As today marks one year since it happened, we look back at revisiting the Sharks general manager Mike Grier trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Let’s take a look at how this affects the Sharks’ future. When Grier took the job, it was clear that San Jose was staring down a rebuild. After dealing Brent Burns and Timo Meier, it was clear that it would not take long before Karlsson and the Sharks parted ways. The key for Grier and his staff was to maximize Karlsson’s value, despite his age and contract. With all of these factors in mind, let’s look at the trade and what it means for San Jose moving forward.
Revisiting the Full Trade
Grier orchestrated a three-team trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. Pittsburgh received Karlsson, Dillon Hamaliuk, and a 2026 third-round pick from San Jose. The Penguins also acquired Rem Pitlick from the Canadiens.
San Jose got Mikael Granlund, Jan Rutta, and a 2024 first-round pick (top-ten protected) from the Penguins. In addition, Mike Hoffman came to San Jose from the Canadiens. The Sharks also retained just over $1.5M on the remaining years of Karlsson’s contract.
Montreal acquired Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Nathan Legare and a 2025 second-round pick from the Penguins.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft
With the trade of Karlsson, it signalled to everyone around the league that San Jose was willing to take a step back. They gained an additional 2024 first-round pick and opened a roster spot for a young defenceman. However, Grier had to capitalize on the opportunity to improve his team drastically. With all of the talent on Pittsburgh’s roster, it was unlikely that they would land a top-ten pick via the standings. The draft lottery, however, could have landed them a high pick if the Penguins missed the playoffs.
The 2023-24 season was one to forget for San Jose. The team finished with just 47 points but had the inside track to the first overall pick, in addition to Pittsburgh’s selection. The Penguins finished three points out of a playoff spot, earning the 14th overall selection. This gave Grier two picks in the front half of the first round of the draft to help rebuild his team.
San Jose selected Macklin Celebrini first overall, which was an obvious decision. Whichever team won the lottery had an easy decision to make. The difficult part for Grier would come with the 14th pick. Grier opted to move up in the draft and trade the pick to the Buffalo Sabres for pick no. 11.
At pick 11, the Sharks drafted defenceman Sam Dickinson from the London Knights. Many viewed Dickinson as the best defenceman in the draft, which is unsurprising given his abilities. Frankly, it was a shock that Dickinson fell to San Jose at 11. He is a dynamic skater with the potential to be an elite defenceman in the NHL.
Welcome to the Sharks, Sam! 🦈
The #SJSharks select Sam Dickinson with the 11th overall pick in the NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/rqiozZurmC
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 29, 2024
What It Means for the Future
Before the 2023-24 season, the Sharks’ prospect pool was in good shape. They featured names such as Will Smith, William Eklund and Kasper Halttunen on forward, along with Luca Cagnoni and Shakir Mukhamadullin on the back end. Each of these players will play a role in the future success of the franchise.
However, the additions of Celebrini and Dickinson, particularly the latter, bring San Jose over the top. They now have multiple elite forward and defensive prospects to build around. Celebrini, Eklund, and Smith will play in the NHL this season and look to show glimpses of what is to come in the future. On the other hand, it is unclear whether or not Dickinson will crack the Sharks’ roster. Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, and Jake Walman will almost certainly play, with Henry Thrun and Ty Emberson vying for a spot. Dickinson is immensely talented, so it would come as no surprise if he impressed at training camp and found himself in the lineup on Oct. 10.
After revisiting the Erik Karlsson trade, it meant that the Sharks had to look toward the future and gain assets. Grier had to capitalize on Karlsson’s value and land something worthwhile. With the first-round pick, and a little bit of luck, the Sharks are now in a position to not only be good, but a Stanley Cup contender for years.
Main photo: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
