SAN JOSE – After three straight years of being at or near the bottom of the NHL standings, the San Jose Sharks recognize the need to make improvements for next season. The only question is how.
Perhaps one of their Southern California rivals could serve as an example.
The Anaheim Ducks finished in 32nd and last place in 2022-23 and 30th last season in their first year under coach Greg Cronin. But with the influx and maturation of some bigger, younger players, the addition of a few veterans, and a tighter defense overall, the Ducks, after Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Sharks at Honda Center, have a 33-33-8 record and are on pace to finish with just over 80 points.
That’s not enough to get the Ducks into the playoffs, but it would represent a dramatic improvement from last year’s 59 points.
The Sharks have that kind of uptick in mind for next season. Currently, it appears San Jose will finish this year with between 54 and 58 points and be in 31st or 32nd place.
Asked in January about where he sees the Sharks standings-wise next season, general manager Mike Grier said, “If as a management staff, if we can add some pieces to it, then hopefully, this time next year, we’re talking more about being — maybe we’re not sellers, not necessarily that we’ll be buyers – but maybe there’s more talk about us kind of hanging around the race, and seeing what happens down the stretch.”
Now it’s a matter of how the Sharks get there.
Anaheim will be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention in short order. Nevertheless, the Ducks are scoring a bit more than last year, giving up less, and appear to have buy-in from their roster.
“Guys have taken some really big steps this year,” said Ducks winger Mason McTavish, who scored the only shootout’s goal. “It’s fun to watch, it’s fun to be a part of, and hopefully we keep it going.”
Just like the Sharks, the Ducks have several key pieces that are 24-and-under, which is understandable since Anaheim has drafted inside the top 10 for six straight years.
That group includes forwards McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Trevor Zegras, as well as defensemen Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov.
In the last two years, the Ducks have also benefited from adding veterans like forward Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano and defensemen Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas to steady the team.
The goaltending has also improved, with Lukas Dostal and John Gibson, before Tuesday, combining for a .908 save percentage this season. Last season, those two combined for a .894 mark. Before Tuesday, the Ducks allowed 3.12 goals per game, much better than the 3.57 they gave up last season.
Against the Sharks on Tuesday, the Ducks got goals from Zegras, LaCombe, and Sam Colangelo and Dostal did the rest with 28 saves as they handed San Jose its third straight loss.
“The goal we set as a team is to have a winning record this season,” Zegras said Tuesday. “Just kind of compared to where we were the last couple seasons, I think that’s a pretty good goal and something we’re all pretty excited about trying to achieve.”
Cronin feels San Jose might be a step ahead of where the Ducks were last season with rookie forwards Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith as building blocks. The two have combined for 90 points this season.
“I see the points that Smith and Celebrini get. We didn’t have anybody close to that last year,” Cronin said. “Carlsson was in that load management plan. He wasn’t playing all the games. I know Celebrini was hurt earlier this year, but when I watch them play, the amount of skill they have, their speed and their quickness up front is really attractive.”
The Sharks have made modest strides in goals allowed per game, going from 3.98 last season to 3.75 this year. Still, they were last in the NHL in that category in 2023-24 and are again bringing up the rear this season.
“You win in this league by playing good defense and goaltending,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said after a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on March 21. “We’ve got to continue to push forward with that, and every time we have a chance to get better, we’ve got to get better and win that day.”
“(The Sharks’ front office) has got some really nice pieces there. That’s going to reflect a bright future for the Sharks,” Cronin said. “What they do with that in terms of adding, I can’t speak to it, but I know I’m looking at their team, and I see (Smith and Celebrini) in particular, they’re going to be stars in the league.
“If you get two of those two stars that age in your organization, you’ve kind of hit the lottery. I’m really curious how that all plays out over the next several years, but they’ve done a great job as an organization, creating that blueprint offensively.”
