While the heartbeat of the Sharks’ future is the young stars in their pipeline, San Jose’s under-the-radar veteran additions in the offseason could prove to be the real difference maker as the franchise seeks to take the next step in an ambitious rebuild.

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky detailed the importance of adding an influx of experience to a raw-but-talented roster during an interview with NBC Sports California’s Alan Hoshida.

“Obviously, we’re going to have 10 new players potentially on our team, so there’s going to be a lot of work getting everyone on the same page and how we want to play,” Warsofsky said. “We’ve added some experience. Our back end we can move pucks, we can get out of our own end probably a little cleaner hopefully this year.”

Warsofsky noted the value of the playoff experience now populating on San Jose’s roster and how that guidance will play a crucial role in the continued development of the franchise.

“We’ve surrounded these younger players with some experienced guys. Ryan Reaves, [Adam] Gaudette, Nick Leddy has played a lot in this league. [John] Klingberg, guys that have played in Stanley Cup Finals, guys that have gone on long runs and know what it takes to win in this league,” Warsofsky said. “If you look back at our season last year, we made some strides, were in a lot of games — I think we lost 13 games with the lead going into the third period.

“Hopefully, adding this experienced group that we added can help us get over the hump. Those guys can be a voice as well. I think that’s what we looked at this summer of where we can add some pieces and help this team grow and take the next step and I think we’ve brought in some really good players to help do that.”

Macklin Celebrini immediately established himself as a superstar during his rookie season after San Jose selected the 19-year-old center No. 1 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, but it’s unrealistic to expect him to carry the weight of an entire franchise as a 19-year-old.

By adding the veteran pieces Warsofsky lauded, the hope is that San Jose can find a way to turn the tide on those close losses from last season, and build toward an eventual return to the NHL playoffs after a six-year hiatus.

A playoff berth during the 2025-26 NHL season would be incredible progress, but a chance for San Jose’s young talent to gain invaluable knowledge from the Sharks’ seasoned additions might prove to be a very valuable outcome in the bigger picture.

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