Sharks trade Sturm to Panthers as Grier's selloff before deadline continues

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News on Mar 6, 2025

Published in Hockey

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San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier continued to get a lot of business done ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline, sending center Nico Sturm and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Florida Panthers on Thursday for a 2026 fourth-round selection.

The trade, completed hours before the Sharks faced the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, was the second between the Sharks and Panthers in as many days. On Wednesday, San Jose sent goalie Vitek Vanecek to Florida for forward Patrick Giles. Sturm and Vanecek are both pending unrestricted free agents.

Grier also acquired veteran defenseman Vincent Desharnais from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday for a 2028 fifth-round draft pick.

As the Sharks went through their morning skate Thursday at Ball Arena in Denver, Sturm appeared and said his goodbyes to his former teammates.

Sturm, 29, signed a three-year, $6 million contract with the Sharks as a free agent in 2022 but believed that without a contract extension, he would be on the move before the trade deadline on Friday at noon (PST).

“I anticipate that something’s going to happen in those two weeks that we’re on the road realistically,” Sturm said on Feb. 22, just before the Sharks left for their road trip, which ends Thursday in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche. “But it’s not something that I’m really worried about. … I’m going to play 100% for the crest until they tell me otherwise.

“You’re a 29-year-old UFA with no extension in place, you’ve got to be realistic about it.”

In nearly three full seasons with the Sharks, mostly as their fourth line center, Sturm had 52 points and averaged 13:32 in ice time in 184 games.

Sturm’s ice time fell sharply this season, largely due to San Jose bringing in more veteran penalty killing forwards, but he still had 13 points in 47 games. Sturm also leads the NHL in faceoff win percentage (62.7%, minimum 100 draws).

The Sharks now hold six picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, including five in the first four rounds.

Sturm said last month that as a pending UFA, he was keeping his options open and not closing the door to re-signing with the rebuilding Sharks. He also said he would like his next contract to be around three years, giving him some added stability.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s no possibility of me coming back here in the summer,” Sturm said about possibly being moved. “Really, anything’s on the table right now.”

For now, he joins a Panthers team that, before Thursday’s games, was tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with designs on repeating as Stanley Cup champions.

Vanecek is already with the Panthers, as he took part in the team’s morning skate in South Florida on Thursday before their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida’s next game is Saturday at home against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sharks might not be done dealing. Other pending UFAs on the roster include forward Luke Kunin, defenseman Jan Rutta and goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Defenseman Mario Ferraro, who has one year left on his contract before he is eligible for unrestricted free agency, has also had his name bandied about in trade rumors.

Georgiev will start against the Avalanche. Georgiev spent two-plus seasons in Colorado before he and forward Nikolai Kovalenko were traded to the Sharks in December in the deal that sent goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Avalanche. Blackwood will start for Colorado.

“Definitely aware of it. Moves are going to happen,” Ferraro said last month of the trade deadline. “It’s part of the process for us, the situation that we’re in. So it is what it is. But I don’t think anybody’s really thought about it too much.”

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