Sheng Peng
Is this the last time that the San Jose Sharks are, to use GM Mike Grier’s words, “sell sell sell” at the Trade Deadline?
That’s what Grier hopes.
So how does trading productive players like Jake Walman and Fabian Zetterlund for futures help the San Jose Sharks get out of the basement?
Grier addressed that question, the surprising Walman and Zetterlund trades, why he’s so excited about Zack Ostapchuk, the clear priority area for the San Jose Sharks this off-season, which prospects that he hopes will join the San Jose Barracuda this season, and which NCAA prospect he’s about to sign.
Here’s Grier’s full Trade Deadline availability.
Mike Grier, on his initial thoughts about the Trade Deadline:
I think we feel good about what we were able to do over the last few weeks—or month, if you go back to Granlund and the deal with Dallas. We feel good about it. But at the same time, these are not easy days when good people leave the building. Good kids and good hockey players, but most importantly, good people left the building this last little bit. It’s not easy, but we feel like we’re going in the right direction and we’re going to be a better team going forward. Maybe not today, but down the road for sure.
Grier, on how the Fabian Zetterlund deal came together:
Steve [Staios] and I had some conversations throughout today, and we had some back and forth. I think it was a difficult trade for both sides. It was good working with Steve on it, but it probably took so long because of what we think about Fabian and what they felt about Zack. Sometimes that comes into play, you have those two things. It’s not easy for either side to part with the player. It took a little bit of time, but we worked it out.
As far as that goes, I never came into this Deadline thinking about trading him or Wally, to be honest with you. These are things that happened and came up for us. I don’t know if it was the timing, but it was just something we felt like we needed to do and fit for our roster and roster construction moving forward.
To add a 21-year-old centerman who can fit in behind Mack and Will in this league—in the long term, that’s three pretty good centers 21-and-under. We have Wenny here to help insulate those guys, but you have to be strong down the middle, and this kid gives us something a little different—size, pace, hardness, physicality. You don’t find many of those types of players. They’re hard to find, and everyone’s looking for them.
It just worked out on both sides. Ottawa’s obviously a little bit ahead of us, so that just kind of fits into what they’re trying to do now to win and make the playoffs, things like that. We’re obviously a little bit behind them in that regard. We just like the way that Zack fits with what we’re building here, and where he’ll slot into the future.
Grier, on how the San Jose Sharks locker room will be impacted by these trades:
We’ve been talking about it every deal, pretty much, right? Going back to Blacky and Granny. These last few days, good guys have left—Kunny and Sturmy—they’re all good guys, well-liked teammates and worked hard, they were a big part of things here. The guys have done a good job dealing with it. I know it’ll be difficult for them, it’s difficult for me, so I imagine it’s 10 times more difficult for them, but it’s a group that works hard, and I think they’ll get through it. Sometimes just getting on the ice is the best way to get through stuff like this.
Grier, on if he was far apart in contract negotiations with pending RFA Zetterlund:
The contract wasn’t really a part of this decision. I think earlier in the year, we approached them with the ballpark, what we were thinking, and they decided they just didn’t want the distractions of dealing with a contract during the season. We played it out a little bit, and then a week ago, they got back to us with what they were thinking, but it didn’t really play into this decision at all.
This was more about, like I mentioned earlier, roster construction and things like that, where we see things fitting down the line. It’s some short-term pain for our group, but like I said, in the long run, you have to be strong down the middle. We feel really good about what Zack offers us down the middle and where he fits.
What our pipeline also has is wingers who can score and have size. We feel good about what we have coming on the wings—some of that is [Collin Graf] up here now. We feel good that what’s coming is able to replace that type of production [and] adding a young center on top of it. We just felt that, roster construction-wise, and where we’re heading in the future, was just a good fit.
Grier, on Ostapchuk’s unremarkable productivity and why the organization has confidence in him as a viable player despite that:
You can’t just have all Macklin Celebrinis and Will Smiths. You’re not going to win. I think that’s pretty obvious to most people who are in the game: You need all types of players of all types of characters to win in this game. That’s our job, is to try to build a roster and put a roster together.
He’s not a Will Smith or Quentin Musty—like I said, we feel pretty good about the skill and talent and scoring that we have, but we don’t have that profile of someone who’s 6-foot-3, really good skater, good details, hard, physical. We don’t have that.
