Bridge or core players? Why Sharks traded Zetterland, Walman

• Editor's note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on X at @Sheng_Peng.

Do Sharks fans trust Mike Grier?

San Jose's general manager says he didn’t go into the 2025 NHL trade deadline planning to deal Fabian Zetterlund and Jake Walman.

So, what happened?

Grier spoke to reporters a few hours after the deadline, discussing the trades of two popular and productive players, the Sharks’ approach this summer to get out of the basement and more.

Bridge or Core?

The Sharks valued Zetterlund and Walman, but San Jose saw them more as “bridge” players than core pieces.

We're defining a core piece as a player you’d gladly give a long-term contract to, rather than a short-term deal.

Walman became San Jose’s de facto No. 1 defenseman and is signed for the 2025-26 season at $3.4 million AAV.

Did the Sharks see the 29-year-old as an essential piece for the next stage of the franchise? A defenseman they’d want in his early 30s, to help San Jose in the playoffs?

Apparently not.

For all his real skating and shooting and puck-moving talent, Walman was inconsistent at both ends of the ice, in terms of engagement and decision-making.

“It was a price we couldn’t turn down,” Grier said of the 2026 first-round draft pick he received for Walman from the Edmonton Oilers.

Meanwhile, Zetterlund is a 25-year-old pending RFA with arbitration rights.

Usually, arbitration means that Zetterlund can want whatever he wants, and the Sharks can offer whatever they want, and they’d probably meet in the middle.

San Jose wanted Zetterlund back, that much Grier and Zetterlund’s camp agree on.

“They did make us an offer early this year and we chose to wait for after the season. They asked again to talk contract extension we agreed and countered a few days ago,” agent Claude Lemieux said. “I can’t tell you if the trade was the result of the counteroffer or not.”

Grier corroborated that timeline, also stressing that Zetterlund’s next contract wasn’t the reason why he was traded.

It’s also San Jose Hockey Now’s understanding that there was nothing outlandish in Zetterlund or the Sharks’ offers. Maybe one side was a little high? Maybe one side was a little low? That’s normal when you approach arbitration. Either way, you head toward arbitration, you don’t usually even get to the actual arbitration hearing, and no matter what, you meet somewhere in the middle.

Basically, the Sharks had control of Zetterlund’s situation; they could have offered him up to eight years if they saw him as a core piece ... and they still chose to trade the player.

It could be as simple as, Grier explained, how much he likes prospect Zack Ostapchuk.

Yes, Zetterlund is the more known quantity, a fast and physical 20-goal middle-six winger. But he’s also four years older and lacked consistency at both ends of the ice, not always using his bowling-ball style to full effect.

So the same question as Walman: Was Zetterlund a core or bridge player?

Well, you know what Grier thinks.

While Ostapchuk isn't likely to ever score at a Zetterlund-like pace, he appears to have a lot of tangible and intangible qualities that Grier craves.

“He’s big, fast, he plays hard," Grier said of the 6-foot-3 center. "He’s got good details for a young player. He goes to the hard areas, he’s physical, he’ll stick up for teammates when he needs to. There’s just some sort of an element there when you have someone like that who’s got those tools to play against other teams’ top players. It’s an essential thing these days, and it’s something that we lacked.”

Grier sees Ostapchuk as a top defensive stopper of the future, who also can chip in some offense.

The last time the Sharks had a defensive center of that caliber might be Barclay Goodrow circa 2019-2020.

“Guys like this often aren’t available,” Grier said.

Grier also mentioned the Winnipeg Jets’ Adam Lowry, one of the NHL's best third-line centers, not as a direct comp, but along the same lines as what he hopes for out of Ostapchuk.

So it’s not all about goals and assists when you compare Ostapchuk to Zetterlund, or Walman to a less-productive defender.

“You need all types of players and all types of characters to win in this game,” Grier said.

Walman and Zetterlund were to be the bridge to get the Sharks back to the playoffs ... but the cold hard truth is that the plan wasn’t necessarily for them to be around after that, especially at their ages.

“We’re trying to get to the playoffs, and we’re trying to win in the playoffs,” Grier said. “Zack’s the type of guy you need to do that.”

Using another hockey cliché, Ostapchuk is a potential player and leader who drags you into the fight. I’m not sure that Grier sees Zetterlund and Walman, both good players, as that.

Of course, the key word is “potential.”

Wait ‘Til Next Year ... Again?

“The hope is that this is the last trade deadline where we’re shipping everyone out,” Grier said. “It’s time to start building.”

It’s hard to believe that the last-place Sharks will be better next year after they’ve traded their No. 1 goalie (Mackenzie Blackwood), No. 1 center (Mikael Granlund), No. 1 scoring winger last year (Zetterlund), No. 1 defenseman (Walman), No. 2 defenseman (Cody Ceci) and solid role players (Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm) this season.

But this is what Grier is suggesting.

For what it’s worth, Grier is armed with four total first-round draft picks in 2025 and 2026, an armada of prospects, and tons of cap space to help the Sharks take a real step out of the basement.

“That’s where we’d use that capital from the first-round picks we’ve acquired over the last month or so and try to go out and acquire some good players using those, and maybe even some of the prospects where it’s time for us to start doing that. Dip into free agency and see what’s out there, start surrounding these guys,” Grier said. “That’s the idea, that this phase of just ‘Sell, sell, sell’ is for the most part over. Now it’s time to start building.”

Concurrently, you’re counting on stalwart veterans like Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg to hold serve, and youngsters like Macklin Celebrini, Yaroslav Askarov and company to keep improving.

Grier also recognizes a clear weakness on the Sharks’ blueline.

“We feel like we’re in a good spot with our forward group, prospect-wise, in the AHL and NHL,” Grier said. “I would agree that our back-end does need some work.”

So, can San Jose acquire longer-lasting blueline pieces than Walman and Ceci this summer?

Grier has done a commendable job of tearing down the Sharks and moving on from most of the long-term contracts that were crippling the franchise’s upward mobility.

But now, the real hard work of designing a winning team, which Grier has never done, begins.

So, in Mike we trust?

Let’s see what Grier does this offseason.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast