With GM Mike Grier guiding the franchise, the Sharks’ front office is bold, creative, and eager to give emerging superstar Macklin Celebrini the opportunity to compete for Stanley Cups.

Ahead of Friday’s NHL Draft, Grier has already pulled off two big trades this month. 

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He sent the No. 20 pick to Buffalo in exchange for pick No. 27 and defenseman Michael Kesselring, who should play every night for a team that needs more depth on the blue line.

On Tuesday, Grier also traded William Eklund, 23, and two prospects to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick. 

Eklund, the No. 7 selection in the 2023 draft, finished last season with 53 points — more than all but three other Sharks players. Grier said Wednesday he wasn’t seeking a trade for the left winger when the Senators called. But San Jose’s GM is opportunistic, and a chance to add a second top-10 pick was an offer Grier couldn’t pass up.

“Whenever you go into draft weekend, if you have the ability to move around and get players you like, maybe that’s even using some of that draft capital to trade for an established player, we feel like we’re in a good spot,” Grier said. 

The Sharks might not be done moving around the draft board.

“There were lots more calls on [pick No. 9] and probably two more on [pick No. 2],” Grier said. “One that’s real interesting. It’s picked up; teams are real curious to know what our plan was to do with No. 9.” 

The ability to maintain roster flexibility isn’t the hallmark of every great executive, but Grier is allowed to operate differently than most of his Bay Area counterparts.

The Sharks tore their team down to the studs, which led to a series of hopeless and painful seasons that allowed San Jose to consistently pick near the top of the draft. The team won the draft lottery in 2024 when Celebrini — a generational prospect who is already starring for Team Canada — became draft-eligible, which enabled Grier to build around a franchise player.

As Buster Posey considers what a rebuild might look like for the Giants, and the 49ers’ John Lynch and Warriors’ Mike Dunleavy look to supplement rosters anchored by aging stars, Grier can focus on acquiring top draft picks or promising young players who fit alongside Celebrini.

For as much fun as Grier appears to be having in constructing a roster, he’ll soon have to deal with the reality every executive confronts. 

Enough building. It’s time to win.