San Jose Sharks sign own ‘Prospect of the Year' to entry-level contract
The San Jose Sharks officially have defenseman Eric Pohlkamp under contract.
The Sharks announced Thursday that they have signed Pohlkamp, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as U.S. college hockey's top player, to a two-year entry-level contract that begins next season. The deal, per PuckPedia, carries a $1.05 million salary cap hit and an average annual value of $1.5 million.
The Sharks drafted Pohlkamp, a right-shot defenseman, in the fifth round in 2023 and had until Aug. 15, 2027, to sign him. If Pohlkamp had remained unsigned by then, he would have become a free agent.
Pohlkamp, 22, was the NCAA's top scoring defenseman this past season with 18 goals and 21 assists in 43 games for the University of Denver, which captured the Division I national championship with a 2-1 win over Wisconsin in the title game on April 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
As a junior with the Pioneers, Pohlkamp was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which was won by Minnesota-Duluth forward and Detroit Red Wings draft pick Max Plante.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Pohlkamp led the country with 188 shots and was recently named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Offensive Defenseman of the Year. He also earned a place on the AHCA First All-America Team, NCHC First All-Star Team, and conference All-Tournament Team.
The Sharks last week named Pohlkamp as their own Prospect of the Year.
For his college career, Pohlkamp had 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists) in 119 games. He spent his freshman season at Bemidji State before transferring to Denver.
“Obviously, a guy that had a really good college career, and can really shoot the puck and move,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s got some personality, which I like. He’s competitive. I think he’s going to be a really good player we’re excited about. We’ll see what the future brings.”
Denver coach David Carle said recently that Pohlkamp had been dealing with hand and foot injuries near the end of the season.
Assuming he is healthy by September, Pohlkamp could be in a position to challenge for a Sharks roster spot during training camp. As of now, the Sharks have only two defensemen signed for next season: Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson, with Shakir Mukhamadullin a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
The Sharks’ list of pending unrestricted free agents includes Nick Leddy, Vincent Desharnais, John Klingberg, and Mario Ferraro at the NHL level, as well as Barracuda defensemen Lucas Carlsson and Jett Woo.
The Sharks, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week, finish the season on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. The Sharks (38-35-8) have lost four of their last five games and entered Thursday in 24th place in the NHL’s overall standings.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 12:19 PM.