The Jets find themselves in a situation that not many expected them to be in at this point of the season as they’re battling for first in the Central Division. They also happen to have some cap flexibility unlike several of their competitors so they’re likely to be buyers over the next six weeks. To that end, Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun suggests that Sharks winger Timo Meier could be the right target for Winnipeg. While a $10MM qualifying offer looms large, that can be overcome with a long-term agreement beforehand while it could also offer some insurance with Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and Connor Hellebuyck (plus potentially Pierre-Luc Dubois) all set to hit the open market in 2024. Winnipeg has all their first-round picks and some young prospects that might be intriguing to San Jose should they decide to move on from the 26-year-old.
Sharks Rumors
Erik Karlsson On Trade Rumors: "I Want To Win"
Karlsson, through all of the trade rumors and speculation, has never indicated a desire to leave the San Jose Sharks organization, where he has settled down with his family. He holds a no-movement clause and can determine his fate, even if a team does step up with the massive asking price that has been rumored. After a four-point effort on Wednesday, Karlsson leads the league in assists and is on pace for 110 points.
Detroit Red Wings Acquire Jasper Weatherby
2:25pm: In a separate (but connected) AHL deal, Patrick McGrath is also going to the Griffins. The 29-year-old is signed to a minor league contract and couldn’t be included in the NHL portion of the trade. McGrath is an agitator, with just a handful of points to his name over a long minorleague career.
2:05pm: The San Jose Sharks have made a minor move, sending Jasper Weatherby to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Kyle Criscuolo. The trade swaps two players that were in the minor leagues for their respective organizations, with neither one seeing any NHL action this year.
Weatherby, 24, played 50 games for the Sharks last season after signing out of the University of North Dakota and scored 11 points. The 6’4″ center showed a little promise, even if his offense was rather limited. Surprisingly, he hasn’t seen so much as a recall this season, and is struggling in the AHL. Weatherby has just six points in 39 games for the San Jose Barracuda and was trending toward being unqualified in the summer. While there still may be a bit of potential there, his status as a restricted free agent and sudden drop down the depth chart suggested his time with San Jose was nearing an end.
In Detroit, he’ll join a Grand Rapids Griffins team that is struggling to get much of anything going. The team has been outscored by 40 goals this season and has a 14-19-3 record so far. Perhaps he finds a new level in his game and earns a contract in the offseason, but that is no guarantee. Given the fact that Weatherby is arbitration-eligible, many teams would likely be moving on if his performance continues.
Criscuolo, meanwhile, is at the other end of the spectrum. A 30-year-old undersized, undrafted forward, he has spent nearly his entire professional career in the minor leagues. With just 15 NHL appearances, he’s purely an AHL depth piece at this point. Criscuolo is also a free agent at the end of the year, though he’ll be unrestricted, and at least offers a bit more experience for the Barracuda. In 335 AHL contests, he has recorded 187 points and won the Calder Cup in 2017.
Fans waiting for big trade news will have to wait, as neither of these players project to make much of an impact at the NHL level.
Scott Harrington Returns To Practice
- Sharks defenseman Scott Harrington left Wednesday’s game early with an upper-body injury but it appears it won’t keep him out for long. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News notes (Twitter link) that the veteran was back at practice on Sunday. Harrington has a goal and five assists in 16 games this season with San Jose, a decent showing after attending training camp on a PTO. He wasn’t in the lineup today against New Jersey but he should be nearing a return to game action.
Latest On Erik Karlsson
It has been an incredible first half for Erik Karlsson. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has 56 points through 44 games, and leads the entire league in even-strength scoring. He’s healthy, playing more than 25 minutes a game, and looks a lot more like the player that the San Jose Sharks paid for in 2018.
That cost is what usually comes up in any conversation about Karlsson’s time in San Jose. The Sharks sent Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, Joshua Norris and a package of draft picks that ended up being Tim Stutzle, Zack Ostapchuk, and Jamieson Rees. Talk about a haul.
All that and they still needed to sign Karlsson long-term. That ended up looking like an eight-year, $92MM contract that essentially took him out of any further trade talks for the next few years. Not only did he have a full no-move clause, but Karlsson’s $11.5MM cap hit was a conversation-ender – at least when he was struggling with injuries and inconsistency.
But with his performance this season, that may have changed. Rumors have swirled all season about a potential move, ever since general manager Mike Grier admitted that he would listen to any callers. Now, speaking with Corey Masisak of The Athletic, Grier confirms that the Karlsson trade market is real (at least in theory):
There is interest in him. There’s some teams who have reached out about him. I think it’s only natural for teams to kick the tires, and it’s my job to listen to all the offers and see what I think is best for the organization short term and long term.
