The San Jose Sharks have locked down two of the team’s new restricted free agents today. The team signed forwards Ty Dellandrea and Carl Grundstrom to two-year deals. Both players are on one-way contracts, which confirms the idea that they will factor into the Shark’s starting lineup next season or at the very least, get preference over some of the younger players.
Ty Dellandrea signs for $1.3 million AAV
Dellandrea is the younger of the two forwards. The 23-year-old will still be a restricted free agent after this deal, according to Puckpedia. Under the contract terms, Dellandrea will receive $1.3 million per season.
Dellandrea is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. He played 42 games for the Dallas Stars last season, scoring 9 points (2 G, 7 A). He has 151 NHL games under his belt and has a career total of 42 points (14 G, 28 A).
He was a 2018 first-round pick (13th overall) by Dallas.
Dellandrea another penalty-killing defenseman
Dellandrea doesn’t spend much time on the power play. He was more often used on the penalty kill in Dallas. He had 78:19 of ice time on the penalty kill last season, sixth among Stars forwards.
As you can see from Dellandrea’s regularized-adjusted plus-minus (RAPM) chart courtesy of Evolving-Hockey, at this point in his career, Dellandrea has been better suited for secondary scoring. However, his expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) and Corsi against per 60 minutes (CA/60) at even-strength show that he also knows how to limit the other team’s scoring opportunities.
Look for Dellandrea to play a third- or fourth-line role on the Sharks, taking some of the defensive pressure off of Will Smith and other young forwards (cough, Macklin Celebrini, cough).
Carl Grundstrom signs for $1.8 million AAV
Meantime, the 26-year-old forward Grundstrom signed a two-year deal worth $1.8 million per season. After this contract, he will be an unrestricted free agent.
“Carl brings consistent competitiveness to our lineup,” said General Manager Mike Grier in a news release. “He showed that he is able to contribute not just in the offensive zone but is also difficult to play against on the defensive end. We’re excited to add him to the organization.”
Grundstrom played 50 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season and had 12 points (8 G, 4 A). He has played 236 career NHL games and has 67 points (40 G, 27 A) in his career.
The 6-foot, 200-pound forward was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (57th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Grundstrom a gritty third- or fourth-liner
Like Dellandrea, don’t expect Grundstrom to spend much time on the power play. It wasn’t a role that he filled with the Los Angeles Kings, and it’s not expected to be one that he fills with San Jose either, especially if some of those young forwards we previously mentioned find their NHL footing quickly.
That said, you can rely on Grundstrom to be heavy on the forecheck. He had 101 hits in his 50 games last season. For comparison, Mario Ferraro was third on the team with 101 hits last season, and he played 78 games.
You can expect Grundstrom to fill a bottom-six forward role while generating scoring chances. This could be a big help to a player like Nico Sturm, who saw a large drop off in his offensive production last season. Sturm lacked consistent linemates in 2023-24 and some of the players he played with clearly didn’t want to be on the ice.
Adding a linemate like Grundstrom, who knows how to help create scoring opportunities, might help boost Sturm’s numbers this season.
Dellandrea, Grundstrom’s contracts good for the Sharks
The two contracts are both good deals for the Sharks. Both players serve as good injury and trade insurance for San Jose. If Sturm or Mikael Granlund gets moved at the upcoming trade deadline, the forward group will not take as big of a hit because of the presence of the two forwards.
Moreover, the price tag makes it easy for the Sharks to move either forward at the 2026 trade deadline if management decides they do not fit into the future of the team.
