Sturm Doesn’t Think He’ll Be With Sharks After Trade Deadline

Nico Sturm doesn’t think that he’ll be with the San Jose Sharks after the Mar. 7 Trade Deadline.

“You’re a 29-year-old UFA with no extension in place. You got to be realistic about it,” Sturm said on Saturday after practice.

After missing eight games due to a broken bone in his right foot, Nico Sturm will play in the Sharks’ first game following the 4 Nations Face-Off break, on Sunday at the Calgary Flames.

“I’m excited to just practice, practicing again with the boys was fun,” Sturm, who’s been practicing all week, said. “Obviously it takes a couple of skates to get your conditioning back up, but I feel ready to go, and I’m excited to play games again.”

Sturm will be elevated to third-line center, after playing 4C for most of the season. He has five goals and six assists in 41 games, averaging just 9:51 a night.

#SJSharks lines at practice:

Eklund-Celebrini-Toffoli
Zetterlund-Wennberg-Smith
Graf-Sturm-Kunin-Kostin
Grundstrom-Dellandrea-Goodrow-Duehr

Walman-Thrun
Ferraro-Liljegren
Mukhamadullin-Thompson
Vlasic

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 22, 2025

But how long will he remain in a San Jose Sharks jersey?

Sturm said he’s had open conversations with GM Mike Grier about the upcoming Trade Deadline, with Grier telling him that the team may be able to pick up a solid return in exchange for Sturm.

Sturm added that they’ve also discussed the possibility of his return over the summer, if a trade were to occur.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s no possibility of me coming back here in the summer,” Sturm said. “Really, anything’s on the table right now, and it’s always been great communication between me, Griersy, and my agent.”

But at the end of the day, Sturm said he knows about as much as anyone else at the moment – just what the rumor mill says.

“You never know what’s going to happen. So two weeks time, maybe nothing will happen, I don’t know. But I’m prepared for whatever,” Sturm said.

That’s not just lip service. To his credit, Sturm, according to San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, was playing some of his best hockey before his injury. The veteran is known for not changing his game, win, loss, or trade.

“I’ll play for the Sharks until the day they tell me otherwise,” Sturm said. “I’m gonna play 100 percent for the crest.”