The San Jose Sharks have been busy early in the summer with quite a few moves before we even reach the official end of the 2023-24 season on July 1. General manager Mike Grier seems to be doing whatever he can to move his team out of the league’s basement without giving up an abundance of assets, and so far he’s been doing a pretty good job with it.
2 Moves in the Middle of June
The Sharks’ busy summer started with a pair of moves on June 19. They claimed former Shark Barclay Goodrow off of waivers from the New York Rangers, which has become a controversial move considering the fact that the team in teal was reportedly on his no-trade list. At his press conference prior to the NHL Draft, Grier was asked whether he had any concerns about Goodrow reporting to training camp in September. He simply stated that he’s confident the player will report when the time comes. Overall, Grier was sacrificing cap space for a player who could step in and make a difference on the wing, which was something the Sharks desperately lacked this season outside of a couple of players.
That same day, the Sharks also acquired 23-year-old Ty Dellandrea from the Dallas Stars for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 Draft that originally belonged to the Winnipeg Jets. Dellandrea still has quite a bit of potential despite the fact that it’s now been six years since he was selected 13th overall during the 2018 NHL Draft. While he may not have the same upside as originally thought on the draft floor, he’s turning into a legitimate NHL-caliber player.
The Stars likely didn’t feel like going through a contract negotiation with Dellandrea who is a pending restricted free agent, as they have a couple of other players with expiring deals that they consider more valuable to their current goal, which is to win the Stanley Cup. The Toronto native also wasn’t getting as much playing time as he would’ve hoped, as he was often in and out of the lineup, especially in the playoffs. When he was in the lineup, he would often play around ten minutes a night. On the Sharks, he’ll have the opportunity to likely fit in on the third line and potentially grow from there.
Trading a Former First-Round Pick
Ozzy Wiesblatt was a player who never truly seemed to take a step forward during his time with the Sharks organization. His first season with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League was lackluster, as he only recorded 15 points in 45 games. From there, things never truly improved either. In his second season with the Barracuda, he played 34 games and only tallied 11 points before being loaned to the Milwaukee Admirals, the affiliate of the Nashville Predators. Although it might not have been official yet, that move marked the beginning of the end for Wiesblatt’s time in the Bay Area. On June 23, he was officially traded to the Predators for Egor Afanasyev. Wiesblatt’s most memorable moment in the Sharks organization was when he got suspended for three games in October. As a result, it was time to move on from him.
Afanasyev is ultimately everything that Wiesblatt isn’t in terms of build and play style. The Russian winger is 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, while Wiesblatt was 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. Most importantly, despite being a year older and a former second-round pick, Afanasyev’s production in the AHL has been substantially better than that of the Canadian. This season, Afanasyev put up 27 of both goals and assists for a total of 54 points in 56 games. He did have a limited run with the Predators as well but failed to record a point in two games. The Sharks made the right move, giving a player who desperately needed a change of scenery away for a player who seems to be on a much more straightforward development path.
Improving the Defense
On Tuesday afternoon (June 25), the Sharks announced that they had acquired Jake Walman and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. Essentially, they got a player who will likely slot onto their second defensive pairing and a second-round pick for nothing in return. While the trade can’t be judged until we see what the Red Wings do with the salary cap space that they freed up, it’s safe to say that Grier pulled off a tidy piece of business with this one.
The Sharks aren’t in the market for big-time free-agent signings at this point, so taking on Walman’s contract for two seasons doesn’t hurt them in any way. It is worth noting that he also has a modified no-trade clause, which is interesting since that means San Jose was not one of the ten teams on his list. He’ll get an opportunity to play an elevated role, while the Sharks get an upgrade on the blue line and Walman can also serve as a mentor for some of the younger defensemen on the roster. Overall, it’s a winning scenario for the Sharks.
Related: Sharks Claim Barclay Goodrow Off Waivers
It’s safe to say that the Sharks are open for business, and Grier isn’t wasting any time improving his team before they select first overall in the NHL Draft later this week. He’s made some solid moves so far, and he’s replacing some of the veterans who will almost certainly be leaving once the calendar turns over to July. Despite their early start, there’s likely much more to come from the team in teal.
