While the NHL Stanley Cup Final rages on, the San Jose Sharks are turning the page with a new coach. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky is trying to get fans fired up with some of his plans for the franchise.
“We just went through two really tough years. I know what they need,” Warsofsky said, per the Associated Press. “They're beat up a little bit. We need some new light. We need some energy. We need some positivity. Now we have some hope with the prospects that are coming. This is a really exciting chapter in this franchise with the prospects that Mike's brought in and drafted and we're starting to develop and now with this draft coming up. So exciting times are definitely ahead.”
The Sharks just finished the season with a disappointing 19-54-9 record, the worst in the Western Conference's Pacific Division.
Do you know the way, San Jose?
San Jose is searching for all answers to their franchise woes. The team just hired Warsofsky, who is now the youngest head coach in the NHL. He is just 36 years old. His youth and enthusiasm will hopefully bring some life to a team that has been mired at the bottom of the NHL barrel. The Sharks have finished either last or next-to-last in the Pacific Division the previous two league seasons. Since 2022, San Jose has managed a total of only 41 wins.
There's hope for the team, despite all these frustrations. The Sharks have the no. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. It is widely believed that the team from the Bay will use that pick on Macklin Celebrini, a center. The young talent played for Boston University. Celebrini has ties to the Bay Area of California and has spoken publicly about the possibility of landing in San Jose.
“It'd be very cool if I get selected there,” Celebrini said, per ESPN. “I mean, it'd be a dream come true. Of course, I'm nervous. I'm excited. I have different emotions about it. People say enjoy it — that it only happens once in your life — so I'm really going to try to do that.”
A no. 1 overall pick can certainly build the future for a franchise, but that player needs help. The Sharks are making an effort to do that, as the team also has the no. 14 overall pick. Two players selected among the top 15 in the NHL Draft should surely help this franchise prepare for the future. It is sad to see how far the Sharks have fallen in just the last five years. In 2019, the team made the Western Conference Final. San Jose is still searching for their first Stanley Cup as a franchise.
San Jose's new coach
Warsofsky is getting his shot in the NHL as a head coach, after working with the team as an assistant. He also coached for two years in the AHL. The coach guided the Chicago Wolves, leading the team to the Calder Cup in 2022. He also coached the club to the best regular season mark ever for the franchise. He has spent the last two seasons observing the Sharks, and working with the defense as assistant coach.
“There will be some changes,” Warsofsky added. “Obviously, the numbers weren't great, the analytics weren't great. We have to make changes. There has to be a system in place that our players know what's going on. They understand the system. … When we have the puck we know what to do with it and when we don't, we know how to get it back.”
Sharks fans are certainly thirsting for change. The team's defense struggled in this last campaign, giving up as many as 10 goals in back-to-back games. Time will tell if the Sharks and their new coach are able to get the team back on track.
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