3 reasons why Sharks missed 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The San Jose Sharks experienced their best season since their most recent trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019, and there is no shortage of reasons to be excited about the Bay Area’s future thanks to the incredible accomplishments of the club’s young core.

The new face of the franchise is forward Macklin Celebrini, whom the Sharks selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft after winning the Draft Lottery. At just 19 years of age, Celebrini broke Joe Thornton’s franchise single-season points record with 115 points, scoring 45 goals with 70 assists along with a plus-eight rating. His 115 points were also fourth overall in total NHL scoring.

He’ll also once again be representing Canada, as he did in the 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this year, in the upcoming IIHF World Championships.

The Sharks were also bolstered by the contributions of youngsters Will Smith (24 goals, 35 assists in 69 games played) and Alex Wennberg (18 goals, 37 assists in 80 games played). Additionally, they got contributions from veteran Tyler Toffoli, who scored 19 goals with 30 assists in 79 games played.

Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, the youngest bench boss in the NHL at just 38, wants the players to be “damn proud” of what they accomplished despite coming up just short.

“It was a great group. They were coachable. They cared for one another, and that’s what it’s all about,” Warsofsky said via San Jose Hockey Now. “They played for one another, and yeah, we came short, but I think they should be damn proud of what they did. I don’t know why I get emotional about it, but it was a fun, fun year that probably not a lot of people expected. No one thought we’d have 39 wins. So I give a lot of credit to those guys of just continue to push, whether we challenged them, they answered it. And I know we fell short, but I don’t want them to be defined by that.”

That being said, let’s examine a few reasons why the Sharks came up just short of getting into the playoffs.

The Sharks need more secondary scoring to become a solid playoff team

There’s no denying that the sky is the limit for the Sharks, considering what Celebrini is doing despite not even being of legal drinking age in the United States. Additionally, Smith’s 59 points and Wennberg’s 55 points aren’t anything to scoff at.

However, it’s a simple fact that Celebrini can’t do it alone. Statistics show that Celebrini accounted for nearly half of San Jose’s offense. While impressive, there needs to be more offense to go around if the Sharks are going to take the next step.

While Toffoli’s 49 points aren’t anything that most NHL teams would turn down, he’s only a few years removed from reaching 73 total points scored with the Calgary Flames. Additionally, his point total in each of the last three seasons has gradually gone down.

For the Sharks to take the next step and book their first trip to the postseason since 2019, they’ll need more from their secondary scoring and to take some of the pressure off young Celebrini.

The Sharks didn’t get adequate defensive play from both skating groups 

As a club overall, the 3.55 goals allowed per game on average was ranked third-most in the NHL behind only the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks. Multiple Sharks defensemen had rotten plus-minus ratings, including Dmitri Orlov (-28), John Klingberg (-13), and Nick Leddy (-9), while several Sharks forwards posted equally concerning plus-minus ratings.

For example, Eklund finished minus-31, while Wennberg finished minus-25. Additionally, both Ty Dellandrea and Barclay Goodrow finished minus-18. Becoming solid two-way players who emphasize back-checking and not just hunting for offense will go a long way toward San Jose’s future success.

San Jose’s goaltending must improve