Our San Jose Sharks player grades have thus far been focused on forwards. Today, we’ll examine one of the team’s most important defensemen, Mario Ferraro. In a difficult season for San Jose’s defense, he made strides in his game on both sides of the ice. In doing so, he proved his value to the Sharks, both currently and in the future.
Ferraro Was Sharks’ Best Defensive Defenseman
Admittedly, being the best defensive blueliner on the 2023-24 Sharks isn’t a very high bar to clear. But Ferraro answered the call as best he could. He gave a complete effort every game for an overmatched Sharks team, using aggression and physicality to make an impact. He played with a strong combination of toughness and intelligence, posting just 36 penalty minutes on the season despite his playing style. He certainly wasn’t perfect defensively, but he earned his spot as the number-one defenseman and his role on San Jose’s penalty kill.
Ferraro’s abilities expanded beyond just his on-ice impact. He appeared in 78 games, the most of any Sharks defenseman, offering much-needed consistency and steadiness for a team that didn’t always have much of either. And as he missed the playoffs for the fifth time in five NHL seasons, he remained optimistic and committed to the Sharks, coming off as one of the most likable players on the team in the process.
Ferraro’s defense is his calling card, and he did everything he could to maximize it this season. With both his play and his attitude, he showed that he can be a crucial skater in San Jose’s immediate and distant future.
Ferraro Shows Improvements on Offense
Ferraro will always be a defense-first blueliner, but he took positive steps on offense this past season as well. Asked to do more offensively in the wake of Erik Karlsson’s departure, he posted career highs of 18 assists and 21 points, both of which were first among Sharks defensemen. Granted, some of the Sharks’ most offensive-minded defenders missed large portions of the season due to injury, but that’s still a massive shift from his previous campaigns.
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No one will ever confuse Ferraro’s scoring totals for Karlsson’s, but his offensive strides say a lot about who he is as a player. His willingness to do what his team needs of him was on full display, and he demonstrated his ability to accept a challenge and accomplish difficult tasks. He could easily add to his scoring output on a better, more offensively-skilled Sharks team.
As the Sharks improve, they shouldn’t ask Ferraro to continue to be their most consistent offensive defenseman. But this season added another wrinkle to his game, and showcased his potential to do even more for the Sharks in the coming seasons.
Final Grade: B+
Ferraro had a chance this season to show that he could be a top-pair defenseman on a contending Sharks team. While he didn’t accomplish that, this season was a success for him on most other levels. Given the team’s overall defensive shortcomings, he played relatively good defense and suggested that he could be a sneakily good offensive defenseman over the next few seasons. Based on his performance this season and his career up to this point, he could definitely be San Jose’s number-three blueliner when they return to contention. He will certainly be crucial to improving what is currently perhaps the worst defense in the NHL.
During the season, Ferraro hinted at his maximum potential for the rest of his career: a very good defender who can chip in some offense from the blue line. He didn’t fully live up to that at all times during the season, but he began to trend in that direction. That’s almost all the Sharks could have asked for given the weak state of their roster.
Ferraro is already a steady presence and trusted leader within the Sharks organization despite being just 25 years old. This season offered hope that he can continue down that path for as long as he’s in San Jose.
