Draft (6/28): Grier

Draft (6/28): Grier

mean for this franchise and we talked about more laying a foundation or or what have you in in coming out of this weekend what is that all this yeah it’s a uh a big weekend for the organization we’re really EXC excited um not only with Macklin but able to add um Sam too um you know potential top pairing D and uh first line Center doesn’t come on too often in one draft so um you know it’s a big moment for us we’re really excited both good kids um you know you Adam with some of the other guys you know will and and musty and bad and halonen um and akan and Zin are already playing and um you know you can start to see the foundation of of what the hopefully is what to come for us the importance of jumbo making making that selection make that yeah I think it really important almost just to connect connect our young guys to to uh the past um you know we don’t have too many guys left on the team that were there when we were um you know on top of things and challenging for the Stanley Cup so we’re fortunate have jumbo and Patty around a lot and um I think it’s it’s pretty neat to have that connection with our young players you made that trade with Buffalo yesterday you move up to 11 you picked Sam Dickinson how did that come about why would you go with Sam Dickson over maybe a z well we we moved up to with the goal hopefully to get get a player like Sam um you know we thought we we needed to to move up to be in the range to select one of those top D so um you know we feel really really fortunate against Sam um unique player with the size skating ability um offense and the ability to defend so um you know we’re really really happy like I said to get Come Away with the draft with the two players we did in the first round is uh you know we’re we’re ecstatic was the plan at 11 defense not necessarily uh we had a group of players in mind that we thought might be available there um that wouldn’t be available at 14 so um you know we made the decision to move up with the hopes that we could land someone and and uh like I said we’re really feel really happy and and fortunate to get Sam there were you as surprised to see Sam dickon out 11 a little bit what about Sam Dickenson stands out about you obviously you talk about the skating ability but what made him be like okay he’s the guy he’s a future top d man what about him in this play makes him that future top d man yeah he eats minutes um you know as a 16 17y old kid in that OHL he’s been a you know a top 4 d man um it’s just a it’s rare to have the the combination of the size the skating the physicality um you know he can transport pucks he can defend the rush he’s got a great shot um we think there’s even more uh more off offense in there that he’s been able to show I think Bon did handled a lot of the uh Power Play work there and they’ve had a couple other older guys ahead of them so we think there’s even more there so just a really really solid two-way defenseman and you know you guys all watch the playoffs and everything and you need those types of players to win when the when the games get hard and and uh Sam’s one of those players do you have a timeline as to when uh you’ll know with mlin whether he’s going to turn pro or not no uh you know I think he’s enjoying tonight with his family and going to soak it all in and I’m sure when this everything the dust settles here uh you know I’ll talk with him and his family and his agent and we’ll kind of go from there would you expect fairly soon uh uh I I don’t really have a timeline on it like I said I think we’ll I think it’s important it’s a a huge moment in his life and his family’s life for them to just kind of enjoy the moment and then you know once everything settles you can kind of get to the business side of everything you had a very uh busy week uh you acquired a brunstrom and uh down down the line can you talk about some of the players wman can you talk about some of the players that you’ve acquired this week yeah um you know we’re trying to get more competitive um you know I think with grundstrom and delandria and goody you know we’ve we’ve really La uh raised the competitiveness of our team um and then wman you know I’ve talked about the need for Puck moving D um and somebody can produce some offense from the back end um and Jake can do do that so we’re excited to add him and you know his defensive game’s grown a lot as he’s uh over the last few years I think he was one of their leaders in uh py PK time on Ice I believe so um you know we need we need to keep and continue to build the back end up so adding Jake was was important but um it’s been really important to become a team that’s harder to play against what are you surprised that with uh Jake that Detroit attached a second round pick with that you can speak to that process a little bit with as eer well I mean we just Steve and I uh just try to work out a deal that worked for both teams really I’m sure he’s had his reasons for doing things he’s trying to do his run a team the way he seems fit and do the moves that he sees fit and for us it made sense for to get a you know to get a player like Jake and a second round pick where we are in their process and I think Steve’s got reasons for for why he did it on his side uh pick 33 tomorrow um are you going to you have a play in mind are you going to maybe look to get move back and get some more assets or kind of just see what what comes up yeah we’ll be open everything I think uh you know looking at our our board I think we’re there’s some players there that we uh we really like but you know as it goes when teams kind of settle in and get back to the hotels I’m sure we’ll get some calls on 33 and we’ll listen if it makes sense for us to get get more assets and and uh continue to build this thing but if not um you know there’s some players available there that we’ll be really happy to select Mike it sounds like you got agreement with Luke bringing back for another year here what is he bring to this team especially as you integrate some younger players yeah he helps uh Drive the culture um you know same lines with those three forwards I talked about that were brought in Connie shows up every night he’s a good example for our young players um plays hard competes