2 Position Groups the Sharks Need to Improve This Offseason

After narrowly missing the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the San Jose Sharks are shifting their attention to the offseason and making the necessary moves to return to the postseason. The good news is that after this season, they have clear areas to focus on improving. They need to bolster their defense, and they would benefit from upgrading their bottom-six wingers as well. If they can add the right players at those two positions, they’ll be able to take a major leap next season.

Sharks’ Defense Needs Major Changes

It is clear where the Sharks need the most improvement. They allowed the third-most goals in the NHL this season and never found any consistency on the blue line. It seemed as though only one or two defensemen could play well at any one time, and who played well constantly changed. There were countless defensive-zone turnovers leading to chances, missed assignments, and no threat from the point, which not only hurt the team but made them hard to watch.

Of San Jose’s regular blueliners, only Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson are under contract for next season. Luca Cagnoni likely deserves more time at the NHL level, and restricted free agent Shakir Mukhamadullin could be brought back, but the Sharks still have an opportunity to add three or four defenders via trade or free agency.

They have been loosely linked to Adam Fox, Morgan Rielly, and Darren Raddysh, among others, all of whom would be costly but would instantly bolster their defense. The Sharks need to take the pressure off their goaltenders, Alex Nedeljkovic and Yaroslav Askarov, while simultaneously getting more offense from their defensemen, and all three players would be able to do that.

As the Sharks move out of a rebuild towards a true push for the playoffs, they can focus on an aggressive approach rather than an incremental build-up through developing young players. That will involve adding experienced, skilled defensemen, and their success this past season shows that now is the time to do it.

Sharks Can Round Out Offense With Bottom-Six Wingers

The Sharks have ideal depth at center with Macklin Celebrini on the first line, Michael Misa on the second line, Alexander Wennberg on the third line, and either Zack Ostapchuk or Filip Bystedt on the fourth line. They also have enough skilled wingers under contract to feel good about their top six overall. As such, their forward upgrades should focus on their bottom-six wingers.

Too often, the Sharks’ fourth line got stuck defending, unable to gain control of the puck and make an offensive push. Like all fourth lines, they need a mix of physicality and puck control to help the team set the tone for each game. Led by Ostapchuk, they improved somewhat in that area this season, but could still use a boost on the wings following the inconsistent play of Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves.

The third line is a little more settled, but Philipp Kurashev and Pavol Regenda are both pending unrestricted free agents, which could leave holes in the roster that management can fill with a goal-scorer to complement Wennberg’s pass-first style.

As the Sharks’ offense is far ahead of their defense, the front office must focus on fine-tuning the unit rather than overhauling it. Management should be happy with the status of their forwards, but now they can figure out how to improve up front, and their marginal gains should be about getting their bottom-six wingers up to the level of the rest of the offense.

Sharks Have a Critical Offseason

Next season, the Sharks need to break through and make the playoffs for the first time since 2019. All offseasons are important, but this one is crucial for the direction of the franchise. They have several tremendously talented players, and the front office needs to flesh out a roster to support them.

Right now, that will involve overhauling their defense and making slight upgrades to their forward group. Making the exact right moves won’t be easy, but if they can pull it off, they should enter next season with the most complete team they’ve had in almost a decade.