SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks’ front office has been one of the busier places in the NHL around the trade deadline in recent years, with several veteran players shipped out of town for draft picks and other future assets.
That could be the case once again this year, considering the Sharks are not expected to be in the playoff mix in the spring and have 10 pending unrestricted free agents on their roster.
But Sharks general manager Mike Grier said that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s eager to trade every UFA on the team. Depending on how the season plays out, who meshes well with the group, and who wants to stay in San Jose, Grier said he’s open to re-signing some of those players in contract years.
“I don’t want to keep tearing the roster down year after year,” Grier said this week. “Some of these guys, if they play well, they like it here, and they’re a good fit with our group. I’m definitely open to bringing some of those guys back and extending them.”
Alexander Wennberg has been a fit, is one of those pending UFAs, and said this week that he isn’t opposed to sticking around.
Wennberg, who turns 31 on Monday and is entering his 12th NHL season, signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Sharks on the first day of free agency last year. While he put up modest numbers with 35 points in 77 games, he also had to match up against opposing teams’ top centers.
But with the Sharks drafting center Michael Misa second overall in June, and Will Smith still plenty capable of playing in the middle at some point in the future, the writing might be on the wall in terms of Wennberg’s tenure in San Jose. Smith, the Sharks’ fourth-leading scorer as a rookie last season with 45 points, is expected to play on the wing this season.
The Sharks also have Filip Bystedt, a 2022 first-round draft pick, waiting for his NHL opportunity, particularly if Wennberg is sent to another team before the trade deadline. In March 2024, Wennberg was traded from the Seattle Kraken to the New York Rangers in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2024 and a fifth-round draft pick in 2025.
Wennberg has 370 points in 789 career NHL games.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Wennberg said of playing in a contract year. “I’ve been here one year, and I’ve really had a great time here. Great organization. I really enjoyed it, and my family did as well. So, we’ll see how it goes.
“I was brought in here (for) leadership, to be a role model for the younger guys. I’ve got this year left, so I’m going to give it my all. And what happens, happens.”
It’s unclear who will start the season as the Sharks’ No. 2 center behind Macklin Celebrini.
Misa has shown signs through the first three days of camp that he might be ready to make the jump from the CHL to the NHL right now. Still, Wennberg built up a lot of trust with the Sharks’ coaching staff last season, especially in the final two-plus months after leading scorer Mikael Granlund was traded to the Dallas Stars in February.
“I want to be that guy,” Wennberg said. “Obviously, with (Granlund) leaving last year, with the trade, (it was up to me) to fill his shoes. So the spot, the responsibility, and the way I want to play my game, I think that fits my game.
“Right now, you’ve got to earn it. That’s what we talk about. There are no handouts. There’s no ‘Hey, you get this.’ You’ve got to show every single day that you want to be in that spot.”
CELEBRINI STILL OUT
Sharks center Macklin Celebrini missed his second straight day of training camp on Saturday with what was described as an illness, and it remains unclear when he might be able to return to practice.
Celebrini, the Sharks’ leading scorer last season with 63 points, was at the team’s practice facility on Friday and Saturday and has attended meetings. Celebrini, though, will not play in Sunday’s preseason opener at SAP Center against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Sharks have a team day off on Monday and resume practice on Tuesday. Their next preseason game is Friday at home, also against the Golden Knights.