- The Sharks had shown interest in defenseman Erik Gustafsson at the beginning in free agency, reports Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Had San Jose been able to complete an early Erik Karlsson trade, they likely would have turned to Gustafsson to help replace some of the lost production. However, the delay in getting the trade done on July 1st resulted in Gustafsson not taking any chances as he instead signed a one-year deal with the Rangers. San Jose could certainly benefit from adding a blueliner with some offensive ability but at this stage of free agency, those options are quite limited.