San Jose Sharks GM Lists three players he's letting walk
Mike Grier, general manager of the San Jose Sharks, is not shy about his intentions to make the team better, and he's listed three players that won't be returning.
With the 2023-24 regular season at a close, no one has more work to do in the offseason than Mike Grier, general manager of the San Jose Sharks. It certainly a season he'd like to forget, as the Sharks went a brutal 19-54-9, and finished at the very bottom of the league with just 47 points. Grier is already getting to work.
At his end-of-season conference with reporters, Grier said there are three free agents that he's letting walk, and at least a couple of the names are interesting. They are Alexander Barabanov, Mike Hoffman, and Kevin Lebanc.
Barabanov was never drafted, and was brought to the NHL by the Toronto Maple Leafs after he spent several seasons in the KHL. The 29-year-old forward had a couple of good years, getting 39 points in 70 games in 2021-22, and then 47 points in 68 games last season. In 2023-24, he managed 13 in 46 games. Expect to hear about him signing in the KHL in the near future.
For 24-year-old Mike Hoffman, this may be the end of his NHL career. After scoring 20+ goals for six seasons in a row, including one with 36, Hoffman's production has been dropping steadily since 2020.
Kevin Lebanc might be the most interesting name on this list. In 2019, after having a career season with 17 goals and 56 points, Lebanc seemed poised for a major breakout. Despite a 23 point dip in production the next year, the Sharks chose to give Lebanc a four-year deal worth $4.725 million. It went straight downhill from there, with Lebanc's production continuing to drop. This season, he had just 2 goals and 9 points in 46 games. The talent certainly appeared to be there. He might be someone we see on a PTO deal at next season's training camps.
| POLL | ||
Of the three players Grier is letting walk, which one are you most surprised about? | ||
| Barabanov | 45 | 21 % |
| Hoffman | 31 | 14.5 % |
| Lebanc | 33 | 15.4 % |
| Not surprised by any of them | 105 | 49.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
