Sharks 2008 Contract Status and Player Movement

Players unsigned/undetermined future status with organization

The NHL-IIHF Player Transfer Agreement (PTA) may impact the Sharks and other teams signing players. There is an early deadline (circa June 15) that will incur $200k transfer fees; the later deadline (circa July 15) adds $150k in fees. This is the only window for signing European players. Agreement expires spring 2011, but has been re-opened for negotiation in 2008. As of late spring, there appears to be only small hope of an agreement in place for the 2008 signing period; the only Sharks prospect affected is Zackrisson (at present).

Each NHL team is limited to having fifty (50) players signed to NHL contracts. (Players aged 18 or 19 playing in North American major junior leagues or Europe are excluded from that number.) Each NHL team may have no more than ninety players in their organizational depth chart.

NHL Salary Cap (per team) for 2007-2008 is $50.3m. The NHL Salary Cap (per team) for 2008-2009 is TBD (early estimates have it $53-55m).

Which draftees the Sharks need to sign/make contract offers to:

• Sharks have to sign their (non-college) European draftees from 2004 by June 1, 2008 or lose them. (There are no affected Shark draftees.)
• Major junior and European players, not heading to college, drafted in 2005 and later must be signed within two years (i.e., 2006 draftees signed by June 1, 2008) or their rights lost. Listed in bold for 6/1/2008 deadline.
• Sharks have until June 1, 2008 to offer contracts to major junior players drafted in 2007. (But will still have their rights for another year.) Historically, the Sharks have only "signed" their first round picks at this deadline.
• Sharks have to offer contracts to any college players leaving college before graduation (e.g., freshman, sophmore, junior) by June 1 of the year they leave college.
• Sharks have to sign their 2008 college graduating draftees by August 15, 2008 or lose them as free agents. Listed in bold italic.

College-eligible "years remaining" (including 2008-2009 season) for four years shown, as applicable.

2003: D Brian O'Hanley (college, 0), R Carter Lee (college, 0).

2004: G Derek MacIntyre (college, 0), D Christian Jensen (college, 2).

2005: G Alex Stalock (college, 2), L PJ Fenton (college, 0), D Will Colbert (college, 1), L Tony Lucia (college, 2).

2006: D James DeLory, LW John McCarthy (college 1).

2007: D Nicholas Petrecki (college, 3), G Timo Pielmeier, G Tyson Sexsmith, W Patrik Zackrisson, C Nick Bonino (college, 3), D Justin Braun (college 3)

2008: TBD

The minimum NHL player salary is $475,000 in 2007-08 and 2008-09; $500,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and $525,000 in 2011-12 (to the extent the CBA is extended by the Union). from NHL CBA FAQ

Below are players in the Sharks' organization under NHL (and/or AHL) contracts that expire 6/30/08.

Parenthisized numbers are the player's age on 7/1/2008, followed by accrued NHL seasons, and then NHL games played and/or pro seasons. "GP" represents the number of NHL games played in the 07-08 season.

RFA (Group II); must be re-signed or receive a qualifying offer by TBD (6/25 or the Monday after the entry draft, whichever is later); otherwise become UFAs.

Arbitration-eligible players must elect arbitration by July 5 5pm NYT. (Marked with **)

If the team wishes to take a player to arbitration, they have from July 5 5pm NYT to July 6 5pm NYT to elect arbitration. (There's also a 6/15 "early club arbitration" selection deadline.).

• F Riley Armstrong (23, 0, 4) **
• W Ryane Clowe (25, 5, 88+GP) **
• D Christian Ehrhoff (25, 4, 209+GP) **
• C Marcel Goc (24, 3)
• W Lukas Kaspar (22, 0, 3)
• W Mike Morris (24, 0, 1)
• C Joe Pavelski (23, 1+, 2) **
• D Dan Spang (24, 0, 2) **
• D Brad Staubitz (23, 0, 3)
• W Jonathan Tremblay (24, 0, 4) **

UFA Group III:"beginning in 2008-09 and for the duration of the agreement, a player age 27 with four accrued seasons or with seven accrued seasons will be an unrestricted free agent."

• G Brian Boucher
• C Curtis Brown
• D Brian Campbell
• D JD Forrest
• W Graham Mink
• D/LW Brad Norton
• D Sandis Ozolinsh
• G Dimitri Patzold
• C Jeremy Roenick
• W Patrick Rissmiller
• D Alexei Semenov
• W Jody Shelley

UFA Group V eligible: "player who has played in 11 professional games in each of the last 10 years, and makes less than the average salary" (pro = minor leagues, NHL, European elite leagues if under NHL contract, but not major junior) 07-08 average salary: TBA

• None

UFA Group VI: "age 25 or older, have completed three or more professional seasons, and (i) in the case of a player other than a goaltender, have played less than 80 NHL games (regular-season and playoff), or (ii) in the case of a goaltender, have played less than 28 NHL games (regular-season and playoff)."

• W Tom Cavanagh (26, 0+GP, 3 pro)
• D/LW Brennan Evans (26, 0+GP, 5 pro)
• W Mike Iggulden (25, 0+GP, 3 pro)
• C Tomas Plihal (25, 3+GP, 5 pro)
• C Craig Valette (25, 0+GP, 5 pro)

UFA (neither group III or VI; or no QO or released or bought out by organization)

• D Marc Busenburg (AHL)
• W Dennis Packard (AHL)
• C Nate Raduns (AHL)
• D Tom Walsh (AHL)

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