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Warsofsky Wants Sharks To Keep Mikael Granlund

max miller
·3 min read

With the calendar flipped to January, all NHL eyes shift to the March 7th trade deadline, where players like San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund could be at the forefront of trade rumors.

Granlund will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. After his career looked like it was on a steep decline with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Granlund has done nothing but produce for San Jose. In 109 career games with the club, Granlund has 95 points (23 goals, 72 assists).

He's become a valuable asset for all on and off-ice situations for head coach Ryan Warsofsky and his staff. William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund have been taken under Granlund's wing, along with many other young Sharks players.

"He's done a tremendous job with that. [It's] similar to Logan [Couture], in a sense, where he grabs guys more individually. He's not a big rah-rah speech guy, but he has no problem grabbing a guy, whether that's, you know, eating lunch or breakfast or having a coffee," Warsofsky said. "You see him on the bench at times in TV time-outs. He's in [Macklin Celebrini's] ear. He'll talk to [Will Smith]. He's been a huge influence for this organization these last few years. Just the way he conducts himself and the way he takes care of his body. He obviously came in in incredible condition. He's been a really important part of our team."

Granlund's current cap hit is $5 million, and the Sharks cannot retain his salary if they decide to trade him. However, the inability to retain salary shouldn't be a significant issue, as the $5 million isn't an extreme amount.

Regardless of his production and importance to the organization, GM Mike Grier is bound to get calls about the forward, and it is his job to put the San Jose Sharks in the best position to succeed. He may not trade him, but like Grier said when Mackenzie Blackwood was dealt, sometimes there is a deal that he can't refuse.

Warsofsky doesn't want the Sharks to move the team leader in points, but he understands the situation.

"I think any coach in the NHL would [want] a guy who is a leader, plays the right way, is in great shape, [and] is competitive," Warsofsky said. "He's obviously been a big, big influence for a lot of our players and for the coaching staff and myself included. Of course, we'd love to keep him. We'll see how it plays out."

With 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 40 games and an ability to play any forward position, kill penalties, and be productive on the power play, Granlund is bound to have significant league interest for a potential trade.

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