Burning Questions For the 2025-26 Season: Nick Leddy

With the 2025-26 season now in sight, the plan is to address the burning questions surrounding every player on the roster (or competing for a roster spot). These questions are focused on how the player is expected to contribute to the Sharks this season and what their role will be.

Nick Leddy
6'0" 205lbs
34 years old
2009 1st round pick

Last Season

31 games, 2 goals, 3 assists, 18:40 TOI (St. Louis Blues)

Nick Leddy only managed to play 31 games with the St. Louis Blues last season. He played four games to start the season and missed the next 49 games due to a lower-body injury. Leddy returned to the lineup on February 4th against the Edmonton Oilers, but saw his minutes decline. He only played over 20 minutes a game three times down the stretch, well below his career average of 20:44.

The cap crunched Blues tried to trade Leddy this offseason, but with his 16-team no-trade list and coming off an injury, he had no market. The Blues put him on waivers on July 2nd, and the Sharks claimed Leddy. Leddy enters the final year of his four-year deal that pays $4 million AAV.

Burning Question

Was last season injury-related, or a sign of things to come?

While Nick Leddy was among the fastest skaters in the NHL in the 2023-24 season, his lower-body injury sapped his speed and the number of times he could dip into the reserve. If Leddy is fully healthy, it's an easy path for him to regain his speed and return to form. The issue is that Leddy is 34, and it's more likely that he can't get close to his previous top speed.

If Leddy can't rely on his speed, can he still be effective? Leddy does have over 1,000 NHL games under his belt, so he can utilize his smarts and experience to help compensate for it. As Leddy is in the back nine of his career, he might have to be more of a defensive stalwart than he was previously in his career, where he would drive offense more. Giving Leddy a more offensively driven partner could allow him to settle into a role.

Expectations

Nick Leddy probably doesn't want to be in San Jose, but he's also a professional. Mike Grier has done well to make good with veterans who come in and work hard, but trading them to contenders. Mikael Granlund, Anthony Duclair, and Cody Ceci all come to mind. Suppose Leddy plays well to start the season. In that case, teams are always looking for veteran puck-moving defenseman at the deadline, and Grier should be able to move Leddy to a desirable situation.

If Leddy struggles to regain his form preinjury, it might not be long until a Jack Thompson or Luca Cagnoni is pushing him out of the lineup. This could turn into a Marc-Édouard Vlasic situation where Leddy is a healthy scratch on most nights and comes in to give someone else a break.