I don't think Mike Grier is going to have a job next year.

[barkovcanfinnish]

and trading a starting goaltender, who went on to win a cup, while receiving a 4th rounder (Adin Hill).
and trading a 50 point forward with good analytics (Zetterlund) for a terrible 4th liner and a late 2nd
and trading a top 4 defenseman (Emberson) for a worse Defenseman and a late 3rd
and trading another starting goaltender for a 2nd, which was fine at the time, and a middle six headcase (Kovalenko) and one of the worst players in NHL history (Georgiev)
and trading a useful former 1st round prospect (Wiesblatt) for someone who will never play in the NHL
and trading down from 11 and passing on future stars like Lekkerimaki for two longshot prospects (Bystedt, and Lund) and a bust (Havelid)
and trading another top 4 RHD (Middleton) for a trash goaltender and a 5th round pick
and getting terrible value for a 100 point Norris winning Defenseman.

Adin Hill was a major surprise story. At the time a 4th was probably pretty close to what they’d get considering he was seen as backup quality.

Emberson is a bottom-pairing guy

Zetterlund is a decent player, probably would’ve liked a better return but it’s the last year of his contract

Georgiev is horrible but Blackwood’s contract was also expiring prior to his extension in Colorado. They at least recouped a pick and forward with Georgiev considering Blackwood wasn’t likely to re-sign.

You were never going to get a massive return for Karlsson, he has an albatross contract and a NMC. Plus Granlund actually was good while with SJ and Grier used PIT’s 1st to trade up for Sam Dickinson.

 

[LokiDog]

Kevyn Adams exists so…

 

[Mattb124]

Not sure how dead last two years in a row equates to a pretty good job.

This link outlines how the NHL draft works and will help you answer your own question.

NHL entry draft - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Yummyshark]

Thank you for that post. All I'm just saying they are primed more than any other rebuild team to do something next year and it's going to be a defining moment if they do or don't. I think the Hawks are up next year. Sorry to the ducks, I think it's a broken half rebuild like Carolina in 2010's.

Not sure why you think the Sharks are ahead of Chicago on the rebuild timeline. The Blackhawks started their teardown and tank in 21-22, when they shipped out half their useful vets for futures and picks including guys like Keith, Seabrook, Hagel, etc. The Sharks started their teardown and tank in 22-23. Your logic doesn't make any sense.

The Sharks also would have easily not been last place this past season if they didn't trade both goalies, their 1C, their 1LD and 1RD, and a bunch of depth players. But getting a high draft pick is in itself a goal - getting Schaefer or Misa rather than a few more useless wins and getting stuck with a next tier down guy will pay off for years. Meanwhile Chicago only traded off Hall and a very checked out Jones (which arguably made them better) and still were neck and neck with SJ til the end. GMMG didn't try to field a winner and end up with a loser, he actively wanted to field a team that would get best draft odds and banking more futures for the rebuild.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

You are suggesting that unloading long, albatross contracts and building the best prospect pool in the league in 2 years is something any GM can do at any time?

Yes, easily

 

[Golden_Jet]

Yes, easily

Wow lol

 

[Three On Zero]

In a full scorched earth a couple of seasons as they have had are somewhat expected. And they’ve done well I. Getting some young foundational pieces in play but going into next season I think you need to start expecting more competition than just languishing at the bottom.

Some growth in the youth needs to happen but now they need to start making more moves help support their young core.

Mike Grier seems to be a very average GM, but his body of work in going through the rebuild has at least earned him a shot at trying to build a competitive (Yes I said competitive, not contending) roster. Like you stated, he now needs to start thinking of how he's going to build a winning culture for the rookies and young guys.

 

[ExarKun80]

Mike is doing exactly what he is supposed to do: a proper rebuild.

 

[sxvnert]

No.chance. Grier has done a great job over the last couple of years.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I think he has 3 more seasons before we can talk about firing.

So far his rebuild is looking really good.

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

He’s actually done an excellent job in a short period of time. Added a ton to the prospect pool and picked up assets for free. Ended up with two firsts from the Karlsson trade and a free 1st and 2nd to have Walman for half a season

 

[ManofSteel55]

He's doing exactly what he needs to right now. Stockpiling futures. The issue will come when it is time to stop focussing on futures, and building a competitive team. He looks to be well on his way though, with some good young pieces that should be the core of his team in the future. You have to look at the moves he has made and wonder which ones were actually bad.

