SAN JOSE – Mikael Granlund saw the puck slide out to the point where Jakob Chychrun was waiting. With time about to expire, the Ottawa Senators defenseman quickly let go of the shot, hoping the puck would somehow find its way into the back of the San Jose Sharks’ net.
Granlund made sure it never got there.
The center slid in front of the shot, collecting his fourth block of the game — to go with two assists in 23:39 of ice time — to help preserve the Sharks’ 2-1 win over the Senators, as San Jose snapped a nine-game skid.
“That’s Granny,” Sharks coach David Quinn said of Granlund. “He’s been doing that his whole career. He’s the ultimate team player and we’re fortunate to have him.”
Granlund, in his 12th NHL season and now a Sharks’ alternate captain, remained on the ice for a few moments, his body still smarting from the Chychrun blast. His appreciative teammates then helped him up and escorted him off the ice, as those in attendance gave the Sharks a hearty round of applause.
“Honestly, I was just happy we were leading,” Granlund said of the final few moments in which the Sharks blocked six shots in 59 seconds. “Being in those situations rather than trying to tie the game.
“This season, we haven’t had too many of those situations when we’d be leading and (the opposition) pulls the goalie. That’s hockey. You block shots and do all that stuff.”
If the Sharks (16-40-7) want to have a dignified end to what’s been a dismal season, then it’s the remaining veterans after the trade deadline like Granlund who are going to have to lead the way.
San Jose Sharks center Mikael Granlund (64) reaches for the puck in front Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Of course, it’s nice for the Sharks to see young guys contribute, like forward Thomas Bordeleau and goalie Magnus Chrona did against the Senators. Bordeleau, 22, had his first two-goal game in the NHL, off assists from Granlund, and Chrona, 23, made 31 saves for his first win in the league.
But young players go through ups and downs, peaks and valleys. Veterans like Granlund, who played his 800th career NHL game Saturday, have a consistency and predictability to their game that teammates, coaches — and general managers — appreciate.
The Sharks are going to rely on Granlund, Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Mario Ferraro, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and other veterans to set the right example, especially since some young players figure to get more of an opportunity after Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair and Kaapo Kahkonen were traded. Logan Couture is also out for the season.
“It’s always big,” Granlund said of setting an example. “We talk about culture. What do you want to do here and what kind of organization you want this to be. Obviously, (Couture) being out and a few guys that we lost, it’s not easy.
“But you just try to do your best out there. There are a lot of good young kids coming up and next season, even more. So just try to help them however you can. But the biggest thing is you need to be an example in the way you work, and the way you behave yourself, and I’ve been lucky to be on teams that have created great leaders. So hopefully, I’ve learned something.”
The Sharks would love nothing more than to see players like Bordeleau, William Eklund, and Fabian Zetterlund emulate some of Granlund’s habits.
“I mean, everything, basically,” Bordeleau said when asked what he can learn from Granlund. “He’s been through it all. He’s done it. He’s a huge part of this team.
“I’ll try to learn everything I can learn from him.”
Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Friday that there was interest from other teams in Granlund before Friday’s deadline. But the Sharks used up their final salary retention spot in the Hertl trade, as they kept 17%, or $1.3875 million, of the centerman’s contract on their books for the next six years.
Grier said that the decision to deal Hertl and retain part of his salary might have cost him the chance to pull off another trade. Granlund’s cap hit for next season is a not-inexpensive $5 million, although it’s unclear if Grier was talking about the Finnish forward.
“There was interest in (Granlund), Sturm, Kunin, guys who have a year left. There was interest in those guys,” Grier said. “But Quinn said it before, those guys bring a lot of value to us, especially as we start to bring in some of these young players. Those (veterans) have expressed an interest in being here and helping us turn this around and working with young players.
“So, for someone to try and pluck one of those guys from us, I had a pretty good price tag on them.”
Granlund, traded twice before on or near deadline day, kept an even keel.
“Obviously, you never know what’s going to happen. I personally had a feeling I’m not moving anywhere,” Granlund told this news organization. “You never know, but I was pretty even. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about it. But obviously, a lot of other moves were being made and a lot of good people were going out the door, so it’s never easy.”
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This time next year, though, Granlund figures to be one of the Sharks’ most talked about pending unrestricted free agents, especially if he has another year like this one as a 0.8 point-per-game player with now 40 points in 50 games.
But for the rest of this season – and into next – he figures to be one of the Sharks’ most valuable players, for all that he does on the ice and the example he set off of it.
“He’s a very, very important part of this organization,” Quinn said of Granlund. “Ton of respect for him as a player and a person. Our organization is in good hands when you get people like him leading.”
