Predicting Some Sharks Player & Team Stats for the 2026-27 Season

 The return of hockey is just around the corner, with training camps opening later this week and preseason games beginning this weekend. This means that we are back with another Sharks prediction post for next season here on CPF Hockey. My latest one dives into some Sharks player and team stat predictions for the 2026-27 season, specifically goal, assist, and point totals for skaters, goalie save percentages and goals-against averages, and where I see the Sharks finishing in the standings and in terms of points at season's end. These latest predictions are based on how the team and many of the players fared last season and my realistic expectations for them heading into the new season. Only my predictions for this upcoming season will be listed here for this post. Without further ado, let's begin: 

Macklin Celebrini: 50 goals, 72 assists, 122 points 

Will Smith: 32 goals, 40 assists, 72 points 

Ivar Stenberg: 21 goals, 22 assists, 43 points 

Michael Misa: 24 goals, 25 assists, 49 points 

Mason Marchment: 22 goals, 28 assists, 50 points 

Igor Chernyshov: 19 goals, 18 assists, 37 points 

Alexander Wennberg: 15 goals, 32 assists, 47 points 

Kiefer Sherwood: 26 goals, 16 assists, 42 points 

Collin Graf: 24 goals, 27 assists, 51 points 

Tyler Toffoli: 18 goals, 23 assists, 41 points 

Zack Ostapchuk: 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points 

Barclay Goodrow: 4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points 

Adam Gaudette: 12 goals, 6 assists, 18 points 

Ty Dellandrea: 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points 

Darnell Nurse: 9 goals, 19 assists, 28 points 

Jacob Trouba: 8 goals, 20 assists, 28 points 

Sam Dickinson: 6 goals, 16 assists, 22 points 

Dmitry Orlov: 4 goals, 23 assists, 27 points 

Michael Kesselring: 10 goals, 20 assists, 30 points 

Nolan Allan: 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points 

Luca Cagnoni: 5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points 

Yaroslav Askarov: .902 SV%, 2.78 GAA 

Alex Nedeljkovic: .898 SV%, 2.91 GAA 

San Jose Sharks: 94 points, 3rd in Pacific Division behind Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights respectively 

In other news, the Sharks' rookie faceoff exhibition tournament took place last weekend, and Team Teal went undefeated in their two games they played in on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the Sharks dominated the LA Kings by a score of 8-1. Leading the way for the Sharks in their first game of this year's rookie faceoff was Carson Wetsch with two goals and two assists, Ivar Stenberg with two goals, Andre Gasseau with two goals and an assist, and Pavel Martinu with a goal. There were several fights in this contest as well, most notably Alexander Karmanov easily manhandling a Kings player that was at least a foot shorter than him. On Sunday, the Sharks defeated the Utah Mammoth 3-1 in their second and final game of the weekend, with their primary highlight being Jake Gustafson with two goals. Lastly, the Sharks announced a new helmet sponsor for their home uniforms starting this season, that being Silicon Valley-based fintech company Aven. 

Source: Curtis Pashelka via X 

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Predicting the Sharks' 2026-27 Opening Night Roster

 The return of Sharks hockey is just around the corner, starting with the rookie faceoff showcase this weekend. Before it all officially gets underway, I want to give my predictions on what the Sharks' opening night roster will look like to start the 2026-27 season. These are based on how many of the returning players have performed last season, the additions the Sharks have made this offseason, and where I see each roster player fitting in the lineup. There will certainly be plenty of competition for the limited number of roster spots available, and I expect many of the players listed below to be locks to make the opening night roster, with a few spots still up for grabs. Without further ado, presenting how I see the Sharks' opening night roster for this coming season playing out:

 

Forwards: 

Mason Marchment - Macklin Celebrini - Will Smith 

Igor Chernyshov - Michael Misa - Ivar Stenberg 

Tyler Toffoli - Alexander Wennberg - Kiefer Sherwood 

Barclay Goodrow - Zack Ostapchuk - Collin Graf

Defense: 

Darnell Nurse - Jacob Trouba 

Sam Dickinson - Michael Kesselring 

Luca Cagnoni - Dmitry Orlov 

Goaltending: 

Yaroslav Askarov 

Alex Nedeljkovic 

Extras: 

Adam Gaudette 

Ty Dellandrea 

Nolan Allan 

On a side note, prospects I can see potentially getting called up to the Sharks from the Barracuda at some point during the next season include Filip Bystedt, Quentin Musty, Cam Lund, Ethan Cardwell, and Eric Pohlkamp. Lastly, I would not be surprised if these opening night roster predictions are at least 90 percent accurate in about three weeks' time. Let me know if you would make any changes to my Sharks opening night roster predictions and what they would be in the comments. 

