Sharks Looking to Trade Top Forward

The San Jose Sharks are likely going to move their top-producing forward ahead of the trade deadline.

Jan 27, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Mikael Granlund (64) looks to pass the puck in the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The San Jose Sharks are currently the bottom-ranked team in the entire NHL with a 15-32-6 record. With not much more room to fall, it seems pretty likely the Sharks will try and sell a few pieces ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline.

Obviously, the young exciting core group isn’t going anywhere, but the Sharks leading scorer might end up leading trade discussions. Mikael Granlund is in the final year of his contract and has already found himself among some of the top names expected to be on the move.

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the Sharks briefly had talks about an extension with Granlund, but a trade seems to be the more likely outcome.

The chatter doesn't stop, so @KatePettersen_ & I might as well share some of it on “The Latest” presented by @CCMHockey. We tackle the *sigh* #Canucks ordeal, #LetsGoPens trade options, #stlblues & Saad, #TheFutureIsTeal (Granlund, Ceci), and the #GoKingsGo hunt for scoring. pic.twitter.com/F9rU60vVcc

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 30, 2025

“With Granlund, there have been some loose contract talks since the calendar flipped to January,” Pagnotta said. “At this point, I think the expectation is that San Jose is going to look to trade him.”

Ever since making his way to the Sharks, Granlund has been a solid forward in San Jose. The team hasn’t been great, but he’s been a top scorer each of the last two seasons. In 51 games played this year, Granlund has 15 goals and 29 assists for a team leading 44 total points.

Last year, Granlund played 69 games and scored 60 points (12G-48A) as the Sharks leading scorer.

A veteran of 13 NHL seasons, Granlund is drawing some attention from teams around the NHL. His playmaking ability and versatility should make him appealing to playoff contenders.

“He’s going to generate a lot of interest from contenders looking to upgrade their top six,” Pagnotta said. “We’ll see which teams step up for Granlund who has a decent cap hit.”

Granlund currently makes $5 million against the salary cap and the Sharks are out of retention slots. If they plan on trading him, a team will have to take on the full $5 million cap hit or get a third team involved in the deal.

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