The Sharks on Thursday placed Gawanke on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination. Gawanke, per a source, is planning to return to his home country of Germany and begin playing for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Gawanke, 24, was acquired by the Sharks from the Winnipeg Jets on July 2, 2023, for defenseman Artemi Kniazev, and signed to a one-year, two-way contract three days later. After four seasons in the Jets' organization, the offensive-minded Gawanke wanted a fresh start with another franchise. However, he did not make the Sharks' roster in training camp and was placed on waivers before the start of the regular season. Once in the AHL with the Barracuda, Gawanke, listed at 6-foot-1, and 198 pounds, continued to put up solid offensive numbers and led all San Jose defensemen with 27 points in 38 games.
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