Gawanke was put on unconditional waivers by the Sharks on Thursday for the purposes of terminating his contract, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Gawanke has eight goals, 27 points and 37 PIM in 38 contests with AHL San Jose in 2023-24. The 24-year-old defenseman hasn't made an appearance at the NHL level. Per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News, Gawanke is expected to return to Germany to play for Adler Mannheim.