Fringe Signings (Jul 11)

In terms of rankings, this one is a bit further than the fringe, but the actual contract reels it in a bit closer, as the expectations grow a bit higher. The Buffalo Sabres signed forward Johan Larsson to a 2-year, $2.95 million deal on Saturday, signalling that it could be his time to step up and make a real contribution to this team in the 2018 season.

Last season, the 24-year old only played in 36 games, but scored 6 goals and 11 points in that time and with some more consistent ice-time and an increased role on the team, there is a possibility that those numbers could reach pool worthiness.

The San Jose Sharks re-signed forward Chris Tierney to a new 1-year, $700,000 deal on Sunday.  Tierney, a depth forward last season for the Sharks, played in 80 games, scoring 11 goals and 23 points on the year and he ranked 244th among all forwards in the regular season.

The Sharks are not too terribly tight to the salary cap ceiling at the moment, but as their roster is shaping up already, they are going to have to rely heavily on their depth and with Patrick Marleau heading out to Toronto, a lineup spot in the top six has opened up and it will be interesting to see who jockeys for that spot.