If Joe Pavelski returns to the San Jose Sharks, he'll take a circuitous route to get there.
The unrestricted free agent has been meeting with other teams over the last few days, and "interest is high in him right now," The Athletic's Craig Custance reported Friday.
According to Custance, the number of teams that have contacted Pavelski is in the "double-digits."
So far, Pavelski has met with the Dallas Stars and the Tampa Bay Lightning. More meetings, including possibly with the Minnesota Wild, could be on the horizon.
If you're still holding out hope that Pavelski and the Sharks will come back to the table and agree to a new contract, Custance isn't giving that option much hope.
"He's set up to get a great deal on the market," Custance wrote. "At this point, my guess would be no."
The Athletic's Kevin Kurz is echoing that sentiment after speaking with Pavelski's agent.
Sports
Just spoke with Joe Pavelski's agent, Dan Plante. The overwhelming sense now is that Pavelski will be moving on to another team as a free agent. Sounds like the end of an era in San Jose— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) June 28, 2019
[RELATED: Marleau believes he's a good fit with Sharks]
If Pavelski's tenure with the Sharks indeed is done, he had a good run. In 13 seasons with San Jose, the team captain scored 355 goals and racked up 406 assists.
