SAN JOSE — In an ideal world, the Vegas Golden Knights will pluck Mikkel Boedker off the Sharks roster at the NHL’s expansion draft on June 21, giving the team a clean break from what proved to be a disastrous free agent signing last summer.
Boedker failed to meet the expectations of the four-year, $16 million contract he signed with the club last July, scoring a career low of 10 goals and serving as a healthy scratch in two Stanley Cup playoff games against the Edmonton Oilers last week.
General manager Doug Wilson could surely use the $12 million remaining on Boedker’s contract when he enters negotiations with pending-unrestricted free agents Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau this summer, but it’s unlikely that the NHL’s newest team would be willing to take on his salary without additional incentives from the Sharks.