It appears that the Sharks have determined their list of untouchables and it’s a pretty small one. In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported that San Jose’s list of players that they’re not open to considering trading starts and ends with Tomas Hertl who is just beginning an eight-year, $65.1MM contract. GM Mike Grier made one notable shakeup trade last summer with the move of Brent Burns to Carolina and will certainly be looking to continue to reshape his roster. As we start to see a bit of trade activity around the league, the Sharks could be a team to watch for over the next little while on that front.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- While Max Domi joined the Blackhawks early in free agency on a one-year deal, it appears as if that wasn’t his original preference. In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that Domi’s camp had approached the Maple Leafs to gauge their interest in a one-year deal at a significantly lower price than the $3MM he received from Chicago. Obviously, Toronto opted to go in a different direction, adding Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the opening day of free agency and Calle Jarnkrok two days later as forwards signing for more than the minimum.
- Bruins GM Don Sweeney met with the media (video link) on Thursday following their trade with Vancouver. Sweeney acknowledged that discussions with winger David Pastrnak about a contract extension continue on a regular basis but that they have not yet “found the endpoint”. The 26-year-old is off to a hot start with 15 points in eight games to start the season and is set to land a significant raise on his current $6.667MM AAV, one that could push his cap hit near or past the $10MM mark.
- Sweeney also indicated that they’ve not yet worked out where they will send goaltender Michael DiPietro who was acquired in yesterday’s swap. They have two netminders with AHL Providence already – Keith Kinkaid and Kyle Keyser – while they have Brandon Bussi at the ECHL level as well. As DiPietro is past his entry-level contract, he has the ability to block an assignment to the ECHL. Speculatively, if DiPietro wants to stay in the AHL, a short-term loan to another AHL squad could be a possible outcome with Sweeney suggesting they have a couple of options in the works for their new goalie at the moment.
I don’t get y Sweeney did just get a let round pick instead of more garbage prospects granite he can’t draft anyways but get them far enough out he hopefully won’t be here
English?
I’m not fluent in speaking of the to many beers languages but I do speak it. I believe what was attempted to be said was why take lower end prospects instead of picks even though Sweeney can’t draft.
I’m fluent in the too many beers language. What he said was, instead of getting prospects in return, Sweeney should’ve gotten future draft picks. Apparently not 2023 picks, but picks in 2024 forward for Sweeney’s successor to use.
Makes sense that he would accumulate picks for his replacement, right?
That was a great translation. Who needs the Rosetta Stone?
You do realize that the other GM has a say in what the Bruins get back in a trade right?
A lot of these smaller trades are for a player and not a draft pick because of how many contracts teams already have, Max is 50, if Van is close to 50 then they want to send a contract back.
And getting a 19 yr old 6’3″ Right shot Defenceman back in return is probably better then a 7 th round pick 2 yrs from now.
That, and I’m not quite sure when the fetish for Moah! Draft! Picks! was supercharged, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if you actually look at the record. Most draft picks DO NOT WORK OUT. Hell, about a third of all FIRST round picks never become impact players, and about one first rounder in five never sees the NHL at all.
Take a look at the 2008 draft PHR is replaying, for instance. Of the 30 first rounders picked, nine of them played less than half a season in the bigs. A number of the rest were flameouts: how many people remember Joe Colborne or Mattias Tedenby or Viktor Tikhonov?
Then look lower. What would anyone figure would be a likely return in picks for a Studnicka? A third-rounder, maybe? Fair enough. Of the 30 third rounders picked in 2008, a full *eighteen* never had ANY NHL time. Adam Henrique was the only impact player in the entire round; the only other guys there who played as much as 200 NHL games were Jori Lehtera, Michael Stone, Lance Bouma and Zach Smith.