The long-term plan is to keep building this place up, and that’s where he fits in. Whether you look at his stats and say [he] can score. I think there’s still some offense there. Ask the Winnipeg Jets where they’d be without Adam Lowry, and see how that would go. It’s important, and we’re trying to get to the playoffs, and we’re trying to win in the playoffs. Zack’s the type of guy you need to do that.
Grier, on trading Walman now as opposed to later:
We just thought it was a price we couldn’t turn down. I know Stan [Bowman] well from working for him. When he brought it up a day or so ago, we had to really think about it because Wally’s been good for us and good for our group, but long-term view, it was the right decision to do it now and move forward with it.
Grier, on how he plans to improve the defense:
On the back end, I think bringing Vinnie [Desharnais] in the other day is going to really help us by adding some size, someone who likes to defend and somewhat has some meanness to him—which we haven’t had here—so I think he’ll really help on the back end.
The hope is that this is the last Deadline where we’re shipping everyone out. It’s time to start building. We have some good building blocks with our young guys, we have some good vets here too—[Tyler Toffoli], Mario [Ferraro], and [Alex] Wennberg. We got some good vets, and we have [William Eklund] coming on to take some leadership role as well.
We expect those guys to keep getting better internally for sure, but it’s also time to start building, and that’s where we’d use that capital from the first-round picks we’ve acquired over the last month or so and try to go out and acquire some good players using those, and maybe even some of the prospects where it’s time for us to start doing that. Dip into free agency and see what’s out there, start surrounding these guys.
That’s the idea, that this phase of just “Sell, sell, sell” is for the most part over. Now it’s time to start building. I’m sure we’ll still have some decisions to make down the road on players, but for now, the hope is to really use some of these assets and start building.
Grier, on if the results this year led to this sell-off:
I think where we are in the standings and the wins-loses, that’s kind of been the disappointing part of the group. Overall, I think the team has taken a step forward, it’s played better. The record may not show it, but I think the team has taken a step forward. Everyone’s documented the leads and stuff—we’ve lost in the third period, but we’ve played a lot of good hockey, and we’ve started to put some fundamentals into the group. I think what you’re alluding towards—more of the disappointment of the actual wins and losses than being disappointed in the group itself.
Grier, on if he’s going to be aggressive this off-season to get the San Jose Sharks out of the cellar:
I don’t know if aggressive is the right word, but we’re definitely going to try and be active and add talent to our group, that’s for sure. As I told you, I’m not going to just step on the gas completely—as when we talked in January—and end up having buyer’s remorse on things and overpaying guys grossly with term and money. We’re definitely going to bring guys in and try and build, but I don’t think aggressive is the right word, but we will be active.
Grier, on if adding to defense will be the clear priority area:
I would say so. We have some work to do on the back end.
I think we have some guys who are taking steps. I think [Shakir Mukhamadullin] has taken a step in the last month—or last few weeks—taking a step and getting adjusted to the NHL. I think that’s good stuff as far as young players go. [Henry Thrun’s] the same thing, he’s learning every day, but that’s kind of where our pipeline has landed and how the draft boards have been laid out in these last couple of drafts—it’s kind of leaned more forward-heavy. We feel like we’re in a good spot with our forward group, prospect-wise, in the AHL and NHL. I would agree that our back-end does need some work.
Grier, on why he didn’t just take Zetterlund to arbitration, and if that’s just a sign of how much he likes Ostapchuk:
I didn’t have any real intentions of moving Zetts at all coming into this Deadline.
Teams that had asked about him throughout the season, it was always a no, so it wasn’t something I was looking to do.
Like you said, it’s all about Zack, really, and how we feel about him.
Our scouts have done a lot of work—the thing that’s transitioned well is our amateur scouts. They all loved him, and we’re really high on him. When he turned pro, our reports have remained the same—our pro guys have really, really liked him.
The second-round pick is nice for us to keep building, but this deal [was] about adding Zack and what he can bring to the organization and to the future here, hopefully for a long, long time.
