The 2021 regular season ends for the San Jose Sharks tonight, and general manager Doug Wilson is starting to check off some items from his to-do list, announcing the signings of Alexander Barabanov to a one-year contract extension and both Santeri Hatakka and Adam Raska to entry-level contracts this morning.
The Sharks acquired Barabanov from the Toronto Maple Leafs at last month’s trade deadline, in exchange for forward Antti Suomela. The 26-year-old forward seems to have found his footing, with nearly a point per game (three goals, four assists) in eight games with San Jose. Though his 27.3 shooting percent over fewer than ten games (in a shortened season, against two opponents, largely on home ice, etc.) is just a small sample of what the Alexander Barabanov experience is and can be like (he put up just one assist over 13 games with Toronto), he’s been one of the more encouraging aspects of the end of this season.
Barabanov signed a one-year entry-level deal worth $925,000 with the Maple Leafs last April. His extension through the 2021-22 season is worth $1 million, with $900,000 in base salary and a $100,000 signing bonus.
Defender Santeri Hatakka was drafted by the Sharks in the sixth round (184th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old won bronze as the alternate captain of Team Finland in January, contributing a goal and an assist over seven games. Hatakka spent 2021 in his second season with Ilves in the top Finnish men’s league, Liiga. Ilves finished eighth in the regular season, putting them into a wildcard round to make the postseason. They lost in the Quarterfinals to the eventual cup-winning Lukko. Hatakka scored one goal and six assists in 44 regular season games and was scoreless in the postseason.
Another 2021 World Juniors alum, forward Adam Raska started this season on loan with his home Czech leagues, but was eventually able to rejoin Rimouski Océanic in the QMJHL for 22 games. The 19-year-old tallied 12 goals and 13 assists, tying for first in goals and ranking third in points on the team, in fewer games than those ranked above him. Raska added three goals and three assists over eight playoff games, before Rimouski was swept by Val-d’Or Foreurs in the Quarterfinals yesterday. The Sharks drafted Raska in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Per CapFriendly, Hatakka’s contract carries a cap hit of $850,833, including $92,500 in signing bonuses and up to $82,500 in performance bonuses. The terms of Raska’s deal are not yet known.
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