San Jose Sharks Trending Up - And GM Mike Grier Might Just Reward Them at the Deadline
Don’t look now, but the San Jose Sharks are making noise - and not the kind we’ve grown used to hearing from the bottom of the standings. After a few tough years in the basement, this young group is starting to turn the corner, and there’s growing belief that GM Mike Grier could reward their progress with some meaningful additions at the trade deadline.
Let’s be clear - this wasn’t supposed to happen this fast. The rebuild in San Jose was expected to take time.
But when you have a talent like Macklin Celebrini putting up points at a blistering pace, things can accelerate in a hurry. Celebrini’s emergence, alongside fellow top prospect Will Smith, has injected life into a franchise that had been stuck in neutral.
Now, with real production from their young core and steady goaltending backing them up, the Sharks are suddenly in the mix.
And that changes everything.
Grier has already shown he’s not afraid to make moves. The addition of Kiefer Sherwood might not have made headlines, but it signaled intent.
The next step? Something bigger.
Think impact-player big. If Grier goes out and brings in a high-end forward - someone like Artemi Panarin - it sends a loud, clear message to the locker room: *We believe in you.
Let’s go make a push. *
That kind of move isn’t just about points in the standings. It’s about culture. It’s about showing a young team that their hard work and growth are being recognized - and that the front office is willing to put chips on the table to support them.
Now, there are still areas that need attention, especially on the blue line. San Jose doesn’t have much term locked in on defense beyond this season, so expect that to be a focus.
There was chatter about Dougie Hamilton at one point, but he reportedly wasn’t interested in heading west. With New Jersey dealing with injuries and still fighting to stay afloat, Hamilton may not be available unless the Devils decide to fully pivot toward selling.
Still, San Jose has options. And they’ve been laying the groundwork for this moment for a while.
Grier has quietly built around the youth movement with smart veteran adds - Yaroslav Askarov, Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg, Barclay Goodrow, Dmitry Orlov. These aren’t just stopgaps; they’re stabilizers, leaders, and contributors who’ve helped raise the floor for this team.
And head coach Ryan Warsofsky deserves credit, too. He’s got this group playing with structure, confidence, and purpose - something that’s been missing in the Bay Area for a while.
Yes, the Sharks could still fall short of the playoffs. But the fact that we’re even talking about them in that context is a testament to how far they’ve come. And if Grier does decide to swing big at the deadline, it won’t just be about chasing a wild card spot - it’ll be about setting a tone for the future.
Because sometimes, in the middle of a rebuild, you hit a moment where the team starts to believe. And when that happens, the best thing a GM can do is believe right back.