Mikael Granlund was expected to produce after coming over to the San Jose Sharks from the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, not many were expecting what he’s given so far. Over the last two seasons, Granlund has been the best forward on the Sharks and shown great value. This year is the final of his four-year contract, meaning that GM Mike Grier will have a tough decision to make on the veteran. Let’s take a look at Granlund’s effect on the team and whether or not Grier should extend Granlund or ship him away.
Should the Sharks Extend or Trade Mikael Granlund?
In 69 games in 2023-24, Granlund was the best player on the Sharks. He scored 12 goals and had 60 points, which led the team by a wide margin. He also played on the top power play unit and was a lone positive in a bleak campaign. For 2024-25, however, the tone shifted drastically after the Sharks drafted Macklin Celebrini. The prevailing thought was that the product on the ice would be much better than a year ago, compounded by the acquisitions of Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg and the debut of Will Smith. Still, many fans didn’t exactly know what Granlund would continue to bring and how he would factor into the Sharks future.
Granlund has, once again, been the best forward for San Jose. Furthermore, he’s been one of the best forwards in the entire league. He’s appeared in all 23 of San Jose’s games and collected 24 points, nine of which being goals. Granlund has also been a major factor in San Jose’s power play, as eight of his 24 points have come with the man advantage. That being said, as we mentioned, Granlund is in the last year of his current deal, which leaves Grier with a choice to make. However, that choice is easier when you factor in different aspects of Granlund’s game and the position the franchise is in.
Granlund’s Value with Veteran Experience
The Sharks feature some elite young talent either already in the NHL or close to it. Celebrini, Smith, William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund are making an impact right now, while players like Kasper Halttunen, Quentin Musty and Collin Graf should see time soon. With one of the best prospect pools and multiple elite-level prospects, you can make the argument that San Jose has the pieces in place. You can never have too many high-end players, but at some point, experience has to play a role. Particularly, when that experience comes with production.
The Sharks big key is that Granlund is a centre and has played it for the majority of his career. With Celebrini also manning the centre-ice position, having Granlund is key to keeping Celebrini’s development in the best spot possible. Since Granlund also plays on the power play, giving that group high-level players is also important. If the Sharks were to re-sign Granlund, it would likely be a short-term deal to give the club flexibility when Celebrini and Smith are due for new contracts. With all of Granlund’s value, it is also possible that it’s best used as a trade chip.
What a Trade Could Possibly Look Like
Many contending teams could be interested in Granlund’s services for a Stanley Cup run. For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs could make sense, as they’ve had questions down the middle. The issue in this scenario is that Toronto is pretty tight to the cap. With just over $1.5M in cap space, Toronto can’t acquire Granlund without San Jose retaining money, which the Sharks’ can’t. This means that unless the Leafs utilize their LTIR space, they would have to send someone on their NHL roster to San Jose. Assuming the Sharks can find a suitable partner, what would a potential trade include?
Depending on the trade partner, the club may acquire draft picks instead of players. The Sharks already have numerous young players in the system, so unless Grier identifies a must-get in the draft, he may elect to ship those picks off for NHL-calibre players. Regardless, the potential trade options may not be enough to move on from Granlund’s services. Whichever option Grier elects to move forward with should provide the Sharks with use moving forward.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
