The San Jose Sharks are horror-bad

[weastern bias]

4 wins in the past 5 games. Who could have anticipated the team would improve after a rough start following the hiring of a new coach who implemented a new system and the addition of a bunch of new player who had no prior chemistry?

Please just do not look at the shot differential numbers VS the mighty Columbus Blue Jackets

We're good now! (lol)

 

[PaulD]

Yeah, nobody expected the Sharks to contend any time soon, but holy hannah they are awful so far. Like, horror-bad awful.

After nine games, they have 1 shoot-out loss to show for the season.

They have 9 goals, total, in nine games. (Alex Debrincat, by himself, has matched their entire team's goal production.) They've allowed 26 goals against, putting them almost at -3 per game (or -240 for a full season).

Amazingly, their goaltending -- by save percentage, anyway -- has been fine. Their PK is about League-average so far, and their PP isn't the worst in the League (they dishonor goes to St. Louis's staggering 4.8% on the season), so their inept results are mainly down to 5-on-5 utter futility. They have scored six even strength goals all season.

How bad is it going to get? Will it get worse? Or, is this start just a mirage and they're actually not too bad?

the NHLs watered down 32 team league will constantly have a "Sharks" like team. And a few more.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

the NHLs watered down 32 team league will constantly have a "Sharks" like team. And a few more.

Yup what concerning is the attendance right now

 

[OverTheLine]

If Macklin keeps playing like this people will start showing up to games. Sharks fans have been missing a spectacle worth watching, but they've got one now.

 

[weastern bias]

If Macklin keeps playing like this people will start showing up to games. Sharks fans have been missing a spectacle worth watching, but they've got one now.

The 2024 tank team was its own spectacle worth watching, it was like watching a flaming clown car tumbling end over end down the side of the Grand Canyon, truly hilarious stuff

To be fair, I DO prefer having Celebrini, lol

 

[Albatros]

Granlund is still good. He was great in Minnesota and always great for Finland.

He didn't click with anyone at the last World Championships though, after a good year in San José. Not entirely his fault to be sure given the quality of the team, but he did fail at being the guy and performed poorly overall.

 

[Bizz]

the NHLs watered down 32 team league will constantly have a "Sharks" like team. And a few more.

the NHL's talent level has never been higher and can easily support another 8 teams. anyone who says otherwise, especially without evidence, is full of shit.

 

[tiburon12]

The 2024 tank team was its own spectacle worth watching, it was like watching a flaming clown car tumbling end over end down the side of the Grand Canyon, truly hilarious stuff

To be fair, I DO prefer having Celebrini, lol

It also was a free way to watch superstars on other teams have a field day. We got to watch great hockey against us last year

 

[Skeksis25]

Yup what concerning is the attendance right now

What's concerning about it? When the team is good, the building is full. If the expectation is for historically awful teams to sell out their buildings, then league would have like 10 teams in it. Wait for the team to become a playoff regular again, then look at the attendance and decide if you should be concerned or not.

 

[PaulD]

the NHL's talent level has never been higher and can easily support another 8 teams. anyone who says otherwise, especially without evidence, is full of shit.

Nice opinion .

 

[Section 104]

Sharks are pretty toothless now should they become good and (gasp) even win a championship, if it will be all the much sweeter to those fans who stick with them now and go to some games.

 

[coooldude]

Sharks are pretty toothless now should they become good and (gasp) even win a championship, if it will be all the much sweeter to those fans who stick with them now and go to some games.

Long time (no longer) STH for sharks who also lives in Denver. I used to go to Avs games with nearly empty lower bowls and very little fan energy. Now it's rowdy again, just like before, and it's the Tank that's empty. The fans will come back.

 

[The411]

For those wondering why Conroy and the Flames don't want to go scorched earth re-build this is why. The Sharks are going to be gunning for lottery picks for years to come and after all is said and done could just turn into another Buffalo or Edmonton pre-McDavid.

At least Chicago tried to put players around Bedard this past off-season, not sure what the hell Grier is doing, just loading the team with top picks and Toffoli and Granlund to mentor all of them?

At least once they win the lottery for Hagens they won't be able to get McKenna or DuPont.

The Sharks didn’t advance their pick so they can still win two more times. In theory if they finished last in the next year they could have 3 more #1 picks in a row.

 

[Barrie22]

The Sharks didn’t advance their pick so they can still win two more times. In theory if they finished last in the next year they could have 3 more #1 picks in a row.

Yup we are ending up with smith, celebrini, mckenna, and one of hagens/martone/mcqueen/hensler/misa

 

[HockeyVirus]

How close do we think the Sharks are if things go as expected? Askarov becomes a franchise goalie, Celebrini and Smith becoming 1-2punch top 6 centers, and a few D prospects become at least top 4 guys.

What are the holes and how far away are they?

 

[weastern bias]

How close do we think the Sharks are if things go as expected? Askarov becomes a franchise goalie, Celebrini and Smith becoming 1-2punch top 6 centers, and a few D prospects become at least top 4 guys.

What are the holes and how far away are they?

San Jose desperately needs a top pairing defenseman

The forward core is thin, if rounding into form, but there are 4 NHL quality D men in the entire organization and it puts such a strain on this rest of the team to be constantly hemmed in their own zone

If the team can finally draft a true franchise defenseman to push everyone else down and Askarov hits and at least one more high level forward prospect realizes their potential they can start to push forward

In short, they're still a long way away from being relevant

 

[Chinaski89]

If you guaranteed me one of Hagens, Martone, Misa, or Schaefer at the draft, I'd take it. I think all four will be franchise pillars.

Hagens, Martone, and Misa are off to ridiculous starts, and pre-mono, Schaefer looked like a future top pairing guy with good size and excellent mobility and intelligence. Schaefer would likely be the best Sharks drafted d prospect in the team's history.

McQueen and Frondell look very interesting too, but the top 4 look like franchise pillars. Right now, with first overall, I could see an argument for any of three forwards and Schaefer perfectly fits the team's need.

Mono is terrifying and ruined my life afterwards by triggering an autoimmune disease. I’d be hesitant drafting anyone with lingering effects from mono because it can quickly snowball into a lifelong autoimmune condition.