plays hurt so all the things you’re look for in players to to help show our young young players that this is what it takes to be in the NHL and be a professional so uh you know what we’re really excited to have Luke back and and uh keep growing with him did you want to go longer with that term or um we talked about it it’s always a fine line with uh you know term and money and all that stuff and trying to find the common ground so I think both sides just felt one year was was good and we’ll we’ll revisit as the as the season goes on was it to have jumbo on stage that something you brought up to him yeah we asked jumbo uh you know after the lottery If he if he’d be open to it and um you know I really excited that he was you know I think uh he’s a big personality and I think I think he nailed it I think it was uh it was awesome and um you know he’s got such a great personality and and way about him and and I think um you know it’s probably the start of a bond between him and Macklin and our other players you know he’s on the the ice with those guys and and um I’m sure it it meant a lot to to to mlin have him be the one to call his name out talking with uh we were talking with Rick celebrating a little while ago and he says you know initially uh they’re going to fly out Sunday but they’re actually going to fly out tomorrow afternoon tomorrow night so back get Skate in Sunday get ready for development Camp I guess that doesn’t surprise you that work no no not at all he’s a he’s a driven kid um you know he wants to be the best I think when you’re whatever sport you’re around I mean myself growing up in football and you know playing in the league and and being around the league the great players are driven they want to learn all the time they want to work on their game all the time um and matlin’s definitely uh in that mold what can he do for this group if he does turn pro for next season I you don’t want to place too many expectations on an 18-year-old but what can he do for the Shar yeah I don’t want to put too much on a shoulder I think it’s uh you know for the organization and the fan base it’s almost something that for them to kind of see that like I said earlier what’s kind of coming down the line and I don’t know if Hope’s right word but kind of a glimpse in the future so if he’s there I think it’s just something that kind of brings some excitement around the around the franchise and around the team I know I know the players will be excited but um you know it’s still an 18-year-old kid and the NHL is a tough it’s a tough league so we’ll see how it goes obviously you’ve uped the compete of the group which you said was your goal before the draft is the next step and you also mentioned this before the draft next step scoring maybe another defenseman what free agency starts yeah um you know we’d like I’d like to um but there’s 31 other teams out there too that are trying to make their teams better and and uh you know there’s only so many guys out there so it’s definitely something I’d like to explore and and and add to our group but um it’s never never easy once you get to July 1 but fair to say that those are the two main goals though right just those two yeah you know adding Jake to the back end is is helped it’s probably eased the a little bit of the pressure of having to actually go out immediately and find someone but we’ll keep looking um but yeah I think uh I think we could add a you know someone up up front of that up front who can add some scoring punch to the lineup we talked to get we talked to to Ryan earlier and and he mentioned us that you guys are going to come to you know a little bit more coaching decisions to fill out the rest of the staff he let us know that uh Nick and and Thomas are back is there any other updates you can give us is there anybody else that might be returning to the staff or or any names in mind you could share maybe coming in he didn’t share anything with you he’s the coach well he said he’s going to work with you this week to get it done so we’re working on stuff we’re close to uh close to filling out a staff I would say uh the next few few days or next week I would say well his his staffle he’s done a good job he’s done his research he’s met with a lot of coaches um but um nothing’s nothing’s official yet but he’s uh he’s working on it and we’ll have a staff filled out soon you mentioned Joe thoron and hanging around what’s his official like title or capacity with the team is he just like jumbo jumbo and yeah Vibes jumbo and Vibes uh no he’s he’s jumbo he loves being around the rink um loves helping helping the players loves being on the ice loves being in the gym kind of you know talking with kids and just being around I he just loves the game um at some point I’ll have to pin him down and give him and give him an actual title or a role but right now he’s you know I’m I’m really grateful that he and and Patty and Mike Richi are are around and on the ice pretty much every day with our group it’s uh pretty special I think [Music] vies vies title director VI director got it you enion living with you know if he does turn pro living with a veteran or just a jumbo or Patty or coach something like that just to get be yeah I think it’s uh something that’s not out of the question for you know him and will um you know they’re young kids and they’re going to have a lot on their shoulders trying to figure out life in the NHL so um instead of going home and trying to cook your own meals all the time and and everything and um sometimes it it would help to you know have a place to go for go to and where you can relax and wind and have some normaly and maybe some of that normaly is having a family around and some kids to play knee hockey with or you know jump on the trampoline or jump in the pool with um I think a lot of that stuff can go a long way to um people’s mental health and getting away from the game because it’s tough these guys are going to find out it’s a tough League the schedule’s tough especially where we are with all our travel um so uh I would say it’s Pro it’s a possibility that these guys end up uh living living with someone at some point

Sharks General Manager Mike Grier answers questions from the media following NHL Draft Day 1 on June 28, 2024.