The San Jose Sharks had a horrific 2023-24 season. San Jose had a historically bad start to the year. And while things did improve, the overall tone for the year had been set. San Jose eventually won the NHL Draft Lottery before drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall.
Finishing dead last in the NHL benefitted them in the NHL Draft Lottery. However, the Sharks don't want to be near the bottom of the league forever. Especially with Celebrini and 2023 first-round pick Will Smith likely to make the roster relatively soon.
The Sharks added veteran Tyler Toffoli in NHL Free Agency to bolster their first line. San Jose then brought in veteran center Alex Wennberg to bolster their center depth. However, this team needs their younger players to step up in 2024-25. With this in mind, here are two Sharks breakout candidates who could play major roles in the season ahead.
Fabian Zetterlund could continue to shine
Fabian Zetterlund had a largely unimpressive first-half season with San Jose following the Timo Meier trade. In fact, he didn't score a single goal through his first 22 games as a Sharks player. His first full season with the Sharks, though, went much better.
Zetterlund emerged as a legitimate bright spot in a dark season for San Jose. The Swedish forward scored a career-high 24 goals and 44 points for San Jose this past season. He also averaged around 19 minutes of ice time a night, which is also a career-high.
The 24-year-old Sharks forward had the third-highest goals-for percentage (46%) among San Jose forwards, according to Evolving Hockey. One of players ahead of him, Anthony Duclair, was traded midseason. Additionally, Zetterlund had the second-highest goals for per 60 minutes (3.33) and the highest individual expected goals mark (23.85) of any Sharks forward.
Even with San Jose's moves in the offseason, Zetterlund should play in the top-six next season. In fact, he could even remain on the top line. Perhaps he lines up with Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli. In any event, Zetterlund is one of the Sharks' breakout candidates for 2024-25 given his improved supporting cast.
William Eklund could make an impact
William Eklund has had some buzz around his name for the past few seasons. He finally played his first full NHL season in 2023-24, and it was a success. He scored 16 goals and 45 points in 80 games for the Sharks this past year.
Analytically, Eklund wasn't too far behind Zetterlund. In fact, he had the highest individual expected goals tally (21.01) of any San Jose player after Zetterlund. Eklund also finished with the fourth-highest goals for per 60 minutes (2.86) and the fourth-highest Corsi For per 60 (59) of any San Jose forward in 2023-24.
Eklund finds himself in a similar spot as Zetterlund. The moves made by the Sharks shouldn't significantly impact his playing time. Eklund played the second most minutes of any Sharks forward in 2023-24. While he may not match that, he should still be deployed a lot throughout the year.
The Sharks have a lot of young players coming through their farm system. However, Eklund has proven he can be a legitimate NHL contributor. Like Zetterlund, he could do much better with a much improved supporting cast around him. Accordingly, Eklund must be considered one of the Sharks' breakout candidates for the 2024-25 season. If things go well, San Jose may have a legitimate top-six contributor on their hands for years to come.
Follow Us
Subscribe