Last season, Los Angeles Kings captain Rob Blake was in the same situation contractually. It is significant to note that Baizley is also Sakic's agent. Sakic, like Blake, entered last season on the last year of his contract before unrestricted free agency. Sakic and Colorado agreed that they would hold off on negotiations until after the season, and Sakic ended up with a new deal to stay with the Avalanche. Selanne, bothered by thumb and knee injuries, showed only flashes in his month with the Sharks and was held without a goal in the six playoff games against St. Louis.
Health is a major factor.
The Sharks ranked 24th in the league last season in power-play efficiency, the worst among the 16 playoff teams. The addition of a healthy Selanne should be a boost, and a bounce-back season from Brad Stuart would be nice. Stuart's offense slipped from 10 goals and 36 points as a rookie to five goals and 23 points last season, but he has the tools to be a power-play force.