Can the San Jose Sharks Push for a Playoff Spot in the 2024-25 Season?
Last season was disastrous for the San Jose Sharks. With no real scoring threat, no defensive acumen, and rampant injuries throughout the organization, the Sharks' season was not good. But, this offseason has seen general manager Mike Grier address many of the holes in the lineup. Tyler Toffoli, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Jake Walman, and Alex Wennberg outline the team additions in teal, giving the Sharks a new look roster heading into the 2024-25 campaign. Could the San Jose Sharks become a playoff team this season?
Well, there's an interesting conversation around this. When you think of those teams pushing for those playoff spots, they tend to have flaws but have standout players. You think of the Minnesota Wild, who missed the playoffs last year but pushed hard, and you think of electric winger Kirill Kaprizov. With the St Louis Blues, who were the best team to miss last season's extra games, you think of Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas.
However, even the teams that make the playoffs have flaws. If we turn to the east, a great example is the New York Islanders. They made the playoffs without any scoring threat but were swiftly dispatched in the first round by a team with Stanley Cup ambitions. Playoff teams and genuine contenders are different, as are playoff teams and teams fighting for a playoff spot. If you want a team with an electric offense but shaky defense and goaltending to make the postseason, it's the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Do the San Jose Sharks fit this mold after the postseason they've had? It's a question that has been swirling in my mind for a few days. No expectations will be placed upon this roster, but is it feasible for this organization to push for a berth in the postseason, given the facelift it has had this summer?
The Forwards
If we go based on the forward core alone, I struggle to see why not. There's little denying that the offense is the best part of this roster on paper. With Tyler Toffoli, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Ty Dellandrea, Carl Grundstrom, and Alex Wennberg joining Fabian Zetterlund, William Eklund, Mikael Granlund, and the ever-lingering question of Logan Couture, the forwards look strong.
This mix of experience and youth is a perfect recipe for success. With veteran leadership from a former Stanley Cup Champion in Tyler Toffoli, these kids will pick up habits that the best players to have graced the league over the last decade have used to pursue the holy grail of the hockey world.
These aging veterans will be supported by some of the best young talents the hockey world offers. A potential franchise-altering center in Macklin Celebrini will be joining the squad. William Eklund had a solid season last year and will be looking to take that next big step this year with a lot more help around him. We don't know how Will Smith will handle the new season. There's a lot of promising youth around the organization right now.
With players like Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Barclay Goodrow, and even Thomas Bordeleau in the bottom six, the Sharks have explosive depth and talent around the lineup, with multiple potential stars in the making. The forward core is excellent enough to make the Sharks a competitive roster for the upcoming season.
Defense
The backend is a little shaky. There's much to like with Calen Addison, Ty Emberson, Jan Rutta, Jake Walman, Henry Thrun, and Mario Ferraro. Ferraro, Walman, and Emberson are dynamic defensemen who will all play well based on what they have done in the past. The issue lies in finding the right supporting cast for those three. Addison will likely quarterback the powerplay, but that doesn't mean he should partner with one of the top four.
Jan Rutta is a great defenseman who has achieved a lot in his career, but he wasn't good last year and is starting to show signs of decline after he arrived from the Pittsburgh Penguins. If he can go back to being the defenseman he was as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, he could be serviceable, but he's also on the older side, and players decline at his age. He could be a third-pairing guy, but the risk of putting him in the top four is considerable.
So, that leaves Henry Thrun, who had a fantastic season last year. Can he replicate it? Even if he can, you can make the same argument about Emberson, who I said will probably be fine in a top-four role. The defense needs reinforcements, or it needs help from the forward core. Both will work, but there's a slight worry regarding the setup with this back end. Perhaps it will be good enough, but that is far from certain.
There is help on the way. Shakir Mukhamadullin looked good in the games he played at the end of the season. Sam Dickinson has signed his entry-level contract, and we will see what happens with him, but the reinforcements will not arrive quickly enough for the Sharks to have an impact this season. The future is bright in the Bay Area, but there is no immediate fix for the current issues on the blue line.
Goaltending
Last season, Kaapo Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood were the best-performing members of the San Jose Sharks. The two were by far the shining lights of a dark season. Kahkonen played well enough to earn himself a trade to the New Jersey Devils in a swap deal for Vitek Vanacek, who spent the rest of the season on the injured reserve after being placed on it by the Devils.
So, with Blackwood and Vanacek now the two netminders, are they strong enough for the San Jose Sharks to compete for the postseason? We have a straight answer with Vanacek. He was the starting goaltender for the upstart New Jersey Devils when they made it to the second round in 2022-23 and has shown that he can backstop a competitive roster.
Blackwood's injury history suggests that he cannot be relied upon as a starter, but he showed last year that he can be a great goaltender when he's healthy. He was among the few bright spots in a dim season for most of the campaign. While the Sharks would love to get him into a position to be a consistent figure, the likelihood is that it won't happen. He's a good goaltender when he's healthy but struggles with his health.
So, overall, is the team good enough? You could argue they are. This is the scary thing. This roster has weaknesses; any roster has weaknesses. The question becomes simple- can the Sharks outscore their defensive issues? Probably not, and it'll likely mean another year hunting for a high draft pick, but the future is getting very bright in the Bay Area.