San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier is looking to make a deal at the trade deadline and he wants to find someone who will fit into the timeline of the team. While not specifically said, it means someone young and developing who will, ideally, go all the way with this team.
It’s no secret that the Sharks’ biggest need is a defenseman who plays on the right-side, but there are a lot of teams that need the exact same thing, so the cost is going to be high. The good news for Sharks fans is that Grier has spent the last few years building up a ton of capital to pay for the right asset if it comes along. The question is, who can Grier target, or pry away from a team?
Simon Nemec, 21 – New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils know that now is the time to make room on the blueline for Nemec; the young defenseman is ready to take the next step. The trouble is that moving an asset to make space for Nemec is easier said than done. The rumor is that the Devils are having trouble finding takers for Dougie Hamilton on his 10-team no-trade list, and Hamilton has yet to waive to go to any team outside of his list. If the Devils can’t find a taker for Hamilton, the Sharks should at least see if the Devils want another option, such as a trade for Nemec. It’s a long shot, but maybe it’s an option.
If not, would the Devils be open to trading for another defenseman further down the depth chart, such as Seamus Casey? With Jonathan Kovacevic, Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes locked up long-term, there may or may not be space for Casey in the next few years. The Sharks could use a 22-year-old right-shot defenseman like Casey a lot more than the Devils could. Though he may not fit into the size that Grier tends towards – Casey is 5-foot-10, 181-pounds.
David Jiricek, 22 – Minnesota Wild
The Wild need center depth and the Sharks need a right-shot defenseman that will fit now and in the future. Jiricek has a lot of upside, even though he hasn’t quite broken into the Wild defense to date.
The Sharks have Zack Ostapchuk, who could slot in as a fourth-liner with grit. If the team is looking for something with a little more upside, Filip Bystedt is also a trade chip the Sharks might be willing to part with for a player of Jiricek’s potential upside.
This is a trade that could work out for both teams, especially given that San Jose has stocked up on center depth for at least the next three years, and it seems as though Grier is hoping that Cole McKinney will develop into the depth center that the Sharks will roll with in the future.
It’s Ostapchuk or Bystedt and something else (maybe a first-round pick) for Jiricek, but it’s a good deal that fits right into what the Sharks are looking for in terms of right-shot defensemen.
A lighter trade that might work out for the Sharks could be David Spacek, who is also in the Minnesota system. Spacek is a 22-year-old right-shot defenseman, and he’s already playing with the Wild.
Scott Morrow, 23 or Braden Schneider, 24 – New York Rangers
The New York Rangers recently announced that the team is retooling and it’s open to trading players that won’t help in that regard. Of course, actions like that are easier said than done. Defenseman Adam Fox has a no-movement clause in his contract, so the likelihood of him moving is slim. Not only that, but he’s injured, so trading him now for the best price would be difficult. Defenseman Will Borgen might be willing to waive, but the Sharks shouldn’t go sniffing around there.
If there’s an opportunity, then the Sharks should take a look at Morrow and Schneider, two young right-shot defensemen who are playing at the NHL level. Morrow is young and playing in his first full professional season. He’s played just fewer than 40 NHL games in total after he was drafted 40th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021.
Meantime, Schneider has already played more than 330 career NHL games and is averaging more than 20 minutes per game this season. If the Sharks are looking for someone to take on those heavy minutes, Schneider would be a great addition.
This is a deal that would work for the rebuilding Rangers as well. The Sharks have the assets up front that might appeal to the rebuilding Rangers. A center like Bystedt. A younger winger like Ethan Cardwell, Egor Afanasyev or Cam Lund might appeal to a team like New York. If New York is looking for some longer-term projects, San Jose might be willing to toss in a draft pick or a less seasoned prospect to make this deal work.
Free agents to keep an eye on
These are defensemen who can’t be had at the trade deadline because their teams are still in the playoff mix and so they won’t be sellers, but they might be available in the offseason. These are players that the Sharks should take a look at, especially if they’re able to exercise that offer sheet the way the St. Louis Blues did to snag Philipp Broberg.
Nils Lundkvist, 25 – Dallas Stars
Lundkvist will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. The Dallas Stars will owe him a raise over the $1.25 million he made last year, but with $16.44 million in cap space available and six roster spots to fill, the Sharks could, if the team wanted, swoop in with an offer sheet and snatch Lundkvist out of Dallas’ hands.
The Stars also have to find a way to re-sign Jason Robertson, who is due a massive raise. If the Sharks can’t get a right-side defenseman, adding a top-six forward, which is also a need, might be worth it.
Michael Kesselring, 26 – Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo traded JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for Kesselring and Josh Doan, so it seems like the Sabres won’t want to let Kesselring go. However, the team currently has 36.5% of its salary tied up in defensemen and that’s when it was paying Kesselring $1.4 million. Kesselring is due a raise and this seems like a good place where the Sharks could make an offer sheet to the RFA.
The other option is that the Sharks could offer a trade to the Sabres and help Buffalo out of a tight spot. The Sabres are currently paying captain Rasmus Dahlin, 25, $11 million per season through 2031-32, Owen Power, 23, $8.35 million per season through 2030-31 and Mattias Samuelsson, 25, $4.29 million per season through 2029-30. All three shoot left, but can play on both the left and right side to varying degrees of success.
Offer sheeting Kesselring would be ideal; getting one of those other defensemen would also instantly upgrade the Sharks’ defense.
Sam Malinski, 27 – Colorado Avalanche
Malinski is about to become an unrestricted free agent, and while playing for the Colorado Avalanche is likely an unbelievable experience, the defenseman will want to get paid. Malinski was paid just $1.4 million last season, only a slight raise over his $850,000 contract from 2023-25.
The downside might be his size. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Grier might be hesitant to sign Malinski. Grier has tended toward larger defensemen unless they show outstanding prowess in other areas of the game.
Jamie Drysdale, 23 – Philadelphia Flyers
Drysdale will also be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, and he currently doesn’t have an extension in place. While it appears that the Flyers want to extend the right-shot defenseman, the Sharks could make an offer to see if they can swoop in and take the free agent defenseman. Drysdale was paid $2.30 million last season and is a restricted free agent.
The Flyers are flush with right-shot defensemen, so trying to make a deal with Philly is also an option. Oliver Bonk is the most prominent of the defensive prospects, but the odds of the Flyers trading Bonk is unlikely. However, Spencer Gill and Helge Grans were also named on Scott Wheeler of The Athletics’ prospect pool rankings for the Flyers in June 2025, so they could also be options if the Sharks are looking for a young prospect. Both players are younger, and so the Sharks would have to wait a bit longer, but they are still options.
