usage than your typical 3rd line plug (being a center helped him get some extra ice time). That stat line had an expected free agent value of just over $2M, so as a nominal bargain, that’s good value but not this good. It’s the playoff results that set him apart. Barclay did get a $3.7M cap hit from the New York Rangers when this was over, which is an overpayment based solely on regular season numbers.
 
 
7. Logan Couture
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2011-08-26		Age July 1st:	23
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	18
Total Money:	$5.8M		Playoff PTS:	14
Cap Hit:	$2.9M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	7.4	113	91	384
Per 82 GP	3.7	82	66	279	18.6

“Last season, as a rookie, he was a catalyst for our hockey club as one of our most consistent players. Over the last two postseasons, he has been one of our most reliable players. We’re excited to see him build upon his early success and continue his growth over the next three seasons.”

– Doug Wilson

Logan Couture was a 30-goal scorer from the moment he won a full-time NHL job, and should have been worth twice this much money. Yet he was eager enough to accept this offering before the final year of his ELC had even begun. Normally there’s a little hard ball involved to squeeze a budding young sniper into this magnitude of team-friendly deal.
 
This proved to be an incredible bargain for the Sharks, as Logan would score 32 goals and 66 PTS per 82 GP for 50 cents on the dollar. Had the Sharks given their young pivot the same 11-year contract as Jeff Carter, they would have ultimately saved some money in the long-term, as Couture would collect 13 years and $94M on his next 2 contracts.
 
 
8. Christian Ehrhoff
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	D
Date:	2008-07-09		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	41
Total Money:	$9.3M		Playoff PTS:	19
Cap Hit:	$3.1M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	13.3	236	136	555
Per 82 GP	4.4	82	47	193	22.7

“He got injured late in the regular season and showed a great deal of heart by playing through the playoffs.  We expect him to continue to get better and be a big contributor for this organization.”

- Doug Wilson

Christian Ehrhoff had just completed a 22-point campaign at age 25 when he inked this ticket, but was paid more like the 33-point player he was the previous season. What the Sharks received was so much more, rising to 42 PTS in year one.
 
Then the unthinkable happened in August 2009 when Doug Wilson was under pressure to shed salary in order to get his payroll under the cap. He decided to ship off Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich to the Canucks for 2 busted prospects (it was becoming clear by that point that Patrick White was a bust).
 
It proved to be a terrible transaction for the Sharks, as Ehrhoff had considerable success with the Canucks, scoring 50 PTS in 2011, with 12 more PTS in the playoffs helping them to the Stanley Cup final. The German defenseman banked a massive pay day when he finally did reach the UFA market when he went to Buffalo in pursuit of a championship.
 
 
9. Patrick Marleau
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2005-08-15		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	35
Total Money:	$12.5M		Playoff PTS:	28
Cap Hit:	$4.2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	23.5	237	212	625
Per 82 GP	7.8	82	73	216	18.9

"Now I don't have to worry about it for a few years. San Jose is where I want to be. I love the Bay Area, the team, where we're headed and the opportunities coming off last season."

– Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau played 7 seasons in the NHL prior to 2005, never topping 60 PTS in a season and received generous compensation for a player who just popped 57 PTS. Part of the reason for that higher price had to be that Pat sold 2 years of unrestricted free agency, which tends to cost a little bit extra.
 
Marleau’s production quickly jumped to a higher level when Joe Thornton came to town, scoring a career high 86 PTS in year one. That output dipped down to 48 PTS by year three, when he could have been UFA but chose to stay in San Jose on a 2-year deal. His agent couldn’t have liked that, bypassing a potentially giant pay day. 
 
 
10. Timo Meier
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2019-07-01		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$24M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	24.2	201	156	680
Per 82 GP	6.1	82	64	277	17.7

“Timo is one of only a few young, dominant power forwards in the NHL and we’re extremely pleased that he stepped forward to make this commitment to the Sharks”

– Doug Wilson

The summer of 2019 will always be remembered for the spectacular class of RFA talent and Timo Meier will be remembered as the trend setter that settled several impasses. It’s not immediately clear which side pitched this idea, but they seem to have invented a new genre of contract, the front-diving RFA bridge deal. Timo had a total salary of $4M in year one and $10M in year four. By CBA math, that means the Sharks will have to qualify him at a $10M salary or risk letting him walk via unrestricted free agency (he’ll otherwise be 1 year away from UFA).
 
This was signed on July 1st, and many of his peers went unsigned into March before everyone realized that some variation of the front dive was the best compromise. It guarantees a much higher minimum salary on the next deal. Timo did have a disappointing year one with 49 PTS in 70 GP (down from 66 PTS in 2019), but so did the rest of the team. He was a bargain by year three.
 
 
11. Martin Jones
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	G
Date:	2015-06-30		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff Wins:	22
Total Money:	$9M		Playoff SV%:	0.926
Cap Hit:	$3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	3.4	190	102	2.40	0.915

"We feel good we got these two pieces off our checklist. Now it allows us to look at some other things and explore. But we don't feel like there's any rush. These two pieces needed to be addressed. They have been and we'll go forward from here."

– Doug Wilson

Martin Jones had only ever played 34 NHL GP when Doug Wilson traded Sean Kuraly and a 1st round pick to acquire the goaltender from Boston (who had only just wrangled him from the Kings 4 days earlier). Jones had been mostly just a competent back-up to Jonathan Quick and had not accomplished anything at the NHL level.
 
