The San Jose Sharks will reportedly be reuniting head coach Peter DeBoer with one of his former New Jersey Devils players. According to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area, the Sharks will be signing veteran NHL forward Dainius Zubrus to a one-year contract, pending a physical on Tuesday. TSN's Frank Seravalli confirmed Kurz's report shortly thereafter. It's a two-way deal. No financials have been released as of yet.
Zubrus, now 37, spent last season in New Jersey, amassing four goals and ten points in 74 games. For his career, he has 225 goals and 584 points playing as a member of the Flyers, Habs, Caps, Sabres and Devils. His three-year deal was bought out by New Jersey this summer.
"He's an easy guy to play because he's defensively reliable," DeBoer said of Zubrus in Dec., per Kurz. "He plays a big possession, heavy game. There's a lot to like there."
What the Sharks and DeBoer will likely like most about Zubrus is his allowing them to actually roll all four, or at least three, depending where he ends up in the lineup, of their lines on a nightly basis. As Kurz notes, the team was forced to shorten things up to protect late leads in a couple of recent contests.
With the Sharks playing well and riding a six-game win streak, all of which came on the road, it seems like a recipe for success. But shortening the bench only works in a pinch and will eventually result in your stars struggling from the excess wear and tear.
While Zubrus won't cure what ails the Sharks in the lower half of their forward corps, he's a dependable presence who plays a conscientious two-way game. He could also presumably push forwards like Tommy Wingels and Matt Nieto down the lineup.