Barclay Goodrow, back with the Sharks, reportedly unhappy about Rangers’ move

SAN JOSE — Barclay Goodrow is back with the San Jose Sharks.

Goodrow, who began his professional career with the Sharks 10 years ago and scored one the biggest playoff goals in team history in 2019, was waived on Tuesday by the Rangers, who were looking to clear salary cap space ahead of the July 1 start of free agency.

Goodrow, 31, still has three years left on the six-year, $21.85 million contract he signed with New York as a free agent in 2021. He had 12 points in 80 games this past season.

Goodrow’s deal carries a $3.64 million annual cap hit, a salary perhaps not commensurate with his modest offensive production as a depth forward. But the number is not problematic for a Sharks team with tens of millions in cap space and looking for players with Goodrow’s hard-nosed qualities.

Goodrow’s deal also contains a modified no-trade clause in which he would have accepted a trade to only one of 17 teams. According to the New York Post, the 15 teams on his no-trade list were in “less-than-desirable locations” and non-contenders, the latter describing the rebuilding Sharks.

So it’s possible that Goodrow would not have accepted a trade to San Jose had the rebuilding Sharks tried to acquire him in that manner.

But Goodrow did not have a no-movement clause, which allowed the Rangers to place him on waivers — something the veteran forward was reportedly unhappy about.

The Sharks, though, had the first crack at claiming Goodrow off waivers since they finished last in the NHL’s overall standings this past season.

The Sharks are expected to have a young team next season and were in the market for players of Goodrow’s ilk, as they aim to insulate their rookies and become a harder team to play against. Earlier Wednesday, the Sharks acquired forward Ty Dellandrea from the Dallas Stars for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick that originally belonged to the Winnipeg Jets.

If Goodrow had gone unclaimed, he would have remained with the Rangers and could still have been traded. The Rangers could also have bought out the rest of his contract or simply assigned him to the AHL.

Goodrow, though, did have six goals and eight points in this year’s playoffs as the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final. His regular season numbers are skewed somewhat, considering over 80% of his zone starts came in the defensive end.

Goodrow and Dellandrea can play center or wing, giving new coach Ryan Warsofsky some deployment options. Goodrow was also the Rangers’ most-used penalty-killing forward, and Dellandrea was third among Stars forwards in average shorthanded time on ice per game.

The Sharks also hope Goodrow and Dellandrea will contribute to the team’s culture, especially with top prospect Will Smith, 19, and presumptive No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini, 18, joining the organization.

Goodrow, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lighting, was an alternate captain for all three of his years in New York. Dellandrea was also praised by the Stars for his professionalism during the numerous healthy scratch periods.

A decade ago, former NHL player and late scout Bryan Marchment convinced former Sharks general manager Doug Wilson to sign the undrafted Goodrow to an entry-level contract in March 2014. Goodrow played most of his first three pro seasons in the AHL with the Barracuda before becoming a full-time NHL player during the 2017-2018 season.

Goodrow won over Sharks fans with his versatility and no-nonsense style, and was popular in the San Jose dressing room for his willingness to stick up for teammates. In 2019, he cemented his spot in Sharks lore by scoring one of the most famous goals in team history.

In overtime of Game 7 of San Jose’s first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights, Goodrow took a pass from Erik Karlsson inside the blue line, skated toward the Vegas net, and scored around goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Sharks a series-clinching 5-4 win.

Goodrow was dealt Lightning at the 2020 trade deadline for a first-round draft pick used on forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. Goodrow won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, adding 12 points in 43 playoff games.

For his NHL career, Goodrow has 169 points in 572 regular-season games and 24 points in 97 playoff games.