Even though the San Jose Sharks don’t project to be one of the NHL’s better teams this season, they have a bright future. Several promising prospects are creating excitement, and the hype is growing as more of them approach the NHL roster. However, compared to other Bay Area sports franchises, the outlook for the Sharks is vastly more optimistic. They have an opportunity to cement themselves as a major market’s most prominent team, and they’ll need to spend the next few years figuring out how to capitalize on it.
Sharks Can Hold Favorable Position in Bay Area
The Golden State Warriors have been the Bay Area’s dominant team for a decade, thanks to their four championships in that span. But key players from their run have departed, and others appear to be entering the final stages of their careers, which means their future is uncertain. Also, after missing out on the players they thought might prolong their dynasty this offseason, their outlook is grim.
The San Francisco Giants, who owned the Bay Area in the early 2010s with three titles in five years, seem stuck in limbo – too good to tank but not good enough to be contenders. They don’t seem to have a way out of this trap, made all the more complicated by the fact that they might become the region’s only baseball team.
Finally, the San Francisco 49ers hold court as the Bay’s best team right now, given last season’s Super Bowl appearance. However, they are facing a salary cap crunch, which has become highly public during tense negotiations with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Their star-studded lineup has driven them to success in the last few seasons, but it’s created a financial situation that makes their roster seem like a bubble about to burst.
That’s a lot of context, but it helps to explain where the Sharks might be in a few seasons. If prospects like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith pan out, players with NHL experience make strides, and these other teams follow their predicted trajectories, the Sharks could be the Bay Area’s most successful sports franchise. To have such standing in a big market is unusual for an NHL team, given the sport’s relative lack of popularity compared to other major leagues. It will also be the first time in franchise history that they’ve held that spot, and they must take advantage.
Sharks Have Several Ways to Stand Out
Being the Bay Area’s best team and being the Bay Area’s most prominent team are two very different things, particularly given the WNBA expansion team coming to San Francisco in 2025. Assuming the Sharks achieve the former, they’ll need a multi-pronged approach to reach the latter.
For starters, they should aggressively market their best and most exciting players. Bay Area fans turn out to watch elite stars like Barry Bonds and Stephen Curry. The Sharks should try to create the same sort of hype around Celebrini, Smith and/or whoever else emerges as the team’s stars. They could even take advantage of the popularity of already-established Bay Area athletes by highlighting Celebrini’s connection to the Warriors and their players, including Draymond Green.
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Becoming the region’s most prominent team will require drawing in new fans. The Sharks should reach out to fans of other Bay Area teams, many of whom could be looking for a good team to root for if their more familiar franchises take a turn. This might mean marketing their team in the context of other teams. They would also benefit from promoting themselves in a way that explains the game to new fans. Some Bay Area residents could attach themselves to the Sharks for the first time as they rise in the ranks of local teams, and those people might need to learn more about the sport to become passionate supporters.
A few years from now, the Sharks could be given that rare chance to become the dominant team in a major sports market. With the right combination of moves, they could give themselves the most favorable position possible.
