Sharks winger, sent packing by L.A., hopes for more opportunity in San Jose
SAN JOSE – After he and the Los Angeles Kings lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year, winger Carl Grundstrom knew some drastic changes to the team’s roster were probably in order and that he might on his way out of town.
What Grundstrom perhaps could not have predicted was that he would be a member of the San Jose Sharks just a couple of months later.
In a rare deal between the two California rivals, the 26-year-old Grundstrom, as a pending restricted free agent, was traded by Los Angeles to San Jose on June 27 in exchange for defenseman Kyle Burroughs.
The overhaul by Kings general manager Rob Blake didn’t stop there. Los Angeles, after going 44-27-11 last season, also traded P-L Dubois to the Washington Capitals and let forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan, defenseman Matt Roy and goalie Cam Talbot walk as free agents.
”I kind of knew that some guys were going to be gone, and I was probably one of the guys that might be going somewhere,” Grundstrom said. “I didn’t know, but I kind of had a feeling that something was going to happen.”
In early July, Grundstrom signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract with Sharks as part of general manager Mike Grier’s roster makeover, which also saw forwards Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg, Ty Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow and defenseman Jake Walman added to the mix.
The Sharks know what they’re getting in Grundstrom, a north-south player with a heavy shot who can add to the organization’s stated mandate of becoming a more difficult team to play against. Goodrow and Dellandrea also fit that mold.
But the Sharks also hope that Grundstrom, typically used in a fourth-line role with the Kings, can add more offense to his game. Grundstrom has 67 points in 236 career NHL games and had 12 points in 50 games last season before a lower-body injury in February kept him out for the last two months of the year before the postseason began.
New Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said last month after Grundstrom was acquired that he became familiar with the Swedish-born forward while the two were both in the AHL. Grundstrom has 72 points in 99 career AHL games between the Toronto Marlies and Ontario Reign.
“Really liked him,” said Warsofsky, who coached the Charlotte Checkers from 2018 to 2020 when Grundstrom had his best AHL seasons. “Another competitive guy that’s got some tenacity to him. He’s got some speed, and I think there’s some potential we can probably un-tap.”
Grundstrom, who averaged about 11 minutes of ice time per game for the Kings last season, is eager for that opportunity, considering it likely wasn’t going to happen in Los Angeles. But even on the rebuilding Sharks, it won’t come easy.
The Sharks already have their share of depth forwards, with Klim Kostin, Justin Bailey, Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Thomas Bordeleau, and Givani Smith — plus Dellandrea and Goodrow — vying for ice time. Grundstrom is going to have to set himself apart in some way.
“I need to get more shots off and find a way to be in the areas more where you can score,” said Grundstrom, who had eight goals on 95 shots last season for an 8.4 shooting percentage that ranked 11th on the Kings’ roster.
“When I get the chance to score, I’ve got to take that opportunity and score.”
Grundstrom is in Stockholm right now and said he’s working on his shot and his skating as he trains with a group of NHL players. He said he’ll arrive in San Jose in late August and begin getting to know his new teammates.
With the new additions, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith also in the fold, the Sharks clearly plan to improve upon their 19-54-9 record from last season. How much they can improve is the question.
“I’m looking forward to it, and I think it’s going to be a fresh start for me,” Grundstrom said. “Try to take more responsibility, and hopefully more than I have done in the past, too. So it’s a really exciting group, a lot of young players coming up (who are) really good.”