Forward Nick Bonino has signed with the San Jose Sharks for the upcoming year after a respectable 2020-21 campaign. The veteran will suit up for a new team after playing for the Minnesota Wild in the past season. Terms for the new deal are yet to be disclosed.
Indications are veteran forward Nick Bonino will sign with the San Jose Sharks.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 28, 2021
Nick Bonino Heads to Sharks
The veteran skater had another fine season last year even as his production dipped. Bonino collected 10 goals and 26 points in 55 games despite averaging just 14:51 of ice time per night. His possession numbers also dipped to a career-worst 43.2 percent Corsi For, but the relative Corsi bounced back somewhat to -4.8. That is a moderate improvement over the -7.1 he posted in 2019-20. While Bonino’s ability to drive play is quite subpar, he has also seen heavy deployment in the defensive zone over the past few seasons.
The San Jose Sharks originally drafted Bonino in the sixth round of the 2007 Draft, but he didn’t debut until 2009-10 with the Anaheim Ducks . He has ultimately appeared in 681 regular-season games across 12 years, accumulating 132 goals and 308 points. That is good enough to place Bonino in the top 20 of his class for career scoring despite having an extremely low draft slot. It’s something of a ideal career for a grinder such as the skater from Connecticut.
What This Means For The Future
Bonino is really only capable of handing bottom-six duties as he moves through his 30s, but there is still some value in his game. He is capable of providing the occasional point and provides reasonable defensive skill for a forward. He also doesn’t cost a prohibitive amount of money compared to his previous cap hit of $4.1 million. That should allow Bonino’s new team to pursue yet more help for the 2021-22 season in the hopes that a postseason run is forthcoming.
