Hey Sheng, Mike Grier is one of the most chill guys I have ever heard interviewed in the NHL and as the Sharks GM he is the very image of thoughtful and considered comments to the questions he is posed with. After day 1 of camp this interview with Mike Grier is probably the most animated I have ever seen him. Granted he has had a lot of really challenging circumstances to untangle and sort out and he has done a really good job of untangling our complicated situation but, now it seems like Mike is finally seeing the situation he envisioned come to fruition and clearly Mike is excited to see how this first camp where there is very real competition for roster spots at stake.
You and others have all mused about the roster as it currently stands and how it might fit together for this season and most of us come to a similar conclusion: This years Sharks is a tough game of musical chairs and a couple of players are going to wind up without a chair when the music ends forcing Mike and his team to figure out how best to deal with that situation for the team and the players.
This is what Mike wanted. The whole George R.R. Martin quote from his A Song Of Ice And Fire series (aka Game of Thrones): "Paying the iron price" vs. "paying the gold price." Mike has used the more common term of iron sharpens iron but, it's basically a similar idea of earning your way and growing because of it.
I think going forward we will see every season a wave just like this season of talented young prospects hot to make their mark and earn a spot and Mike has consistently maintained that if guys force his hand the team will figure out a way to accommodate those who earn that opportunity. The up-welling of young talent is here and so long as Mike and his team more or less keep the course of acquiring picks and careful drafting and development of those prospects the competition is going to be increasingly fierce to earn a spot and it is going to necessarily conversely create a good problem where Mike and his team will have to make tough choices around viable players when the team has too many viable NHL players and some need to be moved to create room in the system for the other players.
It's a good problem for us to have but, I don't envy having to be Mike or part of his team that has to manage the players and prospects.
I’m so glad he talked about wanting to see a jump from the core young guys vs going for mckenna. This team has talent and top players, we need a few pieces but I think it’s time to push the kids to get better through the next two to three years.
Why does the media try to make a big deal about Vlasic? He's an older player that has declined, collecting his contract money. He's had a great career.
9 Comments
bruh they made him stand for thirty minutes?
That felt kind of weird to put him on the spot with the Vlasic conversation and comment…
Thank you GMMG! Just please, let’s make sure that indeed the best players will be in NHL on 10/9!
Grier is turning this ship around we bouta become a dynasty!!
Sheng always makes these interviews awkward
So hyped for this year!! 🎉
Hey Sheng,
Mike Grier is one of the most chill guys I have ever heard interviewed in the NHL and as the Sharks GM he is the very image of thoughtful and considered comments to the questions he is posed with. After day 1 of camp this interview with Mike Grier is probably the most animated I have ever seen him. Granted he has had a lot of really challenging circumstances to untangle and sort out and he has done a really good job of untangling our complicated situation but, now it seems like Mike is finally seeing the situation he envisioned come to fruition and clearly Mike is excited to see how this first camp where there is very real competition for roster spots at stake.
You and others have all mused about the roster as it currently stands and how it might fit together for this season and most of us come to a similar conclusion: This years Sharks is a tough game of musical chairs and a couple of players are going to wind up without a chair when the music ends forcing Mike and his team to figure out how best to deal with that situation for the team and the players.
This is what Mike wanted. The whole George R.R. Martin quote from his A Song Of Ice And Fire series (aka Game of Thrones): "Paying the iron price" vs. "paying the gold price." Mike has used the more common term of iron sharpens iron but, it's basically a similar idea of earning your way and growing because of it.
I think going forward we will see every season a wave just like this season of talented young prospects hot to make their mark and earn a spot and Mike has consistently maintained that if guys force his hand the team will figure out a way to accommodate those who earn that opportunity. The up-welling of young talent is here and so long as Mike and his team more or less keep the course of acquiring picks and careful drafting and development of those prospects the competition is going to be increasingly fierce to earn a spot and it is going to necessarily conversely create a good problem where Mike and his team will have to make tough choices around viable players when the team has too many viable NHL players and some need to be moved to create room in the system for the other players.
It's a good problem for us to have but, I don't envy having to be Mike or part of his team that has to manage the players and prospects.
Thanks Sheng for the video man.
Peter St. John
Clovis, CA
I’m so glad he talked about wanting to see a jump from the core young guys vs going for mckenna. This team has talent and top players, we need a few pieces but I think it’s time to push the kids to get better through the next two to three years.
Why does the media try to make a big deal about Vlasic? He's an older player that has declined, collecting his contract money. He's had a great career.