Bold Take: Mario Ferraro’s future in San Jose is far from settled, and this deadline could redefine his career path.
Mario Ferraro wants to wear a Sharks sweater for life, but right now San Jose Hockey Now sees no significant movement in the contract talks between the pending UFA defenseman and the team. That could change in an instant, but as of now the negotiations haven’t crossed the main hurdle.
Recently, it appeared the Sharks had offered Ferraro a short-term deal. At 27, entering unrestricted free agency for the first time, Ferraro would likely command more on the open market, which may widen the gap between the team’s offer and the player’s expectations.
If there’s no development ahead of the March 6 Trade Deadline, Ferraro’s stress level around Deadline Day could rise again. The Sharks lifer has often found himself in trade rumors in recent years, though this deadline feels different for two reasons: he’s a UFA for the first time, and he and his wife McKenna welcomed their first child, Solenne, over the summer.
“I know it’s there. Everybody knows it’s coming up,” the 2017 San Jose second-round pick said about the deadline. “But I’m just focused on playing.”
From a market perspective, Ferraro should be in demand. Past Deadline activity suggests his value could land around a second-round pick—a range that still seems plausible this year. Jason Demers of NHL Network compared Ferraro to Connor Murphy, a fellow pending UFA who was traded from Chicago to Edmonton for a second-round pick with $2.2 million AAV retained. Several NHL scouts told SJHN they’d value Ferraro in that same neighborhood—steady, reliable, and valuable in immediate win-now scenarios.
On the ice, Ferraro has been a cornerstone for San Jose. As of March 3, the Sharks sit just three points out of the final Western Conference wild card spot, and Ferraro has been a critical contributor. He logs 20:52 per game, third among Sharks defensemen behind Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg, and serves as a primary penalty killer alongside Vincent Desharnais. He’s earned the trust to anchor important minutes when the game is on the line.
“I’m just focused on being the best player that I can be to help this team win. I owe it to this team. I owe it to the fans, I owe it to myself too,” Ferraro said. “I’m just trying to play real well with the goal of making the playoffs here. And whatever happens, having that mindset, I believe will put myself in the best position and this team in the best position.”
From the organization’s side, filling these minutes with internal options isn’t easy. GM Mike Grier has signaled a willingness to ride the playoff push with his pending UFAs, even if it risks losing them for nothing in the offseason. “If we’re going well and things are good and we decide that we just roll through it and see what happens,” Grier said in January, “it’s something we’re prepared to do.”
Beyond Ferraro, other Sharks UFAs include Klingberg, Desharnais, and Timothy Liljegren on the blue line, as well as winger Ryan Reaves and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. There’s also a potential path to extension for Ferraro, similar to what the team did with Kiefer Sherwood, but a mid-deadline extension doesn’t appear likely right now. The coming days will reveal whether San Jose acts to lock Ferraro in or lets the market run its course.
Will Ferraro stay with the Sharks, or will the trade winds push him elsewhere? And what does that say about San Jose’s playoff plans this season—and their longer-term approach to building a competitive core? Share your thoughts in the comments: do you think the Sharks should re-sign Ferraro now, roll the dice with him as a pending UFA, or pivot to younger options?
