Frazer McLaren is returning to the Sharks.
The big 6-foot-5, 230-pound forward has agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with San Jose, the team announced on Monday. The Winnipeg native was originally drafted by the Sharks in the 7th round of the 2007 draft, and spent parts of four seasons here. He ranks first in career penalty minutes with the Sharks’ former AHL affiliate in Worcester (577), and is seventh in games played (217).
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McLaren was waived by the Sharks on Jan. 30, 2013, and claimed by Toronto the next day.
In 102 career NHL games with the Sharks and Maple Leafs, McLaren has four goals and seven assists for 11 points and 274 penalty minutes. Last season, the 27-year-old posted one assist and 62 penalty minutes in 22 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
The move adds some muscle to the Sharks’ forward depth after the departure of enforcer John Scott as a free agent to Phoenix. Other heavyweights in the division include Anaheim signing enforcer Brian McGrattan earlier this summer; the Kings trading for power forward and occasional glove-dropper Milan Lucic; and Vancouver agreeing to terms with Brandon Prust, who was second in the NHL with 16 fights last season. Arizona also has middleweight Steve Downie, who had eight fighting majors in 2014-15.
McLaren will likely begin the season with the Barracudas, who begin play in the new AHL Pacific Division in October.