Askarov trade - good
Emberson for Ceci and 3rd round pick - good
Granlund and Ceci for 1st and 3rd round pick - 1st rounders are always good for rebuilding. Good deal. Essentially took Ceci for a 3rd and then flipped him for a 3rd, ha ha.
Hertl and 2 picks for Edstrom and a 1st round pick - futures deal, makes sense for where the Sharks are at. Edstrom was used in the Askarov trade - good
Benning and picks for Liljegren - good
Duclair and a 7th for Jack Thompson and a 3rd - the 3rd might end up the best piece of the deal, lol. Good
Blackwood trade - they have Askarov for the future and weren't re-signing Blackwood to a huge cap hit. Good.
14 and 42 for 11 (2024 draft) - meh, too early to tell, but moving up is usually good.

What were his bad moves? Goodrow of waivers maybe? The Kostin trade? Neither of these make a difference in the long term, so you can't really say they are bad moves, just unspectacular ones. Goodrow isn't anything to write home about as a player, but he's filling an important veteran role on the team, so that one is still not horrible.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Not sure how dead last two years in a row equates to a pretty good job.

Because dead last gets you in the best position possible in the draft. For the Sharks, that's where they're going to have to rebuild their team for the most part. Top tier free agents won't choose San Jose like they will Chicago or New York in a given offseason. They will have to draft them and trade for them. The only way to really trade for them is to develop a surplus of attractive prospects or picks. Getting a competitive lineup built around some combination of a top forward, a top defenseman, a top goalie, and all the other elements needed to compete these days is not a one or two year process for a team that doesn't have the pick of the litter externally. Their rebuild is probably going to look closer to an Edmonton or Buffalo rebuild as they are also not premier free agent destinations. They just had their top picks in the past two drafts complete their rookie seasons. The other two 1st round picks they had in the past two years either just turned pro at the end of the season or is in that could be pro or could go back to juniors spot. Their 2022 draft is a difficult one to really do much of anything with as it relates to Grier since he was literally hired three days before the draft and most of the legwork on prospect evaluation was done by the previous management's team that is largely gone at this point.

The best possible result for the NHL team during the three seasons that they've played under Grier is as low in the standings as possible because they weren't playoff competitive and weren't going to be.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

NHL is strange when a grifter like Yzerman has more leeway than Grier...

 

[Vukotal Recall]

Grier has impressed just about everybody except OP.

 

[StreetHawk]

I think he has 3 more seasons before we can talk about firing.

So far his rebuild is looking really good.

He’s through 3 seasons now. What was the term of his contract? Cause, ownership needs to believe in him to afford him the time after 2026, year 4 to transition into putting the pieces together.

You leave the GM on the hot seat and you get a Jim Benning OEL trade instead of just riding out the final year of Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel and freeing up $12 mill in cap room a year later.

First step is stop being terrible bad. That means getting to like 65-70 point season. If that is 3rd worst so be it. But can’t be another 47-52 point campaign. Not when more kids are coming into the lineup.

 

[TheBeard]

If the sharks don't make the playoffs, or at least compete for a position. Two dead last finishes are an accomplishment on the boards but in the real world, it's an embarrassment. I think they have the tools and it's going to be time to stand and deliver. Another bottom 5 finish isn't going to cut it. He's my pick for GM on the hottest seat going in to next season.

Yeah. He's got at least 2 more years. He's done tear down work, but he definitely does need to show improvement.

Expecting anything close to playoffs is an unfairly lofty expectation.

 

[TheBeard]

He’s through 3 seasons now. What was the term of his contract? Cause, ownership needs to believe in him to afford him the time after 2026, year 4 to transition into putting the pieces together.

You leave the GM on the hot seat and you get a Jim Benning OEL trade instead of just riding out the final year of Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel and freeing up $12 mill in cap room a year later.

First step is stop being terrible bad. That means getting to like 65-70 point season. If that is 3rd worst so be it. But can’t be another 47-52 point campaign. Not when more kids are coming into the lineup.

He went out of his way to ensure we have those 47-52 point seasons, mostly by selling. Last year the team was on pace for 70 points when they traded Blackwood and suited up Georgiev as the starter, and that was with Celebrini missing a month. The team really went downhill when Granlund was traded in early Feb and then when they sold off everything at the TDL.

I don't think he's going that route this year nor is there much to sell off.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

He’s through 3 seasons now. What was the term of his contract? Cause, ownership needs to believe in him to afford him the time after 2026, year 4 to transition into putting the pieces together.

You leave the GM on the hot seat and you get a Jim Benning OEL trade instead of just riding out the final year of Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel and freeing up $12 mill in cap room a year later.

