At the morning skate ahead of the Sharks’ season opener against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, San Jose head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters he thought forward Barclay Goodrow has “arrived as an NHL player.” On Thursday, the front office seemed to agree.
The Sharks announced they signed Goodrow to a two-year contract extension. The extension is worth $925,000 annually, as Goodrow will earn $1 million next season and $850,000 in 2020-21, a source confirmed to NBC Sports California. The Athletic first reported the news.
"Barclay has impressed us with his attitude, work ethic and dedication to his game, particularly last season as he excelled on the ice for our club," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement.
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Goodrow would have been an arbitration-eligible, restricted free agent this summer. He will become an unrestricted free agency at the end of his contract.
The Sharks first signed Goodrow as an undrafted free agent in 2014. In his first professional training camp, Goodrow made the team as a rookie that fall, playing 60 games for then-head coach Todd McLellan. He struggled to crack the NHL lineup in DeBoer’s first two seasons behind the Sharks bench, playing 118 games for the AHL San Jose Barracuda during that time.
Goodrow made the Sharks out of training camp last season after leading the team in preseason scoring, and has stayed in the NHL since. He scored 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 47 regular-season games, playing center for the first time in his professional career while also spending time on the wing.
The Toronto native played center in the season opener on Wednesday, manning the middle of the fourth line against the Anaheim Ducks. That morning, DeBoer told reporters that Goodrow’s versatility is a strong match for that line.
San Jose Sharks
“He does everything,” DeBoer said. “I can use him on the penalty kill. He can create offense. He’s a big body that’s hard to play against. There’s a lot to like there and I think he fits.”
Following Goodrow's extension, the Sharks have 11 players under contract for next season, with just over $55 million in salary-cap commitments, according to CapFriendly. Forwards Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier, plus defenseman Joakim Ryan and rookie forwards Rourke Chartier and Antti Suomela, can become restricted free agents next summer. Recently acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson can become an unrestricted free agent, as can forwards Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Marcus Sorensen.