San Jose Sharks leading scorer Mikael Granlund has a lot of trade and contract extension rumors surrounding him.

San Jose Sharks leading scorer Mikael Granlund has a lot of trade and contract extension rumors surrounding him.

In a story on The Athletic by Jonas Siegel and insider Chris Johnston, San Jose's top scorer appeared as a potential target for the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire before the March 7 trade deadline. 

"Small and slick, Granlund doesn't feel like a fit for a team coached by Berube and managed by Treliving. But here's why the Leafs should seriously consider it: Granlund could breathe some offensive life into the bottom six and could even play higher in the lineup in the case of injury. A major upgrade on Pontus Holmberg that way to say the least," Siegel writes.

Siegel is correct that Granlund doesn't fit Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube's system. Despite that, the utility forward is very smart and can play in all forward positions and situations. On Tuesday, against the Nashville Predators, Granlund scored two goals, giving him 100 points as a Shark.

Another drawback is the Maple Leafs cap situation. According to PuckPedia, the Leafs only have a projected $1.32 million in cap space. Granlund's cap hit of $5 million would take some maneuvering to acquire, and San Jose doesn't have any salary retainment spots remaining. 

Granlund is ranked sixth on the list of potential trade targets and would be an interesting add given his struggles with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023 when he was traded in-season, which the article references.

"The question the Leafs or any other potential acquiring team need to ask themselves here: How significantly would a reduction in role impact Granlund's ability to make a positive impact in his new environment? And is that unknown worth the risk after he's grown accustomed to playing top-line minutes at even strength and on the power play," Johnston writes.

There are reports of Granlund and the Sharks sharing a mutual interest in a potential contract extension. If the Finnish forward were to sign an extension with San Jose, all trade rumors surrounding Granlund would go away. 

Fellow San Jose Sharks centerman Alexander Wennberg was listed in the article as an honorable mention. The No. 1 player listed is Predators center Ryan O'Reilly, who as already a Maple Leafs deadline acquisition in 2023. O'Reilly won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 with Berube as the head coach.

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