The San Jose Sharks will open the 2026-27 season on Sept. 29 carrying a much different expectation than they have during most of their seven-year playoff drought: their young core has arrived, and the next test is whether it can become a complete NHL team.
Macklin Celebrini is the clear center of that plan after a 115-point season in which he produced 45 goals and 70 assists. No other Shark reached 60 points; Will Smith finished with 59 and Alexander Wennberg had 55. Celebrini’s goal total alone stood well ahead of Smith’s 24 and Collin Graf’s 21.
The 20-year-old has since committed to San Jose on a five-year, $94 million contract that begins this season, carrying an $18.8 million average annual value. The Sharks need more help around him if they are to turn last season’s 39-35-8 record and fifth-place Pacific Division finish into their first playoff berth since 2018-19.
Scoring depth and crease stability set the agenda
Ryan Warsofsky enters his third season behind the Sharks bench with a roster that has more high-end youth but remains short on proven balance. Celebrini’s production exceeded the combined totals of the club’s next two leading scorers, underscoring how much San Jose needs from Smith, Graf, Michael Misa, Igor Chernyshov and the rest of its forward group.
The defensive numbers were equally pressing. San Jose finished 30th in goals allowed per game at 3.54, ranked 30th in team goals-against average at 3.49 and was 25th in save percentage at .881. It was also one of four NHL clubs not to record a shutout, along with the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and Winnipeg Jets.
Yaroslav Askarov, 24, is positioned to determine how quickly the Sharks can improve. He went 21-20-4 with a 3.63 goals-against average and .884 save percentage last season, his busiest NHL campaign with 47 appearances and 1,341 shots faced.
His year split sharply in two. Askarov was 12-9-1 with a .902 save percentage through Dec. 20, then went 9-11-3 while posting an .865 mark across his final 25 games. He still ranked third among rookie goaltenders with 19 quality starts, defined as starts ending above a .900 save percentage. Only Jakub Dobes, with 25, and Jesper Wallstedt, with 23, had more.
Alex Nedeljkovic, 30, gives San Jose an experienced alternative after going 18-14-4 with a 2.87 GAA and .896 save percentage. The Sharks also brought in Eric Comrie on a two-year deal July 1. Comrie, 31, was 12-11-1 in 25 games for Winnipeg, posting a 3.13 GAA and .890 save percentage, and should push for backup work.
Ilya Samsonov adds another option after signing a one-year, two-way contract Sept. 8. The goaltender appeared in 14 games for HK Sochi in the Kontinental Hockey League last season.
Veteran blue line arrives around a young core
San Jose addressed its defensive needs with two significant additions on July 1. Jacob Trouba, 32, joined on a four-year, $33 million agreement, worth $8.25 million annually, while Darnell Nurse, 31, arrived in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers.
Their task is straightforward: tighten a group that gave up too much on a nightly basis while helping a young roster learn how to play through tougher portions of the schedule. Dmitry Orlov and newcomer Michael Kesselring round out a projected defense corps that could also include a smaller but skilled puck mover in Luca Cagnoni.
Cagnoni, 21, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, but the 2023 fourth-round selection has a chance to win a regular job on the left side of the third pair. He recorded 43 points with 35 assists in the American Hockey League last season; those assist and point totals ranked second and fifth, respectively, among Sharks AHL skaters. In nine NHL games, he has two assists, including one on the power play.
San Jose’s power play clicked at 21.2 percent last season, good for 16th in the League. Cagnoni could offer another option there if his transition game carries over.
Stenberg and Chernyshov add to the forward pipeline
The Sharks’ long-term picture gained another centerpiece when they selected Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Stenberg signed a three-year entry-level contract July 2 after representing Sweden at both the 2026 World Junior Championship and IIHF World Championship.
He had 11 goals and 22 assists in 43 games for Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League. His 33 points were the fifth-highest total ever recorded by an 18-year-old in the SHL. San Jose could give him an early look at left wing beside Celebrini, a potential fit that would place him alongside the club’s emerging core of Celebrini, Smith, Misa and defenseman Sam Dickinson.
Chernyshov has already shown he can contribute at the NHL level. The 2024 second-round pick, taken No. 33 overall, made his debut Dec. 16 and put up nine goals and 10 assists in 28 games with San Jose. He added 13 goals and 20 assists in 41 AHL contests.
The forward sustained a concussion 28 seconds into his opening shift after colliding with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson on March 14. The incident came during San Jose’s 4-2 road victory in Montreal. Chernyshov returned 10 days later and finished with six goals and two assists as the Sharks closed the season 6-4-2.
His scoring history points to considerable upside. Chernyshov registered 55 points, including 19 goals, in only 23 games for Saginaw in the Ontario Hockey League during 2024-25.
Projected Sharks lineup
| Position | Projected unit |
|---|---|
| First line | Collin Graf — Macklin Celebrini — Will Smith |
| Second line | Igor Chernyshov — Michael Misa — Mason Marchment |
| Third line | Ivar Stenberg — Alexander Wennberg — Kiefer Sherwood |
| Fourth line | Tyler Toffoli — Zack Ostapchuk — Ty Dellandrea |
| Defense pair 1 | Sam Dickinson — Jacob Trouba |
| Defense pair 2 | Darnell Nurse — Dmitry Orlov |
| Defense pair 3 | Luca Cagnoni — Michael Kesselring |
| Goaltenders | Yaroslav Askarov; Alex Nedeljkovic |
San Jose led the NHL last season with 52.6 percent of its goals coming from players aged 23 or younger. That is the encouraging marker heading into 2026-27. The concern is whether the Sharks can get enough scoring beyond Celebrini, enough stops from Askarov and enough structure from their rebuilt blue line to finally turn promise into meaningful spring hockey.
