How the NHL trade deadline helped the San Jose Sharks
We knew the San Jose Sharks would sell at the 2024 NHL trade deadline, and they did not let us down, adding more fuel to what could be an incredible rebuild.
The 2024 NHL trade deadline and the word ‘selling’ were synonymous with the San Jose Sharks this year, and general manager Mike Grier took the team closer to their goal of a successful rebuild when he made quite a few trades this past week. Starting on March 7th, the Sharks made six trades, and they had the busiest Trade Deadline Day among all the ‘sellers’ in the league, so how did this help them in the long run?
Anthony Duclair was one name circulating around the rumor mill for months, and Grier sent him and a seventh-round pick in 2025 for a 2024 third-round pick and Jack Thompson. Thompson, a third-round pick in 2020, will join the San Jose Barracuda, and the blueliner is on pace to log 44 points and seven goals this season. He’s an NHL-ready prospect who should join the big club for 2024-25 if he keeps up his stellar game.
They also made an under-the-radar deal on Deadline Day, sending a seventh-rounder in 2024 and Radim Simek to the surprisingly quiet Detroit Red Wings for Klim Kostin. Kostin is an imposing forward and a former first-round pick who has 137 games of experience and has played for several teams around the league. He could fill San Jose’s lower lines during his time in San Jose.
San Jose made another pair of under-the-radar moves when they acquired Devin Cooley from the Buffalo Sabres for a seventh-rounder in 2025, and they also sent Nikita Okhtiuk to the Calgary Flames for a conditional fifth-rounder in 2024. Cooley was supposed to man the net with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, but Devon Levi’s presence prevented that. Nonetheless, Cooley makes for sound insurance and organizational depth in San Jose’s system.
San Jose Sharks helped at NHL trade deadline by ‘buying’ and ‘selling’
One of the more interesting trades occurred at the deadline when San Jose flipped goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils for Vitek Vanecek and a 2025 seventh-round pick. Vanecek is currently on injured reserve, but he will eventually return, and could become the top guy in the net next season should the Sharks opt to keep him around.
Despite his down season that started in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, we must take into account what he did last season when he logged a 0.911 save percentage, a 2.45 GAA, three shutouts, and a solid 0.667 quality starts percentage.
Finally, they completed a blockbuster by sending Tomas Hertl, a 2025 third-rounder, and a 2027 third-rounder for David Edstrom and a 2025 first-rounder. Edstrom remains in Sweden, but the former first-round pick will have a bright future in North America following a good year in the SHL.
Overall, it was ‘mission accomplished’ for Mike Grier, who wanted to accumulate young talent and draft picks. The 2024 trade deadline season should set the stage for an outstanding rebuild should Grier and company make the right moves with those picks.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects, information provided by Cap Friendly)