Okay, Oilers fans—y’all might wanna send a thank-you basket to Mike Grier, because the San Jose Sharks GM just handed you a serious upgrade for the playoff push. And it’s not even some random low-key move. We’re talking about a trade that could actually swing the Oilers’ entire Stanley Cup chase. And fans? They’re already out here saying stuff like, “Mike Grier masterclass.”

So here’s what went down. On March 7, 2025, the San Jose Sharks traded defenseman Jake Walman to the Oilers. In return, the Sharks got Carl Berglund and a conditional 2026 first-round pick. The conditions on the 2026 first-round pick are if the selection is Top 12 protected, i.e., if the selection is in the Top 12, Edmonton may choose to transfer their 2027 first-round selection to San Jose instead. Next, should Edmonton choose to trade their 2027 first-round selection prior to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, their 2026 first-round selection will transfer to San Jose, unconditionally. That’s that.

The 25-year-old Carl Berglund has scored 12 points, two goals and ten assists, he has taken eight penalty minutes in 45 AHL Bakersfield games this season. He was also the captain of UMass Lowell in 2022-23 and scored 27 points that season. On March 22, 2023, he signed a two-year ELC with Edmonton.

And what about Jake Walman? Well, he wasn’t even a Shark for that long. Earlier this season, Mike Grier finessed him from Detroit for future considerations (aka basically nothing) and a second-round pick. Now, five months later, Grier flipped Walman for a first. For the Oilers, this wasn’t just some asset swap. This was a Vital Stanley Cup Trade, period. Edmonton’s blueline was hanging by a thread with Darnell Nurse dealing with injuries, and Walman pulls up with 32 points in 50 games, plus 125 shots, while being the most dynamic defenseman the Sharks had.

Walman led Sharks defensemen in points, shots (125), was tied for first in goals, and was tied for third on the team in assists. He set career highs in assists and points, and averaged 23:11 time on ice, a single-season best. In a career in the NHL thus far, Walman has played 252 NHL games, scoring 83 points (31 goals, 52 assists) for the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and San Jose. San Jose traded Walman and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, 53rd overall, defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius, to the Blues in exchange for future considerations on June 25, 2024.

Add that to a team that already has McDavid and Draisaitl cooking? Yeah, this is how you build a Cup run. And the praise for Mike Grier is loud. Fans are literally thanking him. This is the rare trade where both fan bases are happy — which is exactly why we gotta talk about how Mike Grier pulled this off.

How Mike Grier played 4D chess and everyone won

First up, this blew up reddit, the fans went crazy. One Oilers fan straight up said, “Grier did great on his end too. Solid GM.” And that’s not just casual praise—it’s facts. Grier basically turned five months of Jake Walman into a first-round pick AND a second-round pick. That’s after getting Walman for future considerations from Detroit. This man really did the hockey version of flipping a thrift store find into luxury resale prices.

Then there’s this gem from another fan: “I’ll take it! Nice move by Grier to turn a 2nd into a 1st. This deadline we picked up a solid Dman and forward depth piece with some grit. It’s likely this is it for us.” They’re locked in. Edmonton didn’t just grab Walman—they stacked depth up front too, knowing this could be their last big swing before the cap starts suffocating them again. And Walman? In San Jose he had 6 goals, 26 assists, 32 points in 50 games—that’s instant upgrade energy.

And the nostalgia factor? Unmatched. Like this fan said, “Mike Grier. once an Oiler, always an Oiler. he’s done us some favours tbh. but yeah I’ll take it! I heard someone say we were giving up Savoie, which would be the WORST move. this is good news, I’m ok with this.” Grier played 448 games for the Oilers from 1996 to 2002, putting up 76 goals and 93 assists. After retiring, he worked in front office roles before landing the Sharks GM job in 2022.

Finally, you’ve got the ultimate mic drop from the fanbase itself: “Mike Grier still loves us.” And right next to it, “Mike Grier masterclass.” It’s rare for fans to genuinely thank an opposing GM in public like this, but Grier somehow turned a rebuilding trade into a full-on Oilers lovefest. If Edmonton hoists the Cup this year, don’t be shocked if they mail him a ring too.