The San Jose Sharks have made a move to pad their goaltending depth on the second day of free agency, agreeing to terms with Aaron Dell on a one-year deal to return for his second stint in the organization. .
According to a statement from the Sharks, club policy dictates that the financial details of the contract not be disclosed.
Dell has had a decidedly rocky time in the NHL over the past few seasons. The 33-year-old suited up in just 12 games for the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22 and didn’t exactly set the world on fire, mustering a dismal 1-8-1 record with no shutouts and a .893 save percentage. Dell did fare a tad better with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, however, posting a 12-7-1 record with a .909 save percentage in 22 games.
Clearly, Dell arrives back in San Jose to serve as organizational depth behind the Sharks’ established tandem of Adin Hill and Kappo Kakhonen. The veteran certainly brings his fair share of experience to the Sharks’ minor affiliate, where he will likely begin the season, and has shown in years past to be capable of stepping into a big-league crease in a pinch.
Whether Dell can continue to do that at this stage of his career remains to be seen.
In addition to Dell, the Sharks also made a number of minor-league signings on Thursday as well, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with forward Andrew Agozzino as well as a one-year deal with forward C.J. Seuss.
As was the case with Dell, the details of the contracts have not been disclosed.
Agozzino last played in the NHL in 2021-22, suiting up for one game with the Ottawa Senators while spending the majority of the year with their AHL affiliate, where he racked up an impressive 20 goals and 43 points in 66 games.
Seuss made it into three games with the Winnipeg Jets last season, ultimately going scoreless with two penalty minutes, while producing 14 goals and 28 points in 46 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
