How Mike Grier Reshaped the Sharks’ Future
When Mike Grier took over as Sharks general manager in July 2022, San Jose was stuck between eras. The glory years seemed to be in the rearview, but the organization was not yet publicly committed to a full rebuild. When Grier was first introduced, he pushed back on the idea of a full teardown, telling NHL.com the Sharks were “not looking to rebuild,” even while acknowledging they might need to “step back a little bit to go forward.”
Nearly four years later, that has changed. Whether or not the word “rebuild” was used from the beginning, the direction of the franchise is much clearer now: younger, more future-focused, and rooted in the development of a new core.
The new era began with the gradual dismantling of the old veteran core. Brent Burns was traded shortly after Grier was hired. Timo Meier went to New Jersey in a deal that brought Fabian Zetterlund, Shakir Mukhamadullin and draft capital. Erik Karlsson’s trade to Pittsburgh brought another first-round pick and more financial flexibility. Tomas Hertl’s move to Vegas may have been the emotional point of no return; at that point, it was hard to argue the Sharks were simply retooling.
Grier has not just subtracted veterans; the Sharks have also built a much more visible young foundation. Will Smith arrived at No. 4 in 2023, Macklin Celebrini became the centerpiece of the rebuild at No. 1 in 2024, Sam Dickinson gave the organization a high-end defense prospect, and Michael Misa and Joshua Ravensbergen added more promising talent in 2025. The Yaroslav Askarov trade also showed that Grier was not only collecting picks, but targeting specific young players at important positions.
Grier’s investment in this young core is significant because for years, the Sharks’ struggle was not just that they were losing; it was that they lacked a clear path out. Now, at minimum, there is a visible structure: a young forward group featuring Celebrini, Smith, Misa and Eklund, defensive prospects like Dickinson and Mukhamadullin, and Askarov as a possible long-term answer in net.
The coaching change also fits that timeline. When Ryan Warsofsky was promoted, Grier specifically pointed to his ability to teach young players. For a rebuilding team, that is not a throwaway line. The Sharks are no longer just trying to survive challenging seasons; even the toughest years are vital to player development.
Major questions remain: San Jose still missed the playoffs in 2025-26, struggling defensively and lacking secondary scoring throughout the season. Yet the Sharks also posted their best record since 2018-19, driven largely by the rise of Celebrini and a young core that finally gives the team something concrete to build around. Under Grier, the Sharks’ future has started to come into focus. Now the pressure shifts from building the foundation to proving this rebuild can produce a playoff-contending team.
