Grier explains why Sharks couldn’t refuse Avs trade for Blackwood originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For Mike Grier, this was one of the toughest trades during his short tenure as Sharks general manager.
On Monday afternoon, the Sharks announced that they had traded goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and winger Givani Smith, along with a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, to the Colorado Avalanche for young winger Nikolai Kovalenko, goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, a conditional fifth-round draft pick from 2025. (could increase to a fourth if specific conditions are met), and a 2026 second-round draft pick.
“This one is hard because Blacky and I go back to the time in New Jersey together where we were more than just a hockey player. I love the kid,” Grier told San Jose Hockey Now in an exclusive interview.
Grier was an assistant coach for the Devils before landing the Sharks job in the summer of 2022. The following summer, he acquired Blackwood from New Jersey for a sixth-round draft pick.
Grier spoke at length with SJHN about the trade after informing Blackwood, who turned 28 on Monday. Blackwood took part in Sharks practice earlier in the day before the team headed to Raleigh.
“If someone calls you with an offer that you feel like you can’t refuse, and it’s going to help build it and set you up for the future, then you kind of have to take it,” Grier said .
Grier shared how much the Sharks like Kovalenko, how preliminary discussions with Blackwood’s agent about an extension for the soon-to-be UFA goaltender could have contributed to this trade, what he hopes for from Georgiev and more.
Mike Grier’s Opening Statement:
‘I’ve had a few [trades] that have been tough. The [Tomas] Hertl one was tough. This one is hard because Blacky and I go back together to a time in New Jersey where we were more than just hockey players. I love the child. He’s a great boy. I’m glad he took this opportunity and kind of ran with it.
“It will be difficult for our group. Our group really loves the child and enjoys playing for him.
“It’s still at the stage we’re at right now. We look back historically at the goalkeeper returns and the season. Only two guys have ever gotten a second-round pick, and both came from Vezina season. believe, in Fleury and Robin Lehner It was a return we thought we couldn’t pass up.
“It’s probably a little earlier than I imagined. But the return is a good outcome from two draft picks as we continue to build.
“We really like the Kovalenko boy. Last year we talked to Colorado about him. He will come and play for us straight away. Give us something different than what we have, he is a competitive north-south player.” He is someone we hope we can grow with.
“So it’s a tough day for me. I’m sure it’s a tough day for the group, coaches, everyone. Blacky has meant a lot to us.
But just as you’ve seen in the last few games where things are better and we’re getting better, I think you all see how far we really are from what the championship standard is in this league. that’s what we’re trying to achieve. My job is to look at the present, but also to look at the future. We have to keep building on it.
“I wish Blacky nothing but the best. It’s a good team, a good situation. You get a chance to win, which I think will be important for his future career, not only in the NHL but for Team Canada and In my opinion he probably beat the 4 Nations goalkeepers [Faceoff] team. But one thing he is probably missing from his resume is playing in big games and pressure situations. This is something for him, I think it will help him.
“If this were two years from now, it would probably be a different story. He wouldn’t be someone to get rid of, but the fact that he is a UFA, and to his credit he probably worked his way out of the UFA surpassed.” here too, for what he will earn. Speaking to his agent and all that, what he’s going to be looking for, and what he rightfully deserves to earn as a UFA.
“I think he played a little bit outside the ballpark of what we were looking for, especially with Askarov also on the rise.”
Grier, on preliminary discussions with Blackwood’s representation about an extension:
“We had a conversation about what he would be looking for, in general. And like I said, he’s probably gotten away from what we would be looking for, especially that he wants a term in office.” He hasn’t had a term and he wants some money. It’s his first chance to make money. And every player, if he reaches the point where he can be unlimited, it’s his business and it’s more power to him try and earn as much money as possible.
“He has earned this. He has played very well for us for two years. Hopefully he goes there and plays very well. Do well when the summer comes.”
Grier, on retaining the potential of both top prospect Yaroslav Askarov and Blackwood:
“There was definitely an opportunity here to have a competition with him and Asky, kind of a 1A-1B type thing.
“But like I said, my job is also to look to the future, and how much money do you want in the net? If one beats the other.
“I owe him a lot. He has done a lot for our group and these are not easy circumstances for a goalkeeper.
Grier, about Nikolai Kovalenko:
“When you look at him, the competitiveness, the inside game that he has, and that’s come to the fore in the last few games, right? They’re ‘big boy’ games, you’ve got to play inside, you’ve got to win pucks .’ ploughing [Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning] showed what is needed for this. And we’re not quite there yet. I think he has the ability to do that.
“When you look at him, he’s built like a refrigerator, so he gets to the net, gets around the net and wins battles. We’ve got to keep adding that to our group.
“He can play left or right [wing]. A lot of those boys grow up [in Russia] playing offside. From talking to our scouts and the guys in Colorado, I think he’s comfortable on both wings.”
Grier, on the acquisition of Georgiev:
“It just gives us a little bit, maybe a little bit more time for Asky to play there and build on what he’s doing there. For Georgie, I had him in New York. He’s a guy who’s been through the playoffs. many matches in this competition.
“For him it’s an opportunity to maybe, he’s playing better now, but maybe get his game back to where he wants it in a less pressure-filled environment. We’ll see what happens in the next few months after that.
Grier, on how Blackwood’s loss affects the Sharks’ locker room:
“It will be hard for them, and I understand. It’s the bad part of the business.
In an ideal world, this would have happened later in the season. But that’s not the reality of sports, right? They’re in a situation there where they’re competing for the playoffs and they needed something and they were willing to commit a little bit to what we were looking for. It was in no way our intention to move Blacky. But if someone calls you with an offer, you feel like you can’t refuse it, and it will help to build this further and set you up for the future, then you have to accept it a bit, even if the timing may not be ideal. .
Grier, on seeing Kovalenko soon as a play-off caliber center-six winger:
“That’s the hope. I think he can play with all different types of players. He can do the dirty work on our top guys or play more in a controlling role. He’s quite versatile.”
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