Sharks Salary Retention Issue Puts Coveted D-Man on Trade Block

The San Jose Sharks are expected to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline this season. The only problem is that they don’t have any salary retention spots remaining on their roster. That means if they are going to make deals to move players to teams who need salary cap help, they can’t offer it by retaining salary unless a third team gets involved. That seems unlikely, so trades will be limited to players teams will want at their full cap hit. That’s where a name like Mario Ferraro comes into trade discussions and makes a lot of sense for the Sharks.

Because of how team-friendly Ferraro’s deal is, he immediately moves to the top of the list of trade pieces potentially coming out of San Jose. Nick Kypreos mentioned him in a recent trade bait article.

Kypreos writes:

Ferraro’s name came up in rumours last season, too, and will be present again through the 2024-25 season. Still just 26 years old, Ferraro makes only $3.25 million against the salary cap and still has another year to go on his contract. San Jose has already used up all three of its retained salary slots (Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl) but wouldn’t have to do that with Ferraro. 

The analysts and Sportsnet insider added, “It would have to be for a return that makes sense to their rebuild, but Ferraro is a left-shot, top-four defenceman who kills penalties and has been San Jose’s blocked shots leader every season since 2020-21.”

Who Might Look at Ferraro in Trade Talks?

When trying to figure out who would be interested in someone like Ferraro, there are plenty of possibilities. Perhaps the more pertinent question is, ‘Who wouldn’t consider him?’ He makes a fair salary, plays between 19 and 22 minutes per game, and is reliable, even if he’s not much of a point producer. He can fit into most top fours and easily be a five/six guy on a competitive team.

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It will be more about what team has the assets the Sharks want back.

The Edmonton Oilers might be a team that takes a longer look at Ferraro. They’re still in the market for a defenseman, and he fits what they might be looking for. That he’s a left-shot is not ideal. He is versatile and can play both sides. He offers strong two-way play and impressive skating. Ferraro could be an appealing option, and if GM Mike Grier trades him to Greier’s former team (they have a trade history), it could add depth to Edmonton’s blue line and give Ferraro a shot at the Stanley Cup.

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