{"id":8716549,"date":"2023-01-14T12:16:53","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T20:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8716549&preview=true&preview_id=8716549"},"modified":"2023-01-15T09:57:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T17:57:06","slug":"more-from-sharks-gm-grier-on-bedards-potential-impact-in-san-jose-merkleys-trade-request-and-thorntons-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/14\/more-from-sharks-gm-grier-on-bedards-potential-impact-in-san-jose-merkleys-trade-request-and-thorntons-future\/","title":{"rendered":"More from Sharks’ GM Grier — on Bedard’s potential impact in San Jose, Merkley’s trade request and Thornton’s future"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN JOSE \u2013 Sharks general manager Mike Grier attended the recent IIHF World Junior Championships in Canada and just like everyone else, was blown away by the unbelievable performance of Connor Bedard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a 19-year-old tournament,\u201d Grier said Friday. \u201cFor a kid to go in there and do what he did as a 17-year-old. After one game I said, \u2018I don\u2019t even think he played well.\u2019 Then I was handed the (scoresheet) and was like, \u2018Oh, he had four points. I guess he was OK.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecial, special player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bedard, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound center, had 23 points in seven games and was named the tournament\u2019s MVP as he helped lead Canada to its 20th all-time gold medal at the event.<\/p>\n

In late June, Bedard, who had 75 points in 30 WHL games this season before Saturday, is expected to be the first player chosen in the NHL Draft, bringing the kind of exceptional talent that can help turn around the fortunes of a moribund franchise.<\/p>\n

The Sharks say they\u2019re not tanking, and although they were blasted 7-1 by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, the fact that over half of their games have been decided by two goals or less lends some credence to that argument.<\/p>\n

Still, this is a Sharks roster that needs a lot of work, as proven by a 13-23-8 record that is fifth-worst in the NHL. If the Sharks stay in that spot and the NHL keeps the same draft lottery odds they had last year, they\u2019ll have an 8.5 percent chance of drafting Bedard.<\/p>\n

Grier can already envision the tantalizing possibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt you get a chance to draft a guy at the top. I think they can do wonders for your organization,\u201d Grier said. \u201cNot only on the ice, but I think it gives hope and optimism to the fan base as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdding someone like (Bedard), I think people will want to come out and see him and see what he’s all about. So it would be great for the organization, but we’ll play as hard as we can here for the second half of the year, and we get to (the lottery), we’ll see where the balls land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Could winning the lottery accelerate Grier\u2019s plan?<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know if it’ll accelerate it. It’ll bring some excitement to the organization for sure,\u201d Grier said. \u201cBut we have to be smart about how we approach the offseason, who we sign, or who we try to acquire. I don’t think we want to get out of hand and get too excited because we\u2019ve got an 18-year-old kid coming in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d be excited to get a player like (Bedard) for sure, but I don’t think it changes what we’re going to try and do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grier touched on several topics Friday as he met with local reporters. Here are some highlights:<\/p>\n

ON WHAT THE ROSTER NEEDS:<\/strong> \u201cWe don’t really have the young guys pushing to grab the torch from the other guys, which I think (the Sharks) have had in the past. Whether you’ve had (Joe Thornton), Patty (Marleau), and (Joe Pavelski) here and you had Tomas (Hertl) and Logan (Couture) and those guys kind of pushing up from the bottom to kind of grab the mantle. If I was going to point to one thing, we don’t have those young guys who are ready to kind of take over the core.\u201d<\/p>\n

ON IF THE PLAYOFFS ARE REALISTIC FOR NEXT SEASON:<\/strong> \u201cIn sports, things can happen. Guys can play well. You can have unexpected seasons, but I don’t know if it’s realistic or unrealistic. At the same time, everyone’s a year older.\u201d<\/p>\n

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A HIGH-DRAFT PICK:<\/strong> \u201dIt would be great for the franchise. We’re trying to do the best we can to replenish some of the prospect pool and get some guys in there to kind of push up. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes. But if we’re able to get one of those top guys, I think it’s hugely important for the organization and to move forward with someone we can start to really build around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"San
San Jose Sharks majority owner, Hasso Plattner, waits for the start of a press conference as the Sharks announced a lease extension and arena improvements at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Friday, May 7, 2015. (Patrick Tehan\/Bay Area News Group) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ON SHARKS OWNER HASSO PLATTNER:<\/strong> \u201cHe’s a busy man. We talk, whether that’s through text or phone call or email, I would probably say every couple of weeks. He’s busy, but he watches every game and he’s sharp. He’s got his thoughts on the group and on the players. It’s always nice to talk with him and to see how passionate he still is about the Sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n

ON PLATTNER\u2019S THOUGHTS ON THIS SEASON:<\/strong> \u201cI think it’s safe to say he wants this team to do well and wants us to get back to being in the playoffs and having a chance to win the Stanley Cup as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

ON WHEN HIS TOP PROSPECTS WILL BE CALLED UP:<\/strong> \u201cThere’s no specific date. We sent those guys down with specific things we wanted them to work on and to their credit, they’re working on those things, and they’re improving. They have some success and they also have some tough nights.\u201d<\/p>\n

ON RYAN MERKLEY\u2019S TRADE REQUEST:<\/strong> \u201cI don’t think he was thrilled that he didn’t go to Europe to begin with. We’ve asked him to do things \u2026 things we’ve asked him to do more consistently and the consistency hasn’t been there from his standpoint.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s got NHL talent. He can run a\u00a0 power play. He’s got great vision, but to play in the NHL you\u2019ve got to consistently compete defensively. You\u2019ve got to be engaged, whether you’re a big guy or a small guy, you\u2019ve got to be willing to engage physically in your own end and care about box outs and things like that, and I think he’s just been very inconsistent with that. So that’s what we’re asking from him. If he can give us that, there’s opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n