SAN JOSE – One day after seeing Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci get traded to the Dallas Stars, an already thinned-out San Jose Sharks team was forced to pick up the pieces Sunday and figure out the best way forward without their leading scorer and arguably their best defensive defenseman.
The Sharks on Saturday traded Granlund and Ceci, both unrestricted free agents, to the Stars for a first-round pick and a conditional third-round selection, both for this year. While Sharks players were disappointed to see both players go, the moves were not a complete surprise considering the team is in last place in the NHL’s overall standings, and Granlund and Ceci are in contract years.
“It sucks,” Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said. “I wouldn’t say it was totally unexpected. I mean, it’s the position we’re in, and I’ve been through this on this team before. It’s UFA time. You’re hoping that we keep guys, but at the same time, it’s a business, so it’s part of the game.
“Those guys are great guys. I’ve had a lot of different teammates recently. It’s never easy losing them.”
The Sharks met as a group before practicing Sunday to help digest the trade, which came two days after the Sharks were flattened 6-2 by the Seattle Kraken to fall to 15-33-6 on the season.
San Jose’s other pending UFAs include forwards Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm, defenseman Jan Rutta, and goalies Vitek Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev. Other players might be on the move as well.
“They’re human beings. These guys aren’t robots in there,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of the players. “They have real emotion. There are real feelings. You have to accept those feelings. As time goes on, you move forward and become a better pro for it.”
Ceci was second among all Sharks skaters in average ice time (21:46) and led the team in penalty-killing minutes and blocked shots (100). Granlund, the Sharks’ No. 1 center used in all situations, led the team this season with 45 points in 52 games and all of the team’s forwards in average time on ice (20:51).
The Sharks’ younger players benefited from being around Ceci and Granlund, soaking up as much as possible while still early in their NHL careers.
“I remember after training camp, (Granlund) kind of pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, it’s a good chance we’ll be playing together,’” Sharks rookie forward Will Smith said. “Said whatever I need, I can ask him. Obviously, I did that. We sat next to each other in the locker room (at SAP Center) too, so tough having him go.”
Recently reunited on the same line, Granlund helped Smith start a six-game point streak.
“Obviously, he did what he fid for us,” Smith said, “Was our leading scorer, helped us in the (defensive) zone, penalty kill, did everything. It’s a huge piece we’re losing, but I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Now it’s a matter of who will replace Ceci and Granlund in their respective roles.
With injured centerman Alexander Wennberg (upper body) questionable to play Tuesday when the Montreal Canadiens come to San Jose, the Sharks are expected to recall a centerman from the Barracuda. Andrew Poturalski, the AHL’s leading scorer with 45 points in 41 games, appears to be a leading candidate to be thrust into a second-line center role.
In Sunday’s practice, Henry Thrun took Ceci’s spot on the right side of the Sharks’ top defense pair with Jake Walman, a look that will probably remain intact for Tuesday’s game.
“I want to prove that I can be a top-four d-man,” said Thrun, who has averaged 16:50 in ice time in 45 games this season. “If I’m slotted anywhere in those spots, then I’ll be ready to go and try my best to prove that I can do that.”
More responsibility, too, might be placed on Macklin Celebrini’s shoulders. Among the forward group, Granlund was the Sharks’ leading penalty killer, and Celebrini will be one of those asked to help pick up the slack.
“You look at a lot of top teams, the top players are penalty killing,” Warsofsky said. “It’s an important skill set. Power plays are so good in this day and age, it’s incredible. … To correlate that, you need to have some really smart hockey players (killing penalties).”
“He did everything for us,” Celebrini said of Granlund. “PK, power play, 5-on-6, 6-on-5. Played in every situation. He’s such a smart player. It’s tough to replace a guy like that.”
INJURY UPDATES: Ty Dellandrea skated Sunday in a no-contact jersey. He has been recovering from a high hit in the Sharks’ game against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 23. … Tyler Toffoli (lower body) and Fabian Zetterlund (illness) missed Sunday’s practice. However, they will still likely be able to play Tuesday.
VANECEK RETURNS: Vanecek rejoined the Sharks for Sunday’s practice after he started one game with the Barracuda on a conditioning assignment, and Yaroslav Askarov was returned to the AHL to take part in that league’s All-Star Classic Sunday and Monday.
In his first game since Dec.14, Vanecek made 22 saves in the Barracuda’s 4-2 win over the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday. Vanecek sustained a fractured cheekbone on Dec. 17 when he was hit in the face by an errant puck that sailed into the team’s bench during a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Askarov was recalled from the AHL the next day.
Vanecek has a 3-8-1 record with a .885 save percentage in 12 NHL games this season.