Yeah, I think Ekblad is a pretty unrealistic target anyway, Florida can't afford to lost him after losing Montour and OEL last summer
They're going to give him a big contract but it will be less than everybody thinks so he can stay with the team that picked him #1, that he won a cup with and where he pays no state income tax, it'll be ugly in the back half but that's tomorrow's problem
Yeah, I think he’ll be tough to pry. Grier might need to trade for a number one like DW did with Boyle, burns, and karlsson.
The good news is that the Sharks are so flush with forward prospects that they can probably do it if they strike when the irons hot. We don’t have the draft capital anymore after trading the knights pick, but we used have a lot of future nhl forwards and can get more picks for rentals at the deadline than can be flipped over the summer for top unsigned RFAs or other good D targets.
Next summer, the sharks will be ready to make big moves. 40m in cap space. An army of prospects ready to step in (Askarov will be ready. Likely bystedt and haltunnen will be ready. Cags and Thompson may be ready. Smith Eklund and Celebrini will be ready to lead all on elcs… not to mention mukh , gush, and possibly Cardwell.) they should be able to form a very competitive roster.