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Sharks Sign Ilya Samsonov to One-Year, Two-Way Contract

 With just over a week to go before the start of training camp, the Sharks announced that they have signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850k at the NHL level and $225k in the minors. Samsonov is now the fourth goalie with NHL experience currently in the Sharks organization. 

Last season, Samsonov appeared in 14 games with HK Sochi in the KHL, recording a 3.27 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage, and one shutout. In terms of his NHL experience, Samsonov has a 118-48-25 record, 2.77 goals-against average, .902 save percentage, and 15 shutouts in 200 regular season games across six seasons with the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights. His best NHL season to date came in 2022-23 with the Maple Leafs, in which he posted 27 wins, a 2.33 GAA, .919 SV%, and four shutouts. He also has 22 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience under his belt, recording a 3.05 GAA and .901 SV% in those contests. 

Overall, this latest addition creates more competition among the goalie depth within the Sharks organization heading into training camp. Like with Eric Comrie, I expect Ilya Samsonov to spend most of next season in the AHL with the Barracuda. Hope all goes well with Ilya Samsonov's return to the NHL going forward. Stay tuned for my Sharks 2026-27 opening night roster prediction post coming soon. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, Curtis Pashelka via X, PuckPedia 

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Ranking NHL Teams I Have Yet to See Play in Person (2026)

 We are fully in the dog days of the NHL offseason, and that means it is time to bring back a relatively recent annual tradition in which I provide a yearly update on a major hockey life goal of mine before the next season starts. Last season, I made significant progress on my life goal of seeing all 32 NHL teams play in person, as I finished the 2025-26 season at just over the halfway point in completing this goal. For the 2026-27 NHL season, I am hoping to add at least a few more teams from this ranking to my list of teams I have seen play in person by season's end. As for the teams in this updated ranking, I have a desire to see all of them play in person, but certainly some more than others. Like in years past, the NHL teams I have yet to see play in person will be ranked from least to most desirable, and brief explanations will be provided with each respective team. Let's begin: 

15) Calgary Flames 

Last place in this updated ranking is pretty straightforward. While seeing the Flames play in person will complete the Pacific Division for me, this particular team regressed significantly last season compared to the 2024-25 season, and they are currently in full rebuild mode. As a result of being in full rebuild mode, the Flames do not feature many players currently on their roster that truly excite me, especially in their forward group. In addition, my Sharks face the Flames more often per season than all other teams in this list, making their matchups not feel as special compared to those against non-division opponents. 

14) St. Louis Blues 

Coming in next-to-last on this list is the St. Louis Blues. I am not a huge fan of this team and currently view them as a mushy middle squad, in which they are not good enough to go on a deep playoff run and not bad enough to earn a top draft pick. While the Blues have made more roster improvements this offseason and are in a better franchise state than the Flames, their roster remains less inspiring than most others on this list heading into next season. 

13) Winnipeg Jets 

While I do not see the Jets as a bonafide playoff team heading into next season, they have at least a few star players on their roster that are more fun to watch than any current player on the Flames or Blues. Those specific players are Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, and Kyle Connor. In addition, Winnipeg is only a few seasons removed from winning a President's Trophy, so although I would not count on it, there is always a possibility that they could bounce back and sneak into the playoffs in 2026-27. 

12) Nashville Predators 

The Predators may no longer be a serious playoff contender and have one of the least appealing uniforms in hockey. However, they feature some star players that keep them competitive on most nights, such as Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Steven Stamkos, and Juuse Saros, and call an attractive tourist destination with a great fan atmosphere home. 

