Mikael Granlund’s career continues with the San Jose Sharks. A brief stint in Pittsburgh had failed.
A gigantic player trade has taken place in the NHL, involving the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens.
In the trade, the Pittsburgh Penguins get a 33-year-old Swedish star defenseman Erik Karlssonthe 22-year-old Canadian forward Dillon Hamaliukthe 26-year-old Yankee forward By Rem Pitlick as well as the third round of bookings for 2026.
A 31-year-old Finnish forward is moving to the San Jose Sharks Mikael Granlunda 33-year-old Canadian forward Mike Hoffmana 33-year-old Czech pack Jan Rutta and the 2024 first-round draft pick.
The Montreal Canadiens get a 35-year-old American defenseman in the trade Jeff Petrya 31-year-old Yankee pitcher Casey DeSmiththe 22-year-old Canadian striker by Nathan Legare and the second round of booking for 2025.
The most significant piece of the deal, about which there has been plenty of speculation during the summer transfer window, is Erik Karlsson. The Swede’s contract runs until the end of the 2026–27 season. Karlsson’s annual salary is 11.5 million dollars, or about 10.1 million euros. In connection with the trade, San Jose still had $1.5 million to pay for Karlsson’s annual salary.
Karlsson’s last season was amazing. He scored 101 power points (25+76) in the regular season for the Sharks. He became the sixth defender in history, and the first since By Brian Leetch 1991–92, scoring over 100 power points. Karlsson was the best defender in goal, assist and point statistics and overall 11th in the points market.
Karlsson won the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s best defenseman for the third time in his career (2012, 2015, 2023).
The Ottawa Senators drafted Karlsson to the NHL as the 15th pick in the 2008 draft. Karlsson has represented Ottawa from 2009–2018 and San Jose from 2018–2023. After entering the league in the 2009–2010 season, Karlsson is the number one defenseman in assists and second in points and goals by Brent Burns after.
– Although it is always difficult to trade away a player of Karlsson’s caliber, this trade achieves several goals. It brings to our lineup two forwards who have proven their abilities at the NHL level and strengthens our defense. Additionally, getting a first round draft pick allows us to continue our development with high end promises and provides us with financial flexibility, stated the Sharks GM Mike Grier.
There was also plenty of speculation about Granlund’s future
The Minnesota Wild booked Mikael Granlund in 2010 in the tenth round of the draft. Granlund represented Minnesota from 2012 to 2019, until he was traded to Nashville in the middle of the season.
The next time Granlund’s address changed was in the middle of last season, when he moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the Penguins, the rest of Granlund’s season went badly under the bench, and in 21 games the power points were 1+4.
After the season, there was speculation about what Pittsburgh would do with Granlund’s contract, which is worth five million dollars and had two years remaining. It was believed that Pittsburgh would even be willing to buy out Granlund’s contract. It was also known that Pittsburgh is one of the clubs chasing Karlsson, so it needed room on its salary cap.
In total, during his NHL career, Granlund has played in 750 regular season games and scored 484 points (145+339).