San Jose Sharks sign Lucas Carlsson to two-year deal

The San Jose Sharks have added some defensive depth, signing Lucas Carlsson to a two-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 per season.

“Lucas provides offensive defenseman depth to the organization,” Sharks assistant GM Joe Will said. “He has shown to be one of the most productive offensive defensemen in the AHL the past few seasons and has a balanced game. He is a popular teammate and provides leadership by example.”

Carlsson played parts of two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, recording two assists in 18 games after getting drafted 110th overall in 2016.

The Swedish defender had 15 goals, 39 points and 54 penalty minutes with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last year. He played in the AHL all-star game in San Jose, representing the Atlantic Division. He previously led all AHL defensemen in goals the year before with 20, and also played two games with the Florida Panthers.

With San Jose expected to not be a playoff team in 2024-25, it’ll be interesting to see if Carlsson features into their plans. As a 26-year-old veteran, Carlsson has shown some real promise, but his defensive game has struggled at points. At the very least, his NHL experience could be helpful if called upon as an injury replacement.

The Sharks have $16.837 million in projected cap space, but still need to sign No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini to his entry-level contract. Thomas Bordeleau, Ty Dellandrea, Carl Grundstrom, Ty Emberson and Henry Thrun all need new deals as restricted free agents, but shouldn’t be too costly.