Grier, on the type of player that Ostapchuk is:
When you see him, he’s big, fast, he plays hard. He’s got good details for a young player. He goes to the hard areas, he’s physical, he’ll stick up for teammates when he needs to. There’s just some sort of an element there when you have someone like that who’s got those tools to play against other teams’ top players. It’s an essential thing these days, and it’s something that we lacked.
I think if you went back and watched his junior tape, he fought [Matt] Rempe. I think everyone knows what Rempe is, and he did pretty well—not that he’s a fighter or anything like that, or what we’re expecting—it just shows his character, leadership, and his toughness.
You put that in a package with his size and skating, it’s something that we feel like we couldn’t pass up, because guys like this often aren’t available too often.
Grier, on seeing Ostapchuk more as a center than a winger:
Everyone’s looking for centermen, and we see him as a center. I think it’s nice that he can play wing. We see that with Will [Smith] this year, he started on the wing, [and so did] Tomas Hertl, so it’s always good to have a little bit of position flexibility, but at the end of the day, we see him down the middle.
Grier, on if he saw this much player movement when he started the season:
It’s hard to forecast. You know, you never know how the season is going to go. We knew we had some UFAs—and we would see where we’re at when this time of year came around—that we might have to move on from, but it’s just part of the business where we are. Like I said, we’re trying to rebuild this thing and grow it. When you’re doing that, there’s kind of a price for some guys—some veterans or other players—going out the doors. You continue to reshape things and try to get the roster and the focus of your vision to how you see it.
Grier, on how players handle things post-Deadline:
With the Deadline, every player handles it differently. There’s always some anxiety when you’re in this situation—when you’re on the other end of it, like Colorado, you’re excited, right? Players are coming in, and you’re adding into your group, and there’s some excitement. In our spot, there was definitely some anxiety from the group, but I think they handled it well.
At the end of day, these are people and human beings with families and friends. Getting traded or not getting traded, or wondering if you’re getting traded, it’s not an easy thing for the human side. Hopefully now that all this is behind them, they can take a day or two to digest it and get back on the rink and play hockey— that’s usually where guys can be at ease a little bit.
Grier, on if he’s talked to his players:
No, I haven’t talked to them. Off day here today, so I’ll probably grab some guys individually tomorrow and check in with them and have a quick talk with them to see how they’re feeling. Like I said, they’re human beings. I’m sure it’s not easy for them. When you see teammates leave, it’s not an easy thing, especially when they’re good people. I’ll probably check in with a few guys tomorrow and see how they’re doing. It’s been a resilient group all year. They just work and put their head down, even when things haven’t gone their way. So I think they’ll be able to do the same here.
Grier, on Yaroslav Askarov’s recovery from his lower-body injury:
I think his rehab’s going well, I think he’s been on the ice a little bit.
The plan is to ramp up his on-ice activity next week. Maybe, by mid-week, he can get in team practices, and then from there, he’s got to get his on-ice conditioning back up and play some games down there to get his rhythm back.
At some point, he’ll be up and play some games up here with us, but I think it’s a good task for him to get his game going and then be a leader for the Barracuda down there as they push for the playoffs and then move into the playoffs. That playoff pressure and intensity and games down the stretch where you have to be on every night, I think it’s a good thing for all our players, and it’s a good thing for him.
I’m sure we’ll see him up here a little bit, but right now, he’s got to work on getting healthy again, getting his time back on the ice, and building up his conditioning before he’s up top again.
Grier, on San Jose Sharks prospects like Danil Gushchin, Thomas Bordeleau, and Luca Cagnoni getting NHL shots over the next six weeks:
I’m sure there’ll be guys down there that’ll get opportunities once we get going back here. I think some of the guys down there have played well enough to get an opportunity up here. Over the next six weeks or so—or whatever is left—I’m sure you’ll see some of those guys up here.
Grier, on how close Mario Ferraro came to getting traded:
We got lots of calls on Mario, but for us, nothing met an expectation of what we put on value-wise. Also, once the Walman thing got done, it made Mario even more important to our group and to our back-end. Nothing ever really got close with him.
Grier, on Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith’s seasons:
Mack has exceeded expectations for sure. He plays such a complete game for an 18-year-old, and competes and practices hard every night and has high expectations of himself. That’s starting to drip down into the group as a whole. He wants to score on every shot and wants to win every game they’re playing, whether that’s in a game or in practice. He wants to be the absolute best at all times, and I think that type of attitude is contagious.
