With half of the league’s teams now eliminated from the playoffs, it’s time to look ahead to the offseason and what changes could be in store for those teams.
One team that certainly has some work to do is the San Jose Sharks. After a summer that saw them trade away their best player in Erik Karlsson, expectations were low heading into the season. Even so, some might argue that they still underachieved, as they were often outplayed and few of their younger players stepped up into prominent roles.
General manager Mike Grier has already made one big move, firing head coach David Quinn after two seasons. Now, he’ll need to address several other key areas in order to improve the team’s fortunes.
One of the most important things Grier needs to do is hire a new head coach. The Sharks need someone who can help them develop their young players and build a winning culture. Several teams have had success in recent years with first-time NHL head coaches, such as Anaheim’s Greg Cronin, Chicago’s Luke Richardson, and Montreal’s Martin St. Louis. Someone along those lines who can help key youngsters continue to develop while also developing as a coach would make a lot of sense for the Sharks at the moment.
Grier also needs to decide what to do with veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Vlasic is 35 years old and has been a key part of the Sharks’ defense for many years, but he has struggled in recent seasons. He is signed for two more years at a cap hit of $7 million, but he has been a healthy scratch on numerous occasions this season.
The Sharks could trade Vlasic, but it’s unlikely that they would get much in return. They could also buy him out, but that would still cost them $3.833 million next season and $4.833 million in 2025-26.
The most likely scenario is that the Sharks will keep Vlasic on the roster and hope that he can bounce back next season. However, if he continues to struggle, they may have no choice but to buy him out or trade him for whatever they can get.
Another player that the Sharks could trade is center Mikael Granlund. Granlund had a breakout season this year, leading the team in scoring with 12 goals and 48 assists. He is now a valuable trade chip, and the Sharks should look to trade him for future assets to help them rebuild.
The Sharks have a lot of work to do this offseason, but they have some good pieces in place. If they can make the right moves, they could be a playoff contender again soon.
