The rebuild is over.
The San Jose Sharks are now, without a doubt, Mike Grier’s team.
On the first day of free agency, the Sharks signed winger Mason Marchment to a five-year, $33.75 million contract ($6.75 million AAV) and defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year, $33 million contract. Then, they acquired defenseman Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers for young blueliner Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zack Sharp.
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But were these the right moves?
On the same day, Grier allowed the last continuous holdover of the Doug Wilson era, defenseman Mario Ferraro, walk in free agency. Ferraro inked a three-year, $12 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets. This came on the heels of trading 2021 first-round pick William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators last week.
Grier, for better or worse, put his stamp on the San Jose Sharks today.
And face it, the Sharks had to get better right now.
Grier served the Sharks’ future with what an NHL scout called “an insane haul” at the 2026 draft, highlighted by first-round picks Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ryan Lin.
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But the San Jose Sharks, just four points out of the playoff this past season with a frankly patchwork defense, needed to improve the team around 20-year-old superstar Macklin Celebrini.
With loads of cap space at his disposal, these are the players that Grier chose to help take his team to the playoffs.
I’m open-minded to it: Nurse, Trouba, and Marchment do improve the Sharks right now.
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