BUFFALO, N.Y. — The San Jose Sharks locked up one of their young depth forwards, announcing Saturday that they’ve signed center Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year, $9.4 million contract that carries an average annual value of $2.35 million.
Ostapchuk, who just finished his first full season with the Sharks, was a pending restricted free agent. His new deal runs through the 2029-30 season, after which he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
This past season, Ostapchuk, 22, set new career highs with four goals and seven points in 59 games, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. He also won 51.6% of his faceoffs as he cemented himself as the Sharks’ fourth-line center and became a steady presence on the team’s penalty kill. Ostapchuk also ranked third on the Sharks in 2025-26 with 140 hits.
The Sharks’ four centermen are now pretty much set for the start of next season.
Macklin Celebrini, who will be entering the final year of his entry-level contract, will center the first line and Alexander Wennberg and Michael Misa likely be slotted on the second and third lines, respectively. Wennberg, 31, is about to enter the first year of a three-year, $18 million contract he signed in January, and the 19-year-old Misa, drafted No. 2 overall last year, will be in the second year of his three-year entry-level deal.
Ostapchuk was acquired in March 2025 from Ottawa as part of the trade that sent forward Fabian Zetterlund to the Senators. The Sharks also received Ottawa’s 2025 second-round pick, which they used on center Cole McKinney.