The San Jose Sharks have signed their top remaining free agent, winger Collin Graf, to a three-year, $12.75MM contract.
This move will secure an emerging piece of San Jose’s forward core. The undrafted Graf broke out in the 2025-26 season, netting 21 goals and 46 points in what was his first full year in the NHL – though he played 33 games and scored 11 points as a rookie in 2024-25. Graf also scored 35 points in 40 AHL games that year.
The 6-foot-1 forward has emerged as a golden net-front presence for the Sharks. His ability to fight for possession down the boards and tight to the slot has created more space for dynamo linemates Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Graf also flaunted an impressive shot in his 21-goal season.
He recorded the third-highest expected-goals (7.19) on the team from medium-danger positions – or, the area around the middle-slot – behind only Celebrini and William Eklund.
Graf’s ability to take advantage of space in the middle of the ice has added a nice layer of dynamics to his game. While that trait shined this season, it was honed through a three-year career in college hockey. Graf’s freshman season came at Union College in 2021-22.
His 22 points in 37 games ranked second on the team in scoring – and first among forwards – but the weak roster often left him to fill in fundamental roles before taking charge in the offense.
That changed when he transferred to Quinnipiac University as a sophomore. With the Bobcats, Graf earned the space to take on offense in multiple ways – and excelled in many of them. He reached a team-leading 21 goals and 59 points in 41 games en route to the 2023 National Championship.
Graf was showered with awards after that performance, including a Hobey Baker Finalist spot. He earned that same recognition when he returned to Quinnipiac for his junior season and notched 22 goals and 49 points in 34 games.
Consistent growth and an understanding of how to flow through multiple offensive roles put Graf on the right track as he turned pro with the Sharks. He signed in 2023 as an undrafted free-agent and has since earned a nightly role in the San Jose lineup. His new contract will lock in that role through the next three seasons.
Graf should continue to receive top-line minutes, though he may begin to face pressure for Celebrini’s wing from prospect Igor Chernyshov. Both could also lose ground in the face of Ivar Stenberg, the reigning second-overall pick who posted a historic draft year in the SHL.
A demotion wouldn’t be likely to hurt Graf’s chances at continued production, though. High-skill forward Michael Misa could still use a battery ram like Graf to help open more space. That flexibility is likely what convinced San Jose to sign Graf to a handsome, $4.25MM cap hit – while still leaving the opportunity for the young winger to earn a much bigger payday as he enters his prime.