SAN JOSE – Mike Grier has only been the San Jose Sharks general manager for six months and already he’s faced with mammoth decisions regarding Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier that could help shape the direction of the franchise for years to come.

Karlsson is having a historic, resurgent season, driving the Sharks’ offense like perhaps no other player in team history. Meier, a pending restricted free agent, is also having a career-type year and could be a cornerstone for any NHL team over the next decade.

But the Sharks are on track to miss the postseason for a fourth straight year and trading one or both players might recoup the type of assets that could help the team once again become playoff contenders in the long run, although that’s no guarantee.

“If those guys stay, we’ve still got to figure out a way to get some younger impact players into the lineup,” Grier said Friday before the Sharks played the Edmonton Oilers, “and if they go, it opens up the possibilities of cap space to bring in players.

“Some of the pieces that we get from those deals, if you hit on a couple of those, that’s also something that can help turn things around quickly.”

Karlsson is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $92 million contract extension that he and the Sharks agreed to in June 2019. After three frustrating and injury-filled seasons, Karlsson has turned back the clock on his career, as he entered Friday as the NHL’s top-scoring defenseman with 56 points in 43 games.

Grier, who was hired by the Sharks in July, told reporters in Toronto in November, that he would listen to trade offers for just about anyone on the Sharks’ roster, including Karlsson, who has a full no-movement clause in his contract that carries an average annual value of $11.5 million and expires after the 2026-27 season.

“There are some teams that have reached out about him,” Grier said of Karlsson. “I’m not surprised being that this is a right shot, dynamic defenseman, and how often those guys get on the market, possibly, right? So it’s only natural for teams to kick the tires and it’s my job to listen to all offers and see what I think is best for the organization, short term, and long term.”

Grier would not specify what his asking price is for the two-time Norris Trophy winner, who is on track for a third, but said a report from a Canadian media outlet that his asking price for Karlsson was three first-round draft picks, was not “totally accurate.”

“It would have to be an offer that we feel makes us stronger in the future and gives us the ability to help kind of turn this thing around quicker,” Grier said.

“It’s got to be something that makes sense for us as an organization to move someone like him. I’m not out there dying to get rid of this (defenseman) who’s on pace for 100 points.”

Karlsson has said he remains committed to the Sharks but has also mentioned on multiple occasions in recent weeks that he also wants to win. The Sharks, with a 13-22-8 record before Friday, will likely miss the playoffs for a fourth-straight year.

Grier said he and Karlsson meet every few weeks.

“He’s kind of refreshingly honest about the good things and the bad things and his flaws and things he doesn’t like and like, so it’s been good,” Grier said of Karlsson. “I can see him being part of the team when we get this thing turned around.”

The Sharks entered Friday in 13th place in the Western Conference in terms of points percentage (.395), only ahead of Chicago (.325), Anaheim (.333), and Arizona (.378).

“Would you hope that we’re battling for a playoff spot next year? I think that’s the hope, but there’s a lot of points to make up and a lot of ground to make up, too,” Grier said. “So, the hope is to be there, but at the same time we’ll have to see how it goes.”

Meier, a pending restricted free agent, has had a career season so far with 24 goals and 43 points in 43 games before Friday. Grier said he and Meier’s agent, former Sharks forward Claude Lemieux, have had some preliminary discussions about an extension, although nothing substantial where offers and counteroffers have been made.

“We’ve had good open, honest, positive talks to this point,” Grier said.

Grier said Meier is another player other GMs have inquired about, with the March 3 trade deadline now seven weeks away.

“Timo’s a unique player,” Grier said. “I think if you’re starting a team from scratch and you’ve got a chance to grab someone like Timo, you’re going to take him and put them on your wing and forget about him for the next 10 years.

“That being said, he’s the type of player that teams want, especially teams planning to be in the playoffs. He’s big, he’s fast, and he can score, so there’s plenty of interest in him. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve had some good talks with him about this situation and the team’s situation. I’ll kind of keep those between me and him and me and his agent, but I’ve got all the respect in the world for him as a player and we’ll have to see how it all shakes out.”

Meier’s present deal, $24 million over four years, carries a $6 million AAV. But Meier is being paid $10 million in salary this season, meaning the Sharks would have to issue him a qualifying offer of at least that much in the offseason to retain his negotiation rights.

This season, Grier could either reach a long-term contract extension with Meier, keep him for next season at the $10 million figure, or perhaps do a sign-and-trade with another team, like the Calgary Flames did with Matthew Tkachuk last season.

Unlike the Sharks’ approach toward the trade deadline last season when then-interim GM Joe Will was focused on re-signing pending UFA Tomas Hertl to a long-term deal, Grier seems open to exploring other possibilities.

“It’s not too different than Erik, really,” Grier said. “It’s my job to do what I think is best for the organization, short term, and long term. When you have these kinds of high-end assets, it definitely does give you the possibility to kind of change things over more quickly.”

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