San Jose Sharks sign David Schlemko

It only took an hour for the San Jose Sharks to get involved in free agency. The Sharks have signed defender David Schlemko to a four-year deal worth $2.1 million a year according to Pierre LeBrun.

Here’s what I wrote about Schlemko in our Defenders To Watch post:

The Case: Schlemko boasts strong possession numbers and won’t cost the Sharks much. He’s likely a bottom pairing guy and has little offensive upside, but Schlemko would be a fine value acquisition.

And here’s his HERO chart:

His possession numbers are quite good and he’s a relatively mobile, puck moving defender which should make him a great partner for Brenden Dillon. It looks like San Jose has shored up their biggest defensive hole, leaving the Sharks with some cap space to go get a forward.

According to General Fanager the Sharks still have $7 million of cap space to work with. They still need to sign Matt Nieto, Dylan DeMelo and a back-up goaltender.