One year ago today, the San Jose Sharks traded reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Sharks and Penguins also involved the Montreal Canadiens in the deal to help move salary. San Jose Received Mikael Granlund and Jan Rutta from the Penguins, as well as a first-round pick. That pick was moved to the Buffalo Sabres just before the 2024 NHL Draft to move up the order.
Related: BREAKING: Sharks Move Up To Pick No. 11 After Trade With Sabres
The Sharks selected Sam Dickinson with the 11th overall pick. Dickinson projects to be San Jose’s next No. 1 defenseman.
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Montreal shed salary by trading Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks and Jeff Petry to the Penguins. Petry was later moved to the Detroit Red Wings.
Related: Grading the Sharks Trade of Erik Karlsson
At first glance, the Sharks didn’t get much in return for Karlsson, especially since he became just the 4th defenseman in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season.
After a bumpy start that included injuries, Mikael Granlund arguably became the Sharks’ best player last season. He led the team in scoring with 60 points (12 goals, 48 assists) in 69 games.
Granlund eventually earned an ‘A’ on his uniform and became a strong mentor for Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund. The coined ‘Lund’ line of Granlund, Eklund, and Zetterlund was successful down the season’s stretch.
Karlsson’s season wasn’t poor by any means, but it wasn’t close to what he did in San Jose. Karlsson was healthy for a second straight season and played in all 82 games for the Penguins, scoring 11 goals and 45 assists.
The Penguins ‘ powerplay was horrific despite having Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin, and Jake Guentzel until he was traded. Pittsburgh finished 30th in the league with a 15.3% powerplay.
Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden, who had helped the Washington Capitals with their top powerplay during his time there as an assistant and head coach, likely lost his job due to these struggles. Pittsburgh has replaced him with former Sharks head coach David Quinn, who Karlsson had his career-high 101 points in San Jose.
Related: REPORT: David Quinn Joining Pittsburgh Penguins Coaching Staff
While the trade doesn’t seem overwhelmingly significant, Granlund and the Dickinson pick are excellent pieces for GM Mike Grier.
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