Preview/Lines #59: What’s Going On With Grundstrom’s Season?

Carl Grundstrom and the San Jose Sharks had reason to expect more offense this season.

Grundstrom, who the San Jose Sharks acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in June, had scored at a 15-goal 82-game pace over the last three seasons, while playing just fourth-line minutes for a regular playoff team. Overall, he has 29 goals in 161 games in his last three years in LA.

He was also a volume shooter: Per Stathletes, his 9.57 Shots Per 60 at 5-on-5 was 20th in the NHL last year (of 406 qualified forwards, 40-plus games played).

Grundstrom, 27, looked like a candidate for a breakthrough offensive campaign on a rebuilding Sharks squad, but it hasn’t worked out that way this season.

Through 38 games and injuries and plenty of healthy scratches, Grundstrom has just two goals.

For what it’s worth, per Stathletes, Grundstrom does lead the Sharks with 9.25 5-on-5 Shots Per 60.

He also leads San Jose forwards with 20.58 Hits Per 60.

So he’s trying.

It just hasn’t been the season that Grundstrom and the Sharks have hoped for.

Grundstrom is getting another chance tonight, sliding in for Walker Duehr.

“Every player looks at the scoresheet…and that can affect your game. I think that affected his game a little bit when he wasn’t [scoring], he was getting some opportunities that weren’t going the back of the net, and it affected his hockey game,” Warsofsky said, referencing the Swedish winger’s 26-game goalless slump to start the season. “I thought he struggled at times in the middle part of the year, I think lately he’s been a little bit better.”

There appears to be a reset in expectations for Carl Grundstrom, who actually got time in training camp next to Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli.

“Thing for him is, sometimes when he has zeros across the board with three hits, that’s a really good game for Carl. And having that understanding is really, really important for our hockey team in that role that he fills,” Warsofsky said. “He’s one of our better forechecking forwards when being physical. Has good stick detail with that.”

That said, what Grundstrom did in Los Angeles was real. Plenty of players have an off-year and bounce back.

Grundstrom and wife Wilma have also had a season like no other, welcoming their first child Bo on Feb. 1.

Grundstrom has got 24 games left this season — he’s also signed for $1.8 million AAV next year — to change the narrative.

San Jose Sharks (15-36-7)

Vitek Vanecek will start.

Besides Grundstrom in for Duehr, Marc-Edouard Vlasic will come in for the injured Timothy Liljegren (upper-body).

Liljegren is still being evaluated, #SJSharks will know more today.

If the injury is more serious, they'll need to recall a defenseman. They've got 6 healthy d-men at the beginning of a long road trip & Rutta isn't close.

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 24, 2025

Winnipeg Jets (40-14-3)

#NHLJets morning skate underway:

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Ehlers-Namestnikov-Perfetti
Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
Iafallo-Gustafsson-Kupari

Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Stanley-Miller

Hellebuyck
Comrie

Extras: Heinola, Fleury, Barron (still on IR but in regular sweater) pic.twitter.com/Va3IdITJuu

— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) February 24, 2025

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets is 4:30 PM PT at Canada Life Centre. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.