San Jose aims to build around young core pieces like center Macklin Celebrini and defenseman Sam Dickinson, with Grier looking to upgrade the back end over the summer.
"It would have to make sense for us to move off the second overall pick and potentially get a new player like that who can be on our roster for a long time," Grier said.
The general manager reiterated that roster adjustment efforts will extend past the draft weekend into free agency starting July 1.
"It has to be a very good young player or young players who are a little bit further along than an 18-year-old that could step in and be part of our lineup for a long time," he said.
The defensive market remained active through the opening round as the Philadelphia Flyers used the 27th pick acquired from San Jose to select 6-foot-7 blueliner Maksim Sokolovskii from London of the OHL.
Flyers general manager Danny Brière expressed strong satisfaction with securing Sokolovskii at the 27th slot. "One of the better organizations in the CHL.
They seem to be able to build winners," he said.
Brière noted the defenseman's compete level and physicality. "The compete level is something that, in a lot of cases, you have or you don't.
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It's really tough to bring that out of someone who doesn't have it. You watch him, it's a natural thing.
He loves to go after a guy.
