The San Jose Sharks are off to a good start in their team rebuild, but they must make some trades to acquire more draft picks.

The San Jose Sharks are off to a good start in their team rebuild, but they must make some trades to acquire more draft picks. 

San Jose only has three of their own draft picks at the 2024 NHL Draft. They have their first, second, and seventh-round picks. They will most likely have the Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round selection from this year and, depending on the playoffs, the New Jersey Devils' first-round pick.

Regardless of the extra first-round picks, the Sharks need to get more draft capital. They only have eight total picks in the 2024 Draft. In the 2023 NHL Draft, GM Mike Grier drafted nine players.

After the 2023 trade deadline, the Sharks were tied for the second-most picks with 12. The Nashville Predators had 13 picks and used 11 of them.

The Arizona Coyotes will have 20 picks combined in the first three rounds across the next three NHL Drafts. 

The Sharks have nine players who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, not including players currently in the AHL. San Jose has four players who will be UFAs at the end of the 24-25 season. 

Mikael Granlund has been playing like he is in his prime this season. Granlund has four goals and 19 assists in 27 games for the Sharks.

"The way I'm skating and moving, I haven't felt this kind of good in 3-4 years," Granlund told THN. 

He will be a free agent after the 24-25 season but could be dealt at this trade deadline due to his raised trade value. Mike Grier must strike while the iron is hot. 

San Jose also has multiple centers in their prospect pool, like Will Smith and Filip Bystedt. Logan Couture is close to returning from injury, and it is likely either Couture or Granlund will play wing when the San Jose Sharks captain returns.

Mike Hoffman and Anthony Duclair should garner some trade interest due to their goal-scoring experience in the NHL. Duclair's value will likely be higher due to his age and skating ability. 

Kaapo Kahkonen has been playing terrific in December. In the six games he's played, Kahkonen has a .914 save % and a 2.93 GAA. His trade value will continue to rise as the deadline gets closer. The Finnish netminder will be a UFA at year's end. 

Mike Grier has work to do at this season's trade deadline. These players and more will continue to have their names run wild through rumors through March 8.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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