The San Jose Sharks are expected to be sellers before the trade deadline this season. The only problem is that they have no room left to keep their salary on their roster. That means if they want to make deals to move players to teams that need salary cap help, they can’t offer it while retaining their salary unless a third team gets involved. This seems unlikely, so trades will be limited to players teams want at their cap cap. This is where a name like Mario Ferraro enters trade discussions and makes a lot of sense for the Sharks.
Because of the team-friendly nature of Ferraro’s deal, he immediately moves to the top of the list of trade plays potentially coming out of San Jose. Nick Kypreos mentioned it in a recent article on commercial baiting.
Kypreos writes:
Ferraro’s name also appeared in rumors last season and will be present again throughout the 2024-25 season. At just 26 years old, Ferraro only makes $3.25 million against the salary cap and has one year left on his contract. San Jose has already used its three retained salary brackets (Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Thomas Hertl) but I wouldn’t have to do that with Ferraro.
The Sportsnet analysts and insider added: “It would have to be for a return that makes sense for their rebuild, but Ferraro is a left shooter, a top-four penalty kill defender and has been San Jose’s blocked shots leader every season since 2020-21.”
Who could be interested in Ferraro in trade negotiations?
When trying to determine who would be interested in someone like Ferraro, the possibilities are numerous. Perhaps the more pertinent question is: “Who wouldn’t consider it?” He makes a reasonable salary, plays between 19 and 22 minutes per game and is reliable, even if he’s not much of a point producer. He can fit into most top fours and easily be a five/six player on a competitive team.
It will be more about which team has the assets the Sharks want back.
The Edmonton Oilers could be a team that will take a longer look at Ferraro. They are still on the market for a defender, and he fits what they might be looking for. That he is left-handed is not ideal. He is versatile and can play on both sides. It offers solid two-way play and impressive skating. Ferraro could be an interesting option, and if general manager Mike Grier trades him to Greier’s former team (they have a trade history), it could add depth to Edmonton’s blue line and give Ferraro a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
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