Is the San Jose Sharks’ defense truly improved for the 2025-2026 season? JD Young tackles this burning question and more in a speculative deep dive into the team’s future.
Explore the potential impact of offseason acquisitions like Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg on the Sharks’ blue line. Will these veterans mesh with promising prospects Sam Dickinson and Shakir Mukhamadullin to form a formidable defensive corps?
What if the Sharks land the coveted first overall draft pick? JD examines two scenarios: earning it through a tough season or winning the draft lottery. Should they select phenom Gavin McKenna or trade the pick for immediate help? The implications for young stars Will Smith and William Eklund are dissected.
General Manager Mike Grier’s strategy of blending veterans with youth comes under the microscope. Is retaining players like Alex Nedeljkovic and Jeff Skinner the key to creating a competitive culture? JD analyzes the delicate balance between rebuilding and setting high standards for prospects like Quentin Musty.
Tune in for an in-depth look at the Sharks’ roster construction, salary cap considerations, and the path forward as they aim to exit their rebuild and return to contention.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro: Dumb questions about the Sharks
5:07 Is the Sharks’ defense better this year?
12:15 What if the Sharks get the first draft pick?
16:52 Scenarios for Sharks getting top pick
20:27 Should the Sharks keep some veteran players?
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10 Comments
Lol. I have a question. We are returning to S.J. just to see a sharks game in November. Been out of town for the last 16 years. I understand, a lot has changed. Is finding parking, really all that horrible? As a note. We attended a lot of Shark games, when we lived in Morgan Hill.
J.D., I disagree. The Sharks are not going to finish last. Not even a chance. The defense will surprise everyone. IMO, the weakest link, could be coaching.
i know this is just for shits and gigs, but why is everyone so caught up in this slow build? most of the guys on the team don't fit the timeline. When we look back 7 years from now who cares if we slowly improved this year and next year? The young guys can keep improving while the older guys get traded or don't work out while also still being a bottom team. The two aren't mutually exclusive. I'm not saying another 4 years of last place, but this year and maybe next year while the big crop of young guys get their first full season, why not? Then the year after that comes this big jump and there's a huge leap in the standings. There's no need to build slow with guys who don't fit the timeline just to keep the media from applying too much pressure. We need to rebuild patiently and correctly. The last thing we want is another 10-15 years of being really good but not being good enough to win a cup because back in 2025 people got impatient and really wanted to jump from 32nd to 29th.
Ideal situation for me the kids take a good step. The team plays well, but we still finish bottom five.
Bad case scenario for me is all the vets click and play great and we are similar to the 24/25 Calgary team removing us from the top 10 in 26 draft.
Worst case scenario, the young guys struggle and get injured and the team looks lost .
these are valid questions not dumb
McKenna would be awesome, but I'm really hoping the org ends up with one of Verhoeff, Lin, Rudolph, or Reid. Getting a stud RD would be the cherry on top of the prospect pool. Getting a huge LW in Roobroeck or Belchetz would be sweet as well. No matter what happens sharks should be getting some more studs in the draft
That's why they play the games to find out.
Lets see how Matthew Schaefer does on Long Island.
Its too far away to worry about the draft. Just play the season. Lets see how coaching does.
Yes you can look to keep the pending UFA's that show promise and play well with the team but if they show no interest in signing before the trade deadline you still trade them out. You don't want to lose them for nothing and keep building assets.