San Jose-The Director General of San Jose Sharks, Mike Grier, made his most important and perhaps the most controversial movement of the season on Friday, sending the top scorer of last season, Fabian Zetterlund, to the Senators of Ottawa in a multi-peak agreement which was finalized just before the NHL deadline.
In return, the Sharks received the attackers Zack Ostapchuk and Noah Gregor and a choice of second -round draft in 2025. San Jose also sent the Saddies Sad Robins minor leagues and his selection of fourth round recovery in 2025 to the senators.
Zetterlund, 25 years old, a limited free agent pending, led the Sharks last season with 24 goals and scored 17 goals and 36 points in 64 games so far this season, which makes him the fourth scorer of the team. Zetterlund had played a top six in front of the season with the Sharks, who will enter Saturday in 32nd and last place in the general NHL classification.
Grier said the key to the Agreement was Ostapchuk, 21, that they see a third line center in the NHL who can grow with a group of young players who includes Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund and their recently written perspective.
While the Sharks believe they have high -end scores in front like Quentin Musty, Igor Chernyyshov and Kasper Haulttunen, Ostapchuk, listed at 6 feet 4 inch and 212 pounds, adds a different dimension.
“Just something we had the impression that we had to do and have an adjustment for our construction and our list construction in the future,” said Grier. “To add a 21 -year -old center that can be integrated behind (Celebrini and Smith) in this league, you can see it. In the long term, it’s three very good centers, 21 and under.
“You have to be strong in the middle, and this child gives us something a little different: size, rhythm, hardness, physical. You don’t find many of these types of players. »»
Zetterlund is a restricted free agent waiting for a new contract, because in the last year of a $ 2.9 million contract over two years which he signed with the Sharks on July 1, 2023.
According to a source, the Sharks offered to Zetterlund a new contract earlier this year, but the Zetterlund camp wanted to wait after the season. The Sharks recently overthrew the contracts of extension of the contracts, and the Zetterlund camp Auesta with their own offer a few days ago.
Grier said the contractual negotiations with the Zetterlund camp had not influenced Friday’s trade.
“It didn’t really play in this decision,” said Grier. “It was more of the construction of alignment, where we see things adapting to the line. It is definitely short -term pain for our group. But in the long term, you must be strong in the middle. We feel really well in what Zack offers us in the middle and where he adapts. »»
Ostapchuk, a second round choice in 2021 by the senators during his second full professional season, has no breathtaking figures, at least not compared to Zetterlund. This year, he collected 11 points in 15 games with Belleville de l’hl and four points in 43 games with the senators, with an average of 9:20 am in time of ice.
Asked about the modest production of Ostapchuk, Grier said: “You cannot just have all the famous Macklin and Will Smiths. You are not going to win. It’s quite obvious for most people who have been in the game. You need all types of players, all types of characters, to win in this game. And that’s our work: assembling a list.
Ostapchuk reports to the Barracuda, which is in Abbotsford, British Columbia, this weekend. Gregor, drafted by the Sharks in 2016 and a veteran of 281 NHL games, could arrive in San Jose this weekend, but it is not clear if he will play during the home match on Saturday evening against the New York Icelanders.
The trade of the Sharks with the senators, who would have been deposited with the NHL less than 30 seconds before the deadline of noon (PST), finished a week busy to gray. This week, he sent six players to mantle teams as he continues to reshape the franchise.
The Sharks exchanged goalkeeper Vitek Vanecek and the Nico Sturm center at Florida Panthers in separate offers on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. In the Vanecek agreement, the Sharks received the AHL Patrick Giles striker. For Sturm, the Sharks recovered a choice of fourth round in 2026 while sending a selection of seventh round in 2027 to the Panthers.
Thursday evening, the Sharks exchanged defender Jake Walman at the EDMONTON Oilers for a choice of conditional draft in 2026 and the minor league striker Carl Berglund. Friday, before Zetterlund’s trade, the Sharks sent the front Luke Kunin to the Blue Jackets Columbus for a choice of fourth round in 2025 which initially belonged to the Blues of St. Louis.
Walman has led all shark defenders with 32 points in 50 games this season. Grier said he started talking with the director general of the Oilers, Stan Bowman, earlier this week, and said the return was “a price that we could not refuse”.
“We really had to think about it, because (Walman) was good for us and good for our group,” said Grier. “But it was the right decision to do it now and move forward with it.”
Grier said he had not entered this week with the intention of exchanging Walman or Zetterlund, but estimated that the movements, which met quickly, were logical for long -term Sharks. Walman, 29, had another year on his contract.
Grier hopes that this is the last time that Sharks have a major sale before the deadline.
“This type of phase is, most of them, for the most part, to simply sell, sell, sell,” said Grier. “Now it’s time to start building. I am sure that we will still have decisions to take the players’ route, but now hope is to really use some of these assets and start building. “”
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
