San Jose Sharks re-sign Joel Kellman to two-year contract extension

The San Jose Sharks have reportedly re-signed center Joel Kellman to a two-year extension.

The San Jose Sharks haven’t been making many headlines over the past few months, but on Friday they reportedly agreed to a two-year extension with center Joel Kellman.

As first reported by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic on Friday, the Sharks are signing Kellman, a pending restricted free agent, to a two-year deal thus bolstering the team’s center depth.

The details of the deal emerged the next day with Curtis Pashelska of The Mercury News reporting that the contract holds an average annual value of $750k.

The first year of Kellman’s contract will be a two-way deal worth $700k in the NHL and $300k in the AHL while the second year is a one-way deal with $800k.

Kellman originally signed with the Sharks in April of 2019 after spending the first few years of his professional career playing in his native Sweden. He made his NHL debut last December scoring his first career goal a week later.

In 31 games, Kellman totaled three goals and four assists primarily serving as a fourth-line center. And if he’s to earn a roster spot with the Sharks next season, that’s likely where it will come.

What should the San Jose Sharks expect from Joel Kellman next season?

San Jose’s top two centers are already locked in as Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl — there shouldn’t be much suspense there. However, the rest of the lineup remains uncertain.

If Joe Thornton returns, he figures to retain his role as the regular third-line center, but it’s unclear whether or not he plays with the Sharks — or any team for that matter — next season.

If Thornton opts to retire, Kellman could actually push for playing time on the third line. It will all depend on the moves the Sharks make in the offseason and how confident they are in him moving forward.

But if Thornton does return, Kellman has a shot to be the team’s fourth-line center once again. His primary competition for that job comes in the form of Dylan Gambrell who’s found himself the subject of some trade rumors recently.

Elsewhere, the likes of Alexander True, Fredrik Handemark could also compete for that role, but Kellman is likely to have the upper hand.

It’s hard to argue with the price and Kellman at least gives the Sharks some stability at center given the uncertain status of Thornton.