SAN JOSE, Calif. — Before Mike Grier was a first-year general manager for the San Jose Sharks or a special adviser to the GM with the New York Rangers, he was a coach.
Grier coached at several levels. One of the players he’d show clips of to his players was two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. Now Grier is Karlsson’s boss, and what happens next with his star defenseman could have a dramatic impact on the franchise.
Karlsson is having a generational season, leading the NHL in even-strength points and all defensemen in goals and points. He could be the first defenseman to reach 100 points in three decades.
“I think this is who Erik is,” Grier said. “I think he’s had some injury issues and hasn’t played up to his standard, but I think the frame of mind that he’s in and the health he’s had, I really believe this is who he is as a player.”
Although Karlsson is a Norris contender again, the Sharks are mired near the bottom of the standings for the fourth straight season. The path back to playoff and Stanley Cup contention could include Grier parting ways with Karlsson.
It wouldn’t be an easy transaction to complete. Karlsson has a full no-movement clause in his contract, so he’d have to approve any trade. He is also 32 years old with four years after this one on a contract that counts $11.5 million against the salary cap.
“There is interest in him,” Grier said. “There’s some teams who have reached out about him. I think it’s only natural for teams to kick the tires, and it’s my job to listen to all the offers and see what I think is best for the organization short term and long term.”
A few more tidbits from Sharks GM Mike Grier:
– Not 100 pct, but it seems unlikely that Wiesblatt will be sent to the WHL
– 2022 pick Michael Fisher is projected to return next month (knee)
– Not surprised by Merkley’s trade request
– Not sure if Nutivaara will play this season— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) January 14, 2023
Karlsson has said several times this season that he wants to win. That is his top priority. The actual dollars left on Karlsson’s contract after this season are $39 million, slightly less than the $46 million in cap charges.
The Sharks could retain some of his contract in a trade. They could work with a third team to eat some of the money to further help the franchise trying to acquire him.
The money involved, regardless of what is or isn’t retained, makes the potential return for the Sharks complicated, as well. Edmonton Oilers broadcaster Bob Stauffer reportedly said the Sharks want three first-round picks for Karlsson in a trade, and they are willing to retain 18 percent of the contract (the max allowed is 50 percent).
“I’m not going to really get into what we’re asking for, but I don’t think that’s totally accurate,” Grier said about the report. “Whatever it would be, it would have to be an offer that we feel makes us stronger in the future and gives us the ability to help kind of turn this thing around quicker. It’s got to be something that makes sense for us as an organization.”
A Karlsson trade could alter the Stanley Cup playoffs landscape, but he’s not the only player Grier could move between now and the March 3 deadline. Here are five other takeaways from Grier’s sitdown with members of the local media Friday evening.
1. Teams have called about Timo Meier, as well. Meier had a career-high 35 goals last season, and he’s on pace for 45 this year (24 in 43 games).
He is also a pending restricted free agent after this season, and the Sharks would need to tender him a $10 million qualifying offer to retain his rights if they haven’t worked out a contract extension.
“We’ve had talks (about a contract),” Grier said. “We haven’t really gotten too much down the road as far as exchanging proposals or anything, but we’ve had good, open, honest, positive talks to this point.”
Meier’s agent is Claude Lemieux, who was teammates with Grier with the Sharks. San Jose has Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic all under contract for at least the next four seasons for more than $34 million combined.
Hertl, 29, is the youngest of that quartet. Unlike the other star players on this team, Meier has no trade protection in his contract and could provide a significant return in a trade as potentially the best forward available before the deadline.
“Timo’s a unique player,” Grier said. “I think you’re starting a team from scratch, and you’ve got a chance to grab someone like Timo, you’re going to take him and put him on your wing and forget about him for the next 10 years.
“He’s big. He’s fast. He can score. There’s plenty of interest in him.”
2. The Sharks have several pending unrestricted free agents, led by forwards Nick Bonino and Matt Nieto and goaltender James Reimer. All three are considered key veteran leaders in the Sharks locker room, but teams that are 28th in the NHL standings don’t make it a habit of keeping many pending UFAs past the deadline.
“You get down to that time of year and guys like that are valuable for a reason,” Grier said. “As big of a reason why we want them around here, around our young guys and kind of driving the culture, it is the same reason playoff teams will have an interest in them. It’s no different than Erik or Timo. It’s my job to listen if someone calls about those guys and make the decision that is best for the organization.”
3. Another player who is likely to be traded is Ryan Merkley, the club’s 2018 first-round pick. Merkley, who played 39 games for the Sharks last season but has spent this entire year with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, recently requested a trade and has not been in the lineup.
Grier said he wasn’t surprised by the request, given the conversations that he and assistant GM Joe Will have had with Merkley and his chats with Merkley’s agent, JP Barry.
“I don’t think he was thrilled that he didn’t go to Europe to begin with,” Grier said. “There are things we value as an organization that we’ve asked him to do more consistently. And the consistency hasn’t been there from his standpoint. He’s got NHL talent. He can run a power play. He’s got great vision. But to play in the NHL you’ve got to consistently compete defensively, be engaged, whether you’re a big guy or a small guy, and you’ve got to be willing to engage physically in your own end, care about box- outs and things like that. I think he’s just been very inconsistent with that.”
Grier said there have been some calls on Merkley. He also noted that if he showed an improvement in those things they’ve asked him to do, there will be opportunities for him here.
4. Two other players who saw little action with the Sharks last season, top prospects William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau, have also spent the entire season with the Barracuda.
Bordeleau leads all rookies with 17 goals and was named to the AHL All-Star game. He and Eklund both have 25 points in 37 games, tied for second on the club.
“They’re both gifted offensive players,” Grier said. “They both have to learn to value the other side of the puck and puck management and things like that. It’s kind of just becoming a more well-rounded player.
“There’s no specific date (for a call-up). I think we sent those guys down with specific things we wanted them to work on. And to their credit, they are working on those things and they are improving. They’ve had some success, but they’ve also had some tough nights.”
The Sharks have recalled two forwards this season from the AHL, Jeffrey Viel and CJ Suess, for one game each. Defenseman Nick Cicek (11 games played) is the only rookie currently on the Sharks roster.
5. Joe Thornton has not announced his retirement from playing, but the best player in Sharks history has been a regular at Sharks Ice and Tech CU Arena this season. Before the regular season began he was on the ice a few times in full gear, but since then he’s just been hanging out with Grier and other members of San Jose’s front office.
“There’ll be a place for him (with the Sharks) whenever he decides he wants one,” Grier said. “I think he’s just enjoying being a dad, to be honest. He’s being a hockey dad, driving (his son) River around being on the bench and on the ice with him. He just had a weekend where it was just him and his daughter (Ayla). He’s enjoying being a dad. At the same time, he’s been a good sounding board for me. I know he’s watching our games. He’s watching the Barracuda’s games. He’s someone I can ask his opinion on different things.”
(Photo of Timo Meier, left, and Erik Karlsson celebrating a goal on Dec. 17 against the Kings: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
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