Heading into the 2026-27 season, the San Jose Sharks are drawing plenty of attention for the right reasons - and that comes with a bigger burden, too.
After showing flashes of being a postseason team during the 2025-26 campaign before fading in the final weeks, San Jose enters the new year with real optimism around the group. The question now is whether that optimism turns into wins, because the pressure is rising right along with the expectations.
The Sharks have a path to make noise in the Western Conference. With new captain Macklin Celebrini leading the way, they have the kind of pieces that could put them in the mix for a Wild Card berth, and maybe even a top-three finish in a Pacific Division that looks wide open. Around the league, the message is clear: this is no longer a team to overlook.
That was part of the discussion on Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, where JD Young of Locked on Sharks joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to assess where things stand in San Jose.
“I mean, the vibes in San Jose are immaculate right now. You have Macklin Celebrini, who was just named the captain, you know, shocking no one that Celebrini was given the ‘C.’
But it does feel like this is the team that can make the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season. As you guys just talked about, the Pacific Division…it’s two teams and a whole bunch of mess.
The Sharks feel like they can be one of those teams who kind of climbs out of the mess here. You have Celebrini…you get lucky and you get Ivar Stenberg, Michael Misa, who’s looked absolutely fantastic so far in the preseason.
Will Smith going into year three, like there’s a lot to be excited about for San Jose, and especially with this offense.”
In Other News...
Sharks Opening Night Could Hinge On Two Tough Lineup Calls
Training camp projections have given the Sharks a clearer picture of what their opening-night lineup might look like, and a few of the pieces already appear fairly settled. Up front, Mason Marchment is expected to fit into a prominent role alongside the teams young core, with Macklin Celebrini still at the center of almost every meaningful forward discussion. On the blue line, the shape of the group is also starting to take form, with Darnell Nurse giving San Jose a different look in a unit that is still sorting out chemistry and usage.
The real uncertainty is in the spots that are hardest to earn and easiest to lose, where preseason performance and coaching preference can carry extra weight. San Joses decisions in goal and on defense could end up shaping the way the first month of the season looks, especially with a young roster and several players still trying to lock down everyday jobs. For now, the Sharks have enough established names to sketch a lineup, but not enough clarity to make every call feel straightforward. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Interest In Connor Hellebuyck Raises A Bigger Goalie Question
The Sharks goalie picture has become a little more complicated as NHL Network insiders and other reports say San Jose has at least shown interest in Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck. For now, the discussions sound very preliminary, more like a club doing due diligence than anything close to a finished deal, but it is the kind of search that tells you where the organization is trying to push its rebuild.
Yaroslav Askarov is still part of the equation, which makes this more than a simple upgrade chase for San Jose. Winnipeg is not expected to part with Hellebuyck lightly, and any real conversation would likely require a major return, so the Sharks are left weighing whether a swing at an elite veteran fits their timeline or just complicates the future they are trying to build. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Fans Should Be Excited About Ivar Stenbergs Early NHL Push
The early buzz around Ivar Stenberg has only grown since the Sharks made the Swedish forward the No. 2 overall pick in the NHL draft. He has already looked the part in preseason action, giving San Jose a glimpse of why the organization was so eager to add him, and why there is so much curiosity about how quickly he can help at the next level.
San Joses recent podcast discussion only added to the optimism, with analysts weighing how Stenberg might fit into the lineup and what his arrival could mean for the clubs forward group. For a team trying to build around young talent, the intrigue is not just about whether he belongs, but how soon he can become a real factor in the Sharks plans. [Read more 🡒]