Sharks Optimism Premier 2023–24: Am I Sick in the Head?
I watched all of it, from start to finish. And every moment was glorious.
After being outscored 20–3 in the last 2 games, the Sharks shocked the world with a win over the Flyers Tuesday night. It wasn’t pretty at times- the final shot total was 39–19 Flyers- but my god they did it. For a period and a half, Philadelphia kept pushing for that equalizer, and it just wouldn’t come. As the game got gritty, the Sharks felt more and more comfortable. Aside from a few lapses, the high-danger chances were mostly minimized; the rest of the dirty work was locked up by Sharks goaltending, a statement not said in years.
This was a heart of champions type of win. A memorable outing that unifies team and fanbase. I can’t wait to see what this kickstarts in San Jose.
-WAIT. You’re telling me we’re still in last place???
Despite the growing cup aspirations, there are still some realities that must be faced: The San Jose Sharks are BAD. Like unbelievably bad. So tragic, it’s funny bad.
With the win to Philadelphia Tuesday night, they just barely avoided the very bottom of modern NHL history; in the end, the longest winless streak to begin a season will remain a 3-way tie with both the 2017–18 and 2021–22 Coyotes, who share it at 11 games. On the season, their goal differential is down 56–14. For football, that would be a bad sign; for hockey, it’s inconceivable.
If you’re looking to connect this win to a larger idea, don’t. The season is still looking bleak. This team went into the year lacking forward, defending, and goalie talent, and it only got worse with piling injuries- two top 6 forwards on the team, Alexander Barabonov and captain Logan Couture, remain out for a while. In the meantime, lines are hastily tossed together, with David Quinn perpetually rotating scratches and call-ups until something works. As a result, each unit has lacked a competitive cohesion, digging the Sharks into an even further hole. It’s still early, but some are even thinking the unthinkable: can this team challenge the 1974–75 Capitals, an expansion team that won 8 games, to become the worst NHL team ever?
Ok, you’re probably wondering where the optimism is by now. We get this amazing win, and this sh*thead ruins it by lumping all the negativity that I already knew back into my consciousness.
Here’s the thing: even before the win, I’ve been glued as a fan. As sickening as it sounds, I’ve watched more Sharks hockey this season than I have in the last three. Some part of it is morbid curiosity. Every game has been like watching a crash in slow motion; I can’t help but look. I needed to see how low they could go, and I wasn’t alone.
But, where it differs from the rest of the hockey community is this: some part of it is also…optimism?
Not we won a game optimism. Rooted optimism, about a franchise with an argument for being the dreariest in the big 4, if not professional sports. I don’t fully understand it either.
Not only can I finally begin to see light at the end of the tunnel, I’m proudly excited for the 70 games of Sharks hockey still ahead of us in what will become a wasted season. Through the cathartic ups, and quantiful downs, this is what I’m focused on:
The players
The roster isn’t perfect, or even “good” for that matter. We know that, and I’m sorry for hammering that home- it’s not like you’ve heard that from every hockey writer over the last 3 months. But, for the first time, you can start to squint and see the pieces that may come together for a competitive Sharks team.
It starts with William Eklund. The first lottery pick taken since Timo Meier in 2015 (and at the time the highest pick the Sharks had made since taking Milan Michalek 6th overall in 2003), a lot of pressure was placed on the winger to revive the franchise from the dead. Moreso, there was pressure to revive the hopes and dreams lost from not having the previous year’s FRP, which Ottawa used to draft superstar Tim Stützle 3rd overall.
The organization gave him time to marinate, playing the majority of 2021–22 in Sweden and last year in the AHL. He was given a few tastes at the NHL, getting 17 games in 2 years, and showed flashes of elite play. But so far, for what we’ve gotten as a regular this year, the wait has been worthwhile.
At just 21, Eklund is already showing elite passing ability, and putting his battle-tested strength on display. On a roster like this, he’s been thrown into the deep end, tasked with fulfilling undermanned top 6 minutes, and he’s answered the call. He’s shown skill, and a willingness to work in the trenches, doing much of his line’s heavy lifting as a forechecker, and working along the boards. Time will tell whether that shot (specifically the one on display in his goal last night) seen in the AHL will be sustainable with the big club, but if that comes to fruition, the Sharks may have found a dynamic offensive player to build around.
Based on pedigree, Eklund is the safest pick to become a franchise mainstay, and the returns have been promising. It’s not unreasonable to imagine him on the first line of the next Sharks team that hosts a playoff game. And until then, we get to see him up-close every night going forward.
Other projections may not be as clear cut. There’s Fabian Zetterlund, who going into Tuesday, stood as the team’s leading scorer. As a piece in the Timo Meier trade, he’s worked his way up the line chart since getting to San Jose, going from a 4th line spark plug, to most recently starting alongside Eklund and Tomáš Hertl on the first line. He’s undersized but feisty, brings eye-catching speed, and a surprisingly lethal shot. At 24, he’s still young, and blossoming evermore by the week. Could he develop into a player that becomes part of the Sharks’ long-term plan? These are the seasons to find that answer out.
Even a guy like Ty Emberson, a player claimed off waivers, has shown promise. Despite seemingly being paired with a new partner every night, Emberson has remained consistently competent on the defensive side, giving the organization no reason to send him back down.
Some of the acquired vets aren’t so bad either. Filip Zadina, a man who chose San Jose for a fresh start, showed why with a hot start, and while having a quieter couple of weeks since, has still settled nicely into a grinder role. Conversely, after a slow start, Anthony Duclair has picked it up in the points department, opening up the offense with his scoring touch, and reestablishing how valuable of a weapon he can be. Givani Smith has shown promise as a 4th line enforcer, and Kyle Burroughs has been steady on the blue line. Mackenzie Blackwood single-handedly won us a game with insane goalie play, and almost did it twice.
