Sharks might have been entertaining, but it’s time for real progress
The San Jose Sharks finished last for the second straight season – but it wasn’t as dreadful as it might seem.
Even though the team was never a true contender – mostly by design – many considered the Sharks to be one of the most fun teams. They played fast, they showed some skill, and while it wasn’t a good team, there were pieces of the foundation that showed it’s going to be a bright future – eventually.
But to take that next step, the team has big moves they have to make this summer. On an episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli broke down the steps forward for the franchise:
Tyler Yaremchuk: “Every day, we’re going to take a look at a different team around the NHL and what the next 3-4 months could hold for them. And today we’re starting at the bottom of the league with the San Jose Sharks. And I will say, despite the fact they finished dead last in the NHL, the vibes are good. I actually think in the last year, they’ve really changed my perception of the rebuild. When you look at the four pillars they have in their prospect pool and on their roster, they have Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, the duo up front. Sam Dickinson at some point is coming from the OHL, and his numbers are just jaw-dropping. And then they made the move for Yaroslav Askarov.
“I love that they added a veteran like Tyler Toffoli to fully to help out the young guys. To me, this is an off-season where, if you’re the Sharks, I want to see them make another big splash here. They have a lot of money. They have a lot of picks.”
Frank Seravalli: “I agree. Part of it is that the San Jose Sharks just need time. Sam Dickinson appears to be an incredibly special defenseman. I think they’ve liked the steady and slow progress from someone like Shakir Mukhamadullin.
“That said, I think, part of it with the Sharks is they’ve got to get to a stage where losing isn’t acceptable. I know that sounds funny to say, because it’s a professional sports team. But find a team in the league that had more fun last year as a last-place team. And as enticing as that environment might be, I don’t necessarily love the optics of that. It kind of felt very country clubby, like, ‘Hey, this is easy. Life is good. It’s OK to be in 32nd place.’ To take that next step, you’re going to need other guys that come into that room that highlight that and it’s not to turn it dark and gloomy. It’s just that that can’t be the case moving forward. That’s not the standard that the San Jose Sharks want to set. And I think that part, breaking free from it, is going to be a pretty tough thing because results matter. And they’ve got a 40-point turnaround to go to get to where they want to get to.”
You can watch the full episode below: