The Sharks finally pulled the plug on two
impending unrestricted free agents on Saturday by trading centerman Mikael
Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2025
1st round draft pick and a conditional 2025 3rd round pick. Both players were
scheduled to be free agents this summer and the Sharks did not feel inclined to
overpay to keep them around.
Granlund leads all Sharks in scoring with
45 points on 15 goals and 30 assists. The Finnish centerman was acquired in a
package that sent Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh in August of 2023.
Filling the role of veteran mentor, Granlund also produced, which made him one
of the Sharks few commodities in terms of trade capital. The Sharks likely felt
the 32-year-old forward was not worth extending given his age. They've been
hamstrung by a handful of bad contracts that created the mess that has had them
cellar dwellers for the past 6 seasons.
Ceci was part of a defensive
corps that is miles behind the development of the offense in the Sharks
rebuild. San Jose ranks dead last in the league in goals allowed and goals
allowed per game. Ceci was swapped along for Ty Emberson this past August. That
trade also landed the Sharks Edmonton's 3rd round draft pick this summer.
The move means that that players like Jack Thompson
will see more ice time and fans may see the return of defenseman Shakir
Mukhamadullin.
San Jose may not be done in dealing current players.
Forwards Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm are both scheduled to be
unrestricted free agents this summer. Defenseman Jan Rutta is also free to sign
with whomever he chooses after July 1st, but the Sharks may be more inclined to
keep one of the few veteran blueliners they have left.
Anything is
possible, so blueliners Mario Ferraro and Jake Walman could be playing for new
teams come deadline day. Both are making more than $3 million a season and they
each have one more year remaining on their contracts. It's highly unlikely that
anyone will touch Marc-Edouard Vlasic's $7 million contract, which still has
another year left on it, unless someone gets something more valuable along with
the 37-year-old defenseman.