Should the Sharks claim one-time playoff hero?

SAN JOSE – One-time San Jose Sharks playoff hero Barclay Goodrow was placed on waivers Tuesday by the New York Rangers, who are attempting to dump the depth forward’s relatively large salary before free agency begins on July 1.

NHL teams now have until 11 a.m. (PDT) on Wednesday to claim the 31-year-old Goodrow, who started his professional career in San Jose in 2014. If he goes unclaimed, Goodrow would remain with the Rangers, although it’s quite possible that the rest of his contract would soon be bought out by the team.

Goodrow has three years left on a six-year, $21.85 million contract he signed with the Rangers as a free agent in 2021. The deal carries a cap hit of just over $3.64 million, a steep price considering Goodrow had 12 points in 80 games and averaged just 12:34 in ice time per game this past season.

Goodrow, though, did have six goals and eight points in this year’s playoffs as the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final.

The NHL’s first buyout window begins 48 hours after the conclusion of the playoffs. The Florida Panthers lead the Edmonton Oilers three games to one in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final and have a chance to clinch in Tuesday’s Game 5.

A buyout would spread two-thirds of Goodrow’s remaining salary over six years and save the Rangers approximately $5.5 million under the cap over the next two seasons. The Rangers, as of Tuesday, have roughly $9.2 million in cap space for next season with 19 players under contract, per CapFriendly.

Goodrow, an Aurora, Ontario native, was signed by the Sharks as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He played most of his first three pro seasons in the AHL with the Barracuda before becoming a full-time NHL player during the 2017-2018 season.

Goodrow won over Sharks fans and was a popular teammate in San Jose with his versatility, no-nonsense style, and willingness to stick up for teammates. In 2019, he cemented his spot in Sharks lore as he scored one of the most famous goals in team history.

In overtime of Game 7 of San Jose’s first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights, Goodrow took a pass from Erik Karlsson inside the blue line, skated toward the Vegas net, and scored around goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Sharks a series-clinching 5-4 win.

Goodrow was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2020 trade deadline for a first-round draft pick used on forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. Goodrow won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, adding 12 points in 43 playoff games.

The rebuilding Sharks will have a young team next season and might be in the market for players of Goodrow’s ilk this summer as they aim to insulate their rookies and become a harder team to play against. They would have the first crack at claiming Goodrow off waivers since they finished last in the NHL’s overall standings this past season.

The Sharks have enough cap space to absorb Goodrow’s cap hit as a waiver claim. But if they are interested, they could also acquire Goodrow via trade, with the Rangers retaining some salary. Or, assuming there’s a buyout, they could wait and try to sign him as a free agent once the market opens up on July 1, although Goodrow, considering his playoff pedigree, could have other suitors more ready to compete for a playoff spot.

For his NHL career, Goodrow has 169 points in 572 regular-season games and 24 points in 97 playoff games.