LAST SEASON

Yeah, it was brutal. The San Jose Sharks finished dead last in the NHL for the first time since the league expanded past 30 teams – and it was all by design. After starting the season off with an 11-game losing streak, and following it up with a 12-game slump and a pair of nine-gamers, the Sharks never had a chance from the get-go, playing some of the ugliest hockey of the year.

The Sharks entered the season clearly wanting to snag as good of a draft pick as possible after selecting Will Smith at No. 4 in 2023. San Jose took the undisputed top prospect in Macklin Celebrini at No. 1 in 2024, helping to give the team a legit star 1-2 duo up front for the next 15 years.

It’s hard to do worse than they did last year, and they have as much scoring depth as they’ve had in more than half a decade. But that’s not saying much, and while they have one of the best pipelines in hockey, they won’t be done adding to it anytime soon.

KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES

Additions

Macklin Celebrini, C
Will Smith, C
Yaroslav Askarov, G
Alex Wennberg, C
Tyler Toffoli, RW
Barclay Goodrow, LW
Carl Grundstrom, RW
Jake Walman, D
Cody Ceci, D

Departures

Filip Zadina, RW (SUI)
Mike Hoffman, LW (UFA)
Alexander Barabanov, RW (KHL)
Jack Studnicka, C (LAK)
Ryan Carpenter, RW (ANA)
Calen Addison, D (OTT)
Jacob MacDonald, D (COL)
Ty Emberson, D (EDM)
Nikolai Knyzhov, D (PIT)
Kyle Burroughs, D (LAK)
Devin Cooley, G (CGY)

OFFENSE

The Sharks didn’t have the worst goals-per-game rate at 2.20 – but they were 31st. They did lose Filip Zadina and his 13 goals from last year, but they added Tyler Toffoli (55 points in 2023-24) and Alex Wennberg (30 points) to help bolster the team’s top nine. Toffoli is two years removed from a career-best of 73 points, and while it’s unlikely he comes close to that this year, 50 points isn’t out of the question.

The Sharks had three players register 40 points or more last year: Mikael Granlund (60), William Eklund (45) and Fabian Zetterlund (44). It was good to see Granlund bounce back after a difficult few years, and his chemistry with Zetterlund was noticeable. Zetterlund found a good home in San Jose and should continue to develop, and potentially become a 50-point player for the first time this year. The same goes for Eklund, who became an impact piece for the Sharks last season after going seventh overall in 2021. At 21 years old, he’s only just getting started.

But beyond that, there wasn’t much to look back at fondly there. Four of the team’s top 10 scorers last year – Zadina, Anthony Duclair, Tomas Hertl and Mike Hoffman – either were moved ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline or left via free agency. The next highest-scoring forward – Luke Kunin – had 11 goals and 18 points in 77 games. It’ll be interesting to see if Thomas Bordeleau steps up after an impressive 27-game stint with the Sharks. He’s a natural center, but it feels like he’ll thrive more as a winger with the Sharks due to some improved depth down the middle.

And that’s because of the additions of Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, who’ll serve as the team’s two big pillars this season. More on them later.

DEFENSE

The Sharks seemingly received Jake Walman for free from the Detroit Red Wings, giving the team another legitimate top-four option on the left side. Mario Ferraro is the No. 1 D-man in the organization, but Walman at least makes the competition interesting. He had his ups and downs in Detroit, but he should play key minutes on the Sharks this year and give Ferraro some much-needed breaks – and potentially even see some power-play duty.

As should Henry Thrun, who us coming off his first year of pro hockey. He spent time in both the NHL and AHL, but seemed to really find his groove down the stretch with the Sharks as he capped the year off with some of his best performances of the season. This will be his chance to build on a good rookie campaign and potentially establish himself as a key piece of the franchise moving forward – he seems underrated by the average fan.

The right side, though… it’s going to be a struggle. Cody Ceci is the best option they’ve got, and he just screams “trade deadline asset.” At his best, he had some decent outings in Edmonton. But his inconsistency with the puck at both ends of the ice can be downright terrifying, so he isn’t ideal in a top-pairing role. But, realistically, that’s what he’ll be.

Jan Rutta is a decent defender, but he’s not going to move the needle. His results were a bit all over the place last year, and he often struggled the more he was asked to play. Perhaps having Ceci there will allow Rutta to have fewer difficult matchups and find a way to thrive, but on most teams, he’s a bottom-pairing defender.

And then there’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic. He wasn’t the WORST defenseman on the team last year, outplaying Calen Addison and Nikita Okhotiuk, but that isn’t much to be proud of. At the very least, he was able to hold his own on the penalty kill, but that’s about it. With a $7 million AAV deal until the end of 2025-26, Vlasic isn’t going anywhere, even though he’s barely an NHL-quality defenseman at this point.

San Jose’s defensive play was near the bottom last year and that’s not likely to change this season. Adding Walman was a bonus, and there’s legitimate enthusiasm about Thrun’s future. But beyond Ferraro, who some believe has an outside chance of representing Canada at the Olympics in 2026, there isn’t much worth getting excited about here.

GOALTENDING

Of the 61 goalies with at least 1,000 5-on-5 minutes played last year (23+ games), both Vitek Vanacek (-7.98, 51st) and MacKenzie Blackwood (-9.19, 54th) finished in the bottom 10 in goals saved above average. Blackwood was much more respectable in goals saved above expected at 11.07 (24th), but Vanecek had a brutal -10.67 to place him 58th.