11) Utah Mammoth 

The Mammoth find themselves in the bottom half of this list because I am not as big of a fan of them as I am of other teams ranked above them here. On a more positive note, Utah's roster is filled with a great mix of young and veteran talent that is only getting better and more fun to watch after making the playoffs last season. 

10) Columbus Blue Jackets 

The Blue Jackets have a cool logo and a cannon inside their arena. While not the most attractive or relevant hockey team, their roster is led by superstar defenseman Zach Werenski, and Columbus is one of two teams remaining to complete the Metropolitan Division leg of this goal. I also tend to view Eastern Conference teams as more desirable to watch in person due to their lower frequency of facing off against my Sharks per season compared to Western Conference opponents. 

9) Ottawa Senators 

I am unsure what to make of the Ottawa Senators heading into next season, but they are an intriguing team due to one of their top performers in Tim Stutzle and one of their biggest offseason additions in Sharks fan favorite William Eklund. 

8) Buffalo Sabres 

I am not the biggest Buffalo Sabres fan, but they have climbed this ranking compared to previous years. This is due to the Sabres finally having the pieces in place to form a consistent competitor and break their record-long playoff drought last season. I have doubted Buffalo countless times in the past, but based on how they finished last season, I think their playoff contention window is just opening up. 

7) Detroit Red Wings 

While the Red Wings now hold the longest active playoff drought in the NHL, I have always taken a bit of a liking to to this particular team due to them being a storied Original Six franchise. For several decades until the late 2010s, Detroit has amassed a ton of success and had several hockey legends play for them. As for the current Red Wings, I see them taking a step back next season, but I like a few of their players as well, most notably Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Moritz Seider. 

6) Minnesota Wild 

The Wild are a stacked team whose Stanley Cup window is wide open, and they have become more exciting last season with their major addition of Quinn Hughes to their blue line. It also helps their cause to have one of the most incredible logos in all of sports and be one of the easier teams to root for in most scenarios. 

5) Toronto Maple Leafs 

Last season for the Maple Leafs was a major disappointment for their standards, but they have increased their chances of bouncing back next season with their additions of first-overall pick Gavin McKenna, star defenseman Darren Raddysh, and veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to name a few. 

4) Montreal Canadiens 

I have the Canadiens ranked in my top four of this list because they are a storied Original Six franchise that has set themselves up very well to be a perennial playoff contender for years to come. Their roster is loaded with depth at every position. I especially like their top star players of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Ivan Demidov. Their current front office and coaching staff do a lot of things well, and I see them as a preview of how my Sharks are shaping up to be in the near future. 

3) Florida Panthers 

The Panthers are not far removed from winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025. While last season was very much an underwhelming off year for them, the Cats are the most likely non-playoff team from last season to bounce back and go on a deep playoff run next season. Most of their roster that won back-to-back Cups has remained intact, and they acquired Brady Tkachuk to help bolster their offense and grit this offseason. In addition, the Panthers should be getting a healthy Aleksander Barkov back for a full season in 2026-27. 

2) Carolina Hurricanes 

Carolina is the runner-up in this list for several reasons. The Canes are one of a handful of teams in a tier below the Sharks that I like and will root for in most scenarios. Another major reason for their respective place in this list is that the Hurricanes are a powerhouse of a team that won the Stanley Cup last season and are in a prime position to do it again next season. I especially enjoy the play and personality of Seth Jarvis, the Canes' arena atmosphere, and their Storm Surge victory celebrations. Besides the Blue Jackets, the Hurricanes are the other team I would need to see play in person to complete the Metropolitan Division leg of this goal. However, the only reason I have Carolina as the runner-up is because I like the team ranked above them here a bit more. 

1) Tampa Bay Lightning 

The Lightning are atop this year's updated ranking of NHL teams I have yet to see play in person. This is mainly due to them being my favorite Eastern Conference team if I could only choose one. Most of their core from the last time they won the Stanley Cup in 2021 is still with the team, such as Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Steven Stamkos has been a great core piece for the Bolts for several years, and Jake Guentzel has been a solid replacement on their roster ever since Stamkos departed in free agency a few years ago. John Carlson is certainly an intriguing addition to this Lightning team after Tampa moved on from Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade. In addition, Jon Cooper has been one of the better coaches in the NHL for the past several years, and Amalie Arena is one of my favorite NHL arenas. Tampa Bay has been one of the most well-run organizations in the NHL for most of its history, and they have consistently found ways to win games and put up winning seasons for at least the past decade. 

