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The San Jose Sharks acquired goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the Chicago Blackhawks for a package that sends along the contract for inactive defenseman Ryan Ellis and a fourth-round selection in the 2028 draft.
As part of the swap, 2021 first-round selection Nolan Allan heads to San Jose, and Sharks prospect Jake Furlong goes to the Blackhawks. The two defensemen were playing for their respective organization’s American Hockey League affiliate. San Jose also received a 2028 seventh-round pick.
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Brossoit, 32, has played in six games for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, recording a 3-3-0 record, 3.38 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. The oft-injured netminder has played in 140 NHL games over his career, compiling a 64-46-13 record with a 2.64 GAA and .911 save percentage for the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights. He did not play in a game for the Blackhawks.
Allan, 22, was the 32nd and final selection in the first round of the 2021 draft. The left-shooting rearguard, who previously played in the Western Hockey League with the Prince Albert Raiders and Seattle Thunderbirds, played all of his 43 NHL games with the Blackhawks last season as he split time between Chicago and Rockford. He has two goals, six points and a minus-2 rating in 29 games with the IceHogs this season.
The Sharks originally acquired Ellis’ contract on Oct. 5, taking on the final two seasons of an eight-year, $50 million deal he signed with the Nashville Predators in 2018. Ellis hasn’t played in a game since 2021 with the Philadelphia Flyers, as a serious pelvic injury and other lower-body issues effectively ended the defenseman’s once-thriving career.
The Blackhawks’ main purpose in the trade was acquiring Ellis’ contract. As they’ve looked to promote more of their prospects to the NHL, it’s become more challenging to reach the cap floor. That was going to be especially difficult next season with several veteran expiring contracts and more prospects likely to be added — potentially Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov — to the NHL roster. Ellis’ cap hit allows general manager Kyle Davidson the financial flexibility to focus on constructing next season’s roster from within.
The Blackhawks also weren’t sure about Allan’s NHL future compared to their other young defensemen. Allan will no longer be waiver-exempt next season.
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The Blackhawks also wanted to give Brossoit a chance in another organization while also no longer having a three-goaltender carousel with their AHL affiliate.
What does this mean for the Sharks?
Taking on Ellis’ $6.25 million salary cap number initially was to help the Sharks remain above the $70.6 million cap floor. Moving it along now frees up that space for a potential trade deadline add to reward a surprising San Jose club that’s fought to get into playoff position and, more importantly, adds room for the 2026-27 season and beyond as they address a potential monstrous Macklin Celebrini extension.
Celebrini still has another year remaining on his entry-level contract, but the 19-year-old superstar who’s emerged as a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate can sign a lucrative second contract that begins in 2027-28 as soon as July 1. Ellis’ contract will expire by then anyway, but with Brossoit’s $2.15 million cap number going away after this season, that can give the Sharks additional space to continue building out a contending team around Celebrini through the draft or free agency. They could also extend one of their own free agents, just as they did with inking center Alexander Wennberg for another three seasons.
Furlong, 21, was a fifth-round pick by San Jose in 2022. The native of Labrador City, Newfoundland, was likely deemed expendable given the Sharks’ plethora of defense prospects.