In plain English? Neither goaltender was particularly good, but Blackwood still managed to do a lot with an absolutely terrible team in front of him. Vanecek, meanwhile, played on a New Jersey Devils team with legitimate talent up front, and while injuries definitely impacted the team’s season, Vanecek’s inability to stop the puck was a contributing factor in Lindy Ruff’s dismissal.

Right now, it feels like the former Devils teammates will split starting duties until one of them ultimately takes over the bulk of the starts. Based on last year alone, Blackwood has the edge. But just two years ago, Blackwood was one of the worst keepers in the league, while Vanecek was a big reason why the Devils tied a franchise record with 13 wins in a row in 2022-23. Yet again, it’s proof goaltending is voodoo.

San Jose’s best goaltender might actually be their third option – Yaroslav Askarov. The club acquired him from Nashville in August to be the team’s goaltender of the future, and, realistically, he deserves a chance at getting serious NHL duty this year. We’ll see what the Sharks elect to do with him because he’s been one of the best young goalies in the AHL over the past two years, but there’s no need to rush him if the end result is having him get shelled every night.

Either way, does it really matter who’s in net if they can’t score or defend to begin with?

COACHING

Despite being an absolutely attrocious team last year, the Sharks managed to finish 21st in power-play percentage. A positive! But they also finished 28th on the penalty kill at 75.4. Another negative! There was only so much that the foregoing David Quinn could have done as bench boss; and, honestly, he should be commended for helping them snag a franchise player.

First-time NHL coach Ryan Warsofsky will have a difficult time turning the Sharks into a contender any time soon, but he knows a thing or two about development. He’s one of the most respected young coaches in the game today, having led the Chicago Wolves to Calder Cup championships in 2019 and 2022. He’s only 36 (a few months younger than Vlasic), so hopefully the new, fresh perspective will help stimulate growth in a franchise that continues to trend younger. And, if Warsofsky is indeed the man for the job, GM Mike Grier better be patient and let his new hire cook because growing with the young core can be truly beneficial in the long run.

ROOKIES

This is where things get fun. Celebrini and Smith are the favorites to battle for the No. 1 center spot this year, with the loser liking taking the No. 2 spot. Both are serious Calder Trophy candidates, with Celebrini’s two-way play and Smith’s play-driving making them both top-five rookies in the NHL today.

First-overall picks always get significant attention and sometimes even get overhyped. With Celebrini, you can see all the translatable skills, plus how well he handled playing against older competition at only 17. Look for Celebrini to spend most of the season on the top line and on the power play, but don’t be discouraged if he has fewer points than Smith. A big part of Celebrini’s game is his play away from the puck, and that’s going to make him so valuable, especially on a team like San Jose that can afford to let him make mistakes and get better.

Smith is already a proven winner, especially on the international stage. Two years ago, he posted one of the most productive seasons in USA Hockey National Team Development Program history with 51 goals and 127 points, capping things off with MVP honors and a gold medal at the U-18 World Championship. Add in gold at the World Juniors and a five-game stretch at the recent men’s World Championship, and it’s been a wild few years for the Lexington, Massachusetts native. It’s going to be a few years until Smith gets a chance to contend for meaningful victories in the NHL, but he’s ready to make an immediate impact.

Beyond that, the Sharks also landed Collin Graf late last year. The skilled forward quickly became one of the most improved NCAA players over the past few seasons and could play in the middle-six at some point soon. For now, he’ll need a big camp to push for full-time duty, and some time with the Barracuda won’t hurt as he looks to take his game up a level.

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Who’ll emerge as the No. 1 goaltender? Blackwood is back for another season after some ups and downs last year. At the very least, he helped revive his career after an ugly end in New Jersey and was one of the few players who seemed to show up during that ugly stretch to start last year. But Vanecek will look to become a starter again after a brutal year in New Jersey, and he’s going to face a ton of rubber this year. Both are UFAs next summer, so they’re essentially auditioning for their future careers, whether it’s in San Jose or elsewhere. What about Askarov, whom they acquired from Nashville last month? Could he be the No. 1 by the spring? Absolutely.

2. Just how much are the Sharks going to tank? Nobody is mistaking this group for a contender, even with the addition of two of the best young prospects in the game today. But are they going to be the ones selecting James Hagens wherever the draft is held next June, or will they play a bit more respectable hockey this time around? It’s hard to be worse than they were last year, and with nine players set to be UFAs next summer, there are plenty of reasons for the team to try just that much harder this year – even if it’s just to become trade bait come late February.

3. Who has the edge in the Calder Trophy race? Celebrini is the one coming in with all the hype as the reigning No. 1 pick, but Smith is older and was the NCAA’s top scorer last year. Even if Celebrini takes the No. 1 center spot, there’s an argument Smith will win because he’s more offensively oriented. It might not even matter if Matvei Michkov, Logan Stankoven, Cutter Gauthier or someone else goes off on a more competitive team, but the Sharks have two legit prospects with a chance to take home one of the toughest trophies to win in hockey – and that’ll be something to keep Sharks fans invested this year.

PREDICTION

Let’s not sugarcoat it: it’s going to be another ugly season for the franchise. But after years of watching some absolutely dreadful hockey – and finding solace by watching their top young players developing elsewhere – the fanbase will finally get to see two of the most promising players they’ve ever drafted play key roles right out of the gate. Watching Celebrini and Smith compete for the Calder might be the only competitive thing the fans get to witness this year, but they know that already. Are the Sharks better now than they were in 2023-24? On paper, absolutely. But they’re not remotely a competitive team yet, and the fanbase won’t argue about that.

Things will get better, eventually – but just not yet.