San Jose Sharks’ dream, nightmare scenarios for 2025 NHL trade deadline

The best thing for the Sharks before today’s NHL Trade Deadline would be to acquire established talent that could be paired with Celebrini, not only to add badly-needed options on the ice for San Jose but to give Celebrini more insulation and talent to work with as the Sharks look to climb out of the NHL basement.

Names like Bowen Byrum of the Buffalo Sabres have been previously suggested as a possibility for the Sharks to put on their blue line. The Sabres are also going nowhere fast, and we’ve already seen a deal go down between a pair of non-playoff teams in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.

Byrum already has championship experience and is reportedly on the block from the Sabres, who could look to move on from him as they continue their own rebuilding process.

The Sharks must surround Macklin Celebrini with more talent

The biggest need for the Sharks is on the blue line, as well as additional help up front to be paired along with Celebrini.

Should the Sharks not adequately address their back-end needs and surround Celebrini with additional talent, it wouldn’t represent the end of the world, considering they’re nowhere near the postseason and will have plenty of time during the offseason to make meaningful additions.

Earlier this season, Grier explained that he doesn’t want to rush the process of getting his club back into contention, via The Marin Independent Journal.

“We’re kind of on track of what we hope to do,” Grier said in late January. “When I say go too fast, it’s (going out and signing) three guys for $9 million apiece, two of them don’t work out, then you’re on the hook five years from now when we have some young players, we need to pay them, and we’re stuck with some contracts that we’re not thrilled about.

“We’re willing to spend money, but it’s got to be on the right people and the right term.”

Regardless of any deals that still get completed before 3:00 PM EST Friday by San Jose, the Sharks still have lots of work to do before they can return to the postseason; their most recent appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was 2019.