San Jose Sharks 2025 26 Season Preview

San Jose Sharks 2025 26 Season Preview

All right, welcome back everybody. Today we’re going to talk about a team that is probably not going to make the playoffs. So far, we’ve done I think four of these videos and three of the teams we talked about are teams that I think will likely be in the mix in the playoffs. And unfortunately, as much as I would like to see the San Jose Sharks do well this season and sneak into like a wild card spot, it’s pretty unlikely, right? I think it’s pretty safe to say that it’s probably not going to happen. But anything is possible. Of course, when it comes to the Sharks, I think that they’re definitely building a team that in due time is going to be very competitive and they’re I really like the way that they’re kind of designing their roster as opposed to let’s say like Chicago. You know, Chicago’s in another not so good spot. They’ve had a a few rough years now and there’s some hope, but there’s a real there’s also a lot of reasons to look at Chicago and be like, “Oh my god, this this doesn’t look like it’s going to get much better.” But when it comes to San Jose, I feel like they’re in a better position. And obviously when you talk about the Sharks, you kind of have to focus on the younger players there. You obviously have Celibbrini Smith um on and in in net you got Ascarov which I think is going to be very interesting but really those two players are are going to be huge for their for their future and it’s it’s going to run through through through those two guys and around around them they’re building right now. I what I like that they’re doing is they’re putting in some pretty good vets to kind of help them along the way. Sorry, I didn’t mention Will Will Will Eklan, but Ekkan’s another great young player that they have there. Tofo had a great season last year. I I think he can probably replicate it. I think he likes it in in San Jose and I don’t see any reason why he won’t be able to have another successful year there. I think Wenberg is good on that uh on that second line with Smith. Got Adam Godet there. Then third line, you’re looking at Gdro Skinner now. Jeff Skinner coming in from Edmonton and Kurishv. Th this line like I don’t mind. I don’t mind that San Jose is bringing in some vets because you need these types of guys to kind of show the other players the ropes a little bit and get them accustomed to the league and that type of thing. These aren’t guys that are going to help you win a Stanley Cup. They’re probably not going to get you in the playoffs, but it’s important to have these types of players around a young core to help kind of guide them along. And that’s where Chicago’s been kind of lacking in that sense. and their vets haven’t been good enough. They haven’t really been showing they haven’t been showing the rope for some of the younger guys there. And that’s why I think you’ve seen some of the problems that you have in Chicago. But San Jose looks like and I love the Ryan Reeves ad. I think the Ryan Reeves ad is fantastic. You got Deandria and O I want to say it’s Ospuk. Sorry if I butchered that one. I don’t know I don’t know much about him. Um but when it come I mean this is all according to Puckedia. I I think this roster will be competitive. They’re not going to wow anybody, but this is a good group that they have that I think will start to kind of show improvement over time. They have a great farm system from what I’ve seen a lot of young players on their AHL Barracuda team that should be stepping in soon. And this is a team that, you know, I think give it maybe two, three years are really gonna you’re going to see a big jump. But it starts with seasons like this, right? You need to have a couple of seasons where maybe you’re humbled in a sense and you’re not as you’re not where you want to be necessarily, but you know, you’re learning along the way. And this should be another season where San Jose, you know, is is learning more than anything. Um, I honestly this I’m a Ranger fan, but I I really do think that I I’m starting to like San Jose more, even though they’re not good right now. I’ve always kind of liked San Jose, especially when Thoron and Marlo and Burns are there. I I I love that even before that with younger Couture, but I mean Couture at any Couture was awesome. Logan Couture was awesome to watch. It sucks to see that he he got he got injured and I don’t think I don’t think he’s going to be able to play anymore. I’m not I’m not sure though what his situation is. Um but uh who else do they have there? Rebecca San Jose is always like they they just they were fun to watch and I feel like they’re kind of building a a a team now that’s kind of start it’ll resemble that like and and they’re I don’t know. I’ve always enjoyed them and I think I’m I’m going to be I’m going to be rooting for San Jose this year even though I know they’re not going to they’re not going to be anywhere near near the playoffs. At least they shouldn’t be. I mean, it’d be crazy to see them uh defy expectations, but my prediction is this team will probably be in basically the same position that they were last year. Hopefully, you see some improvement. I I think I mean may in an ideal world where Anaheim was last year, I think Anaheim finished with something like 80 points and they were kind of, you know, they they were in the mix for a little while and then it kind of tapered off at towards the end of the season. But I think San Jose would absolutely take being in Anaheim’s position from last year. It’ll take that this year if they can get to that point. But that that’s not going to be easy. It’s easier said than done. Um, but I do think this team is is building something good. On defense, you have Ferraro, Lillibbrin, Clingberg, Orlov, this is a tough one for for me here. I’m sorry if I butcher this. Mha Mulan. I I want to say that’s how you pronounce his name. Young defenseman, 23. I don’t know much about him either. Yeah, I don’t know him or or Aspacchuk. Two tough names there for me. Um I I think I’ve heard of uh Muka Madulan. God, that man, that’s a tough that’s a tough name to pronounce. Um but I think I’ve heard a little bit about him. I think I I want to say that San Jose is pretty um pretty high on him. I mean 20 23 should I have to look him up. I I I I feel like I’ve heard his name and and that there’s some excitement there. I’m not I’m not 100% though. I don’t When I do these videos, I try to be as informed and knowledgeable as possible, but there’s some guys that I just I used to know like everybody in the league. I used to like I was like a big nerd. I still am a big nerd if you can’t tell when it comes to hockey. But um there’s some guys that I just I don’t like I don’t know enough about. Um, but when it comes to the rest of their I mean the rest of their defense core is actually pretty well traveled. I