I mean he’s the league leader in faceoff percentage. Clearly the reigning Stanley Cup champs sees value in him.
Confirmed with Link: [FLA/SJS] Nico Sturm and 2027 7th round pick for 2026 4th round pick
- Thread starter Patty Ice
- Start date
^This.
I think its all about establishing player friendly GM. grier wants to do his guys a solid. After all, if you are UFA and you sign for a little extra cash form the sharks, you want to know that you may still get a chance to compete for the cup.
Right now, signing with the sharks means minimal chance at playoffs. However, if all the vets get moved, even for a bag of pucks, to a contender, it sends the future message that signing with the sharks does NOT mean missing out on a chance to the cup. You get that chance either way (if the sharks overperform, or through deadline trade). That has significant recruiting value, and as this is a human business, it's a good play by grier.
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
Grier getting his business done early so he can sleep in tomorrow.
Star Platinum
Registered User
- May 11, 2024
- 2,132
- 3,260
There's more to bringing value than just one or two traits of effectiveness, imo. Everybody makes it to the NHL because they're really good at something. Bringing team value to a rebuild means getting guys capable of taking on more responsibility than a typical 4th liner.
one2gamble
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2007
- 17,769
- 9,184
I mean, Sturm has been what he is the entire time we've been rebuilding. It didn't make the team any better overall, did it? Are we unable to get someone similar to Sturm in the free agent market like we got Sturm at our worst? We can add whatever perceived value is lost in the offseason. Is losing with a different set of replaceable 4th liners going to change anything?
That’s a very disingenuous statement. Is Celebrini making us a better team overall since we’re still last? Does Bedard make Chicago a better team since they can’t seem to move past 2nd worse? He’s a 4th liner playing 12-14 minutes a game. There’s only so much influence he can have on a team this bad but that doesn’t mean he didn’t bring more of a positive than a negative which is certainly something I can’t say about at least half our forwards.
Also, sure we can get guys like him, but players like him work out 50% of the time. For every good low-tier signing Grier has made there’s been a Lindblom or a Benning or a Grundstrom.
Again, I get the trade. It’s not a big deal and I think Grier made the best of the situation if Sturm wanted a shot elsewhere. But Sturm brought more than our 4th line combined.
Yes and we can show exactly why in a multitude of ways what Celebrini is doing. The same simply cannot be said for Nico Sturm.
Well obviously.
My point is looking at the team and saying “they’re not better so that’s gotta be partly on Nico” is weird. He’s vastly exceeded his contract in terms of value.
timorous me
Gristled Veteran
- Apr 14, 2010
- 2,598
- 4,422
I really can't see how someone playing only 10 minutes a night, and at the level Sturm has this year (no offense, I like the guy, he's just not that good other than at faceoffs, which aren't that important), can be expected to fetch more than a 4th.
I think we also need to be looking at when Bystedt can slot in as 4C as his introduction to the NHL. Having Sturm locked up beyond next season effectively blocks that avenue. In the meantime, we can easily put someone else in that role and, like, whatever with it (and hopefully Bystedt can be ready sometime next season for that shot).
And my point is that you can't actually say that they are a better team with or without Nico Sturm. You can actually say whether a team is better with Celebrini on it. You want to talk about on-ice value but Sturm doesn't have a real good case for having on-ice value. Celebrini obviously does.
STL Shark
Registered User
- Mar 6, 2013
- 4,593
- 5,911
Same reason the Blackhawks traded a 4th round pick for Michal Handzus in 2013. Good faceoff guy with good size. Doesn't do a ton else for you. It's not that it has no value, it's just limited since that skillset is limited.
Sharks need guys with more to their game than just faceoffs right now. There will be plenty of 4C options available if we deem it a need that can't be filled by Dellandrea/Goodrow/Bystedt next season.
If you keep bringing back ______ player from this year's team, it limits the new players that you can bring in to make next year's team better.
We have about 4 or 5 forwards that don’t even bring that.
I’m also concerned that our sudden future Center depth at the beginning of the year isn’t what it is. Edstrom and Bysted were fighting out for 3C and Smith was pencilled in as 2C. Now we’re almost at Wennberg there by default. Not like Nico would have changed that but now I’m concerned.
- Jun 23, 2020
- 6,314
- 9,173
Smith is still our projected 2C of the future.
Bystedt and Edstrom were never likely options for 3C - people were just being overly optimistic there.
Sturm should never play above the fourth line and by the time we're even hoping to compete for a wild card spot, he'll likely have played his way out of the NHL.
The guys we have who aren't even playing at a Sturm level are probably valueless.
You're probably right, but like I said, I would have liked to have kept him around until there was at least a little more clarity at the center position. I mean you're getting basically the same goal production from him as our 5 million dollar 2nd line beefcake Wennberg, who's done most of his damage on the PP and in OT.
Grinner
Registered User
- May 31, 2022
- 2,099
- 1,735
Opening up the position for next season for
M-m- m-my Svoboda
M-m- m-my Svoboda
My hope is that they'll let those four or five forwards go in the offseason but I don't think they could've gotten a draft pick out of any of them at this stage. I think they'll address the center concerns in the offseason with something like the Dallas 1st. It'd be good for the team to have a pretty aggressive offseason.
I think it's imperative they bring in a legit 2C if and until Smith has shown he can be that guy. I would severely overpay for Matt Duschene because that would probably be the only way to get him on board. Hopefully Dallas wins the cup so he's no longer chasing a ring. I would also explore the rumors of Byfield being available
In the meantime they need to evaluate Bystedt on the big club.
He'll have to get healthy first and if we took a run at Duchene, I'd support that. I'm just not sure how much hay we can actually make on the external acquisitions. I want them to be pretty aggressive but it's tough to say it's realistic given our team's typical spot on the NHL totem pole for players.
This is my main reasoning for trying to extend Sturm. He's ultimately going to still end up being the best FA Center we can get without going ballistic on AAV and Term.
And if that turns out to be the case, we can go out and pay Sturm to come back. While I don't think that they'll get anyone like Marner, I think they can get someone like Duchene or Bennett or Nelson.
