4 Sharks Gaining Steam As Trade Candidates

The San Jose Sharks got off to a horrible start to the season, but have actually won five of their last 10 games. Regardless, they are far out of a playoff spot and aren't expected to come close to making it this season. Before the season even started, a number of players were identified as possible trade candidates. The Sharks haven't exactly won the trades they have made recently, so it was a question of how much will they actually get for the players they were going to try to move this season.

As the team really struggled to score goals or defend, this likely dropped some of the players' trade value. But with some recent wins and goals being scored, it has risen. Now may not be the best time to make trades unless a team is desperate, but there are some players gaining steam as trade candidates.

Mackenzie Blackwood is the prize in net and has played very well for the team that is in front of him this season. Not only is he on a cheap contract, he is signed through next season. He isn't the player gaining steam though. That would be Kaapo Kahkonen who was just an afterthought until recently. The 27-year-old is also on a fairly good deal and would be a rental for another team if traded. Half of his starts have been quality starts, he has a .896 SV%, and only two really bad starts. For the team that is playing in front of him and from what the word is around the Sharks, he has impressed this season.

There are three forwards that have also gained steam since the start of the season - Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair, and Mikael Granlund. Hoffman is sixth among forwards in points on the team with nine, but he is one back of the team lead in goals with six. He can still shoot and is contributing a bit while in the team's bottom-six. The Sharks would have to eat half of his salary in a trade, but a team lacking scoring can see Hoffman help out with better linemates.

Granlund has taken over the second line center position while Logan Couture is injured and the veteran has done a good job. He is four seconds back of being second on the entire team in average ice time per game and has 13 points in 19 games. He has an extra year on his contract, so if the Sharks retain some money, he could be a nice third line center with a lower cap hit on a contender.

As for Duclair, many believed that there was no doubt he would be traded this season, but like everyone else, his value dropped when the team wasn't scoring. He is a cheap, top-six winger with a lot of speed and scoring ability. He only has six goals and 10 points in 23 games, but even if the return is weaker, the Sharks will still have to trade him. He has three goals and five points in the last three games, so his value is rising by the game.

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