Confirmed with Link: Sharks trade Eklund, Halttunen and Svoboda to Ottawa for 9th overall.

[weastern bias]

If the return is just 9th overall I don't love it, but I do understand

Eklund was always getting traded, not Mike's pick and once he got bridged the writing was on the wall, funny he never even played a game on that contract for us though

Winning the lotto definitely sealed the deal, now we'll have Stenberg to take his place and we've liquidated Eklund as an asset (and shed a couple of unneeded contracts) to get us right back to our own natural draft position where we can choose from the D left at that spot

Mike definitely has a vision, and he is cold blooded, he doesn't give a f*** about anyone's feelings when he makes these moves

At least Eklund is back with his bestie I guess, so good for him

I'll miss him a lot, really liked that player

 

[spintops]

Smits could fall IMO -only need Bjorck + just one of Lawrence/Belchetz/Rudolph/Gustafsson to go ahead of him. Plenty of talk of some teams being in love with those guys and going higher than you would think. It would be unheard of if Cullen went top 10 on draft night.

 

[rsteen]

It says to me that he wants to take a forward at #2 and a defenseman at #9

I'd rather have kept Eklund and traded #2 for a more proven young dman, but maybe nobody has offered one.

 

[sampler]

Reuniting Eklund with Zetts

This is not an accident by ottawa. I think they knew the chemistry with those two. I bet both of them have BIG years next year. This is the first big risk trade of grier's tenure. Let's see how it goes...

 

[Mrs Ski]

Sad to see Eckland go. I loved his competitive game. He seemed like a really good guy.

 

[Star Platinum]

Wow, Im surprised. Grier has something against Eklund.

Grier likes it when pucks go in the net rather than into the goalie's belly button

 

[LinkGaetz23]

I'm not as down on this trade as many here. Svoboda has very little value. His ceiling is basically bottom line checker. That's dime a dozen. Halttunen also doesn't seem like a likely NHLer. With the 9, that leaves a couple possibilities:

1. This is more trade ammo for someone like Werenski or Fox
2. They really like someone like Rudolph or Gustaffson at 9

Would have preferred to get Spence as part of this deal but oh well.

 

[mogambomoroo]

I mean MG has the best ammo with 2nd and 9th overall right now... House money + Eklund for ???? It will be interesting.
It may be one step back, two forward move at the end.

 

[Chairman Mallard]

Trading Eklund for Rudolph is a fireable offense.

I am not as high on Eklund as many seem to be. I think it’s a fair gamble to come out with Stenberg and a D prospect in the top 10 versus having one or the other and Eklund and having Eklund older than the rest of the core.

I’m also curious if he’s not done and he packages 9 to move up a few more spots to guarantee one of the top 3/4 D prospects.

I certainly don’t think this trade is a fireable offense, that is quite the hyperbole imo.

 

[TheBeard]

I still think Toronto picks him at 1. McKenna with Celebrini is gonna feed millions.

Didn't Toronto already come out and say they're picking Gavin?

 

[themelkman]

I could see them packaging 9 + 27 to move up a couple more spots

Pick value calculator has it as almost worth 5th and worth more than 6th.

 

[Timo Time]

I agree with @coooldude

Getting Stenberg + Verhoef could be huge

 

[fasterthanlight]

I'd rather have kept Eklund and traded #2 for a more proven young dman, but maybe nobody has offered one.

It could still happen. Picks are more liquid than players and we have 2, 9, 27 which is pretty nice

 

[ChompChomp]

Really interesting 9OA is where the Sharks were projected to draft in the first place lol

Hahaha it's like pre lottery, Grier really wanted this pick, got bumped up, so he said "F it, I still want #9 too."

 

[TheBeard]

Or Reid then Belchetz.

I would 100% be behind this.

 

[sharski]

Holy f*** I didn't think GMMG would trade him NOW

 

[TheBeard]

I'm not going to lose sleep over Kasper Haltunnen and Brandon Svboda. Some of y'all need to chill. However, I wonder if this creates a package for a bigger deal.

I'm actually more upset over him leaving than Eklund.

 

[Zarzh]

Someone just has to like Cullen or Rudolph.

 

[TheBeard]

Halttunen was always going to be competing with Musty and Lund and it seems like those two have been ahead the whole time. Svoboda was always a gamble but Ostapchuk, McKinney, and Bystedt are ahead of him in terms of bottom 6 center jobs.

Losing Eklund hurts but a non elite winger returning a top 10 pick is real interesting work. And if the pick is Stenberg then it's an obvious move to make.

It feels like no one wants either Musty or Bystedt lol

 

[sharks_dynasty]

Gustafson incoming at 9?

 

[Star Platinum]

Or Reid then Belchetz.

Hey, I'm all about taking Chase Reid, but this trade is practically screaming at the top of its lungs that we're probably taking Stenberg

 

[BigRig4]

Came to see whether we got fleeced and reading your responses I'm even more unsure than before

 

[Grinner]

Wow, Im surprised. Grier has something against Eklund. He trades his best friend out of the blue, and then unloads him a year later.

Svoboda is a throw in. Haltunnen might hurt. I though he was coming on nicely last year in the seconf half with the cuda and his size and shot were attractive.

I didnt like Eklund defensively, to be honest. I think this is an overpay though. Perhaps grier has something lined up to flip the #9.

I also wish it was 7 or 8. A 9, there is a good chance the big 4 D will all be gone. Don't love this deal. Not hate it either though, to be honest.

Eklund wasn't one of his picks

 

[Jargon]

The thing that occurs to me is that Eklund was possibly not proving to be a good trade chip but the 9th overall might be more valuable for another trade Grier has lined up.

 

[sampler]

I’m guessing they think Stenberg is a big upgrade on Eklund, and 9th gives us a shot at a quality dman. Could maybe offer 9+27+62 for 6/7 and get Carels or Verhoeff.

I think thats the case, especially defensively. Eklund was really terrible in his own zone. He's been the teams worst +/- in two of his three seasons, which is really really bad for a 2nd line winger.

I think grier looked at the goals against and went... hmmm.... Keep the smurfish winger who costs over 5M, stinks in his own zone and had not really improved much year over year, or draft the obvious BPA, who is reknown for his 200 foot game and record breaking performance. Stenberg is a ginormous upgrade over Eklund in griers mind all over the ice.