One by one last summer, and at a steady pace, the Sharks announced contract extensions for a handful of players already in the organization.



Pending unrestricted free agent Evander Kane returned on a seven-year extension on May 24. Logan Couture, a year away from unrestricted free agency himself, signed an eight-year extension on July 1. Joe Thornton followed with a one-year deal on July 2, while restricted free agent Tomas Hertl was inked to a four-year deal that day, too. New contracts for Dylan DeMelo and Chris Tierney came later that month before that pair was shipped to Ottawa as part of the package for Erik Karlsson in September.



But Joe Pavelski, preparing to enter the last year of his contract, remained in the lurch.



Talks about a contract extension for the captain were “non-existent,” Pavelski’s agent Dan Plante said on Sep. 21. Eventually, discussions were held, including several dinners throughout the season between Plante and...