Sharks agree to 5-year deal with D Brenden Dillon
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks agreed to a five-year, $16.35 million contract with pending restricted free agent defenseman Brenden Dillon on Monday.
Agent Jarrett Bousquet said the two sides reached an agreement before Dillon could become a restricted free agent later this week. ESPN first reported the deal.
The Sharks acquired Dillon during last season from Dallas in exchange for Jason Demers and a draft pick. The 24-year-old Dillon had two goals and seven assists in 60 games for San Jose and is being counted on as a key part of the Sharks' defense in the future.
Dillon has 11 goals and 24 assists in 209 career games with Dallas and San Jose.
The Sharks have now reached deals with their two key restricted free agents before the market opens Wednesday. San Jose had previously signed forward Melker Karlsson to a two-year deal.
San Jose general manager Doug Wilson has already said unrestricted free agent forward John Scott and defenseman Scott Hannan won't be brought back. The only other prominent free agent on the team is defenseman Matt Irwin.
The Sharks are still looking to add a top four defenseman and a goalie to compete with Alex Stalock for the starting job.
San Jose dealt the negotiating rights to last year's starting goalie Antti Niemi to Dallas during last weekend's draft for a seventh-round pick. Niemi signed a three-year with the Stars on Monday to stay off the free-agent market.
The Sharks also acquired a conditional seventh-round pick in 2016 from St. Louis for minor league defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser.
