San Jose Sharks Trade Former First Round Pick to Conference Rival

Earlier this off-season, the San Jose Sharks picked up former first-round pick Oskar Olausson from the Colorado Avalanche, with the team hoping they could get the best out of the talented 22-year old.

Olausson was drafted No. 28 overall back in the 2021 NHL Draft, and while he's been solid in the American Hockey League, he's yet to score in four appearances in the NHL.

Now, another Western Conference team is taking a chance on Olausson, as the Sharks have officially traded him to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Kyle Masters.

Clearly, the Wild are betting on Olausson catching fire with them to finally establish himself at the NHL level, and with an abundance of defenseman, flipping the the 22-year old Masters is a move that makes sense.

While Masters has had his shots in the AHL, he's spent most of his pro career with the ECHL's Iowa Heartlanders, tallying a solid 5 goals and 13 assists with them in 27 games a season ago.

On paper, this deal makes sense for both teams, as San Jose's forward group is loaded with young talent, and with a need on the blue line, swapping a young forward for a defenseman on a team that needs talent up front makes perfect sense.

Now, both teams will be hoping that the fresh new start for a pair of 22-year old's can kick start their careers at the professional level, and while it's a very low risk move for both, the hope is that with time, this pays off in a big way.