The San Jose Sharks, on paper, don't scream playoff team. They've been outscored, and the deeper analytics aren't great, either.
But they also have Macklin Celebrini, and the 19-year old has been one of the best players in the NHL in his second season. And that can turn a team from a trade deadline seller into a surprise contender in a hurry.
It's a dilemma the Sharks face now as the league's trade season heats up. The Athletic's Harman Dayal laid out some of the factors in a new article on Friday.
Dayal's first point is that the Sharks look like a classic seller.
"For years, GM Mike Grier has been disciplined about trading veterans for future assets," Dayal writes. "Will that change now that the club is on the playoff bubble? The Sharks don’t have any headline-worthy rental trade chips on the roster, but five of their defensemen, led by Mario Ferraro and John Klingberg, are pending UFAs. Ferraro is probably worth a second or third-round pick, and Klingberg’s trade value is probably in the mid-round pick range."
But the Sharks also don't have a ton of incentive to trade those guys.
And hey, maybe let the kids see how far they can take this team.
"Barring a collapse before the deadline, though, San Jose would be justified in keeping Klingberg and Ferraro," Dayal writes. "Neither one of them is going to fetch a significant trade haul, and for development and good vibes purposes, the Sharks probably want their talented young forwards to have established, NHL-quality defensemen to feed them the puck, plus an opportunity to play meaningful games down the stretch. Trading away Klingberg and Ferraro would leave the club’s blue line so depleted that it could hinder their young forwards."
This is something worth monitoring as the trade deadline gets closer.
The Sharks could help teams in need of a defenseman, if the Sharks are interested in dealing. But particularly if San Jose heats up, don't be surprised if they hang onto their pieces.
MORE: Senators' forfeited draft pick could cost them dearly