Any deal would be an incredibly difficult puzzle to sort out, given all the factors involved. Trade protection. High salary. Several years left. Lots to get in the way of talks. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff breaks down the whole situation, including a potential asking price.
Reports indicated the Sharks are looking for three first-round picks, and are only willing to retain 18% of his remaining contract. But Grier threw some cold water on those numbers when speaking with Masisak:
I’m not going to really get into what we’re asking for, but I don’t think that’s totally accurate. Whatever it would be, it would have to be an offer that we feel makes us stronger in the future and gives us the ability to help kind of turn this thing around quicker. It’s got to be something that makes sense for us as an organization.
Given the unprecedented nature of a player like this being dealt at this point in his career (and contract), it’s a mystery what that return could actually look like. Some would argue that just getting out from under the contract itself would be enough to make sense for San Jose, given their current situation.
The Sharks sit 28th in the league, without any real hope to turn things around soon. No matter how well Karlsson is playing, it’s not enough to put them in contention.
Could he help another team reach that goal? It’s going to be a difficult move to make, even if they do get his blessing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Noah Gregor Voices Frustration With Lack Of Playing Time, Hasn't Considered Conditioning Stint
- Sharks winger Noah Gregor will be a healthy scratch for the eighth straight game tonight and he voiced some frustration to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, feeling that there should be more communication coming from the coaching staff as to what they’re expecting from him. It has been a tough year for the 24-year-old; after putting up 23 points in 63 games last season, he has just two goals in 19 contests in 2022-23 while seeing his ice time drop by nearly three minutes per night. The team has added several depth players up front dating back to the summer and that has created much more of a competition for playing time. Gregor is eligible for a conditioning stint but noted that he hasn’t discussed that option with the team right now, stating that his focus is simply on getting back into the NHL lineup.
Ozzy Wiesblatt's WHL Rights Traded To Portland
- San Jose Sharks 2020 first-round pick Ozzy Wiesblatt has spent the entirety of 2022-23 in the professional ranks but is still technically eligible for another year of junior hockey. In anticipation of a potential return to juniors, the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks traded for Wiesblatt’s rights today. In 17 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, Wiesblatt has managed five points in a limited role. A return to junior hockey for the latter half of the season would likely make some sense, especially on an already-strong Winterhawks squad.
Nikolai Knyzhov Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery From Achilles Surgery
- Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov appears to be well ahead of schedule as he works his way back from Achilles surgery, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Knyzhov has yet to play in nearly 20 months due to a variety of injuries with this latest one coming in August and carrying a six-month recovery timeline. The 24-year-old was a regular on San Jose’s blueline when he last played in 2020-21 and while he’ll undoubtedly need some time in the minors to get back up to speed, he has been participating in full practices which suggests that game action could be coming sooner than later.
San Jose Sharks Claim Mikey Eyssimont Off Waivers
1/6/23: According to Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group, the San Jose Sharks have claimed Eyssimont off of waivers. In order to create room for the claim on their roster, the Sharks have placed Radim Simek on injured reserve.
1/5/23: As expected after he was absent from practice today with the Winnipeg Jets, Mikey Eyssimont is on waivers according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.
This would clear room for Blake Wheeler, who was a surprise participant in practice today, to be activated from injured reserve along with Nikolaj Ehlers and Nate Schmidt. Cole Perfetti, the other injured player who was a full-go today, was never actually moved to IR.
Eyssimont, 26, has played in 19 games this season for the Jets, recording the first five NHL points of his career. A fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2016, he didn’t receive an opportunity at the highest level until arriving in Winnipeg last season.
After breaking out with the Manitoba Moose to the tune of 18 goals and 42 points in 58 games, he received his NHL debut in April. This year he has been a regular since the team lost several key forwards, averaging ten minutes a night and scoring his first goal.
Given his lack of NHL experience, Eyssimont will likely go unclaimed, though perhaps there is a team that believes he can give them better fourth-line minutes than what they are currently using.
Either way, it seems like his time in the Jets lineup is coming to an end for now, as three top-six forwards return at the same time. He’s probably ticketed for the Moose, just as Jansen Harkins and Kristian Reichel have been in recent days.
Nick Cicek Recalled By Sharks
- The yo-yo session continues for Nick Cicek, who was recalled again by the San Jose Sharks today. That’s already three transactions since the month began for the young defenseman, who is getting his first chance at the NHL level and has four points in ten games so far.