{"id":8716320,"date":"2023-01-13T20:52:35","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T04:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8716320&preview=true&preview_id=8716320"},"modified":"2023-01-15T10:09:51","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T18:09:51","slug":"sharks-mike-grier-facing-big-decisions-ahead-but-also-sees-intriguing-possibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/13\/sharks-mike-grier-facing-big-decisions-ahead-but-also-sees-intriguing-possibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharks’ Grier facing big decisions on Karlsson and Meier, but also sees intriguing possibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN JOSE \u2013 Mike Grier has only been the San Jose Sharks general manager for six months and already he\u2019s faced with mammoth decisions regarding Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier that could help shape the direction of the franchise for years to come.<\/p>\n

Karlsson is having a historic, resurgent season, driving the Sharks’ offense like perhaps no other player in team history. Meier, a pending restricted free agent, is also having a career-type year and could be a cornerstone for any NHL team over the next decade.<\/p>\n

But the Sharks are on track to miss the postseason for a fourth straight year and trading one or both players might recoup the type of assets that could help the team once again become playoff contenders in the long run, although that\u2019s no guarantee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf those guys stay, we’ve still got to figure out a way to get some younger impact players into the lineup,\u201d Grier said Friday before the Sharks played the Edmonton Oilers, \u201cand if they go, it opens up the possibilities of cap space to bring in players.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the pieces that we get from those deals, if you hit on a couple of those, that’s also something that can help turn things around quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karlsson is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $92 million contract extension that he and the Sharks agreed to in June 2019. After three frustrating and injury-filled seasons, Karlsson has turned back the clock on his career, as he entered Friday as the NHL\u2019s top-scoring defenseman with 56 points in 43 games.<\/p>\n

Grier, who was hired by the Sharks in July, told reporters in Toronto in November, that he would listen to trade offers for just about anyone on the Sharks\u2019 roster, including Karlsson, who has a full no-movement clause in his contract that carries an average annual value of $11.5 million and expires after the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some teams that have reached out about him,\u201d Grier said of Karlsson. \u201cI’m not surprised being that this is a right shot, dynamic defenseman, and how often those guys get on the market, possibly, right? So it’s only natural for teams to kick the tires and it’s my job to listen to all offers and see what I think is best for the organization, short term, and long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grier would not specify what his asking price is for the two-time Norris Trophy winner, who is on track for a third, but said a report from a Canadian media outlet that his asking price for Karlsson was three first-round draft picks, was not \u201ctotally accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt 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,\u201d Grier said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s got to be something that makes sense for us as an organization to move someone like him. I’m not out there dying to get rid of this (defenseman) who’s on pace for 100 points.”<\/p>\n

Karlsson has said he remains committed to the Sharks but has also mentioned on multiple occasions in recent weeks that he also wants to win. The Sharks, with a 13-22-8 record before Friday, will likely miss the playoffs for a fourth-straight year.<\/p>\n

Grier said he and Karlsson meet every few weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s kind of refreshingly honest about the good things and the bad things and his flaws and things he doesn’t like and like, so it’s been good,\u201d Grier said of Karlsson. \u201cI can see him being part of the team when we get this thing turned around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"San
San Jose Sharks’ Erik Karlsson (65) waits for a face-off against the Calgary Flames in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Sharks entered Friday in 13th place in the Western Conference in terms of points percentage (.395), only ahead of Chicago (.325), Anaheim (.333), and Arizona (.378).<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you hope that we’re battling for a playoff spot next year? I think that’s the hope, but there’s a lot of points to make up and a lot of ground to make up, too,\u201d Grier said. \u201cSo, the hope is to be there, but at the same time we\u2019ll have to see how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meier, a pending restricted free agent, has had a career season so far with 24 goals and 43 points in 43 games before Friday. Grier said he and Meier\u2019s agent, former Sharks forward Claude Lemieux, have had some preliminary discussions about an extension, although nothing substantial where offers and counteroffers have been made.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve had good open, honest, positive talks to this point,\u201d Grier said.<\/p>\n

Grier said Meier is another player other GMs have inquired about, with the March 3 trade deadline now seven weeks away.<\/p>\n

\u201cTimo\u2019s a unique player,\u201d Grier said. \u201cI think if you’re starting a team from scratch and you\u2019ve got a chance to grab someone like Timo, you’re going to take him and put them on your wing and forget about him for the next 10 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat being said, he’s the type of player that teams want, especially teams planning to be in the playoffs. He’s big, he’s fast, and he can score, so there’s plenty of interest in him. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve had some good talks with him about this situation and the team\u2019s situation. I\u2019ll kind of keep those between me and him and me and his agent, but I\u2019ve got all the respect in the world for him as a player and we’ll have to see how it all shakes out.\u201d<\/p>\n