Radim Simek has agreed to a four-year extension with the San Jose Sharks. The deal is expected to be worth around $9 million. The extension was first reported last week.
#SJSharks re-sign defenseman Radim Simek to a four-year contract.https://t.co/S0gVLLGqDB pic.twitter.com/IXpL961TmV
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 9, 2020
Radim Simek Re-Signs
Simek is in his second year in the NHL, both with the Sharks. This season, Simek has two goals and seven assists for nine points adding 14 minutes in penalties in 47 games. Those numbers are almost identical to last year’s campaign where he had one goal and eight assists for nine points while adding eight minutes in penalties in 41 games before suffering a knee injury.
What This Means For The Future
Simek joined the Sharks as an undrafted free-agent in 2017. He did not appear in an NHL game until December of 2018. Simek went on to appear in 41 games and was named “Sharks Rookie of the Year” after leading all Sharks rookies in assists, points and games played.
He has since carved out a role as a stay-at-home defenceman who can play as a second or third-pair on the back end.
While this has been a season to forget for San Jose, the reported extension would solidify the core group of defencemen for the Sharks. The deal would keep Simek in San Jose through the 2023-24 season alongside defencemen Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Erik Karlsson.
While Simek has just two points in the last 26 games, he does not need to be offensive-minded on a team with Karlsson and Burns. Simek has seen his role increase after Karlsson went down with a season-ending injury. His average time on ice has increased to above 20 minutes in the previous five games.
The 27-year-old now has the chance to see valuable ice time and not worry about his contract. This is a great opportunity for Simek to improve his game and get experience with the Sharks.
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