Sharks sign Jeffrey Viel to two-year contract

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Jeffrey Viel to a two-year, entry-level contract. The details of the contract were not disclosed, but the maximum salary for an entry-level deal is $925,000 per year.

Viel just finished his first professional season with the Sharks’ AHL team, the San Jose Barracuda, playing under a one-year AHL contract. There, he scored 11 goals and 11 assists for a total of 22 points in the regular season, and also scored one goal in four games during the Barracuda’s Calder Cup run that ended in the first round at the hands of the San Diego Gulls.

Viel’s initial role with the Barracuda was that of a grinder, but started to find his scoring touch down the stretch, becoming more of a power forward. His aggressive side of his game definitely showed in his rookie campaign, leading the Barracuda in penalty minutes with 94 and dropping the gloves nine times, just one fight away from an automatic one-game suspension.

According to Corsica, Viel currently has a 10.8 percent chance of making the NHL, but his project WAR/82 impact sits at -0.08. This was a bit of a downgrade compared to his projections coming into his first professional year, where he had a 12.7 percent chance of making the NHL and a WAR/82 of 0.09.

“Jeff parlayed his first professional contract into a very successful season with the Barracuda and earned this NHL contract thanks to a mixture of hard-nosed play along with the ability to play a skilled, team-first game,” said Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson. “He has a long track record of proven leadership qualities, having captained his team to the 2018 Memorial Cup and we are excited to watch his continued development with our organization.”

In the 2017-18 season, his final year of junior eligibility, Viel was the captain of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. He scored 39 goals and had 23 assists in the regular season as he led the Titan to not only the QMJHL championship, but the Memorial Cup, scoring three goals and seven assists during the tournament.