Should the Sharks claim Christian Ehrhoff?

Christian Ehrhoff, a fourth-round draft pick of the Sharks in 2001, was placed on waivers by the Kings Wednesday.

Christian Ehrhoff (LAK) on waivers.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 10, 2016

After playing 40 games with the Kings with 10 points, Los Angeles decided it was time to move on. With Brenden Dillon day-to-day with an upper body injury, Ehrhoff might be a nice pick up for the Sharks in an effort to bolster the defense. I know, I know, I just wrote about the improvement of the defense, but Ehrhoff is relatively low cost and may still be an effective NHL defender.

Here’s the case. He’s currently being paid $1.5 million by the Kings, which would make him the lowest-paid defender on the Sharks (other than Dylan Demelo). San Jose can afford him, it’s a matter of whether or not he’s worth the money — or a roster spot, of course.

Point total isn’t a great way to evaluate a defender, but Ehrhoff was, at one time, a pretty reliable offensive defender. That doesn’t appear to be the case with the Kings, and his points-per-60 has definitely slid.

The Sharks don’t really need more offense from their defenders, so that’s not much of an issue. He’s done well suppressing shots with the Kings — though it’s tough to separate him from the rest of the team. His HERO chart looks pretty nice! That gives a three-season sample size, which is good for players in their prime and a little less good for a guy at Ehrhoff’s age who is almost certainly declining.

His scoring-chance-for percentage is 53.1, which makes him a -2.4 percent in relative scoring-chance-for percentage with the Kings. He’s also a slight minus in terms of corsi-for percentage with Los Angeles.

So okay, is Ehrhoff worth acquiring? If Dillon’s injury is something that will keep him out long-term, I’d say yes. The Sharks blue-line depth is absolutely putrid and can’t withstand losing a starter for an extended period of time. Ehrhoff certainly isn’t the defender he once was, but he can do a job for the Sharks if they need him.