The San Jose Sharks have acquired forward Nick Merkley from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenseman Christian Jaros.
The Devils have agreed to terms with Jaros, a restricted free agent, to a one-year, two-way contract.
Jaros recorded three assists in 11 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in 2020-21, as well as one assist in seven NHL games with the Sharks. He was acquired by San Jose in a trade with Ottawa on Jan. 27, 2021.
A fifth-round pick by the Senators in the 2015 NHL Draft, Jaros has registered five goals, 29 assists and a plus-16 rating in 90 career AHL games with San Jose and Belleville. He has one goal and 13 assists in 83 NHL games with the Senators and Sharks.
Merkley posted two goals and eight assists in 27 NHL games with New Jersey in 2020-21, along with one goal and two assists in five games with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils. He began the season skating with Assat in Finland.
A first-round choice (30th overall) by Arizona in the 2015 NHL Draft, Merkley has skated in 142 career AHL games with Binghamton and Tucson, totaling 40 goals and 71 assists for 111 points. He participated in the AHL All-Star Classic as a rookie in 2018.
Merkley has played 32 games in the AHL with Arizona and New Jersey, compiling three goals and nine assists.
