Grier recalls being shocked by Dickinson’s fall to the Sharks in 11th place

Grier recalls being shocked by Dickinson’s fall to Sharks at No. 11, originally published on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Sharks knew all along who they would select No. 1 overall, but general manager Mike Grier was surprised by the availability of defenseman Sam Dickinson when San Jose marked time with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft. NHL.

After trading the 14th overall pick — the selection the Sharks received from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson trade — to 11th overall a day before the draft, San Jose targeted a handful of prospects with aggressive movement in that range, never expecting Dickinson to fall into their lap.

During an exclusive interview with NBC Sports California’s Brodie Brazil, Grier explained the logic behind the Sharks’ pre-draft target trade and why San Jose is so excited to land a prospect of Dickinson’s caliber.

“We had a group of players in mind that we thought weren’t going to be available in the 14th round, but we thought were going to be impact players,” Grier said in Brazil. “I never thought Sam (Dickinson) would be here when we moved up to the next round. As the round went on, we got happier and happier, you want the clock to go faster and faster.”

“You could see it coming, and the opportunity to add a defender like that is pretty special.”

Dickinson – who spent the last two seasons playing alongside Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen for the OHL’s London Knights – revealed how excited he is to join the franchise.

The standout defenseman explained that even though he’s never been to California, Halttunen’s overwhelming praise for San Jose and the Sharks organization made him eager to embark on his journey to the Bay.

“I think being in London, having Kasper Halttunen there and hearing him talk so enthusiastically about the Sharks and the organization, the San Jose area, it’s really incredible. I couldn’t be more excited.”

Although the selection of Macklin Celebrini will receive most of the attention, the Sharks adding Dickinson to their growing roster of young talent could also prove to be an important move as San Jose aims to accelerate its rebuild and return to status of NHL contender after five years in the playoffs. drought.

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