SAN JOSE – The next week will likely be the most crucial time of the year for San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier.
Besides concluding preparations for this week’s NHL Draft in Las Vegas, where the Sharks will have the No. 1 overall selection and four picks in the top 42, Grier must get ready for free agency and finalize decisions on next season’s roster.
It’s a transformative time, and the Sharks figure to be a somewhat different-looking team from the one that concluded this past season with a league-worst 19-54-9 record.
“It’s a chance to build your team up again,” Grier said Monday in a conference call with reporters. “It’s a fun time of the year. Obviously, having the first overall pick is a big moment for the organization.”
Grier could barely contain his enthusiasm for presumptive No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who has all the makings of a future cornerstone player for the Sharks.
“He’s a driven kid. He’s an Alpha, kind of everything you expect and have experienced from other No. 1 picks,” Grier said. “He has all that stuff (plus) the belief in himself and the will and the want to get better and work on his craft. He’s an impressive kid.”
Here are other takeaways from Grier’s availability:
PERSONNEL CHANGES: Grier said he will not issue a qualifying offer to defenseman Calen Addison, a restricted free agent, and will likely allow pending UFAs such as forward/defenseman Jacob MacDonald, forward Justin Bailey, and goalie Devin Cooley to go to market on July 1.
“That being said, that doesn’t mean that we’re out on them, but just something that at this point doesn’t look like we can get done before July 1,” Grier said of his pending UFAs. “That doesn’t mean there won’t be some interest down the road.”
Addison’s departure was not necessarily unexpected. He had just 12 points in 60 games this season and averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time per game. He was also a healthy scratch on a few occasions.
But the Sharks already have six defensemen signed for next season, with Henry Thrun and Ty Emberson both restricted free agents the Sharks want back. Plus, the Sharks do have Shakir Mukhamadullin on the verge of becoming a full-time NHL player.
“We gave him an opportunity, and where we are right now, we have some other guys ahead of him,” Grier said of the 24-year-old Addison. “We need to probably take a step up as far as someone who could run the power play. Calen did fine here, and I wish him the best. But you have to make some decisions. You only have so many guys and so many roster spots.”
A report indicated the Sharks were interested in acquiring forward Cam Atkinson from the Philadelphia Flyers, but Grier said there was “nothing to that rumor. He’s not someone we’re talking about.”
The NHL’s buyout window opens later this week, but Grier said he is not planning to buy out anyone’s contract at this time.
COUTURE’S HEALTH: Grier spoke with Logan Couture last week and said the Sharks’ captain “feels pretty good, so I think he’s optimistic about everything. So we’ll just see how the rest of the summer goes and how he keeps training.”
Couture missed all but six games last season with a sometimes debilitating condition called osteitis pubis, raising questions about whether he would be available for the start of training camp in September.
Grier said Couture’s plan is to begin skating after he returns to San Jose in July, “and we’ll just kind of take it from there.” Grier emphasized last week that he has no interest in trading Couture.
COACHING SITUATION: New coach Ryan Warsofsky is still in the process of finalizing his staff, Grier said, as it remains unclear as to whether assistants Scott Gordon, Brian Wiseman, Thomas Speer, and Nick Gialdini will be back for a third season in San Jose. Those coaches are free to seek employment elsewhere.
“Hopefully, once we get to (development camp in early July), we’ll have one or two pieces of the staff in place,” Grier said.
The Sharks have still not hired a head athletic trainer to replace Ray Tufts, who was let go, along with David Quinn as coach, on April 24. Grier said Mike Potenza, who has been hired as the team’s director of high performance, will have some input on who that person will be.
DRAFT DECISIONS: Besides the No. 1 overall pick, the Sharks hold picks at nos. 14, 33, and 42 in the first two rounds. As of now, they have nine draft picks in total.
Grier said he’s open to moving that No. 14 overall pick, either packaging it with something else to move up — which he admitted would be difficult — or trading down from that spot to acquire more picks or other assets.
The Sharks did that two years ago in Grier’s first week on the job, dealing their pick at No. 11 to Winnipeg for picks at 27, 34, and 45 overall. The Jets took forward Conor Geekie, the Sharks took forwards Filip Bystedt and Cam Lund at Nos. 27 and 34, respectively, and defenseman Mattias Hävelid at 45.
If the Sharks keep the No. 14 pick, Grier said they’ll likely pick the best player available rather than reach for a need, such as a big defenseman.
“We’ll see our board shapes up here after we get to Vegas and have our final meetings and shape everything up and see how things look and line up,” Grier said. “But most likely, at 14, we’ll still be at best player available.”
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FREE AGENCY APPROACH: With where the Sharks are in their rebuild, don’t look for Grier to start doling out long-term contracts once free agency begins next week. He would prefer contracts in the one-to-four-year range.
Grier, though, will be in the market for some scoring wingers, a puck-moving defenseman and maybe a middle-six center to support Mikael Granlund and Will Smith, especially if Couture is injured and unavailable. Some more grit and sandpaper would also be welcome traits in any acquisition.
“We want to be flexible. I think we’re in a good spot where some of our centers have the capability to play wing and move up and down the lineup,” Grier said. “So a little bit of scoring and some compete as well.”
