The San Jose Sharks may have spent heavily this summer, but the cap picture is not nearly as tight as it first looks.
Yes, the team has committed $55.3 million in cap space to eight players on contracts of different lengths. That number jumps off the page. But the more important part of the story is what comes off the books soon enough.
Logan Couture’s $8-million cap hit is set to disappear next summer, even though he is eligible to go on long-term injured reserve if needed. Barclay Goodrow, Adam Gaudette, and Dmitry Orlov are also headed toward unrestricted free agency. Mike Grier could bring one of them back, but even if he does not, the Sharks are still positioned to free up a sizable chunk of room.
If Couture and those three players all move on, San Jose would clear just over $20.1 million from its payroll on July 1, 2027.
That matters because the Sharks did not sit still this offseason. They made several strong additions as they push toward their goal of competing for a playoff spot this fall and into the spring. And even with Macklin Celebrini currently the highest-paid player in the NHL on the books for the 2027-28 season, the organization still has plenty of runway before the cap becomes a real problem.
Not every player who suits up this fall will be around for the long term, and cap space will eventually shape those calls. But for now, the Sharks are in no immediate danger.
In Other News...
Macklin Celebrini Is Already Setting The Standard Sharks Fans Wanted
Macklin Celebrini is already behaving like the kind of face-of-the-franchise player Sharks fans have been waiting to see. The work starts long before games, with the young center spending extensive time on the ice training, something fellow first-overall pick Gavin McKenna has noticed, and it has not gone unnoticed inside the organization either. General manager Mike Grier has pointed to Celebrinis intense work ethic and the amount of ice time he puts into sharpening every part of his game.
For San Jose, the timing matters as much as the talent. Celebrini recently signed a historic $94 million contract extension, a move that locks in the organizations commitment to him while also raising the standard he is expected to carry. The Sharks know the contract is only part of the story, and the real significance is what comes next: whether Celebrinis habits, drive and day-to-day example can help set the tone for everything the team wants to become. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Lock In Collin Graf As Young Core Starts Taking Shape
The Sharks have moved quickly to secure one of the more promising pieces of their young forward group, signing winger Collin Graf to a three-year, $12.75 million contract. For a team still trying to shape its next competitive core, locking in an undrafted player who broke through with a strong NHL season is the kind of bet that signals both belief in the player and urgency in the build.
Graf's rise has given San Jose a legitimate success story to point to as it keeps adding layers to its roster. After putting up 21 goals and 46 points in 2025-26, he now looks set to be part of the forward mix for the next three seasons, another sign that the Sharks are starting to define who they want growing together as the rebuild continues. [Read more 🡒]