With the Friday's NHL trade deadline quickly approaching, the Sharks certainly hope to make some moves.
But when it comes to potentially dealing center Mikael Granlund, there could be an obstacle in the way, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
While LeBrun reported Monday that there is some interest from teams in Granlund, his $5 million cap hit next season is "too rich for most contenders."
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"As of Monday, it felt like Granlund’s cap hit for next year was an issue for some teams looking at him," LeBrun wrote in his latest notebook. "Let’s see if the Sharks can find a way around it. At a reduced cap hit, I think Granlund is an under-the-radar pickup."
LeBrun also reported, citing a league source, that the Sharks are "open to anything" when it comes to getting creative in a Granlund trade, perhaps taking a contract back from a team in order to ease the center's $5 million price tag.
Grandlund has played some of his best hockey ahead of the trade deadline after arriving in San Jose last August via the Erik Karlsson trade. The 32-year-old has scored eight goals and tallied 28 assists in 47 games during the 2023-24 NHL season.
Last week, he addressed his name coming up in trade rumors after the Sharks' game against the Nashville Predators.
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"There’s literally nothing you can do about it," Granlund told reporters. "So play hockey. Enjoy the game. Playing in the NHL, it’s pretty fun."