NY Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider
Macklin Celebrini’s superstar performance at the just-concluded Olympic Games has brought a little more attention to the San Jose Sharks. And while they have Celebrini, Will Smith, and others to get excited about up front, their blueline, overall, is nothing to write home about. In fact, as a group, they’re ranked near the bottom of the league. They’re 30th in the NHL in goals against per game. 

But at just five points out of a playoff spot, the Sharks should be looking to beef up their blueline as the trade deadline approaches to take their rebuild to the next level. 

Sheng Peng of NBC Sports has listed six trade targets that could be good fits for the Sharks. Let’s go through the list. 

Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey Devils

San Jose is sorely lacking a true No. 1 defenseman. Has Hamilton been that in the past? Yes. Is he in that category right now? That’s much more up for debate. But we do know that the Sharks had interest in Hamilton last summer. They are, however, NOT on his 10-team Trade List, so he’ll still have to be convinced to accept a move there. The cost to acquire him would be cheap, given the massive $9M cap hit. 

Justin Faulk, St. Louis Blues

Another right-shot d-man that would be a good fit. The Blues are asking for sky-high prices at the moment for their trade candidates, so the ask would have to come down before the Sharks were willing to bite. Faulk is turning 34 shortly after the deadline, so he obviously would only be a stopgap measure—but a good one—for the young team. He’s signed through next season. 

Braden Schneider, NY Rangers

Here’s a name that fits more into the Sharks’ timeline. At 24, the Rangers are willing to move on from the former first-rounder who’s in the midst of a poor season. Some scouts still maintain he has top-four potential. A chance of scenery would do him good. 

Zach Whitecloud, Calgary Flames

Obtained by Calgary in the Rasmus Andersson deal, he’s a veteran shutdown d-man, whose steadying presence on the blueline would be a nice addition for the Sharks. He’s been seeing top-four minutes in Calgary. But due to his low cap hit ($2.75M) for another two seasons, the 29-year-old will be a little more costly to acquire, as Peng notes. 

Mason Lohrei, Boston Bruins

The Bruins’ third-year man is another one who could use a change of scenery. He’s seen his ice time cut this season in Boston, and has even had a couple of healthy scratches. At 25, he fits the San Jose timeline. Could be worth a flier. 

Logan Stanley, Winnipeg Jets

The big blueliner with the booming shot has started to make the rounds of late, but whether the Jets will try to re-sign the pending UFA is still TBA. He’s having a breakout year, but at age 27, is it for real? 

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