The San Jose Sharks season has been one of the craziest NHL seasons in a long time.

The San Jose Sharks season has been one of the craziest NHL seasons in a long time.

They have had two long-losing streaks, but at the same time, they have gone on some strong stretches of play where they beat quality opponents. Here are the three main takeaways from this season so far. 

1. Injuries Galore

You can't talk about the Sharks' season without going over the insane number of injuries they have had to deal with. 

The Sharks lead the NHL in man games lost due to injury at the all-star break. San Jose has only been able to dress three of their top four centers for most of the season, and even then, it usually is just two because someone else is hurt. 

"I don't think anyone saw the amount of injuries we're going to suffer in particular and the strength of our team which our centermen," head coach David Quinn said. "It's just been crazy. Every injury we get is a centerman. As we touched on, I think we've never had all four in our lineup."

San Jose hopes to get back crucial players after the break, like Mario Ferraro, Ty Emberson, Tomas Hertl, Mikael Granlund, and Henry Thrun.

2. Goaltending Has Been Spectacular 

The one thing the Sharks haven't had to worry about all season is their goaltending. Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen have given the team a chance to win every night. 

"Our goaltending has been great. It's given us that chance, but any team that has success has great goaltending," Quinn said.

Blackwood got his first shutout of the season on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken.

Without the goaltending the Sharks have gotten, they likely wouldn't have over ten wins this season. 

3. Erik Karlsson & Timo Meier Trade Returns Look Pretty Good

One of the standout things for the Sharks this season is that the returns GM Mike Grier got for Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson have been very successful.

Fabian Zetterlund is second on the team in goals with 14. After not scoring a goal for San Jose last season, Zetterlund has become a focal point in the top six. He has played on the penalty kill and is on the top powerplay unit. Granlund and Quinn have sung the praises of his game.

Shakir Mukhamadullin just played his first three NHL games and did not look out of place. While he likely isn't quite ready for the NHL, he certainly isn't far off. He got his first career point with an assist against the Anaheim Ducks last night. 

Mikael Granlund has revitalized his career with the San Jose Sharks. After being the scapegoat for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, Granlund has come west and done nothing but put up points. Granlund has five goals and 24 assists in 38 games. With Logan Couture back in the fold, his offensive output should be even better as he faces fewer top matchups.

Jan Rutta has been an underrated acquisition for San Jose. He's been the defense partner for Nikita Okhotiuk, Henry Thrun, and Shakir Mukhamadullin. He has been a terrific role model for the young defense core. 

Extra: The Trade Deadline

With the NHL trade deadline around the corner, expect the Sharks to make a lot of moves. Similar to last season, San Jose will likely have a downturn in play due to changes made and critical players leaving. Players like Alexander Barabanov, Kaapo Kahkonen, Anthony Duclair, and more have all had trade rumors swirl.

The Sharks return to the ice on Valentine's Day.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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