San Jose Sharks announce two trades and Carl Grundstrom acquisition

Mike Grier is a busy man, making two more trades today. He moved up in the draft and acquired a young forward from the Los Angeles Kings, as he keeps himself occupied ahead of the first round of the draft tomorrow night. The Sharks hold the first overall pick but picked up the 14th overall pick in the Erik Karlsson trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, the Sharks have moved up in a trade with Buffalo and look to be aggressive on the floor.

Starting with the draft trade, the 14th overall pick was acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade, which was packaged with the 42nd overall pick acquired from the New Jersey Devils in the Timo Meier deal. Jumping up suggests that the Sharks have their eyes on a player and don't think he'll drop to 14. We'll get to see who that is tomorrow night and if the Sharks made the right decision.

The other trade sent defenseman Kyle Burroughs to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Carl Grundstrom. Grundstrom was originally a pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs that was traded to the Kings for Jake Muzzin a couple of seasons ago. He's shown flashes of being a viable option at the NHL level. At 26, he's not as young enough to be considered part of the future, but he can help mentor some of the younger players who are making their professional debuts next season.

Overall, these are two moves that the Sharks should be happy with. Grier's aggressive management in the trade-up while figuring out the defensive log jam is good work. Neither of these are flashy trades for a home run return or a star player, but it's savvy management. Knowing that the Sharks are still deep in a rebuild and collecting assets for a brighter future, fans can be excited for what these moves might mean.