Mike Grier Discusses San Jose Sharks 2025 Free Agent Signings, Next Steps in Sharks Rebuild

[Music] that uh day one of her agency was just uh day one. Uh were you expecting to make I guess such you know kind of like aggressive or whatever word uh headline worthy moves on day three though?
No, I mean I think we were just always going to try and look to try and make the team better um if we could. And you know, these were kind of some things that came up um you know, yesterday and just looking at our our group and talking with the coaches, it’s you know, we just feel like it, you know, today we’re we’re a better hockey team.
Spec specifically, did you have a sense that he might get put on waiverss or was that a little bit of a surprise?
No, that was you know, kind of a surprise. You know, um you know, he’s a good veteran D, but you know, I know St. St. Louis is trying to do things. are up against the cap a little bit. So sometimes those are kind of the consequences of that and and we lucked out. We um you know, we really like the player. Doug Huda has coached him before. Doug Weights had him in New York. So I we feel like we know the person pretty well and you know, he’s someone who can skate and transport pucks and and defend with his skating. So um you know, he’s someone who help us get the puck out of her end, which you know was was an issue for us at times last year. Is he somebody that um is pretty uh comfortable with both the left and right side?
Yeah, I think you know him and um Dimmitri, I think they’re both pretty comfortable playing off size, which is always a bonus to have that flexibility. So um but you know, good guy and you know he’s even as he’s um been in the league a while, he’s still a pretty high-end skater.
One thing you bring in with both Demetri and Nick is Stanley Cup pedigree. Obviously John, you know, got there last year but didn’t win it. What does that say about the back end having that experience and and with the skating ability to stay that durable for for a long season like that?
Yeah, it’s important guys who have kind of been through the wars and knows what it takes to win and you know our group’s trying to figure that out as you guys uh witnessed last year. You know, the third period collapses or onegoal losses. These are the guys who’ve been in those situations when the stakes are the highest and and they’ve done well. So, um all this stuff hope hopefully can rub off on our group and and kind of push us forward a little bit. One thing that you guys have preached since, you know, you guys brought in everybody, you know, especially last year with Warso is his competition in training camp. It’s a lot of defenseman there for a guy like Sam Dickson, Michael Mason to extend, I know, was a Ford, but was it say, you know, that competition level for them to make the team this season maybe?
Yeah, I mean, I’ve I’ve been kind of clear with that from day one here that um competition is very important. Um, we’ve had it I think each year we’ve kind of increased the competition level of the group. um this year it’ll be very high again. And you know that’s what it that’s what it’s like in sports, not just hockey and everything. You’ve you know you got to earn your ice time, you got to earn your roster spot. Um you got to earn all these things. And you know we’re we’re starting to get to that point where you know nothing’s going to be given to anyone and they’re they’re going to really truly have to go out there and earn their uh earn their position. Yeah, Mike, there was kind of a report earlier that you maybe sent that message out to some agents that, hey, we’ve got cap space here. If you’re if your guys interested, maybe we can have a conversation. Is that kind of fair to say here?
Yeah. I mean, I I don’t even think I I had to kind of put that out there. I think everyone kind of looks around and especially the teams that are kind of up against the cap, I think they’re we’re probably their their first call if if they um you know, if they’re in or looking I guess looking to move a body out or move somebody out. I guess we’re probably the one of the first calls they make. How
does uh does this change your expectations for this season? How do you kind of look at things now?
No, I mean for me it’s just about taking steps and being better. Um you know, I think the end of the year I probably told you guys and draft before the draft like the back end was something that was for for me priority one to to address and try and get better. And um you know I think we’ve done that not only with these two guys today but with um adding Klinger yesterday uh or two days ago.
I think you guys have eight eight Dmen now on oneway deals if I’m not mistaken. Is that you kind of comfortable with with keeping that number going into going into the season if there’s no other? Yeah, I mean we’ll figure it out. It’s um you know if we get to that point and what however the competition shakes out and whoever plays well I think we’re prepared to kind of just figure it out from there whether that’s keeping 8D or keeping 70D that you know we’ll keep the best players um and who give us the best chance to win.
Does Shakir Shakir need waiverss to go down now?
Um he’s close to it. If not if he doesn’t have it now I think he’s probably only a few games away. Um, what does this mean for uh Sam Dickinson and sort of his uh opportunity or chances to make the Angel team next year?
Um, I mean it hasn’t changed. It’s it’s the same in our in our eyes. Um, you know, Sam’s it’s been good to see him this week. He’s just a year away from last year. He looks, you know, more confident, stronger, um, more self assured. So, um, same as, you know, postdraft, those guys are, you know, it’s going to be on them to show us that they belong here and they can play at this level. And if he does, um, you know, it’s just like the rest we’ll figure out. We’ll make room for them.
If a player has to go back to the OHL, be it a Sam or Michael Misa, uh, what can they learn in in that kind of extra year after they both obviously dominated the league last year, but what could they learn? Well, they’re still young players, so there’s always things for them to work on. Our development coaches will, if that’s the case, our development coaches will give them um kind of directives of things that we really want them to work on. And at the same time, it’s you can always continue to work on your leadership skills. You know, you know, M was captain there as a young 18-year-old. And, you know, if he happens to go back there, he’ll be captain. I’m sure, you know, there’s probably a good chance if Sam goes back, he’ll be captain there. So those little things about um leadership and and dealing with expectations and pressure, I think all those things help um help a player grow and and those guys will be in, you know, they’ll be really important parts of their team if that if that’s what happens.
