San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier, who sent his fourth-line center packing Thursday and on the eve of the NHL trade deadline, also appeared to be on the verge of another major deal involving his top offensive defenseman.

Hours after the Sharks sent center Nico Sturm and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Florida Panthers for a 2026 fourth-round selection, reports emerged that Grier was also about to trade defenseman Jake Walman to the Edmonton Oilers for a still unconfirmed return.

According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Oilers were on their way to acquiring Walman on Thursday, but roster constraint issues on Edmonton’s side prevented the deal from becoming official.

What the Sharks would get in return for the left-shot Walman remained unclear. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, based in Edmonton, reported that the Oilers could send a conditional draft pick and a prospect to San Jose.The Sharks, at the time this newspaper went to press, had not announced a trade with the Oilers. The NHL trade deadline is today at noon (PST).

Both Walman and forward Luke Kunin, a pending unrestricted free agent, were held out of Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena for roster management purposes.

Kunin, 27, signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Sharks last offseason.

Now in his third year with the Sharks, Kunin has 18 points in 63 games this season. As one of the Sharks’ top penalty killers, the blue-collar Kunin has mainly been used as a middle six forward this season, averaging over 15 minutes in ice time per game.

Walman, in his first year in San Jose, leads all Sharks defensemen with 32 points in 50 games this season. As a member of the Sharks’ top defense pair, Walman also leads all skaters with an average of 23:11 in ice time per game, playing in all situations.

Walman, along with a 2024 second-round draft pick, was acquired by the Sharks from Detroit last June for future considerations in a move largely seen as a salary dump by the Red Wings.

Walman is in the second year of a three-year, $10.2 million contract he signed with Detroit in February 2023.

Before Thursday night’s game, the Sharks had already traded goalie Vitek Vanecek and Sturm to the Panthers in separate deals.

In February, San Jose sent forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Avalanche in December.

Mario Ferraro, another defenseman signed through next season, has also been the subject of trade rumors. But while Ferraro’s name has been out there, little has been said about Walman, who has provided some needed offense from the back end.

Sturm, 29, signed a three-year, $6 million contract with the Sharks as a free agent in 2022 but believed that without a contract extension, he would be on the move before today’s trade deadline.

“I anticipate that something’s going to happen in those two weeks that we’re on the road realistically,” Sturm said on Feb. 22, just before the Sharks left for their road trip. “But it’s not something that I’m really worried about. … I’m going to play 100% for the crest until they tell me otherwise.

“You’re a 29-year-old UFA with no extension in place, you’ve got to be realistic about it.”

For now, he joins a Panthers team that, before Thursday’s games, was tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with designs on repeating as Stanley Cup champions.

Vanecek is already with the Panthers, as he took part in the team’s morning skate in South Florida on Thursday before their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Florida’s next game is Saturday at home against the Buffalo Sabres.

Georgiev, who started against the Avalanche, spent two-plus seasons in Colorado before he and forward Nikolai Kovalenko were traded to the Sharks in December in the deal that sent goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Avalanche. Blackwood started Thursday for Colorado.

Kovalenko was activated off of injured reserve and played Thursday night. Kovalenko had missed nine games with an upper body injury since he left the Sharks’ game against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 30 after the second period.