The San Jose Sharks issued a qualifying offer to Shakir Mukhamadullin on Monday, keeping their negotiating rights with the 24-year-old defenseman. They also qualified Collin Graf, while Philipp Kurashev, Noah Beck and Gabriel Carriere did not receive offers.
Mukhamadullin finished this past season with 12 points in 50 games and averaged 15:27 per game. He has 22 points in 83 career games and had been on a one-year, $1 million contract.
Sharks roster decisions
Monday was the deadline to issue qualifying offers to pending restricted free agents, so the Sharks had to decide which players to keep in the system and which to let reach the market. The team recently signed Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year contract and Michael Kesselring to a three-year deal, adding to the turnover around the blue line and forward group.
Graf’s situation carried a different layer. His entry-level deal expired after a season in which he set career highs in points, games played and average ice time, with 46 points, 81 games and 16:27 per game, and he finished third on the Sharks with 21 goals.
Philipp Kurashev leaves San Jose
The Sharks’ decision also separated Mukhamadullin and Graf from Philipp Kurashev, Noah Beck and Gabriel Carriere, none of whom got qualifying offers. Kurashev had signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with San Jose on July 1, then finished with 20 points in 43 games after arriving with 130 points in 317 games for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Mukhamadullin also brings arbitration rights, which keeps his contract path open beyond the offer itself. The Sharks and his camp were slated to meet sometime this week, so the offer gave the team a first step while leaving the next discussion for that meeting.
Mukhamadullin’s next contract step
For Mukhamadullin, the offer means the Sharks retained control of his rights going into the next round of talks. What happens in that meeting will determine whether his deal moves forward quickly or stays in negotiation mode as San Jose keeps shaping its roster.