didn’t even realize this. That’s I know they added Orlav, but you got you have Clingberg in there now. I didn’t even know when did they bring in Clingberg. Did that just happen? That’s crazy. What a That’s really interesting that they did that. You got Lety Lilligrin, Clingberg, Orla Ferraro. This is not an elite defense at all, but that’s an NHL level defense. I mean, I I don’t see why. I mean, that that that should help them. That should help that that should help them keep the games competitive. And then in net, you got Ascarov and Nadelovic. And this obviously there’s a whole bunch of hope for Ascarov in terms of what he could do. Excuse me. I need some water. there’s a whole bunch of hope that, you know, he’ll be able to um he’ll be able to be like a real goalie of the future for them and I I definitely think he will be and maybe he’s got that kind of Nebakov uh vibe to him, you know. Um and Nadulkovich should be fine honestly on defense and in net. I mean, they’re they they should be okay. It’s really off. I mean, and offensively, I mean, you want to see big question with Cell Breeny, is he going to have a sophomore slump or is he going to continue to produce at the level that he did last year or even elevate? It’s such a It’s so hard at that. I mean, he’s 19. He’s 19. So, to expect him to be able to do it again, I mean, maybe maybe he can. I don’t know. But, you know, it’s it’s tough. It’s tough in a lot. Usually, I think the reason that you see the sophomore slump is because that that wear and tear, that grind really starts to build up when you that first year a lot of these guys have so much excitement. They never played in the NHL before and they’re like, “Oh my god.” And and now you get into year two, it’s like it’s getting a little bit, you know, it’s still you still have that excitement like, “Yeah, I can’t believe I’m in the NHL.” But it it’s it’s I think the grind starts to set in a little bit more. And that’s why you see it get a little bit tougher for some guys sometimes in year two. maybe you’re not you don’t have the same energy that you did and and I don’t know what whatever reason for it but we’ll see with him. I hope I hope he has another good year. I think he can have another good year and he’s obviously a huge part of their their future and their now and um Ekkan I don’t know how many points Ekkan had last year but I want to say that he kind of had a bit of a la he didn’t do too bad last year. He had 17 goals, 41 assists, 58 points in 77 games. And I think Cellbrini was in the 60s, I believe, believe. Yeah, Celebriny had 63 points in 70 games. So, you want to see both of them healthy. And uh I mean, Ekkan, you’d like to see Ekkan, he’s he’s a little bit older. Ekkan’s 22, so you’d like to see Ekkan hopefully take another step and maybe get to 65 70 points. Um Tavoi was was great. I know Tofoley had a really good year. at least. Yeah. 30 goals, 54 points, 78 games. Yeah, you’d want to I mean, I don’t know how much you can expect from Tofoley at at 33 at this point. You know, you never really know what you’re going to get with players in their 30s. Um, if you can get another 2530 goals out of Tofoley. I mean, I think they they take that and and they run with it. And beyond that, Smith, you definitely want to see Will Smith take a step. He had 45 points in 74 games. Hopefully, you know, you see you see you want to see like little like incremental improvements. So, with with Smith, you’d like to see maybe 50 55 points and and and hopefully he plays like 80 games, something like that. But, um I mean they they really they got a lot of they got a lot of potential here. I don’t know the bottom six. I again that that third line you got Skinner good Kurv obviously you got some players in the on uh in the press box as well some young guys that come up from the miners or some other vets too but that third line I again part of me it it it’s all right because you you need vets to fill out an NHL roster to be competitive but I don’t know if uh if Skinner if I don’t know if Skinner is going to be exactly I mean and once sense. It’s good that you bring in Jeff Skinner because he was there for at least I think just one run, right? One of Emmonson’s runs this past season. I don’t think he was there the year before. Um, but he wasn’t a huge part of it, but he was in a locker room. So, there’s some good, you know, lessons that you learn from that that obviously could benefit could benefit uh San Jose and and and their young players and and all that. and and teaching them, showing them the ropes. And um yeah, I mean, this is uh it’s a young team. It’s it’s not a playoff team. It shouldn’t be a playoff team. If this team gets in a play, I mean, that would be crazy, but it’s not a playoff team. And it should be fun to watch. I mean, really, I think you’re watching this team this year. if you’re a fan of San Jose or you’re just interested in San Jose. Really, it this this is a year about growth and development and hoping to see um hoping to see some of these younger guys take a step and start producing a little bit more and getting more accustomed to the NHL and getting ready to really take this team to where they want it, where management wants it to be and where fans want it to be. So, that’s what I’d be looking out for this year for San Jose. I I again then that shouldn’t really be close to the playoff, but if they can get if they can get somewhere like like Anaheim was last year, I I mean that’s a win. You know, you get 80 points like that that for for this team that would be really a really big deal. So, um look out for that. I think that’s possible. I think that this roster can do that. I don’t see why not. It’s not going to be easy, but that defense to me is strong enough that it can kind of keep it can keep things together. I see some players here are injured. I don’t know how long these players are injured. Um, it doesn’t look like it’s too Yeah, it doesn’t look like anything too crazy, so they should be fine by by season start. If that defense is in order, I don’t see any reason why uh they shouldn’t be competitive. they shouldn’t be close in games and and giving teams a bit of trouble, you know, like that. If you start seeing that that from San Jose, that that’s a good, you know, that teams are getting pushed a little bit by them and when you wouldn’t expect it, that that’s a good sign and that that to me showing that they’re they’re progressing and all that good stuff. But that’s my prediction for San Jose for the 25 26 NHL season. Love to know what you guys think. Thank you for watching and I’ll see you again soon.

Today I wanted to talk about how I think the San Jose Sharks will perform in the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season.

Will this year be a step forward?

Let me know what you guys think about the Sharks and thank you for watching!

#nhl #hockey