Équipe: 2024-25 Sharks de San Jose

Date de création initiale: 15 juin 2024

Publié: 15 juin 2024

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

SJ / TOR TRADE

Marner to SJ makes sense -- consider this context with an open mind. Marner would waive because he actually has ties to SJ. He's extremely close with both Marleau and Thornton, who are both in different capacities involved with SJ at the rink on a daily basis. Marleau and his family in particular are pretty much extended family for Marner. This matters. As far as the hockey fit goes, Grier needs to and has acknowledged that SJ NEEDS to bring in support for Celebrini and Smith. Marner is among the highest calibre. A fair question to ask is why not just wait until next offseason? The problem is that there's no guarantee whatsoever that players of this calibre make it to free agency -- in fact they rarely do. Sharks were rumored to be in on Draisaitl but now it looks like he'll be sticking with EDM. Does it make sense for SJ to send their futures for Marner? Why not stick to the rebuild? Well, the Sharks ARE sticking to the rebuild here. Marner, as well as all the other veteran players coming in on this roster, are investments into your younger players and maximizing their opportunity for proper development. Ferraro and Kunin are rumored to be of interest for TOR, Benning is a cost-controlled replacement for Liljegren who, again, obviously was scratched in the playoffs and may not be a fit there. Bordeleau may be expendable in SJ with Musty likely ready and emergence of Kostin (and getting Lee here too), particularly as a non-Grier pick. #14 overall and a 2nd (as well as Ferraro) though are the centerpieces of the deal and fair value for Marner, particularly with zero retention. This team should be ready to compete for the playoffs as early as the 2025-26 season with the right additions and development, and should be competitive for years to come after that with the influx of top young talent in Celebrini Smith Musty Mukhmadullin Bystedt Edstrom Cagnoni Halttunen Graf, and Marner recognizes that as part of his willingness to waive for SJ, especially as he may be feeling like SJ can be a better fit than TOR going forward with the heavy media attention there and the easygoing media in SJ. Liljegren fits in with the other young Swedes (Eklund Zetterlund Edstrom) and helps a SJ team in desperate need of PP help as well as being an overall solid 2nd pairing defender, which he likely won't get further opportunity to do so in TOR.

NIC ROY TO SJ

This one is for a few reasons. 1) Couture investment given the likelihood that he's injured long-term, 2) a wing for Smith who can instead easily switch with him and play center if playing center is too much/a worse position in the NHL for Smith (at least for the next season or two), and 3) a big-bodied player who is a solid 2-way forward and fits in with the Grier player profile. Robins (another non-Grier pick) is a solid defensive forward who is excellent in the PK and projects to be a solid 3rd line RW/C in a season or two, plays a similar game to Roy. Wiesblatt is another good prospect (non-Grier pick... on a scale of tired to tired of hearing that how tired are you?) who should be a very good bottom-six energy player for Vegas again in another season or two. Injuries stalled out his development early on but he had a resurgence after healing and being loaned to Milwaukee in February, and looks to be back on track as a very good energy bottom-six player. The 3rd rounds out the deal to balance the value as VGK clears some desperately needed cap space to resign Marchessault as well.

LEE TO SJ

Won't comment on this much. Lots of Isles fans on this site have already agreed that this is a deal that makes sense for both clubs as NYI clears cap space and SJ get a big-bodied veteran who can still play a pretty well 2-way game in the middle-six. He and Roy fit in nicely with Smith, the Lund line sticks together, and Celebrini and Marner make a terrific pairing for years to come on the top line.

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