{"id":131271,"date":"2022-08-05T11:04:36","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T15:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=131271"},"modified":"2022-08-05T09:52:11","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T13:52:11","slug":"mike-grier-general-manager-sharks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2022\/08\/05\/mike-grier-general-manager-sharks\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumours: San Jose Sharks Off-Season Outlook and Team Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Once upon a time in the land of San Jose, was a sharks team that was a powerhouse in the Western Conference for over a decade. Franchise cornerstones in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/t\/thornjo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Thornton<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/marlepa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrick Marleau<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/paveljo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Pavelski<\/a> have all passed on. The window of being cup contenders and a lock to make the playoffs is all but over.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Brent Burns has scored more OT goals than any other defensemen in NHL history. Let&#8217;s watch one of them now!<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfa: NBCS California <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sharkive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sharkive<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BayAreaClassics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#BayAreaClassics<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1q2X2oXjLA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1q2X2oXjLA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SanJoseSharks\/status\/1244021473716682753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 28, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">However, A new day shines brightly for the franchise. David Quinn is the new head coach and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/griermi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Grier<\/a> is the new general manager of this team and marks his stamp on the club, not only on the ice but also up in the office.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Mike Grier does indeed have a plan and the team undergoes a new direction.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Mike Grier\u2019s Vision For The Sharks<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour: <a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3463825\/2022\/08\/01\/sharks-mailbag-grier-coaches-prospects\/?source=user_shared_article\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Corey Masisak from The Athletic discusses Mike Grier and what could come for the San Jose Sharks<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Mike Grier has the San Jose Sharks going in a new direction. Upon taking over for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/w\/wilsodo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doug Wilson<\/a>, he has marked his territory and put his stamp on the franchise. The former NHLer has made a slew of moves, but many wonder what direction is this team heading. Are the contenders? Is a rebuild on the horizon? What should the fans expect?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>General Managers Moves<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Mike Grier as the general manager wasted no time getting things going. Grier made a big splash trade with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/hurricanes\/\" target=\"_self\">Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>, as he sent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/burnsbr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brent Burns<\/a> over and in came <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/lorenst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steven Lorentz<\/a>. Grier also went on to add <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/lindbos01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oskar Lindblom<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuninlu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luke Kunin<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/bennima01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt Benning<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/sturmni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nico Sturm<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/n\/nutivma01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Markus Nutivaara<\/a>. While adding these players, he has also let go of players <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/dahlejo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Dahlen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/balceru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rudolfs Balcers<\/a>. Both players are a bit older but haven&#8217;t shown much at the NHL level. Replacing them with already proven talent benefits the club right now. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3463825\/2022\/08\/01\/sharks-mailbag-grier-coaches-prospects\/?source=user_shared_article\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Masisak goes on to state that at the opening press conference<\/a>, he goes on to state that he wants to change the identity of this team. He has a vision for this team and the way he wants them to play and fit the needs to his style. With the core already in place, these are all complimentary pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Are The Sharks Rebuilding?<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Depending on how you define a rebuild, this roster has not changed enough to signal that. And based on what Grier has done, the shoe fits. The Sharks are not in the same boat as the Chicago Blackhawks who are selling off everyone, including Jonathan Toews and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kanepa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrick Kane<\/a>. Even though Burns got sent packing, the remainder of the core is in place. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Despite losing some key pieces over the years, the core is still very much intact. The team boasts a core of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/coutulo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Logan Couture<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/meierti01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Timo Meier<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/hertlto01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tomas Hertl<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/karlser01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Erik Karlsson<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/v\/vlasima01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marc-Edouard Vlasic<\/a>. Unless part of the core is waiting in line to join Burns, a rebuild is not what this is. But depending on what the team looks like come, the trade deadline could signal what could be a rebuild. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3463825\/2022\/08\/01\/sharks-mailbag-grier-coaches-prospects\/?source=user_shared_article\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Masisak states as well that Grier does not have a timeline<\/a>. He is not throwing his chips in the basket going one direction or the other. He is not actively throwing away the future to contend with nor selling off everyone to rebuild for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The San Jose Sharks enter a new era. One that will take patience and time, but in the end, it could all be worth it. It&#8217;s very hard to judge what could come next and what direction they are headed, but one thing is for sure is that the Sharks have a new identity and are forming a team to his vision and identity. A rebuild could be on the horizon, it all depends on how they start the season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once upon a time in the land of San Jose, was a sharks team that was a powerhouse in the Western Conference for over a decade. Franchise cornerstones in Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski have all passed on. The window of being cup contenders and a lock to make the playoffs is all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4194,"featured_media":131290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4547,4548,4321,25],"tags":[333,550,368,332,521,518,7356,331,429,623],"class_list":["post-131271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-rumours","category-sharks","tag-brent-burns","tag-erik-karlsson","tag-joe-pavelski","tag-joe-thornton","tag-logan-couture","tag-marc-edouard-vlasic","tag-mike-grier","tag-patrick-marleau","tag-timo-meier","tag-tomas-hertl"],"modified_by":"Alex Metzger, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4194"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}