3 questions facing San Jose Sharks

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the San Jose Sharks.

1. Can Macklin Celebrini build off an outstanding second season?

Celebrini had 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games last season, which was 56 points higher than San Jose's second-best offensive player, forward Will Smith who had 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists) in 69 games. Because of Celebrini, the Sharks finished within four points of the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

Going into his third NHL season, can Celebrini replicate last season and get San Jose into the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19? The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft signed a five-year, $94 million contract (League-high $18.8 million average annual value) on July 29, which begins next season.

"With what he's done in his first couple of years in the NHL and in the Olympics and World Championships, he would have had every right to ask for the max 20 percent (of salary cap)," Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. "We're very thankful he was willing to give us some flexibility and take a little bit less and leave some money on the table to help us continue to grow our team."

2. Can the young core take another step forward?

Celebrini is the cornerstone of a rebuild, which also includes forwards Will Smith, Collin Graf, Michael Misa, Igor Chernyshov, and defensemen Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni.

San Jose selected three players in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, adding forward Ivar Stenberg (No. 2) and defensemen Keaton Verhoeff (No. 9) and Ryan Lin (No. 21) to the mix.

As the core grows and matures together, the Sharks are expected to eventually develop into a Stanley Cup contender. How long it takes San Jose to become one of the elite teams in the NHL will depend on how fast the group improves from season to season. Celebrini is already an NHL star, and it will be interesting to see how quickly the rest develops.

"We were pretty close last year; we miss it (playoffs) by a couple of points or whatever it was, and we brought guys in to keep building towards that playoff goal," Graf said. "Eventually we want to try and win the Stanley Cup and I'm excited to be a part of it."

3. What impact will Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba have on defense?

The Sharks acquired veteran defensemen Darnell Nurse (trade with the Edmonton Oilers) and Jacob Trouba (signed as an unrestricted free agent) on July 1. Both are expected to help shore up the blue line this season.

San Jose was among the worst defensive teams in the League last season, giving up an average of 3.54 goals per game. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs (3.60) and the Vancouver Canucks (3.83) conceded more goals per game.

Nurse, 31, played 11 full seasons with Edmonton and is going into the fifth of an eight-year, $74 million contract ($9.25 million AAV) signed in 2021. Trouba, 32, who signed a four-year, $33 million contract ($8.25 million AAV), is going into his 14th NHL season and played the majority of the past two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.

"Having these two guys on our back end will allow us to not have to rush any of our young 'D' prospects and also not force them into roles they're not ready for," Grier said. "It gives them some time and gives Verhoeff, Lin and (Eric) Pohlkamp some time underneath, to not rush them up here."