A year ago, the San Jose Sharks traded reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Sharks and Penguins also involved the Montreal Canadiens in the deal to help with salary movement. San Jose received Mikael Granlund and Jan Rutta from the Penguins, as well as a first-round pick. That pick was moved to the Buffalo Sabers just before the 2024 NHL Draft to move up the order.
Related: BREAKING: Sharks move up to pick No. 11 after trade with Sabers
The Sharks selected Sam Dickinson with the 11th overall pick. Dickinson projects to be San Jose’s next No. 1 defenseman.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Montreal lost salary by trading Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks and Jeff Petry to the Penguins. Petry later transferred to the Detroit Red Wings.
Related: Ranking Erik Karlsson’s Shark Trade
At first glance, the Sharks didn’t get much in return for Karlsson, especially since he became just the fourth defenseman in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season.
After a rough start that included injuries, Mikael Granlund became arguably the Sharks’ best player last season. He led the team in scoring with 60 points (12 goals, 48 assists) in 69 games.
Granlund ended up earning an ‘A’ on his uniform and became a strong mentor to Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund. The coined ‘Lund’ line of Granlund, Eklund and Zetterlund was a success throughout the season.
Karlsson’s season wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t close to what he had in San Jose. Karlsson was healthy for the second straight season and played in all 82 games for the Penguins, scoring 11 goals and 45 assists.
The Penguins’ powerplay was horrible, despite having Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel until he was traded. Pittsburgh finished 30th in the league with a 15.3% power play.
Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden, who helped the Washington Capitals to their powerplay best during his time as an assistant and head coach, likely lost his job due to these struggles. Pittsburgh replaced him with former Sharks coach David Quinn, with whom Karlsson had a career-high 101 points in San Jose.
Related: REPORT: David Quinn Joining Pittsburgh Penguins Coaching Staff
While the trade doesn’t seem extremely significant, Granlund and the Dickinson pick are excellent pieces for GM Mike Grier.
Recent shark news
Could the Sharks add another Eklund?
Former Oilers first-round pick could increase competition for Sharks Forward
Sharks Prospect opens eyes at World Junior Summer Showcase
Doug Wilson admits not re-signing Joe Pavelski was a mistake
Former Fan Favorite John Scott Teases Sharks Return
Sharks made a great pure scorer signing
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25563415/Fitbit_Ace_LTE_Lifestyle_Press_Image.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "The kid-friendly Fitbit Ace LTE is on sale just in time for the new school year")
