San Jose Sharks Re-Sign D Mario Ferraro to Multi-Year Extension

The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have extended D Mario Ferraro to a four-year, $13 million ($3.25M AAV) contract extension:

Ferraro, 23, was a pending restricted free agent after the 2022-23 season. A prototypical defensive-defenseman, Ferraro led the Sharks in shot blocks (151) and third in hits (140). In 180 NHL games, he has managed 42 points after scoring 37 points in 80 NCAA matches at the UMass-Amherst.

As a 'stay-at-home' defenseman, Ferraro's value is not measured in offensive production. Rather, his ability to neutralize opposing threats, win battles in the defensive zone, and transition from defense to offense is a more effective method of evaluating players like Ferraro.

Under these parameters, Ferraro has fared okay. He was thrust into a difficult role for the Sharks, eating top-pair minutes against top competition. While he probably is not cut out to be a top-pair shutdown defenseman, Ferraro could be a decent second-pair option for San Jose. And at his new cap-hit of $3.25 million per year, the Sharks are getting decent value for Ferraro's services:

The signing, one of the first under new GM Mike Grier, leaves the Sharks with -$1,200,834 in cap space, per CapFriendly. The Sharks won't be an overly competitive group in 2022-23, as they spent the majority of the offseason without a General Manager & Head Coach. With Brent Burns & his large cap-hit off their books, Mike Grier will almost certainly entertain a buyout of Marc-Édouard Vlasic & possibly even moving on from Erik Karlsson, which collectively would see possibly $15 million removed from his books. In his first summer, Grier has inherited a very difficult position. He has begun making his moves but has a long way to go in constructing a contending hockey team.

With the signing officially official, Ferraro had a nice message for Sharks fans:

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