Sharks deal Dylan Gambrell to Ottawa Senators for 2022 draft pick

SAN JOSE — The Sharks on Sunday traded Dylan Gambrell to the Ottawa Senators for a 2022 seventh-round draft pick that was originally their own.

Gambrell, 25, was the Sharks’ second-round draft pick in 2016. He had 45 points in 51 games for the Barracuda in 2018-19, and played 110 games for the Sharks over four seasons, and was the team’s third-line center throughout most of last season.

Gambrell, though, lost the competition in training camp to be the Sharks’ fourth-line center to Jasper Weatherby and was placed on waivers by the Sharks on Oct. 9. He went unclaimed and was assigned to the Barracuda, where he had one assist in three AHL games this month.

Gambrell’s calling card was his play as a two-way forward, but he struggled offensively in the NHL. He had just 23 points in 110 games, including 12 last season as he averaged 16:02 of ice time.

He starred at Denver University for three seasons from 2015 to 2018 and won a national championship with the Pioneers in 2017.

The move represents a fresh start for Gambrell, who, it appears, will get another crack at an NHL job in the near future. Gambrell signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Sharks in July.

“Dylan’s a player whose progress we’ve monitored since his collegiate career at the University of Denver,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement. “He’s a good-skating center, a strong checker, and a responsible penalty killer. We have a void at center on account of some recent injuries and Dylan will help us with that need.”

The Senators have Colin White and Austin Watson on their inured reserve list.