Restricted free agent Marcus Sorensen signed a two-year contract to return to the San Jose Sharks, the team announced today. The deal will pay Sorensen $700,000 a year at the NHL level, according to Friend of the Blog and NBC Sports California’s Kevin Kurz. It’s not clear what salary Sorensen will be paid in the AHL.
“In Marcus’ first year in North America, he quickly showed that he is a skilled player with the ability to contribute to the team’s success,” Sharks Assistant General Manager Joe Will said in a statement. “The time he spent with the Sharks this season, and the positive impact he had, proved that he can be an effective player at the highest level. We’re excited to see him compete for a spot with the Sharks at training camp in the fall.”
Sorensen split time between the Sharks and the San Jose Barracuda, their AHL affiliate, in his first season in North America. The rookie winger played in 19 regular season games in the NHL, scoring four points (one goal, three assists). He earned the trust of Peter DeBoer’s coaching staff, and skated in all six of San Jose’s postseason games. In the playoffs, Sorensen scored another two points (goal, assist).
In 43 regular season games with the Barracuda, Sorensen scored 17 points and 17 assists, good enough for fourth on the team in points per game (minimum 10 games played). He scored just one point, an assist, in 10 Calder Cup playoff games with the Barracuda.
As a second-year player that signed his entry-level contract as a 24-year-old, the 25-year-old Sorensen is exempt from waivers this upcoming season, and will be able to split time between the NHL and AHL without the Sharks risking his departure. In the second year of his contract, Sorensen will have to be exposed to waivers in order to be sent down to the Barracuda. If he is waived and unclaimed during the 2017-18 campaign, his cap number will not apply to the Sharks. Sorensen’s $700,000 annual salary falls within the $1,025,000 limit for cap relief from a buried contract.
With Sorensen under contract, Barclay Goodrow remains the only unsigned restricted free agent. San Jose now has 44 players under contract, six shy of the organizational limit.
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