Ask anyone associated with the San Jose Sharks and they’ll gladly mention how bright the team’s future appears to be.
The Sharks have talented young players, promising prospects, and loads of salary cap space available this offseason for general manager Mike Grier to help try and reverse the team’s fortunes.
What no one can say with any certainty is how soon that sunny future might arrive. And as the Sharks carry the NHL’s worst record and an eight-game losing streak into Monday’s game against the playoff-bound Toronto Maple Leafs, the only sure thing is that, right now, it’s brutal for all involved.
“It’s pretty tough (to stay positive),” said Sharks defenseman Jake Walman of the team’s losing streak, which was extended Saturday night with a 5-3 defeat in Ottawa. “It eats you a little bit from the inside.”
Here’s what else we know: those looking for a quick fix to the Sharks’ woes, with pricey free agent signings this offseason, might be disappointed.
The first part of the Sharks’ rebuild, the teardown, has gone as Grier intended. He’s shipped star players and their contracts out for draft picks, prospects and cap space. He’s then used those picks to fill out the pipeline, and now has the crown jewels of the rebuild, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Yaroslav Askarov, who are off to impressive starts in San Jose.
Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci have already been traded to contending teams. More veterans could exit before Friday’s trade deadline at noon (PST), with others leaving San Jose this summer.
That much is clear. It’s what’s next that is so critical.
But judging by what he said in late January, Grier does not foresee being a massive spender this offseason. At least he’ll avoid the temptation to dole out huge contracts to a handful of players who will be in their mid-to-late 30s by the time those deals end.
As eager as Sharks fans are to have a contending team again, Grier, as he’s said for years, does want to rush the process.
“We’re kind of on track of what we hope to do,” Grier said on Jan. 28. “When I say go too fast, it’s (going out and signing) three guys for $9 million apiece, two of them don’t work out, then you’re on the hook five years from now when we have some young players, we need to pay them and we’re stuck with some contracts that we’re not thrilled about.
“We’re willing to spend money, but it’s got to be on the right people and the right term.”
Identifying who those players are will be key, and convincing them to come to San Jose will be challenging if they happen to be free agents. But Grier wants to build incrementally.
“I don’t think we’re going to step on the gas and go crazy and then you’re in the situation where maybe you’ve got to recycle it and try and retool it again,” Grier said. “Where we just want to stay steady here and keep kind of moving it forward and going upward.”
Good thing, because there is nowhere to go but up.
After winning just one of their last 15 games, the Sharks (15-37-9) are in 32nd place in the NHL’s overall standings for the second straight season.
Of the Sharks’ 46 losses, 21 have been by one goal, and, of course, they would be further up the standings if their record while leading after two periods was better than an unsightly 9-7-4 after they coughed up another third period lead Saturday night. By contrast, the Atlantic Division leading-Leafs are now 27-0-0 this season when they lead after 40 minutes following their 6-5 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“You kind of come into buildings where teams — I mean, it’s the reality of it — where other teams feel that they can play confidently against us,” Walman said. “And at some point, we’ve got to strike that down and turn a page.”
While Grier preaches patience, the Sharks, after six playoff-less seasons, still need to do whatever is necessary to avoid repeating what’s gone on this year. Although the games have been more competitive, they still have as many losses this season as last year after 61 games.
Grier sees the Sharks as being closer to a playoff spot next season, and is counting on some of that growth to come from within as their cadre of younger players gains more experience. Still, the Sharks will have more than a few roster holes to fill and, from all appearances, will need to attract free agents or acquire veterans via trade.
Some growth might also be needed to try and keep a player like Walman – a pending UFA after the 2025-26 season who leads all Sharks defensemen with 30 points in 46 games. As much as he seems to like San Jose and the opportunity he’s being given here, he, like everyone else, wants to win, and not be stuck in a perpetual rebuild.
Right now, it’s tough.
“I guess we’re close, but we’re not close in a lot of other areas,” Walman said. “I just hope — a couple years from now — that these games are going to be meaningful. Just don’t want to get stuck in this position very long.”