The San Jose Sharks have loads of enterprise to take care of within the pretty close to future. One vital factor that normal supervisor Mike Grier will virtually definitely wish to do as quickly as potential is lock up Fabian Zetterlund earlier than his worth skyrockets even additional. He had a really robust 2023-24 season for the Sharks and at 24 years of age, he’s doubtless solely going to enhance from right here.
Zetterlund’s Robust First Full Season in Teal
Though Zetterlund is formally getting into his fourth season within the NHL, the 2023-24 season was his first full season with the Sharks. In 2021-22, he appeared in 14 video games for the New Jersey Devils. The next season he performed 45 video games for the Devils earlier than being traded to the Sharks forward of the commerce deadline as part of the Timo Meier deal.
Zetterlund performed pretty properly in his time with New Jersey, placing up a complete of 28 factors in 59 video games. Proper after the transfer to San Jose, he struggled placing up solely three assists in 22 video games to shut out the 2022-23 season. Whereas it was clear from these performances that he had potential on the NHL degree, it was laborious to inform precisely how efficient he was going to be in the long term.
His first full season with the Sharks was a a lot completely different story although. In 82 video games, he scored 24 targets and assisted on 20 others, totaling 44 factors in 82 video games. Because the season went on, it was straightforward to see his confidence skyrocket. He ended the season as a key a part of the “Lund Line” alongside William Eklund and Mikael Granlund, who ought to proceed to have success within the 2024-25 season so long as new head coach Ryan Warsofsky retains them collectively.
Lengthy-Time period Financial savings
Whereas a contract extension may go a number of methods, this is able to doubtless be a scenario the place Grier would profit from an early long-term contract. When gamers like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith are due for brand spanking new contracts, cap house could turn out to be a problem for the Sharks. If they will lock up different core gamers like Zetterlund at a decrease value early on, it will give them extra flexibility when that point comes. After all, that additionally brings elevated threat to a corporation that has been burned by long-term contracts prior to now.
Given the unsure nature of a participant like Zetterlund, the vary of “long-term” deal I’m referring to on this occasion can be someplace round 4 to 6 years somewhat than a most eight-year contract. Excessively dangerous contracts with excessive financial values are in the end what brought on the Sharks to fall into this elongated rebuild after a few years competing for the Stanley Cup, and though these have been primarily with getting old gamers, it’s finest to not instantly repeat the very same errors.
Zetterlund’s Troublesome Worth to Gauge
Zetterlund will probably be a restricted free agent when his contract expires following the 2024-25 season, nonetheless, based mostly on one robust efficiency it’s troublesome to gauge his worth correctly which can make the participant hesitant to signal a long-term deal when he has little leverage moreover arbitration rights. From a monetary standpoint, it will make sense for his camp to carry off till he’s eligible for unrestricted free company and signal a deal then. With that being stated, issues can rapidly change within the NHL, and in a contact sport it’s all the time helpful to signal an extension on the peak of worth, and proper now might be precisely that for Zetterlund. He was by no means a extremely touted prospect, he was a third-round choose within the 2017 NHL Draft and actually took main steps ahead within the Devils group.
The query for administration is probably going whether or not or not Zetterlund has reached his ceiling or if he’ll proceed to develop. They’ll definitely hope that he continues to enhance and develop into an enormous a part of their subsequent core of gamers, nonetheless, even when he stays on the manufacturing degree we’re seeing from him now, he’ll be a unbelievable position participant. If he develops right into a 60-point participant, that might be wonderful for the Sharks, nonetheless, if he continues to be across the 40-point space he’s nonetheless an efficient participant within the NHL. When it comes to funds although, there’s an enormous distinction between the 2 roles. Signing a deal now, you’re doubtless going to pay a bit for potential but it surely’ll be a lot lower than it will be after he’s already put up 60 or extra factors in a season.
Associated: Revisiting Sharks’ Timo Meier Commerce to the Devils
Signing Zetterlund to a contract extension now prevents his worth from skyrocketing earlier than he will get his subsequent deal from the Sharks. As all the time there’s some threat when signing a participant with restricted NHL expertise to a long-term contract, however on this case, it may turn out to be one of many league’s largest steals if finished appropriately. An eight-year contract for instance could be somewhat extreme, but when Grier can lock him up with a 4 or five-year extension for a comparatively low common annual worth, it will definitely assist them out in the long term when different key gamers begin to come off of their entry-level contracts.
