Quoting: budgeteam
This is amazing work by San Jose.
People on a cap site should appreciate what Grier pulled off here.
He got a 1st round pick to dump one of the most difficult contracts in the league, and get almost entirely out of the final two years of it, when his team will be on the upswing. He should not have gotten a 1st round pick here.
Granlund and Rutta are also relatively cheap buyouts next year if they need further cap flexibility at the expense of pushing more cap to the third year.
You also have to frame all of the above with the high probability that Karlsson wanted out. Teams cannot hold on to players forever when that happens. For a rookie GM to pull off what he did is very impressive.
1. This is a trade involving the Sharks' franchise player who just happened to win the Norris Trophy as best NHL defenceman recently.
With retained salary for 4 years.
The only piece of any significance that the Sharks got is a Top 10 protected first.
This is not amazing work by San Jose.
2. A lot of the trades that Mike Grier has made as GM have resulted in the Sharks getting the "short end of the stick".
This is yet another example.
3. A player's on-ice performance has just as much weight as the contract to which he is signed.
Erik Karlsson is an elite franchise defenceman that just recently won the Norris Trophy.
He's not just a number on a piece of paper.
The Sharks should have got a first and then some.
4. The Sharks can't buy out Granlund or Rutta until next June.
5. When making a trade, the team decides when the trade happens, not the player.
The team's interests come before that of the player's when making a trade.
A hockey team is made up of 20-23 players, not just one.
I'm amazed I need to spell that out for you.
6. If Karlsson wanted out and there's no good trade to be made, then too bad.
No trade for Karlsson then.
He's under contract until 2027 and the Sharks held his rights until the day he becomes a UFA.
There's no such thing as "forever", so go easy on the hyperbole.
7. Mike Grier is a rookie GM who gets the "short end of the stick" way too often.
That's not exactly an impressive feat.
But you be you.