First step is stop being terrible bad. That means getting to like 65-70 point season. If that is 3rd worst so be it. But can’t be another 47-52 point campaign. Not when more kids are coming into the lineup.

I think rebuilds take time. I think that I suppose 6th year is fighting for a playoff spot or making it Will Smith and Celibrini just had rookie years.

I definitely agree fighting for a bottom spot shouldn't be the goal anymore.

 

[StreetHawk]

He went out of his way to ensure we have those 47-52 point seasons, mostly by selling. Last year the team was on pace for 70 points when they traded Blackwood and suited up Georgiev as the starter, and that was with Celebrini missing a month. The team really went downhill when Granlund was traded in early Feb and then when they sold off everything at the TDL.

I don't think he's going that route this year nor is there much to sell off.

Up to ownership and Grier to agree on the goals of next season. Cause there also his HC. Does the message lose a lot if there is no results after 2 seasons? As in a 60 point season next year.

So multiple things can be in play. But the organization needs to all be on the same page. Can’t think tank (bottom 3) and hope to land the pick for McKenna and then leave the HC in the wind in the 26 offseason. All have to be on the same page.

Pretty difficult to convince good players to sign on with a 52 point team to aid in the turnaround. Paying more either in term or money.

One thing to have draft lottery luck. Another to build a roster that is expected to be bottom 3 going into the season.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Agreed.

He had one of the best teams ever and they finished... wherever they finished. I don't remember, but it wasn't in the playoffs!

 

[TheBeard]

Up to ownership and Grier to agree on the goals of next season. Cause there also his HC. Does the message lose a lot if there is no results after 2 seasons? As in a 60 point season next year.

So multiple things can be in play. But the organization needs to all be on the same page. Can’t think tank (bottom 3) and hope to land the pick for McKenna and then leave the HC in the wind in the 26 offseason. All have to be on the same page.

Pretty difficult to convince good players to sign on with a 52 point team to aid in the turnaround. Paying more either in term or money.

One thing to have draft lottery luck. Another to build a roster that is expected to be bottom 3 going into the season.

That is definitely a concern. There's a lot of back and forth with Warsofsky as coach and whether or not he's just there as a placeholder or if he's got a genuine future as a coach in SJ. I wasn't a big fan of his and felt putting a 36 year old in charge of an awful team, and then figuring out how to keep the prized kids happy and engaged was a sort of lame duck hire.

I was also never a fan of tanking only for the opportunity to have a 25 percent chance at drafting first overall. It worked last year, but if it wouldn't have it would have had serious consequences in my opinion. We'll see what happens this year but i'm doubting he wants to push his luck a third time.

The one thing that we can do in terms of free agents is offer a ton more money than practically anyone else not to mention Grier has earned a reputation as a bit of a players coach, letting players almost dictate where they want to go when their time is up. For guys who want big money and then a chance to basically choose their destination, that's a major selling point.

 

[StreetHawk]

Quinn was hired about 3 weeks after Grier got the GM job. Fired after 2 seasons. Warsofsky is going into year 2. So, yeah, does Grier have the confidence from ownership to be deciding the fate of the next HC? Quinn, was always going to the tank HC. Done by year 3 most likely. But, only lasted 2 seasons. If the Sharks are bad again next season, can they afford to bring War back for year 3? And does Grier get the greenlight to fire and hire another HC?

All of that has to be discussed and figured out.

 

[TheBeard]

Quinn was hired about 3 weeks after Grier got the GM job. Fired after 2 seasons. Warsofsky is going into year 2. So, yeah, does Grier have the confidence from ownership to be deciding the fate of the next HC? Quinn, was always going to the tank HC. Done by year 3 most likely. But, only lasted 2 seasons. If the Sharks are bad again next season, can they afford to bring War back for year 3? And does Grier get the greenlight to fire and hire another HC?

All of that has to be discussed and figured out.

I honestly don't think Quinn leaving was Grier's call. I actually think it was Quinn's. He wasn't interested in the slow build and wanted more substantial improvement. Seems like it was just a difference of philosophy.

 

[StreetHawk]

I honestly don't think Quinn leaving was Grier's call. I actually think it was Quinn's. He wasn't interested in the slow build and wanted more substantial improvement. Seems like it was just a difference of philosophy.

Odd for him to have take. The job in 2022 if that was the case. Sharks had nothing going for them when he was hired. It was going to be a slow and painful rebuild. That is a serious misjudgement imo from both sides.

That was a terrible job to take on back then. Nothing but downside and a lot of losing from a HC pov. Not something that will enhance your resume moving forward.