Well, on Wednesday, March 13, another NHL squad was officially eliminated from playoff contention on an off-night for the team. The San Jose Sharks collected the little ‘e’ beside their team name in the standings and became the second team this season to be mathematically eliminated.
Like the Chicago Blackhawks, expectations this season weren’t very high. Obviously trading Timo Meier last year signified a change in direction for the team under new general manager Mike Grier.
With that, with them officially eliminated, here’s a look back on the 2023-24 season for the Sharks — what went wrong, what could’ve changed and what direction this team is actually headed in.
Where the Sharks Season Went Wrong
For starters, in comparison to the Blackhawks, the Sharks didn’t have a franchise pick in Connor Bedard. That said, that’s not where this season went wrong for the teal and white.
Related: Chicago Blackhawks 2023-24 Obituary – From First Pick to First Out
Have a look at the standings. Through 64 games this season, the Sharks have the worst goal differential by a long shot at minus-119. The closest to them is minus-90 for the — you guessed it — Blackhawks.
Now, get a couple wins under your belt to start the year and even the worst NHL team can make an acceptable season out of nothing. But, kick off the year like the Sharks did with 11 straight losses and good luck bouncing back from that. The added two more losing streaks — one of 12 games and one of nine later in the season as well.
Through the month of December, the team had just nine wins in 37 games. Now 64 games into the season and they are averaging just 2.20 goals per game while giving up 3.95 on average. Simply put, they were a hockey bettors’ paradise for the over and coming up with a loss.
But it could’ve played out a little better for this team.
Sharks Could’ve Seen a Better Outcome
Injuries played a part in their season. Their star — now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights — Tomas Hertl was sidelined for significant time as well as captain Logan Couture who played just six games for the Sharks through 64 contests.
Let’s be honest, the season and their record weren’t going to be much better than what they are, but we could be talking about a 20-win team rather than a team that will be fighting for their 20th victory in the final 18 games of their regular season.
It was clear that the Sharks weren’t ready to lean too hard on their young players just yet as developing them is still clearly an important step for Grier and the franchise, but given the state of the team it might’ve helped bring some excitement to the rink for both the players and the fans of the franchise.
Instead, the Sharks became even bigger sellers at the deadline this season.
The Sharks Moving Forward
Both Anthony Duclair and Hertl were shipped out of town. The Sharks are now using up all three of their retention spots due to trades that were made and they’ve retained salary on the Hertl deal through 2030. That’s not exactly what you want to hear if you’re a fan of the club.
Still, they have a chance to head in a completely different direction. This is Grier’s team now and he will want to put his stamp on the roster and the on-ice product in San Jose. At the moment, it’s safe to say that there’s no clear direction for this team, but given the moves they made at the deadline they have ample opportunity to recruit free agents over the coming years.
Direction aside, this team isn’t even close to making another playoff run anytime soon. It’ll fall on the shoulders of Couture, William Eklund and fill-ins like Filiip Zadina to get this team back to a respectable start in the next couple of seasons.
Safe to say they’re a couple years away from being in contention for a playoff spot. For the sake of the fans, let’s hope that they take strides next season so there’s growth rather than a decline in the final outcome.
For now, rest in peace to the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks.
