Since Mike Grier took over as general manager in July 2022, the San Jose Sharks have torn down their roster and are rebuilding primarily with promising young talent from within their system. They won the 2024 draft lottery, selecting center Macklin Celebrini first overall in the draft.
Those youngsters also include first-rounders such as defenseman Sam Dickinson (2024 draft), forward Will Smith (2023), and forward William Eklund (2021). Michael Misa, their 2025 first-rounder (second overall), made his NHL debut on Oct. 14.
Grier also traded for promising goalie Yaroslav Askarov in August 2024. In addition, he brought in a solid supporting cast of veterans, including goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, defensemen Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy, and forwards Tyler Toffoli, Alex Wennberg, Jeff Skinner, and Barclay Goodrow.
After hitting rock bottom in 2023-24 with 47 points, the Sharks showed some promise in their 52-point performance the following year. As their young players develop and improve, the team should rise higher in the standings.
Nevertheless, the Sharks are off to a rough start this season, sitting at the foot of the standings with just two points in their first six games. They still have a way to go before they become reliable playoff contenders, which makes them the most likely to win the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Stats, standings, and historical info (as of Oct. 23, 2025) via NHL.com. Additional info via HockeyDB.
