The San Jose Sharks are getting a clear vote of confidence heading into the 2026-27 season.
In its annual Yearbook, The Hockey News projected the Sharks to finish fourth in the Pacific Division, a jump that would put them squarely in the playoff conversation. It’s a notable prediction for a team that has spent the last several seasons trying to climb back into the mix, and it reflects the sense that San Jose’s summer work has changed the look of this roster.
One area that stands out is the blue line. The Sharks’ improvements there were singled out as a reason they could move ahead of other teams in the division, including the Los Angeles Kings, who finished fourth in the Pacific last season with 90 points and barely managed to grab a playoff spot. The Hockey News had the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Anaheim Ducks ahead of San Jose in its Pacific Division projection, but the Sharks were still viewed as close enough to make noise.
If that fourth-place prediction holds, the Sharks’ path won’t stop with their division. A Pacific finish in that range would likely send them into a wild card race, where they’d have to outlast teams from the Central Division as well.
The Utah Mammoth, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets were all mentioned as clubs San Jose would need to beat if it’s going to end its postseason drought and reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
The Yearbook also includes prospect breakdowns, depth charts, and more.
In Other News...
Sharks Fans Are About To Get A New Look Worth Debating
A new Sharks look is on the way next season, and it will be part of a league-wide rollout rather than a San Jose-only reveal. Fanatics confirmed that all 32 NHL teams are set to debut Hometown Remix uniforms, a collection built around each clubs fans, city and local culture, which means the Sharks will be getting a fresh design with a very specific sense of place attached to it.
For a fan base that has always cared as much about identity as aesthetics, the change should invite plenty of debate before anyone even sees the final product. The NHL has been leaning into bigger-picture business and branding moves, too, from regular-season games in Germany in 2027-28 to Joe Pavelski taking a job at Wisconsin, but for Sharks followers the immediate question is simpler: what will the new sweater say about San Jose when it finally lands? [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Face A Korchinski Decision As Camp Draws Near
Kevin Korchinskis unresolved contract situation has put the Blackhawks in a familiar late-summer spot, with camp getting closer and questions starting to pile up around one of their younger blue-line pieces. Around the league, that sort of uncertainty naturally gets the rumor mill going, and for the Sharks it is the kind of situation worth monitoring because San Jose is still looking to add defensive depth wherever it can find it.
The fit is easy enough to sketch out from afar, even if the actual market remains quiet. Korchinskis name has already surfaced in speculative trade chatter, but there is still no indication that Chicago is actively shopping him or that San Jose is pushing to make a move, which leaves this one in the realm of possibility rather than momentum for now. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Suddenly Have A Playoff Case Fans Can Argue About
The Sharks suddenly find themselves in a conversation that looked a lot less realistic not long ago, with a recent projection slotting them among the teams expected to reach the playoffs in the 2026-27 season. It is the kind of forecast that turns a rebuild from abstract promise into something fans can actually debate, especially when it comes paired with the idea that the roster is starting to take shape in ways that matter on both ends of the ice.
Much of the optimism comes from the broader case that San Jose has enough room for growth, enough talent to matter, and enough moving pieces to keep the arrow pointed up. The question now is how quickly those pieces fit together, because playoff projections are one thing and surviving the grind of an NHL season is another, even for a team whose future suddenly looks more interesting than it did a year ago. [Read more 🡒]