San Jose Sharks add goalie, veteran forwards in dizzying start to free agency

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson finds two experienced forwards, and a goalie

SAN JOSE — The Sharks moved quickly Wednesday morning to address several of their biggest offseason needs.

Within a dizzying 30 minutes after the NHL’s free-agent window opening at 9 a.m. (PT), the Sharks had signed forwards Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano and goalie James Reimer.

Bonino and Reimer signed two-year deals with San Jose with average annual values of $2.05 and $2.25, respectively, and Cogliano signed a one-year deal worth $1 million.

Bonino, 33, averaged close to 15 minutes of ice time per game for the Minnesota Wild last season as he had 10 goals and 16 assists in 55 games. Cogliano, 34, just finished his 14th season in which he had 11 points in 54 games for the Dallas Stars.

Reimer, 33, just finished his 11th season, going 15-5-2 in 22 games with a .906 save percentage for the Carolina Hurricanes.

This is Reimer’s second time with the Sharks, as he was with the team for their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, backing up Martin Jones. He also played for Sharks coach Bob Boughner for two seasons from 2017 to 2019 while both were with the Florida Panthers.

The Sharks’ moves certainly weren’t the splashiest they’ve ever made on the first day of free agency. But they do address some of the team’s needs in terms of their forward group’s depth and a veteran netminder to work in tandem with Adin Hill.

The Sharks on Tuesday bought out the final three years of Jones’ contract. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson signed Jones to a six-year, $34.5 million deal in 2017, and Jones’ deal will remain on San Jose’s books until 2027.

Jones signed a one-year, $2 million deal Wednesday with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Questions remain about the Sharks’ top-six forward group, particularly the effectiveness of wingers Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc. Wilson said Tuesday he wanted to add “quality” veterans who could complement their current roster, particularly their younger players.

“We’re going to have a lot of competition come (training) camp,” Wilson said. “Competition for the net, competition on the back end, competition for young guys that played games last year.

“I’d like to bring in a couple more quality veterans … they’ll have to compete and earn those spots. That’s a big, big piece of what we need to do is just up the competition level.”

Wilson said in May and reiterated earlier this week he was looking to find an experienced third-line center that could take some of the defensive load off of Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl.

Bonino was drafted by the Sharks in 2007, the same year as Couture, but never played in San Jose, as he was traded two years later to Anaheim. Bonino would spend five seasons with the Ducks, one in Vancouver, two in Pittsburgh, winning Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, followed by three seasons in Nashville.

Last October, Bonino was traded by the Predators to the Wild and became Minnesota’s leader in faceoffs, winning 52.8 percent of his 691 draws. He also led all Wild forwards in shorthanded time on ice, and was also a regular on the team’s power play.

For his NHL career, Bonino has 132 goals and 308 points in 681 games.

“Nick is a proven, veteran center who has been a winner at every level of hockey he has played,” Wilson said in a statement. “His skillset is well-rounded, bringing a lot of intangibles to our club, and he has a knack for playing his best when it means the most.”

Playing primarily as a backup with the Hurricanes, Reimer had a goals-against average of 2.66 each of the last two years with a combined record of 29-11-4. He did not play in Carolina’s final seven regular-season games this sesson,  or in any of its 11 playoff games, as the net was occupied by either Alex Nedeljkovic or Petr Mrazek.

“James is an experienced NHL goaltender who we know well from his previous stint in San Jose,” Wilson said in a statement. “Along with Adin Hill, his addition helps solidify the goaltending position for our club and we’re very excited to bring him back to the Sharks.”

In the NHL’s last full 82 game season in 2018-19, Reimer, then with the Florida Panthers, was 13-12-5 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.09 goals-against average.

Cogliano has 410 points in 1,066 career NHL games. In 154 games over the last three seasons with the Stars, Cogliano had 31 points and averaged just under 13 minutes of ice time. He also played regularly on Dallas’ penalty kill.

“Andrew is a durable, versatile player who brings an element of speed and excels as a penalty killer,” Wilson said. “His addition gives our coaching staff flexibility with an additional, trusted veteran presence on our forward lines.”

TRADE: The Sharks also acquired forward Lane Pederson from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. Pederson then signed a two-year deal with the Sharks, with it being two-way in the first year, worth $350,000 in the AHL and $750,000 in the NHL, and one way in the second year, worth $750,000.

Pederson had three points in 15 games for the Coyotes last season.

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