3 Players Entering Final Season With San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are going to be better and there is going to be competition for roles this season. With younger players coming in and some older players still hanging around, the Sharks are going to make a lot of decisions on the future of their roster by the end of the season. These are three Sharks who are entering their final season with the team.

Cody Ceci

Cody Ceci was just traded to San Jose by the Edmonton Oilers in order to create some cap space. Ceci really didn't want to leave from a contending team and there is a very low chance he is going to want to stick around after the season in which the team will likely still finish at the bottom of the standings. That being said, Ceci is a solid third pairing defenseman, but will have a larger role in San Jose this season in the final year of his deal.

Nico Sturm

Nico Sturm is one of those depth players who will be in heavy competition for playing time all season and there isn't a very good chance he comes back. The 29-year-old maxes out as a fourth line center who scored just five goals and 13 points to go along with a horrible goals for %. He took a real step back from the season prior in San Jose and now players like Carl Grundstrom, Dy Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow, and more are filling the depth of the lineup too.

Vitek Vanecek

Vitek Vanecek has yet to play a game for the Sharks despite being acquired at the trade deadline last season. He didn't perform well on a much better team in New Jersey, so there's no indication that he will this season with the much worse Sharks. While he will likely be the 1b or even backup by the time the season is over, San Jose will likely be more interested in bringing back Mackenzie Blackwood than Vanecek.