As one of the San Jose Sharks' three notable signings in free agency, forward Andrew Cogliano will be joining the team on a one-year contract, worth $1 million.
Cogliano is 34 years old and had spent the last two and half years with the Dallas Stars. The forward scored five goals and 11 points in 54 games this past season, a pace of eight goals and 17 points per 82 games. Cogliano also spent time with Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks, earlier in his career.
It’s clear that Cogliano won’t add much offense for the team, considering he’s averaged under 10 goals and 20 points per 82 over each of the last three seasons. That said, he’s still strong defensively and played nearly 14 minutes per game last season, managing an expected goals for percentage of 53.3 per cent (according to NaturalStatTrick.com).
Forward depth was a huge issue for the Sharks last year and along with Nick Bonino, Cogliano should be a key addition to the bottom-six group. Considering how bad the Sharks were defensively – including the forward group – Cogliano is a welcome addition to the roster. Having an experienced, reliable veteran to help stabilize the fourth line should help the team quite a bit.
As for the contract, it’s a no-lose scenario for the Sharks. With the contract being for a single year, the team isn’t tied to the player for long, especially given his age. Then at just $1 million, Cogliano’s deal comes with barely any cap implications, which is key for a team that has very little space to work with.
Much like San Jose’s other signings, Cogliano isn’t going to take on a large role with the team, but should be effective as a depth addition. Bringing in Cogliano was a no-risk move that should certainly help to improve the team’s bottom-six group.
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