Sharks Confirm they will not Offer Qualifying Contracts to Zadina and Studnicka: Prioritizing Young Players in their Roster Building

According to a source from San Jose Hockey Now, the Sharks will not be giving qualifying offers to RFAs Filip Zadina and Jack Studnicka. This decision will be confirmed by Sunday, when the deadline for qualifying offers expires. If Zadina and Studnicka do not receive offers, they will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

On Monday, Sharks general manager Mike Grier had mentioned that Zadina was being considered for a return, but did not confirm it. However, recent acquisitions of forwards Barclay Goodrow, Ty Dellandrea, Carl Grundstrom, and Egor Afanasyev may have influenced their decision regarding Zadina and Studnicka.

Goodrow, Dellandrea, and Grundstrom are described as embodying a “hard to play against” style, which aligns with Grier’s vision of building around young players like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. With limited playing time available, it seems that the Sharks have chosen to prioritize these new acquisitions over Zadina and Studnicka.