Sharks Assign Veteran Nick Leddy to AHL Barracuda After Clearing Waivers

Nick Leddy was assigned to the San Jose Barracuda after clearing waivers, a roster move announced by the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 24, 2026 that sends the 16-year NHL veteran to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate. Leddy has logged more than 1,000 NHL games and is a former Stanley Cup winner, making this demotion notable for both organizations.

The transaction follows Leddy clearing waivers earlier, which allowed the Sharks to move the veteran defenseman to the Barracuda without losing his rights. That procedural step on the waiver wire is central to this move and gives the Sharks short-term roster flexibility while placing an experienced, Cup-winning blueliner into the AHL lineup.

Leddy’s playing resume, more than 1,000 NHL games across a 16-year career and a Stanley Cup on his resume, provides immediate context for what the Barracuda are acquiring. A player with that level of experience brings on-ice steadiness and game-situation knowledge that is rare at the AHL level, and his presence will alter defensive pairings and power-play or penalty-kill responsibilities for the Barracuda when he takes the ice.

From the Sharks’ perspective, the assignment to San Jose’s AHL affiliate is a roster-management decision that hinges on waiver clearance and the team’s current NHL roster construction. By putting Leddy on the Barracuda roster after he cleared waivers, the Sharks retain control of a veteran defender while opening a spot on the NHL roster to address other needs or call up younger defensemen later in the season.

The move also has broader implications for the Barracuda’s season and for player development in San Jose. Adding a former Stanley Cup winner with more than 1,000 NHL games to the AHL locker room could accelerate the development of younger defensemen on the Barracuda by pairing them daily with a veteran who has extensive playoff and regular-season experience. The Feb. 24, 2026 transaction therefore reads as both a short-term roster adjustment for the Sharks and a strategic injection of leadership into the Barracuda lineup.