The Dallas Stars have acquired center Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick.
The 4th turns into a 3rd if Dallas goes to the Cup final https://t.co/0U1Q3Vltze
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 1, 2025
The Stars are bringing in some help for a playoff run, while the Sharks are continuing to add to their rebuild, and it is a sensible trade for both sides.
Stars Bring Veteran Depth at Center and Defense
Granlund, a 32-year-old center, has been rejuvenating his career since rejoining the Sharks. With 60 points in 69 games last season, and on track to beat that again this season, he has been a great offensive option for the Sharks. Though they don’t have the best roster and are in the hunt for another first-overall pick, Granlund has played very well offensively and defensively, all while going up against some of the toughest matchups in the league.
With Tyler Seguin out, the Stars have been looking for a quality center to replace him in the lineup. Granlund’s strong season makes him a great candidate to fit that role and will look to help the Stars in their attempt at a lengthy playoff run this season.
Ceci was acquired in the offseason as a cap dump from the Edmonton Oilers, and with the Sharks, he hasn’t played his best hockey. With just 15 points in 54 games, he isn’t producing much offensively and has had some significant defensive struggles. With that being said, experience is an asset. Ceci has played 88 playoff games and can be a solid depth option for the Stars, and is also set to become a free agent in the offseason. With Lundkvist out for the season and Seguin out as well, the Stars have a lot of flexibility with their cap space by utilizing long-term injured reserve.
The Stars are dealing with a lot of injuries, including Miro Heiskanen and Mason Marchment joining Seguin and Lundkvist. These are all big blows to the team, but even without them, the Stars are still in good shape and getting closer to the Winnipeg Jets for the top spot in the Central Division.
Sharks Selling UFA’s, Bringing In Draft Picks
Granlund has been a great role model for the Sharks, but at this point in the team development, it is more valuable to get a first-round pick than to let him play out the final 28 games of the season. Same for Ceci, while he is a good veteran for a rebuilding team to have, getting another pick by including him makes perfect sense. This will allow for the Sharks to give younger players more NHL ice time, which is crucial.
The Sharks don’t have any additional first-round picks outside of their own, so bringing in the Stars’ pick makes sense. While it is likely to be in the 25-32 range, there is still a lot of value in the draft at those points.
For the fourth-round pick, it isn’t a game-changer, but it certainly has value. Every pick matters when you are in a full rebuild, and with good amateur scouting, there is a lot to be found at that point in the draft. The pick is the Jets’ pick, so it will be dependant on them for where it falls, but the condition on it is that if the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final, it will be upgraded to Dallas’ own third-round pick.
