The San Jose Sharks were a perennial Stanley Cup contender for over a decade, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and knocking on the door of Western Conference supremacy various other times in the 2010s. But after being one of the top teams in the NHL for so long, it only made sense that a full-scale rebuild would be needed at some point.

That happened after the Sharks were eliminated by the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final back in 2019. The Blues went on to win the Stanley Cup, and San Jose hasn't made the playoffs since. Once franchise cornerstones — Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski — have all moved on, two to retirement and one to the Dallas Stars.

For the past four seasons, the Sharks have been quite bad. They finished eighth, seventh, sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Pacific Division since the 2019-20 season, and last year was probably as close to rock bottom as this franchise will get. San Jose finished third last in the Western Conference with just 22 wins, and it's possible they are even worse next year.

Erik Karlsson drama over

That's because the team's best player in Erik Karlsson was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the blockbuster of the summer. The entire Karlsson drama hovered over the team like a black cloud — everyone knew the 33-year-old wanted to win, and general manager Mike Grier needed to find the best return for the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

It took a while, but Grier finally found a suitable three-team deal that included the Montreal Canadiens. Although the return for the Swedish superstar was a bit underwhelming, Grier admitted he was happy to have it all behind him and look towards the season. Yes, the team can now move forward after making headlines all summer. But it doesn't change the fact that the squad doesn't have a single top pairing defensemen on the roster for next year.

The D-core, made up of Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Matt Benning, Jacob MacDonald and Radim Simek is absolutely awful, and it wouldn't be surprising if this team gave up the most goals in the NHL in 2023-24. Will the goaltending tandem of Kaapo Kahkonen and new addition Mackenzie Blackwood be able to overcome the defense that will be played in California next year? The early answer is very unlikely.

Future of Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl?

Besides their defensive woes, the Sharks do still have a few game-breaking talents in Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. Both star forwards have played their entire careers in San Jose, and it was expected going into the season that both would remain with the team throughout the lengthy rebuild.

But that may no longer be the case, after Grier confirmed last week that he would be open to trading either player to a better team if that is their desire.

“I check in with Hertl and Couture a lot, and if there ever were to come a time when they felt like they needed or wanted to go somewhere else, it's definitely something I would listen to, and if it made sense for us, I would explore it,” Grier told the Bay Area News' Curtis Pashelka as training camp opened. “But as of right now, I'm happy that they're they're part of our group.”

After the departures of Karlsson and Timo Meier, Couture and Hertl are the two most important players on the roster. But how much longer will the longtime forwards call California home?

A few bright spots

Despite their projection as one of the West's weakest teams, there are a few exciting players to watch in 2023-24. That includes 29-year-old Alexander Barabanov, who broke onto the scene with 47 points in 68 games in 2022-23 and could exceed that next season. Former first-round pick Filip Zadina, who was waived by the Detroit Red Wings, will get a second chance in California. Although it's been a rocky start to his professional career, the Czech forward has a ton of potential. Fabian Zetterlund and Oskar Lindblom are also names to watch next season, as is top prospect William Eklund.

And Anthony Duclair and Mike Hoffman will both be motivated to play well after being acquired from the Panthers and Canadiens, respectively. Both figure to see time on the top powerplay unit, and in the last season of their respective contracts, will be looking to earn a payday next summer.

Overall, the Sharks boast maybe the worst roster in the Western Conference besides the Chicago Blackhawks. With middling forwards, one of the league's weakest defensive cores, and two unproven goaltenders, there isn't really any hope this team will be anything other than a bottom feeder in 2023-24. In a few years, this team should be able to compete for a playoff spot again, but it promises to be another very long season in San Jose without the electric Erik Karlsson to give fans something to cheer about.

Final projected roster

Forwards: Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Luke Kunin, Mike Hoffman, Fabian Zetterlund, Anthony Duclair, Alexander Barabanov, Mikael Granlund, Kevin Labanc, Oskar Lindblom, Filip Zadina, Nico Sturm

Defensemen: Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Matt Benning, Jacob MacDonald, Radim Simek

Goalies: Kaapo Kahkonen, Mackenzie Blackwood