Having Smitty has been good for them to be going through this together. I think they’re enjoying it, I think that’s part of what’s helped our group. They’re excited every day to come to the rink and to be playing the best league in the world.
Smitty, I think you’ve seen a ton of growth in him over the last month or so—he’s playing some good hockey. These two going through the ups and downs and the rigors of the league has been great for each other, and I think they’re there to lean on each other, and we’ve seen lots of real positive growth in both of them. It’s an exciting time for Sharks fans and our organization to see what these guys are doing at such a young age, and imagine what they’ll be doing down the road.
Grier, on seeing some top CHL prospects end the season with the Barracuda:
That would be the hope, we’ll see. I would expect—[Kasper Halttunen and Sam Dickinson]—that London is going to be on a playoff run, so I don’t know if we’ll see them.
[Quentin Musty and Igor Chernyshov], there’s a chance that their teams will be in the playoffs, but you never know. When they get knocked out, I think we’d love to have them and have them experience the pro game in a little bit of the playoff environment.
We’ll throw Cam Lund and [Mattias] Havelid in there—Havelid’s team is in a little bit of a promotion battle, so maybe he doesn’t make it over—Cam’s team is starting Hockey East playoffs next weekend, and we’ll see how that goes. There’s a chance where we might look to sign him when he’s done, if they’re done next weekend, or pretty shortly after.
The plan is to get him signed and we’ll kind of go from there as to where he goes. He’s an exciting prospect with some really nice tools that we’re looking forward to seeing translate in the pro league.
Grier, on the Trade Deadline for the rest of the NHL:
It’s just an arms race, right? Maybe it’s a year where there’s not a dominant team out there that everyone’s looking at and wondering if they can beat. There’s a lot of parity in the league—you see how many teams are still involved in the playoff race. The last couple days show that there’s a lot of teams that believe they can go out and win the whole thing, and they made moves to try and go do that. That’s what you do when you think you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. That’s what we’re all working towards and trying to do, and we all want to do. That’s kind of what we saw here—teams that believe in themselves, made a lot of moves to try and get better and try to win the whole thing.
There’s also some teams that were quiet—the Washingtons and Vegas, who probably believe in themselves and believe in their team, and don’t think they have to do too much to it. It was definitely an interesting Trade Deadline, but I just think that the league’s so close that teams are going after and trying to win.
Grier, on seeing how much top centers and defensemen went for during the Trade Deadline, and the risks versus benefits of holding onto Mikael Granlund or Cody Ceci longer:
We’re happy with when we made the deal. There’s no second thoughts or guessing about holding onto them. We’d be having a different conversation if we held onto them and someone got hurt, right? We got the deal we wanted, we liked the deal, we did the deal. There’s no point in looking back and wondering.
Grier, on if he tried to trade for a goalie so the San Jose Sharks would be able to send Georgi Romanov down to be eligible for the AHL playoffs:
It’s a good question. 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.
That’s just kind of how it played out—we poked around a little bit for sure, trying to get someone in here.
It’ll be good for his development as well, he’s going to get NHL shots every time he’s on the ice here, so I think that’ll be good for him. Down with the Cuda, Asky’s down there manning the net, and he’s backing up. Unless there’s an injury, he’s not going to get a ton of playing time.
It can go both ways, but I think him getting NHL action and shots and game speed and all that stuff will be good for his development as well.
(San Jose Hockey Now note: Romanov was the only expected Sharks prospect who will not be available for the AHL playoffs. Askarov, Graf, Mukhamadullin, Ostapchuk, and Jack Thompson will be)
Grier, on signing Gabriel Carriere to an NHL deal:
He’s been a pleasant surprise. This goes right back to the rookie camp and rookie tournament. I thought he was excellent, and he’s kind of carried it over all season long.
It’s a little bit of a reward for him, and also for us, it gives us a little bit of insurance in case there’s an injury bug that goes around and bites a few of our guys, we have the option to bring him up if needed. It’s a nice reward for him, he’s come in and he’s played really well, so we’re really happy with where he’s at in his development.
Special thanks to Maddie Dutra for her help transcribing.