4 Sharks Who Won’t Be Back in 2024-25

The divorce between Barabanov and San Jose could have come even sooner. He was widely expected to be traded at this year’s deadline, and probably would have been dealt to the New York Rangers had the Sharks not decided to use their final salary retention slot on Tomas Hertl instead.

Barabanov’s time with the Sharks will, unfortunately, be largely defined by missed opportunities. His best seasons came on teams with losing records, and his tenure in San Jose will probably end with him injured, having dropped down the hierarchy of the organization’s forwards. He still has plenty to offer to an NHL team if he can stay healthy. That team just won’t be the Sharks.

Kevin Labanc

Another Sharks winger, Kevin Labanc largely finds himself in the same place as Barabanov. With just nine points in 45 games, he has been a healthy scratch several times this season. Although he entered the season with hope, he fell out of favor with head coach David Quinn and as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, he simply isn’t a part of the team’s long-term plans. And like Barabanov, the Sharks explored the possibility of trading him at the deadline.

What separates Labanc from Barabanov is the context of his total time with the Sharks. A sixth-round pick in 2014, Labanc has spent his entire career in San Jose and was involved in several notable plays in Sharks playoff history. At his peak, he is a solid goal-scorer and underrated passer who turns up his game in the biggest moments. The last two seasons have been difficult for him both personally and professionally, and this offseason presents a new opportunity. Perhaps by changing teams, he can recapture both his productivity and the joy of playing professional hockey.

Mike Hoffman

When the Sharks acquired veteran forward Mike Hoffman in the Erik Karlsson trade last offseason, they did so knowing that they could trade him again at the 2024 Deadline. But an inconsistent season led to a dip in his scoring and a decrease in interest from other teams. It doesn’t make much sense for him to take up a spot on the Sharks roster next season, meaning that he’ll likely join another team this summer.

Hoffman’s numbers in the seasons leading up to this one suggest he still has a lot to offer a team with a lineup stronger than San Jose’s. He didn’t have the team around him to best utilize his skills, and the Sharks likely won’t have that for at least a couple more seasons. With new surroundings, he might be able to reclaim his status as a veteran presence who can average over half a point per game.

Jan Rutta

Unlike the previous three players, defenseman Jan Rutta is under contract for one more season. However, it would not be surprising to see the Sharks look to trade him this offseason. Both he and Mikael Granlund are potential trade chips, but Rutta’s salary being roughly half of Granlund’s makes him more likely to be dealt.

Although he turns 34 in July, Rutta can still provide contributions to a contending team. He has veteran experience and two Stanley Cup championships under his belt, and can be a positive locker-room presence for a team looking to get over the edge. On the ice, he is still a smart, defensive-minded blueliner capable of playing on the penalty kill.

The Sharks have spent recent offseasons making moves to gain draft assets and young players who can help the team in the future. Rutta could be yet another example of this trend, and with the right trade, both he and the Sharks would benefit.

Sharks’ Departures Would Symbolize Their New Era

The Sharks are transitioning into a new phase in franchise history, and any or all of these four players leaving would be representative of this change. Barabanov and Labanc have been Sharks for many seasons and attached themselves to the fanbase. Hoffman and Rutta have been in San Jose for less than a year, but they are veterans on a Sharks team that wants to get younger. For a franchise that leaned on veterans for so many years, this is a major shift.

Practically all the recent moves the Sharks have made, whether you agree with them or not, are in the interest of building up a new young core that can contend for and win the Stanley Cup. Letting these four players go would be another step in that direction.