The San Jose Sharks on 3 July claimed veteran defenseman Nick Leddy off waivers, one day after the St. Louis Blues exposed the 34-year-old while searching for a trade that never materialised. Leddy is entering the final season of a four-year, $16 million contract that carries a $4 million annual salary-cap charge. For St. Louis, the claim immediately clears the full $4 million from next season’s books, giving general manager Doug Armstrong added flexibility as the club prepares to place injured blueliner Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve. Armstrong said the decision was a “numbers game,” noting head coach Jim Montgomery’s confidence in younger defenseman Tyler Tucker. The Blues had earlier signed forward Pius Suter, further crowding the roster and underscoring the need to shed salary. San Jose gains an experienced puck-moving defenceman and, coupled with Thursday’s two-year signing of Dmitry Orlov, moves comfortably above the NHL’s mandatory salary-cap floor, according to tracking site PuckPedia. The Sharks, who are rebuilding, see potential in Leddy as both a stabilising presence and a possible reclamation project ahead of next season’s trade deadline.