The San Jose Sharks continued their busy summer on Thursday ahead of the NHL Draft. This time around, general manager Mike Grier traded defenseman Kyle Burroughs to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Carl Grundstrom.
Sharks Add Depth Forward
Grundstrom will likely serve as a bottom-six forward for the Sharks this upcoming season. They needed to add some depth with the departure of a few free agents, including Mike Hoffman, Alexander Barabanov, and possibly others as Grier didn’t guarantee Luke Kunin or Filip Zadina would return for the 2024-25 season. Grundstrom plays a very different game from most of those departing the organization; however, he brings a strong work ethic and will consistently try to make an impact on a nightly basis. Acquiring the Swedish forward does add a little more work to Grier’s plate, though, as he now needs to negotiate with him as he’s currently a pending restricted free agent. Overall, the Sharks now have total of six forwards who have restricted free-agent status, and five who will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
Kings Get Cheap Depth
Meanwhile, for the team a few hours south in Los Angeles, they acquired a rugged defenseman who likely will serve as either a bottom-pairing or seventh defenseman. Burroughs isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates, and he brings quite a bit of physicality to the lineup. Offensively, you’re not going to see much production out of him, but he’ll make a difference in the defensive zone. With that being said, his minus-42 rating during the 2023-24 season is slightly concerning as the Sharks did not typically play their best hockey when he was on the ice. I wouldn’t expect him to see the same amount of ice time with the Kings, as he was playing well above his ideal role during his time in teal. Most importantly, he gives the Kings a cheap depth option for the next two seasons as he carries a $1.1 million cap hit.
The Sharks and Kings swapped two depth players who will help each general manager fill out their lineup. Neither will be a massive game-changer, but they both fill the necessary roles and can log some minutes for their new teams. It’s not often we see a straight one-for-one hockey trade these days, but this seems like one that will help both teams in the long run.