One of the things with with Michael and the possibility going back, I mean the NCA and stuff like that. Now, how does that I don’t know, I don’t want to say complicate things, but just, you know, with the ELC and things like that. I mean, would there be a preference of him if if he doesn’t make the team to go to college or or OHL if if you know he doesn’t make it for some reason?
Uh, we haven’t really gotten gotten into that with him or his agent or anything. I think um we just wanted him to enjoy getting drafted and enjoy this week and and get to know him a little bit and uh introduce him to the organization. And then, you know, probably in the next couple weeks, we’ll have a conversation with him and his agent about how they feel about it first. First first and foremost, you know, how we feel is one thing, but if that’s the case, the kids got to be, you know, the kids got to be comfortable with whatever decision is made.
You talked about uh Lety and what you liked about his game, what you like about Oraloft in his game.
Um just a someone I’ve kind of always admired. He’s he’s got some bite to him. Um you know, a good puck moving two-way D. um you know they’re not they’re not not easy to find guys that can impact the game at both ends of the rank. I think he defends hard um and just his competitiveness is is um you know what we’re always trying to add to this group. Someone who’s got some competitive fire in them and same thing as uh I think Max Buff he’s won before. So these are all things that we felt were important and um you to bring him in our group and and he’s uh you know he’s a moves a puck puck really well too. So, I think it’ll help um help us get out of our end and help get the puck up to our forwards and so I’m sure that’ll help our forward group as well. Do
you also see the potential that he can be a good mentor for Shakir too? Just the, you know, language part of it and that that thing.
Yeah. No, that can’t hurt for sure. Um, you know, for a young young kid like Shakir’s come a long way. He’s um, you know, his English has gotten much much much better. But to even have someone who’s been in the league as long as Demetri has to kind of be there as a maybe a sounding board when things are going well or things aren’t going well to have a fellow countryman there I’m sure will be helpful.
Why why do you think Demetri um you know was open to coming to to San Jose at this stage of his career? Why why do you think he wanted to come here? Um, you know, I think for him and, you know, Clingberg and and even a lot of the agents and as I’ve gone through this process this year, I think people are just excited about what we’re building here um in and the direction the team’s going. So, you know, if you’re someone like him, I think the opportunity sometimes as you get older, that opportunity to play with kind of young guys who come to the rank and and exciting and there’s lots of energy every day, I think it that can kind of be a breath of fresh air. So, he’s excited
with the prospect pool the way it is now and a lot of guys on the cusp, you know, how do you balance obviously you’re bringing in some guys now sort of more win now, you know, really help the NHL team, but also, you know, enabling those young guys who are ready to make that next step to have that opportunity to come up and impact the team.
Yeah, I mean, it’s if the young guys are ready, I I don’t think we’ll block them. Um, we we just got to make sure they’re ready. But, you know, when you’re a young team, sometimes you got to get older before you get younger. So, you got to, you know, have some of these older vets around who know the league and had success and are professionals and and can handle the daily grind of the NHL. So, it’s important to have those guys around and, you know, we’ll balance it with those young guys. If, you know, if those guys are ready, then um, you know, they’ll play. But, it’s great to have kind of some of these veterans around who are productive players who have been around the league and and have won and know what it takes. I think it’s um, you know, that’s kind of the line we’re we’re trying to j right now.
On July 1st, go ahead. on July 1st that you mentioned you’re uh looking for AD that could help get the puck out. You also mentioned you’re looking for a number three goalie. Uh any other kind of areas that you might be looking for uh from now to training camp, a scoring winger, another kind of centerman, you know.
Um we’ll kind of just keep our eyes open, I think. Um, you know, we probably kind of to his question, we could probably use, you know, a top nine winger if one something like that comes available. But if not, then, you know, um, we’re more than happy to kind of let it play out and see what happens the rest of the summer and and then see where the kids are when camp starts. Expect to hear from from other teams, like you said, maybe some teams that are near the cap or over the cap to, you know, maybe there’s something that can be worked out there, I guess. Um, I’m sure I’ll hear from some as the summer goes on. Um, you know, we’ll see. I I mean, you guys might know. I don’t know what what’s happened with Eers, you know.
I think when when that domino falls, other things might start to happen. So, um, so yeah, we’ll be kind of here to listen and see if it makes sense for us.
And then check a few more off the ice, you know, camp this year, a lot of, you know, on ice is they’re skate, they’re skating hard, but is there anybody that maybe under the radar has kind of really impressed you just the way they are off the ice in this development camp?
Um, yeah, it’s a good group of kids. Um, yeah, the onic stuff is what it is, right? It’s it’s July. These kids have been off the ice for a little bit. So, um, yeah, I think, uh, I think Eric Pamp, you know, we’ve been around him a couple years now and, um, you know, he’s just got the he’s got a ton of energy and personality to him and, you know, um, and I think you can even see it on the ice. He’s kind of taking charge a little bit of his team out there. So, um, maybe he’s the one, I guess. Hey, hey, hey.

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