After spending most of the 2023 NHL offseason making relatively small moves, the San Jose Sharks finally made a splash on Aug. 6 when they traded star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The deal was yet another example of the front office’s larger strategy to gain assets and create a more flexible salary cap situation, as Sharks executives likely value these types of moves over a win-now strategy at the moment. In fact, some of the team’s transactions this offseason seem to be focused not on the start of the 2023 regular season but on a date even farther away.
A number of the acquisitions make the most sense when viewed in the context of the 2024 trade deadline, which will be San Jose’s next major opportunity to flip players to contending teams. In the meantime, the Sharks have over six months to watch the team perform, see which players will be most valuable, and decide what to do with them.
Sharks Likely to Be Sellers at 2024 Deadline
You don’t need to look at the list of recent Sharks transactions to conclude that they’re not overly concerned with contending for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL in 2022-23, and the Karlsson trade will probably weaken their ability to win games even further. The rest of the hockey world acknowledges this as well: most sports betting companies give San Jose the lowest odds to win next year’s championship.
Assuming that no shocking playoff run takes place, the Sharks will likely be looking to move veteran role players in exchange for young players, prospects, and draft capital. It’s a safe bet that by the time the trade deadline arrives, a number of teams will be looking to add pieces that can take them to a playoff spot, a better seed, and a greater chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Those teams may well call Sharks general manager Mike Grier to see who’s available. And given San Jose’s current roster, they have some players who teams could be interested in for a number of reasons.
Recent Trades Provide Sharks With Movable Players
Since the 2023 free agency period began, the Sharks have made two newsworthy trades. The Karlsson swap is well-established, but San Jose also acquired forward Anthony Duclair from the Florida Panthers in July. Both of these trades added players who could be tantalizing deadline acquisitions for contending teams.
In Duclair’s case, the journeyman forward finally established a role for himself in Florida, particularly in last year’s playoffs, when he posted 11 points in 20 games as the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final. His ability to elevate his game in the postseason may make him an intriguing target for the front offices of playoff teams.
Related: Sharks’ Anthony Duclair is the Key to a Successful Rebuild
As for the Karlsson trade, the Sharks brought back three players in return, all of whom are veterans over 30 years old with significant playoff experience. The most likely to be traded is Mike Hoffman, who at age 33 can still be a capable third-line winger on a contender. He recorded about half a point per game across his last two seasons and has appeared in 33 playoff games in his career. Like Duclair, he is on an expiring contract, which could alleviate any salary concerns for teams thinking about trading for either of them.
The other players involved in the Karlsson trade, forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Jan Rutta, are less likely to be moved, simply because they have two years remaining on their deals rather than one. But even they could be involved in deals if the right offer comes along. When Grier acquired them, as with Duclair and Hoffman, he did so with the knowledge that he might explore trading them less than a season later.
Sharks Should Leave All Options on the Table
Just because the Sharks made moves with the 2024 trade deadline in mind doesn’t mean they have to trade the players they added. Plans laid out by hockey teams change all the time due to the results on the ice.
If the Sharks determine that Duclair can be a crucial part of the future, they should act accordingly. The same applies if Hoffman proves to be a veteran leader who can mentor some of the team’s young players while still turning in decent production for several seasons.
Deadline trades don’t need to only involve players acquired in the 2023 offseason, either. Defenseman Radim Simek and forwards Kevin Labanc and Alexander Barabanov have all been crucial players for San Jose at various times over the last several years. But all three are on expiring contracts and clearly hold value for teams looking to win. They may prove to be more in demand and fetch larger returns than the Hoffmans and Duclairs of the roster, and the front office will need to adjust as such.
The Sharks have wisely been thinking one step ahead with many of their transactions this offseason. It probably won’t be long before they’re using those moves as the basis for even more deals.
