Sharks Add Former New Jersey Defenseman Colin White
SAN JOSE (CBS/AP) -- The San Jose Sharks made another offseason move to bolster their defense, signing veteran Colin White to a one-year contract Wednesday a day after he was waived by New Jersey.
The Devils bought out the final year of White's contract on Tuesday in a move that he had been expecting since the end of last season. He didn't take long to find a new home.
"This was a no-brainer for us," said White. "We looked at their last couple of seasons. We looked at their acquisitions this year. I thought it was a good veteran group."
The Sharks made it to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year this past season, losing to Vancouver in five games.
General manager Doug Wilson was not satisfied and traded with Minnesota for All-Star defenseman Brent Burns in June and signed free agent defenseman James Vandermeer last month.
The addition of the 33-year-old White gives the Sharks another physical defenseman to add to a group that already includes big hitter Douglas Murray, puck mover Dan Boyle, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and youngsters Jason Demers and Justin Braun.
"Colin is a tough, veteran defenseman with two Stanley Cups on his resume," Wilson said. "He plays a physical style of hockey and is an excellent penalty killer who is known for his strong leadership qualities. You can never have enough quality defensemen."
White had 109 hits in 69 games last season and played nearly 3 minutes per game short-handed. He had no goals and six assists.
White has scored just 20 goals in 743 career games with New Jersey, but he adds another physical player who is strong on the penalty kill. The Sharks ranked 24th in the league on the penalty kill last season and upgrading that unit was a priority this summer.
White also comes with championship experience, having helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2000 and again in 2003. He has played 111 career postseason games.
"I'm not going to have to go in and do anything special," he said. "I'll just come in and play my game, help them on the penalty kill and complement the veteran group that is already there. ... I think they're a great blue line. The teams that I was on that were Stanley Cup teams, we had a big defense that was a physical presence back there. I see a lot of similarities."
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