A lot needs to go well for the San Jose Sharks to make the playoffs this season.
The San Jose Sharks have the odds stacked against them when it comes to making the playoffs this season.
The first step to returning to the postseason is to get stable goaltending. James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen held down the crease last season and were not good.
The Sharks had a .881 save % in 2022-23 as a team. The league average for save % was .899. With a slight round-up, that means the Sharks saved two % less than the league average.
MacKenzie Blackwood must find the elite form that got him to the NHL. Kahkonen needs to play like he did when San Jose first acquired him.
As a squad, they averaged 3.84 goals against per game while averaging an entire goal for less at 2.84 per game.
Losing Timo Meier hurt the San Jose Sharks ability to score goals. The additions of Anthony Duclair and Mike Hoffman should help provide some veteran goal-scoring.
As for the young talent entering the NHL lineup? The best thing they can do to help the San Jose Sharks return to the playoffs is to provide an offensive jolt while working hard in the defensive zone.
Take a player like Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers, for example. He is not known for his defensive abilities. However, he usually wins if he is in a puck battle along the boards. He likes to have the puck on his stick to create plays in the offensive zone. So, if he wants the puck, he takes it back.
A player like William Eklund needs to continue his prowess on the forecheck. He is a terrific skater, and his smaller size allows him to get into the corners more easily.
Another thing that needs to go right for the San Jose Sharks to make the playoffs is for Filip Zadina to get his game back to what got him drafted sixth overall in 2018. The Detroit Red Wings were searching for a goalscorer, and Zadina was thought to be the answer.
While playing for the Halifax Mooseheads in 17-18 in the QMJHL, Zadina put up 44 goals in 57 games. Now, Zadina doesn't need 50 goals for Team Teal to make the playoffs, but if he can push 30, that would be terrific.
The hardest part about this upcoming season for San Jose is who will 'replace' Erik Karlsson's 101 points from the blue line.
Henry Thrun is an exciting prospect who showed signs of offensive ability in his cameo last year. Mario Ferraro has been thought to have a breakout season finally. Both players should get an opportunity to run the first powerplay unit.
San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn made it enjoyable for his players to come to the rink daily despite having a brutal record last season. Imagine what the locker room attitude would be if they were consistently winning.
The skaters that GM Mike Grier brought in should provide some better skating ability throughout the lineup. Competitiveness and speed were two apparent needs for the Sharks this offseason.
Grier has often said that the veterans will push the young guys to be better, and the young guys will push the veterans to be better.
"We do have guys on one-way contracts. But these guys are gonna have to earn their spots, and for the young players, I expect them to come in hungry and ready, and if they perform and outplay veteran guys, then they'll get the opportunity, and we'll figure the rest out for sure," Grier said after the Karlsson trade.
The San Jose Sharks are not a good enough team where they can still win if one aspect of their game goes wrong. The Sharks need every ounce of luck and perfection to bounce their direction to make the playoffs.