Wilson got Marty’s autograph on a new deal the same day of the trade, at a price more expensive than you’re supposed to pay a goalie with that little experience, but it’s hard to low-ball a kid that the whole hockey world knows you’re gambling your future on. The salary proved to be a bargain, with Jones providing 60+ games per season of slightly above average goaltending for the price of a #2 guy.
 
Jones played 190 games with 102 wins, 68 losses and a .915 SV%; also playing 40 playoff games with a .926 SV%, coming 2 wins short of the 2016 Stanley Cup. You can read about his next treaty on the Sharks worst contracts list.
 
 
12. Joe Thornton
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2010-10-16		Age July 1st:	31
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	23
Total Money:	$21M		Playoff PTS:	18
Cap Hit:	$7M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	26.9	212	193	363
Per 82 GP	9.0	82	75	140	19.4

"Joe is among the top players in the game, and along with several other core members of our team, we feel he is just entering the prime of his career"

– Doug Wilson

Joe Thornton’s production had been trending downwards for a few years, but it leveled off into a respectable plateau in the 70-point range for 6 seasons after his 30th birthday. Jumbo repeatedly bet on himself throughout his 30s, and there was always another pot of gold at the end of each rainbow.
 
This might have even worked out better for him financially than signing a 10-year deal back in 2007 because the salary cap continued growing. Ovechkin was the league’s highest paid player when he signed his 13-year extension, but due to cap growth he became a bargain in the later years. There are not too many examples of “bet on yourself” that have unfolded this positively for players over the age of 30. Thornton signed another 3-year deal when this expired.
 
 
13. Logan Couture
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2013-06-18		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	60
Total Money:	$30M		Playoff PTS:	65
Cap Hit:	$6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	33.7	366	286	982
Per 82 GP	6.7	82	64	220	18.3

"I want to be with the Sharks for a long time. The five-year extension was something myself and the Sharks were both comfortable with. We went from there and the deal came together really quickly. It was very easy to do. I want to be in San Jose, and they know that. From what I picked up, they want me out there. It was very easy."

– Logan Couture

From 2012 to 2014, Logan Couture scored at a rate of 32 goals and 66 PTS per 82 GP, and inked a 5-year extension at a very reasonable price. Had he signed a 2-year deal, it could have walked him directly to unrestricted free agency where he certainly would have been able to hit a big home run. Instead he signed a pact that would expire at the age of 30, potentially risking tens of millions in lost wages had his play deteriorated or he suffered a serious injury.
 
Granted, San Jose is a beautiful place to live, so that level of risk is a small price to pay to build a home in paradise. Over these 5 years, Logan averaged 29 goals and 64 PTS per 82 GP in the regular season, but posted far more spectacular numbers in the playoffs, where he popped 65 PTS in 60 GP.
 
 
14. Patrick Marleau
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	F
Date:	2007-08-31		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	20
Total Money:	$12.6M		Playoff PTS:	16
Cap Hit:	$6.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	18.3	158	154	525
Per 82 GP	9.2	82	80	272	21.3

"I'm the last guy standing. I've come up with the team, and now that we've got what I think is a Stanley Cup-caliber team, I thought it wouldn't be the best time to leave. It was important to me to stay with the team, to stay in the Bay Area."

– Patrick Marleau

 
"A group of our guys understand we're coming in to the prime of where our team is at. It's an exciting time for us, for this number of players to step up and want to be a part of it. I think they sense there's something good in place."

– Doug Wilson

Patrick Marleau had the opportunity to attain UFA status at age 28, where another GM surely would have made him a giant offer. Instead Marleau locked into a 2-year extension (albeit for a high salary), taking an enormous personal risk like Joe did a month earlier. All it would have taken is one hard crash into the boards and he’d have left tens of millions of dollars on the table.
 
Doug Wilson was great at convincing players to accept his terms in order to “help” the team win, and Marleau certainly made a significant contribution to the team’s success, scoring 154 PTS in 158 GP, plus an additional 16 PTS in 20 playoff GP. Patty signed another bridge at age 30 when this expired. San Jose sure sounds like a great place to live.
 
 
15. Marc-Edouard Vlasic
 

Signed By:	Doug Wilson		Position:	D
Date:	2012-07-11		Age July 1st:	26
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	45
Total Money:	$21.3M		Playoff PTS:	20
Cap Hit:	$4.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	24.9	374	146	657
Per 82 GP	5.0	82	32	144	21.9

“Marc-Edouard has grown into an important part of our organization over the last six seasons. He can play in all situations and has blossomed into a very trusted player on both sides of the puck. We are very happy to have him on our team for the next six seasons.”

– Doug Wilson

Marc-Edouard Vlasic was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at age 26 after 7 seasons in the NHL. A lack of power play time over the previous 2 seasons had been limiting his offensive output, but his reputation as a solid 2-way defender was strong enough around the league that he easily could have procured a long-term treaty at a significantly higher price had he tested the market.
 
Once he was signed, the scoring rate started to climb, thanks in part to an increase in PP time. Vlasic produced a career high 39 PTS in 67 GP in year three (a 48-point pace). In total, he averaged 32 PTS per 82 GP, posting an incredible +71 over this span. Any money he left on the table was added to his next deal, which you can read about on the Sharks worst contracts list.