The Sharks’ left-wing picture for 2026-27 starts with one obvious name and then gets messy fast. If San Jose wants the cleanest fit next to Macklin Celebrini, Ivar Stenberg is the most natural candidate to step right into that job.
Stenberg would be the kind of player a video game would fast-track without hesitation. He was drafted second overall, and his case is built on more than projection.
He already showed he can score against strong competition, and he put together one of the best seasons by a teenager in Swedish Hockey League history. For an 18-year-old, that kind of resume makes the leap look a lot less intimidating.
The other thing working in Stenberg’s favor is simple: his pure skill is hard to ignore. That matters when a team is trying to decide who can handle top-line duty right away.
There’s also a different kind of case for Chernyshov, even if his path is less straightforward. He spent most of the 2025-26 season with the San Jose Barracuda, but when he got NHL minutes, he didn’t look overwhelmed.
Natural Stat Trick shows he logged 304:22 with Celebrini and just 78:39 without him. In that time together, the line scored 20 goals and gave up 17.
That’s the kind of production that sticks. When Celebrini and Chernyshov were on the ice together, they were dangerous and fun to watch, which is about all you can ask for in late March and early April when the Sharks were fading and the playoff chase was slipping away.
Still, Chernyshov’s situation is strange. With so many forwards on one-way deals and more additions coming over the summer, there’s a real chance he doesn’t even crack the Opening Night roster.
That feels harsh after the way he finished last season, but the numbers on the roster are the numbers on the roster. Even if he doesn’t begin the year on Celebrini’s wing, it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets there before long during the 2026-27 campaign.
Then there’s Collin Graf, who may be the player most squeezed by San Jose’s forward logjam. He’s currently an unsigned restricted free agent without arbitration rights and can’t sign an offer sheet, which leaves the Sharks with the upper hand unless they trade him.
In other words, a return to San Jose is the most likely outcome. The catch is that if he’s not on the first line, it’s hard to see where he fits at all with so many expensive contracts on the roster.
Graf wasn’t really Warsofsky’s first choice to skate with Celebrini and Smith, but he kept ending up there anyway during the 2025-26 season. The staff would try someone else for a stretch, and then Graf would work his way back into the mix. He meshes well with their game and helps make that line effective.
At minimum, Graf has shown he belongs in a top-nine role. He brings value at both ends and stands out on the penalty kill.
But Grier didn’t commit big money to Mason Marchment, Alexander Wennberg, or Kiefer Sherwood just to park them on the fourth line. If Graf isn’t on the top line, he likely drops into a fourth-line role - something he can handle, but it would still feel like a waste.
In Other News...
Sharks Rebuild Just Got A Massive Boost From One New Ranking
A fresh look at the Sharks prospect pool just gave the rebuild a real jolt. Scott Wheelers summer top-100 NHL prospects rankings included six San Jose players, a sign that the organizations young talent is not just deep but also landing near the top of the league-wide conversation. Along with Ivar Stenberg and Michael Misa, the list also featured Keaton Verhoeff, Sam Dickinson, Ryan Lin and Igor Chernyshov, giving the Sharks a cluster of high-end names that should keep the long-term outlook interesting.
There is also a notable boost in the crease, where Joshua Ravensbergen checked in at No. 2 on Wheelers top-20 goaltender list. For a team trying to build a more complete pipeline, having impact talent up front, on the blue line and in net matters, and the early summer buzz around Misa and Dickinson training with Macklin Celebrini in Vancouver only adds to the sense that this group is starting to feel more connected. The bigger question now is how quickly all of that promise turns into something the Sharks can actually lean on. [Read more 🡒]
Macklin Celebrini Could Force A Huge Sharks Decision Soon
Macklin Celebrini is getting close to the point where the Sharks have to start thinking beyond the entry-level phase and into the kind of contract that changes a franchises payroll. The 20-year-old has already become the center of San Joses long-term plans, and his next deal is expected to be discussed in the same breath as the teams broader effort to build a roster that can actually rise with him.
Celebrini has already signaled that he understands the balance involved: players want to be paid, but they also know a contender needs room to maneuver. For the Sharks, that makes his extension more than a routine box to check. It is one of those early decisions that can shape not just what Celebrini earns, but how much help San Jose can put around him in the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]