The San Jose Sharks are still a couple of years away from competing for the Stanley Cup. They have one of the most exciting young rosters in the league, complete with budding superstars like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, stud prospect defensemen like Sam Dickinson, and a solid goaltender in Yaroslav Askarov. The future is bright for the Sharks, but regardless of our predictions, 2025-26 could be at least one more year of suffering for San Jose fans.
It isn't the worst time to struggle for one more year. The prize at the end for one of the lottery teams this season is Gavin McKenna, who could be one of the top prospects we've seen in years. If the Sharks find a way to add him to this elite group of young players, they'll be a scary team in the long term. San Jose's best players next season may still be teenagers, as reflected in the upcoming predictions.
Macklin Celebrini stakes his claim with the league's best
Macklin Celebrini is already well on his way to being one of the league's best players. A mid-season injury in 2024-25 slowed his offensive production, but he still managed to finish in a tie for 70th in points with Matvei Michkov, Dylan Holloway, and Nick Schmaltz. It was an impressive showing for the 18-year-old, and there is obviously still plenty of room to grow.
It wouldn't be shocking if it took a few more years for Celebrini to reach the upper echelon of the league's best. However, the first Sharks prediction for 2025-26 is that Celebrini takes the next step early. It would be the perfect time for him to do it, as the Team Canada brass will be keeping a close eye on him for a spot on the Olympic roster.
There will be only nine forward spots up for grabs after Canada already named five earlier this year. Taking the spot of a forward who won gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off will be difficult, and there are already some established centers who didn't crack that roster, such as Nick Suzuki, Robert Thomas, and fellow young star Connor Bedard.
Celebrini already entered his name into the conversation at the World Championships this past spring. He starred alongside Sidney Crosby at the tournament, recording six points in eight games. Crosby described Celebrini as an “incredible player” in a recent article from The Athletic, and he believes the best is yet to come this season.
It would've taken an 82-point season to crack the top-20 in the league last season, a number that Celebrini could reach if he stays healthy and gets out to a better start. This will be the season where he stakes his claim among that group and hits point-per-game status.
Michael Misa makes the Sharks out of training camp
The Sharks aren't afraid to throw their young players directly into the fire. We saw it last season with Celebrini and in 2021-22 with first-round pick William Eklund. The move hasn't backfired, as both players were two of their better forwards last season. They earned another high draft pick due to their poor play last season and landed Michael Misa at second overall. The question now is whether he'll be another addition to the team to lower the average age further.
Misa has done it all in the Ontario Hockey League. He received exceptional player status, allowing him to start his career with the Saginaw Spirit a year early. He had an impressive showing in his rookie season and then starred for the Spirit in his second season, winning the team's first Memorial Cup.
The Spirit named him captain in his draft year, and he didn't disappoint, recording 134 points in 65 games. Saginaw flamed out in the postseason, but they weren't meant to have a lengthy run after loading up their team the year before when hosting the Memorial Cup. Any success the Spirit had was on the back of Misa, who didn't have any interest in going elsewhere at the trade deadline.
It might not be in the Sharks' best interest to load up their roster with all young players, but Misa isn't eligible to play in the American Hockey League. Another year of meaningless domination in the OHL could hurt the Sharks' top prospect more than help him, which means Mike Grier and Ryan Warsofsky's hands could be tied.
It could be another year of limited wins as the young team continues to grow together. However, if Misa does make the team, San Jose could be one of the most exciting teams to watch, regardless of the outcome.
