SAN JOSE — Nick Leddy is back in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, but it’s unclear when — or where — the veteran defenseman will play his next game.
Now back practicing with the Sharks since being recalled from the Barracuda on Wednesday, Leddy’s playing career is on the road in one way or another, with a return to the AHL, a move to another team, or staying on San Jose’s NHL roster all possible in the coming days and weeks.
“Control what I can’t control,” Leddy, a 16-year NHL veteran and Stanley Cup champion, said Saturday of his no-nonsense approach. “Some things are completely out of my hands. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Claimed by San Jose in July after being fired by St. Louis Blues, Leddy has had a tumultuous season so far in the Sharks organization.
Leddy started as the Sharks’ top defenseman, averaging 21 minutes of ice time per game, before suffering a physical injury in an October 23 game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Leddy returned in mid-November, but struggled to maintain a roster spot, appearing in just 12 of 31 games before being fired by the Sharks on Jan. 18.
“Injury is a form of death,” said Leddy. “It’s very unfortunate, but it’s part of the game. It all goes back to controlling what I can’t control: my mindset, being in a good headspace, and learning from every experience.”
Leddy, 34, was assigned to the Barracuda on Jan. 19, but did not play a game for the AHL team, a decision Leddy said was between himself and Sharks general manager Mike Grier.
Asked if he’s ready to play for the Barracuda, if he gets demoted again, Leddy said “he’s been thinking about that. I haven’t come up with a plan yet, but we’ll come up with one soon. I don’t know. I think that’s up to me and (Grier) to talk about.”
“I want to play hockey too. So, we’ll see what happens.”
What made things difficult for Leddy was that the Sharks, at times, carried 9 defensive players on the active roster and wanted to give younger players opportunities to play.
“I’ve been around long enough where you can see the writing on the wall, and the conversations with (Grier) and my agent (Pat Brisson) have been happening,” Leddy said. “So (the cancellation) wasn’t real. Obviously, it hurts a little bit, but it’s business.”
Right now, the Sharks don’t have a big need to open up a spot on the 23-man roster. Center Filip Bystedt, who was promoted to the Barracuda at the same time as Leddy, could be reassigned to the AHL if the Sharks want to activate Ryan Reaves from injured reserve. But pitcher Ty Dellandrea, the only San Jose player on IR, is still weeks away from a lower-body ailment.
As long as they have enough salary cap space, NHL teams can expand their rosters to more than 23 players after the trade deadline of March 6. Leddy can be kept on the Sharks’ roster, as his contract is worth $4 million, and the team, according to PuckPedia, will have more than $10.6 million in available cap space at the deadline.
The Sharks also have four other defensemen, besides Leddy, who are awaiting unrestricted free agents and cannot be traded. If one or more of the Sharks’ pending UFAs, such as Mario Ferraro, Timothy Liljegren, Vincent Desharnais, or John Klingberg, are traded, that could open up Leddy to return to the roster.
“You never know,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “The trade deadline is coming up, things change so fast. An injury there, an injury here, the next thing you know, you’re back in the top four, six, whatever it may be. So he’s got to control what he can control and be ready to practice.”
The Sharks and Jeff Skinner on February 16 agreed to opt out of the remainder of his one-year, $3 million contract, allowing the veteran to sign with any other team. Skinner remains a free agent.
Leddy’s cap hit is probably too much for other teams to use in a trade, but a new deal with a smaller cap hit would be easier to swallow. Asked if terminating his contract is something he has or will consider, Leddy said the decision “is up to (Grier), and my agent.”
“So it’s hard to comment on that right now, as there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of things going on. The focus here. The focus is on trying to win games here and get to the playoffs.”
Leddy, who has 420 points in 1,061 NHL games, firmly believes he can still play at the highest level.
“I’d like to play in the NHL, that’s a big goal,” said Leddy. “And, that’s not always the case with me.”
