San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier explained to the media the decision behind trading Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars.

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier explained to the media the decision behind trading Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars. 

The decision was not easy for Grier, as Granlund brought tons of leadership to the locker room. Grier said the Stars met the price for both Ceci and Granlund. 

"I think at the end of the day, it was the return. [Granlund and Ceci are] two players that played really well for us. We set our price out, and Dallas was ready to meet it."

San Jose received a 2025 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick (originally Winnipeg's), which can become a third-round pick if the Stars make the Stanley Cup Final.

Trade talks picked up this week, and a mini-trade deadline has appeared with the Four Nations Face-Off break just around the corner. Grier told reporters that 11 to 12 teams were interested in acquiring Granlund. 

Granlund was an alternate captain and a mentor to Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund. 

"I'm sure it's not easy for the group. [Granlund] has been a big part of us here since he's gotten here. Not only his on-ice play but what he's done off-ice," Grier said. "He's really helped mentor some of our young players. He practiced hard, played hard all the time, and tried to share his knowledge."

Regarding Ceci, Grier felt the veteran defenseman also held high interest around the league. The Stars make sense as they just lost star defenseman Miro Heiskanen to a long-term injury and Nils Lundqvist to season-ending shoulder surgery.

"There was quite a bit [of interest]. I think Ceci is someone who's proven he can play well in the playoffs, and he's a big, right-shot D. We had a lot of teams interested in him," Grier explained.

The former Sharks forward explained that, due to injuries, the team will likely have to call up players from the American Hockey League for the final three games before the two-week break. He didn't explicitly say who would get the call, but he said it would be players who deserved a chance in the NHL, young and old.

Young players like Eklund, Zetterlund, Will Smith, and Macklin Celebrini will be expected to take what Granlund taught them and apply it to the remaining 27 games. 

"Now it's time for those young guys to build on some of the lessons and things that he that Granlund shared with them."

Smith has been playing on Granlund's wing but will be an option to shift back to his natural center position following the trade. Grier also expects Alexander Wennberg to take a more significant role down the middle.

San Jose has five remaining unrestricted free agents on their roster: Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Vitek Vanecek, Jan Rutta, and Alexandar Georgiev. 

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