Three Potential Trade Destinations for San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund
Mikael Granlund is on fire right now in the NHL. The Finnish forward is producing at a rate we have not seen since he was a member of the Minnesota Wild, and the Sharks are preparing to ride Granlund as much as they can to get everything out of him before moving him at the trade deadline. That is assuming that there is no agreement with Granlund to extend his contract in San Jose. He's been an excellent San Jose Shark, so perhaps he will have some interest in remaining in the Bay Area.
Granlund's red hot scoring pace could allow the Sharks to demand a kings ransom for the Finn. He's been playing incredibly well for the Sharks during this recent hot streak, so asking for the sun and stars in exchange for Mikael Granlund is more than justified. If the Sharks are able to get that, the Erik Karlsson deal will look even better than it does now, knowing the organization got out from under the bulk of that deal.
Granlund's currently sitting on 19 points made up of three goals and 16 assists on the season. That's not a lot of goal scoring, but that point total on a team that has struggled as much offensively as the San Hose Sharks have will draw interest from around the National Hockey League. He'd be a welcome addition to almost any team that is trying to bolster its scoring before embarking on a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What could the Sharks net for Granlund? Well, that depends. Last deadline, the Pittsburgh Penguins moved a second-round pick to acquire this player from the Nashville Predators, so we know that he will have a market. There is a slight problem trying to use Granlund last year as a comparable for himself this year. For one, he doesn't have the extra year on his deal. Secondly, he's producing at a much better rate this year. Perhaps even asking for more is justifiable. So where could he end up?
Carolina Hurricanes
A depth piece that plays a complete 200 foot game just oozes Carolina Hurricane. With none of the best offensive players in the game, Carolina has developed its success in the NHL standings by creating a roster than has no weaknesses. Capable of playing a strong defensive game, scoring well, and pressuring teams into mistakes, they've become a Stanley Cup contender in recent seasons.
However, recent years have seen their production in the postseason dry up at the worst possible time. To be taken seriously, the Hurricanes are going to need to address its scoring issues before the trade deadline, and Granlund seems like a good fit for their specific system. Given tat Granlund can also play down the middle, this seems like a very natural trade partner.
Given the cap space the Hurricanes have from Frederik Andersen being on LTIR, this is definitely one of the teams that could afford to do a deal like this without requiring subsequent cap moves. We've seen Mikael Granlund's ability to put a team on his back in the recent weeks and break a game open. That is something the Hurricanes have lacked since the dawn of time, so the cap space and needs are both present.
However, Carolina is also notorious for diliking the idea of rental additions. It makes it seem like Granlund would need a contract extension for Carolina to become a viable option. But with two second-round picks and their own first-round choice as well, this could be a destination for the Sharks to consider. We know Don Waddell and Mike Grier have a working relationship because of the Timo Meier negotiations and the Brent Burns trade.
New York Rangers
Another Metropolitan Division team that may desire the services of Mikael Granlund is the New York Rangers. This is a team that currently sits among the best in the NHL. They are definitely going to be one of the clubs looking to try to strengthen their roster where they can at the trade deadline. New York also has a history of enjoying the pursuit of the biggest and best names on the market.
With third-line center Filip Chytil out long term with a concussion and right winger Kaapo Kakko out with an injury suffered to his leg after colliding awkwardly with the boards, the holes in the New York Rangers roster seem to be distinctly Granlund-shaped. With former Rangers like Ryan Carpenter and Anthony Duclair on the roster, there are links between the two organizations. Former Shark Barclay Goodrow is a member of the Blueshirts right now.
Where things get difficult for making this work is the cap space. I mentioned both Kakko and Chytil are out with long-term injuries, which is true. However, both are expected to return long before the end of the season, making it quite difficult for the Rangers to take on the $5 million of Granlund. I mentioned former Shark Barclay Goodrow is on the Rangers' fourth line. Perhaps taking him back to make the money work could be possible for the one-time Shark.
As for the assets the Rangers could part with to make this deal happen, they have their own first-round pick but lack a couple of mid-round picks that would keep them in a potential bidding war. They do have some very high-caliber prospects, such as Brennan Othmann and Gabriel Perreault, but Granlund doesn't hold enough value to justify asking for one of them in addition to the high-round pick the Sharks will want.
Washington Capitals
For the third and final possbility, I wanted to talk about the Washington Capitals. A team that has proven it can achieve this season despite not having some of the older stalworts that have held that roster up for the better part of the last decade. Washington have found a way to keep winning and remain competitve at the tail-end of the career of one of the best goal scorers to ever bless this league.
However, recently the Capitals had to place Alex Ovechkin's right hand man, Niklas Backstrom, back on LTIR after he had hip surgery in the summer. At his age, there's a strong chance he will never be the player he was again. It means that this could very much be a team in the market for another forward when we get to the trade deadline, and they could use someone who can play center as well as playing the wing.
Washington has the cap space from the aforementioned stay of Backstrom on the long-term injured reserve. With more than $7 million in cap space if Backstrom doesn't come back, they would easily be able to take on the remainder of Granlund's contract without having to worry about the cap. It would make for a natural fit with no need to retain salary, so the Sharks will likely have more interest in making this work than having to retain or take money back in a deal with someone else.
From Washington, you could probably leverage the first round pick away from the Capitals for Granlund. Given that the Capitals have issues with other parts of their roster too, it could be a middle of the round pick. If that is the case, it's likely going to be more valuable than the first rounder from either Carolina or New York. It seems like a deal that could make sense for both sides. Am I wrong?