San Jose Sharks strike another deal, send Eyssimont to Lightning for veteran center

The Sharks continued their roster overhaul on Wednesday, acquiring veteran center Vladislav Namestnikov from the Tampa Bay Lightning for winger Mikey Eyssimont.

The move comes three days after the Sharks sent winger Timo Meier and defenseman Scott Harrington to the New Jersey Devils for a collection of NHL-ready players, prospects and draft picks. And the Sharks almost certainly aren’t done before Friday’s trade deadline. There still could be some minor moves to be made, and all eyes are on Sharks GM Mike Grier to see what he does with star defenseman Erik Karlsson.

The Sharks have a 18-31-12 record — fourth-worst in the 32-team NHL entering Wednesday — and are going to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

San Jose claimed Eyssimont, 26, off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets in January. He scored three goals and had eight points in 20 games with the Sharks. He had been playing primarily on a line alongside Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov.

Namestnikov, 30, scored six goals and had 15 points in 57 games with the Lightning. The 10-year veteran from Russia has scored 113 goals with 251 assists in 610 career games, spending two stints with the Lightning as well as playing for the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars.

Namestnikov signed a $2.5 million, one-year deal for this season, and Tampa Bay reportedly will pay half of what’s remaining on that deal. Eyssimont also was in the final year of his contract.

Sunday, the Sharks acquired defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, and forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Andreas Johnsson from the Devils as well as minor-league players Timur Ibragimov, Santeri Hatakka, and goaltender Zach Emond.

Tuesday, the Sharks announced they had the rights to defenseman prospect Henry Thrun, currently a senior and the team captain at Harvard, from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for their third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.