Lastly, I am heavily looking forward to the return of hockey in just over a month and hoping that my list of NHL teams I have yet to see play in person shrinks by the end of next season! Be sure to follow along and stay tuned to find out how my journey to see all 32 NHL teams in person progresses. 

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Sharks Re-Sign Collin Graf to 3-Year Contract

 The Sharks’ final remaining restricted free agent has officially agreed to a new contract, as Collin Graf has signed a new three-year deal carrying an average annual value of $4.25 million. 

Last season with the Sharks, Graf recorded 21 goals, 25 assists, and 46 points in 81 games, setting career-bests in nearly all offensive categories. He also reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career and finished the 2025-26 campaign ranking third on the Sharks in goals, sixth on the team in points, and seventh on the team in assists. In addition, Graf factored in on all three of the Sharks' shorthanded goals scored and registered eight multi-point games last season. Among undrafted NHL players, Collin Graf ranked tied for fourth in points, tied for fifth in goals, and tied for sixth in assists last season. 

Going forward, with the Sharks' forward depth being a bit crowded heading into next season, Collin Graf will play more of a utility role in San Jose, as Team Teal plans to plug and play Graf on any of the four lines whenever necessary. Overall, it was just a matter of when before the Sharks and Collin Graf  agreed to terms on a new contract before next season. He's an important young depth forward for this up-and-coming Sharks team, and it's great that they were able to get this last crucial matter of the offseason done to keep Collin Graf around in teal for at least the next few years. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Sign Macklin Celebrini to 5-Year Contract Extension

 Macklin Celebrini has cashed in big time with his next contract, signing a massive five-year contract worth $94 million. This equates to roughly $18.8 million per season, making Celebrini the highest-paid player in the NHL starting next season. 

Macklin Celebrini needs little introduction as to why he is worth every penny of his first big-boy contract. He has cemented himself as a superstar, the Sharks' current face of their franchise, and the guaranteed next captain for Team Teal. Celebrini set several different NHL and Sharks franchise records during his sophomore campaign last season, most notably the Sharks' single-season points record with 115 (45 goals, 70 assists). He led the Sharks in nearly all offensive stat categories last season and factored in nearly half of all goals the Sharks scored during the 2025-26 campaign. In addition, the Sharks' chances of winning increased dramatically each night that Macklin Celebrini scores at least a goal or point last season. 

One potential concern that this contract extension may present in a few years is that it could place the Sharks in a salary cap crunch situation, in which they would have to trade away an important depth player or two in order to stay cap-compliant. However, this is not a significant concern at the moment, but most importantly, this is a significant order of business that has been handled and will greatly benefit both Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks. New contracts for both Collin Graf and Will Smith should be finalized sooner than later as well. Celebrini taking the middle ground between team-friendly and max term on his next contract is fantastic, and he and the Sharks will only perform better from here. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Hire Jeff Kealty as Assistant GM

 The Sharks announced the latest addition to their front office earlier today: Jeff Kealty as their new assistant general manager. 

Kealty will not only work directly with Mike Grier on all aspects of hockey operations, but oversee the Sharks' professional scouting staff as well. He was previously the assistant general manager and director of scouting for the Nashville Predators for the past eight years, and has been involved in some capacity with professional and amateur scouting with the Predators from 2001 until now. With the Predators, Kealty and his scouting staff were instrumental in drafting several players that shaped Nashville into a perennial playoff contender for much of the past two decades. Another aspect that influenced this most recent hire is that Kealty was a former teammate of Mike Grier when they both played for Boston University during the mid 90s. 

While I was not familiar with Jeff Kealty before he joined the Sharks front office, he sounds like a great addition in helping Team Teal get back to the playoffs and eventually contend for a Stanley Cup. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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