Sharks Locker Room: Giles Showing Why Grier Traded Vanecek

The San Jose Sharks wanted to add a goalie at the Trade Deadline.

GM Mike Grier admitted as much, after dealing Vitek Vanecek and getting prospect Georgi Romanov stuck in the NHL (and unable to suit up for the AHL playoffs): “In an ideal world, we would have been able to bring in another goalie to kind of come in here and back [Alexandar] Georgiev up full-time and let Romanov go down there and play, but the price was high on some of the guys that we had interest in or teams didn’t want to move their goalie depth.”

Of course, the Sharks could’ve simply kept Vanecek, instead of sending him to the Florida Panthers straight-up for Patrick Giles.

But after watching Giles for two games with San Jose post-Trade Deadline, it’s clear to see why Grier traded for him.

The 6-foot-5 center scored his first career NHL goal on Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss against the Nashville Predators, flashing surprising skating and an effective north-south game in teal.

CONGRATS TO PATRICK GILES ON HIS FIRST CAREER NHL GOAL!#TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/doRMEPyYHK

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) March 12, 2025

“That was the whole thought behind the trade,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky explained on Monday. “We’re pretty excited about this kid.”

Giles may never be more than a fourth-line center, but he’s showing the tools to be a solid 4C, which Grier calculated was probably worth more than a struggling pending UFA in Vanecek and putting Romanov in a less-than-ideal position.

Remember too, Romanov is still getting NHL reps regularly in practice, it’s not like the Sharks are carrying three goalies, and he’s making big-league money for a month too. They’re not exactly doing him dirty.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old late bloomer is opening eyes.

“He’s gotten better, if you looked at his track record of where he’s came from. Grew up in Maryland. If you watched him, he was a Bambi legs. Couldn’t really skate very well,” Warsofsky recalled. “He’s really worked on his skating a lot going into Boston College, worked really hard on his skating, crafted his game.”

It’s an open competition right now for jobs with the San Jose Sharks next year, and Giles, signed for next year at the veteran’s minimum, is off to a good start.

You’ve got to give something to get something, and Giles is showing that he is something at this level.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on another strong Shakir Mukhamadullin performance:

He was really good again. Seen some major development right now, which is good to see.

He bounces back. He’s extremely coachable. The game is starting to slow down for him.

Warsofsky, on what a struggling penalty kill can improve:

There’s a lot of things.

One, it starts with the faceoffs. That’s one way to kill a penalty is win a faceoff.

Second one is off an entry, in our forecheck and our stance at the blueline.

And then the third is understanding our assignments. When we watch the pre-scout, we see what they’re doing, their trends, have an understanding of we got to make sure we’re locked in and laser focused.

A lot of it has to do with our personnel has changed quite a bit. We’re trying some guys. We’re trying to get Grundy involved. We could try to get Patty Giles here involved soon. Obviously, Goody’s been there. Graffer, second half the year stepped up.

Our D core, we’ve obviously lost some guys.

That’s not an excuse. But we need to develop some PK’ers is really what it comes down to.

Warsofsky, on Giles:

He’s got poise with the puck. Gets the inside of the ice to score a goal…So we’ve been impressed.

Patrick Giles

Giles, on his first NHL goal:

Huge moment. I’ve been thinking about that one for a long time, and it’s a great play by my linemates, and I was able to finish.

I didn’t even see it hit the back of the net, so I was just praying that it went in. Then I was just super-excited. I don’t even know what I was thinking.

Probably give [the puck] to my parents. I think they’re gonna try and come next week, so it’ll be a nice gift for them.

Alexandar Georgiev

Georgiev, on what happened on Nashville’s game-winner:

Just miscommunication. Thought I was just leaving the puck for the D to [get at] the net, and it turned out that he wanted me to put it in the corner. And by the time I realized that I tried to put it, I’m not sure if they [intercepted] it. Just a quick play in front of the net. They got the bounce and the goal. It happens.

Georgiev, on his goals for the rest of the season:

Just play as perfect as I can every night. That doesn’t change
Just trying to do that, put the team in a good position every night. I feel like today, 2-2 in the third, that’s where you want to be, and just that unlucky bounce there. But I feel we’re right there.

Collin Graf

Graf, on what the penalty kill can improve:

I don’t know if it’s one exact thing. It’s just frustrating. The biggest way to improve is to take less penalties, and we know that, but I don’t know if there’s one thing to improve on.

Graf, on Patrick Giles:

He’s big, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s a good centerman, I actually know him a little bit, just from going to Florida dev camp almost three years ago now. Really nice guy away from the rink, and he’s been good so far.