Sharks buy out Knyzhov’s contract amid other changes

LAS VEGAS – The San Jose Sharks placed defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov on waivers Saturday for the purpose of a buyout.

Knyzhov, 26, had one year left on his two-year, $2.5 million contract extension he signed with the Sharks in March 2023.

Per CapFriendly, Knyzhov’s buyout will cost the Sharks $316,667 this upcoming season and $466,667 in 2025-26.

Knyzhov, listed at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds, was selected as the Sharks’ rookie of the year for the pandemic-shortened 2020-2021 season after he had 10 points in 56 games. But his professional career was beset by injuries, costing him all of the 2021-22 season and part of 2022-23.

This past year, Knyzhov played just 10 games for the Sharks. He spent most of the season with the Barracuda, where he scored 14 points in 40 games.

With the retained salaries of Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl, plus the money still on the books from the buyouts of Knyzhov and goalie Martin Jones, the Sharks will carry approximately $7.58 million in dead money this season. Still, San Jose has over $31 million in cap space.

The Sharks are expected to sign restricted free agent forwards Thomas Bordeleau, Ty Dellandrea, Carl Grundstrom, and defenseman Henry Thrun and Ty Emberson to new contracts but are not expected to qualify forwards Filip Zadina or Jack Studnicka.

The deadline for NHL teams to sign RFAs is June 30. If they don’t, those players become unrestricted free agents.

Zadina was signed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract by the Sharks last July after he asked for his previous contract with the Detroit Red Wings to be terminated. Zadina had 13 goals and 23 points in 72 games for San Jose, but he was used mainly in a depth role, averaging just over 13 minutes in ice time per game.

Studnicka played 22 games for the Sharks after he was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in December for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick in 2024 and defenseman Nick Cicek. He had one goal and averaged 11:27 in ice time per game.