Not one of these guys were here this time a year ago. And sure, that team had a 40-goal scorer and the future Norris winner at the time, but the roster around them didn’t work either. At least here, there are several pieces worth examining from top-to-bottom, that provide a glimpse of a potential Sharks team in the future. Not all of them will work out, but that mystery is part of the intrigue.
And who could forget the prospects. The wave of youth hasn’t even truly hit yet- among others, the Sharks are still awaiting Will Smith, Quentin Musty, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Filip Bystedt, Luca Cagnoni, Danil Gushchin, Ozzy Weisblatt, Kasper Halttunen and more to make their debuts, and that’s where it gets really exciting. The guys listed have impressed thus far all around the different levels of hockey, but many others still have plenty of chances to earn their spot, too. Maybe Thomas Bordeleau and Henry Thrun will see another chance in the near future; neither of them looked fully phased at the NHL level.
And lastly, it goes without saying, but it’s always nice to have a current mainstay like Tomáš Hertl on the team. He’s not a perfect player by any means, but what he provides in talent and leadership is a valuable asset to any team, particularly one still trying to grow, and figure things out.
The direction
Notice how I have yet to use that dreaded word to describe a franchise undergoing a long-term transformation. It’s a word the Sharks themselves were afraid to use, and undergo for years.
Well, I’ll say it now: rebuild.
I’m so relieved the Sharks have accepted a rebuild. I’m glad they’re doing it from the very bottom, instead of rushing into one. It’s not an easy decision to make; so many moving parts are involved, from contracts (which became even more glued to the ground in the post-COVID flat-cap era), to the business side itself. Rebuilding involves the inherent sacrifice of a fanbase’s interest, and therefore revenue. But, as it started waning anyways, being further removed from that last playoff appearance in 2019, it had to be made.
This was a team hamstrung by the end of Doug Wilson’s tenure. The same way you’d expect a gambler’s night in Vegas to end, the same happened to DW, with the team being his line of credit and paying the ultimate price. He kept going all-in, chasing that illustrious cup run, and this came as a result.
Trading away the pick that would become Tim Stützle was just the tip of the iceberg. There was the lackluster drafting with the picks he had, and worse yet were the extensions.
Some of those contracts are still affecting the team today- Marc Édourard Vlasic, enough said- but for the most part, this is the first year of a relatively blank slate for GM Mike Grier. After the Karlsson trade filler goes off the books after this year, that canvas becomes even more flexible.
At this moment in time, the rebuild is in its earliest stages, and Grier can go many ways in shaping this roster. He has at least 6 picks round-2-or-above to work with in the next 2 years, and most likely a top 3 pick at the end of this season. He’s shown a willingness to get as creative or conventional if needed; in his first draft, he traded down from the 11th pick, netting 3 picks in the top 45, and turning it into a package that was widely considered improved value, led by the aforementioned Filip Bysedt. In his most recent draft, left with the 4th pick, Grier made the obvious call; he took Will Smith, a potential franchise center, and the best player available. His later round picks have impressed experts thus far, and if any of them turn out to be productive players (even on a bottom line), it would go a long way towards having a sustainable, competitive roster.
We’ve also seen varying scales of this in the trade market, too. Grier has had to deal with pressure-packed, blockbuster trades (the Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson sagas were highly-publicized negotiations that dragged on for weeks), but he’s also worked on the margins too. The Sharks bought low on Blackwood (giving up a 6th round pick), Duclair (a swap for Steven Lorentz and a 5th), and as recently as Wednesday, Calen Addison (a 2026 5th). These moves were aggressive, using cap and roster leverage to pick up high-upside talent for low-risk scraps. After the cap becomes even less committed in a year’s time, we may see even more of Grier weaponizing flexibility, and that’s an exciting thought.
The trades are far from over this season. As clear sellers in a market full of buyers, the Sharks will have an opportunity ahead to flip some of these guys for even bigger assets. As we get closer to the deadline, the names Grier puts on the table will become clearer, but for now that looming storm remains something to look forward to.
Rebuilds are complex. In the NHL, some teams like to strip everything down and prioritize development, while others may build a foundation on big trades and signings (I’ll give you a hint: a certain defending champion just did that). When one doesn’t work, teams may mix-and-match the two together. But, the Sharks are in a position where they can do anything (maybe just not trading this year’s FRP). This is where the plan starts, so sit back, and enjoy the show.
The consequences
At the end of the day, none of it matters, so relax. There are zero expectations on the Sharks to do anything this season, so don’t focus on the results. Watch the standouts, follow the prospects, and root for exciting trades.
Many fanbases often complain about the pain of having stressful hockey to follow on a nightly basis- well, this year Sharks fans won’t be dealing with that. If you realize this isn’t as fun as imagined, remember that in a few years.
The tank won’t even be as serious as last year, when a generational talent was on the draft board, and we were competing with 8 other teams at the bottom of the standings. Whether we end up at pick 1, or pick 3, we’ll take home a significant talent, and this is coming from someone who is begging the NHL to let Macklin Celebrini complete his Jr. Sharks prophecy.
Enjoy the fact that the wins feel massive- that Flyers win was probably the most fun win since the last playoff push. Enjoy that other fanbases are petrified of losing to the Sharks- a slip up against this team has enough power to kickstart a franchise crisis.
Lastly, don’t take it seriously; embrace the comedy of what we’re watching. Many fans love looking back at their worst lineups to see how far they’ve come. Carry the fact you’ve watched this team as a stamp of pride, because one day, in a future with a Stanley Cup draped in teal, it’ll feel all the more special. Keep that lineup of 2023–24 Sharks in your back pocket- it could win you some trivia money.