Sharks acquire goaltending prospect Magnus Chrona from Lightning
The team sends a fringe defender the other way in this move.
The San Jose Sharks have acquired goaltending prospect Magnus Chrona from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defender Frederik Claesson, per a report from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
Hearing the Sharks trade Frederik Claesson to Tampa Bay for goalie prospect Magnus Chrona
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 12, 2021
The Sharks have since confirmed the trade.
Chrona was drafted in the fifth round (152 overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by Tampa Bay out of Swedish juniors. The 20-year-old has since gone on to played the last two seasons with the University of Denver. In 2019-20, he has a 16-6-4 record, with 2.15 goals against average and .920 save percentage, posting two shutouts. In fewer games in 2020-21, he saw a 7-11-0 record, with 2.47 goals against average and .907 save percentage. He was named to the 2019-20 NCAA (NCHC) All-Rookie Team and was a finalist for NCHC Goaltender of the Year.
At 6-foot-6 and 216 pounds, he’s built similarly to former Sharks goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who has been touted for using his size for much of his career.
The Sharks signed 28-year-old Frederik Claesson in January, to shore up a defense that would miss Radim Simek at the start of the season. The Swedish defender was initially drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Draft. He played parts of three seasons with the Senators and their AHL affiliate after his debut in 2015 until he was not issued a qualifying offer in 2018. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers, then Carolina Hurricanes, who traded him to the New Jersey Devils before he landed with the Sharks.
Claesson has gone scoreless in four NHL games this season. His contract is worth $700,000, with a minors salary of $300,000.