Bumping this now that Karlsson has been moved and Seguin has been extended. I have a feeling the 2019 UFA class is going end up being pretty thin when it comes to top talent. I'll bet the Sharks find a way to extend Karlsson and the rest of the top guys either get extended by their current teams or the team they go to at the deadline, or they sign with a contender or the non-contender that overpays the most.
IMO, I see the following happening prior to the 7/1/19 and influencing what they might do as far as UFA's:
-Nyquist and Jensen are definitely moved by the deadline
-Daley possibly moved by the deadline
-Howard and Vanek extended
-Kronwall retires
-Frk doesn't get a QO and Witkowski leaves as a UFA
What they go after in free agency probably depends on a few factors:
-How did the team finish?
-How did some of their young wingers fare at the NHL level?
-Who gets promoted?
-How were Helm and Athanasiou at 3C and Nielsen at 2C?
Based on all that and the team likely still being at the bottom of the league, I see them doing this in free agency:
-In goal: Stay put with Howard and Bernier for a couple more seasons
-On D: Since he'd now be eligible for waivers, Hicketts gets penciled in a #7/8D. If Daley is still around, they stay put and promote Hicketts and another young D to the spots vacated by Kronwall and Jensen. If Daley is gone, they maybe go after a UFA option but it probably isn't in the Karlsson realm. I'd think more Stralman, Bouwmeester, Edler, etc...
-At forward: Due to waiver eligibility, Svechnikov and Turgeon are penciled in at #13/14. I think maybe they try to go after a top line center or wing like Duchene or Stone, but end up striking out. Depending on how they look at C after Larkin, I can see Holland getting a stop gap middle 6 option to shore up the position until Rasmussen/Veleno/etc. are steady enough to grab a spot there. Unfortunately, Jason Spezza has Holland written all over him for that. I also see them leaving a spot open for a guy like Veleno/Pope/Holmstrom/a top pick from the 2019 draft/other prospect that has an unexpected big year in 2018-19/etc. to make the team.
TL
R... Nyquist, Jensen, Kronwall, Frk and Witkowski gone. Maybe Daley too. Vanek and Howard extended. They sign Jason Spezza and maybe a vet D a few rungs down the ladder from Karlsson.