The injury-plagued Dallas Stars are loading up with reinforcements, acquiring forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in exchange for a 2025 first-round draft choice and 2025 fourth-round selection.
The fourth-round pick becomes a third-round choice if Dallas advances to the Stanley Cup Final.
Granlund and Ceci were pending unrestricted free agents and tapped as ideal rental players ahead of the NHL's March 7 trade deadline. Dallas needs the helps now, anyway: The Stars' top defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, is out for several weeks with a knee issue, Nils Lundqvist just had season-ending shoulder surgery, and Tyler Seguin has been on the shelf since December and isn't expected to be back until the playoffs. Mason Marchment has also missed extensive time with an injury, although he is closing in on a return.
Ceci is a veteran, right-shot blueliner who can plug in almost anywhere for Dallas coach Pete DeBoer. He can handle a heavy workload if needed and eat up minutes on the penalty kill. For now, at least, that's what the Stars need to patch up the holes on their backend until Heiskanen can get healthy.
Dallas should get a boost up front from Granlund. The 32-year-old is having a strong season with 15 goals and 45 points in 52 games. He paced San Jose in short-handed minutes and on the power play while also actively contributing at 5-on-5. Granlund's versatility will be a valuable asset for DeBoer as he navigates the Stars' injury woes.
"We see both players as addressing immediate needs for our team," Dallas general manager Jim Nill said. "Mikael is a proven scorer who will bolster our forward group at both even strength and on the power play, and Cody will add a stabilizing and physical presence to our blueline. Both players will bring valuable postseason experience to our group, and we are looking forward to seeing their contributions to the Stars as the season continues."
Meanwhile, San Jose remains in rebuilding mode and is smartly collecting assets it can use to build a foundation for the future.
"In a perfect world, I maybe would've held on to Granny and Cece closer to the deadline so our group could have them for a little bit longer," Sharks GM Mike Grier said, referring to trading Mackenzie Blackwood in December ahead of schedule to Colorado in a similar vein. "But it doesn't always work out that way and the market just kind of heated up over the last week. We kind of took advantage of the opportunity that came my way."
Grier is likely to remain active before and after the NHL breaks mid-month for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.