San Jose Sharks season preview, lineup and prediction

Macklin Celebrini has superstar written all over him and is projected to be an All-Star in the upcoming season. He signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension this offseason to see the organization's turnaround come to fruition. And he will do so as the youngest captain in Sharks history .

The Sharks have built their core through the draft over the years bringing in Celebrini, Will Smith , Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov . They continued that blueprint in the 2026 NHL Draft with three first round picks selecting Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 pick, Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 and Ryan Lin at No. 21.

One of the areas of focus was their defense and the team's physicality. They added Kiefer Sherwood during the 2025-26 season and his impact was felt immediately. They kept on adding guys that fit that mold during the offseason, a necessary move especially after rugged Ryan Reaves announced he's retiring .