- Sharks re-sign Collin Graf to a three-year deal worth $4.25 million a season
- The undrafted winger set career highs with 21 goals and 46 points last season
- Read below for Mike Grier’s take on what Graf gives San Jose
San Jose is done with its restricted free agent list.
The Sharks re-signed Collin Graf to a three-year contract on Friday, and the 21-goal winger will make $4.25 million a season through 2028-29. That is a sizable bump from the $1.28 million cap hit on the entry-level deal he just finished.
Graf was the last piece of real business on the board after Macklin Celebrini signed his five-year extension earlier in the week.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier laid out what earned Graf the raise in the team’s announcement:
“Collin was a big part of our team’s improvement this past season, being an effective penalty killer for us and his versatility in the lineup was extremely valuable. His hard working attitude and work ethic is a big reason why his game took another stride last year, and he continues to be an important person in our young group of players.”
The 23-year-old suited up for 81 games last season and posted 21 goals, 25 assists and a plus-6 rating, all career bests. He finished third on the roster in goals and sixth in points while spending most of the year alongside Celebrini and Will Smith.
Special teams work is a big part of why San Jose paid him. Graf had a hand in all three of the Sharks’ shorthanded goals, and he ripped off a six-game point streak from Dec. 13-27 that included five goals.
Going undrafted has not held him back. Among undrafted skaters across the league last season, Graf tied for fourth in points, and he was the youngest player in that top 10.
Take a look at the highlight reel San Jose put out once the deal was official:
Quinnipiac fans saw this coming. Graf transferred in from Union, led the Bobcats to the 2023 national title and landed as a Hobey Baker finalist in back-to-back seasons before San Jose signed him in April 2024.
He has 59 points in 121 NHL games, all with the Sharks.
Grier has spent the past week making sure the group that pushed San Jose to within four points of a wild card spot stays together for a while.
