SAN JOSE >> The San Jose Sharks and general manager Mike Grier put a price tag on arguably their two most valuable trade assets — center Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci — and found a buyer in the Dallas Stars.

A full five weeks before the March 7 trade deadline, the Sharks sent pending unrestricted free agents Granlund and Ceci to the Stars on Saturday for Dallas’ 2025 first-round selection and a conditional 2025 third-round pick.

San Jose will receive Dallas’ 2025 third-round selection if Dallas advances to this year’s Stanley Cup Final. If Dallas does not reach the Cup Final, the Sharks will instead receive a 2025 fourth-round selection, originally owned by the Winnipeg Jets.

“We set our price out, and Dallas was ready to meet it,” Grier said. “So that’s really the main reason why we did it.”

Granlund, 32, was the Sharks’ leading scorer this season, and Ceci, 31, was used on San Jose’s top defense pair since the start of training camp. Both players were open to staying in San Jose past this season, but Grier said the rebuilding Sharks, who entered Saturday in last place in the NHL’s overall standings, still need to collect assets and focus on the future.

The Sharks right now have eight picks for this year’s draft, including what is on track to be three selections in the top 33 or 34.

Grier said the trade will “sting short term. Long term, it should be beneficial for the organization.”

Granlund led the team this season with 45 points in 52 games and all of the team’s forwards in average time on ice (20:51). Ceci was second among all Sharks skaters in average ice time (21:46) and led the team in penalty killing minutes and blocked shots (100).