SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks common supervisor Mike Grier has not had any severe contract negotiations together with his giant group of pending unrestricted free brokers and stated it’s unlikely he’ll signal any of these gamers to extensions earlier than the NHL commerce deadline on March 7.
The Sharks have seven pending UFAs on one-way contracts in forwards Mikael Granlund, Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm, defensemen Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta and goalies Vitek Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev.
Probably the most vital participant in a contract yr is Granlund, the Sharks’ No. 1 heart proper now who leads the staff with 44 factors in 51 video games, performs in all conditions and leads all forwards in common time on ice (20:52).
Whereas Grier is open to protecting any of his pending UFAs, he additionally has to maintain the large image in thoughts, which means that what the participant needs in his subsequent deal has to match up with what is smart for the franchise.
“I have to do what’s best for the organization, short-term and long-term,” Grier advised reporters Tuesday evening at SAP Heart. “Granny’s been great for us. He’s been good on the ice. He’s been good in the room. I haven’t had any conversations about extensions with any of our guys, any of our UFAs or any of our (restricted free agents), but that’s not to say it won’t happen prior to the deadline, after the deadline, in the summer, or whatever it may be.
“I think it’s important for me to have an open mind about where we’re going and what another team might be willing to offer for one of our players and weigh it against the value of keeping those players around and having them with their group.”
Granlund, who turns 33 on Feb. 26, within the last yr of a four-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Nashville Predators in July 2021. He was traded to Pittsburgh in March 2023 as a commerce deadline addition, however his time with the Penguins was transient. With the Pens underneath new administration, Granlund and Rutta had been each shipped to San Jose as a part of a three-team deal that additionally despatched Erik Karlsson to the Metal Metropolis.
Granlund had 60 factors in 69 video games in his first yr with the Sharks and have become one of many staff’s leaders after captain Logan Couture was injured for many of the season and Tomas Hertl was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights ultimately yr’s commerce deadline.
“I haven’t had any real extension talks with any of these guys,” Grier stated. “But who’s to say? As you get into it a little bit, and you kind of see what’s out there, and if it’s not what we think, then you know what? Maybe it goes the other way and maybe you start working on an extension.”
Grier spoke with reporters after he, staff president Jonathan Becher and coach Ryan Warsofsky held a question-and-answer session with among the staff’s elevated season-ticket holders.
The Sharks enter Wednesday in final place within the NHL’s total standings with 36 factors and look like at the very least two or three years away from being reputable playoff contenders.
“It’s just where we are, right? I think it’s important for me to be thorough and do the due diligence, and listen to what’s out there,” when it comes to commerce provides, Grier stated to media members. “We have a certain value on our players, what we think they’re worth in the market, and what they’re worth to us, individually, internally, to our group.
“So we’ll just kind of see how it goes over the next month or so. I’m not ruling anything out as far as if those guys, if they get moved, or if they end up staying here long term. They’re good players, guys that we like, and guys who have been good soldiers.”
All the Sharks’ pending UFAs are in the identical class proper now.
“They’re all kind of in the same boat,” he stated. “We’ll just kind of see what happens, and I’ll have conversations with them as we move forward, and kind of let them know where they are and how things stand.”
The Sharks would not have any wage retention spots left, however not one of the Sharks pending UFAs are on exorbitant contracts, at the very least in comparison with gamers Grier beforehand traded like Karlsson, Hertl and Brent Burns.
In addition to Granlund’s $5 million cap hit, Kunin’s is $2.75 million, and Sturm’s is $2 million. On protection, Ceci’s is $3.25 million, and Rutta’s is $2.75 million. The cap hits for Vanecek and Georgiev are $3.4 million and $2.924 million, respectively.
Grier, although, stated not having any wage retention spots left wouldn’t essentially make buying and selling a participant any tougher.
“It adds a little layer to it, I guess,” Grier stated. “But I don’t think any of the guys are at salary points that are outrageous for a team to be able to — if they really want the player — to make it work.
“It’s not like in the past with (Karlsson) or those guys, where you’re asking someone to take on $8 million or $10 million, whatever it may be. I think Granny’s the highest guy (at $5 million), and I think if a team really wants him and thinks he’s going to help them win a Stanley Cup, then I think that’s a number that can probably be swallowed.”
There’s the opportunity of the Sharks buying and selling a participant, getting an asset in return, after which making an attempt to signal him as soon as the free company window opens on July 1. Grier stated if that was one thing he wished to do, he would communicate immediately with the participant in regards to the risk.
The Sharks have six picks on this yr’s draft, with one in every of the primary 5 rounds and a seventh rounder. With so many groups, significantly within the Jap Convention nonetheless within the playoff hunt, maybe this turns into a vendor’s market.
“I think there’s a lot of teams that still think they’re in it,” Grier stated. “It’ll be interesting. I think we have some good players available, and I think there’s guys that can impact winning and help teams win rounds or win the Stanley Cup. So there’s a steep price to pay for that.”
