San Jose Sharks stock up, stock down

After being a threat in the Pacific Division for over two decades, the San Jose Sharks haven't had a winning season since 2018-19. Their 2022-23 campaign was perhaps one of Team Teal's worst as it finished seventh in its division with a 22-44-16 record and 14th of 16 teams in the Western Conference.

Here's a look at whose stock is rising, falling or unclear:

Rising: The youngsters 

One of the few bright spots last season was the emergence of young talent, including forwards William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau and Harvard product Henry Thrun, a defenseman. More young talent is rising, notably 2022 first-round draft selection Filip Bystedt. San Jose also has the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The Sharks need help from their up-and-comers given how much their aging core struggled with consistency last season. Top centers Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl each went through simultaneous scoring droughts as head coach David Quinn's offensive arsenal consistently battled to play a full 60 minutes. 

Injuries hurt, too, notably to Luke Kunin, whose promising season was prematurely ended by an ACL tear. The trade of power forward Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils further depleted the offense.

The one shining star in San Jose's veteran group was Erik Karlsson, who set a franchise record with a 13-game points streak from December through January. With the Norris Trophy finalist almost certainly subtracted from next season's roster, the Sharks need their young players to step up in a big way to support grinding bottom sixers such as Nico Sturm.

Falling: The blue line

The defense had a tall task ahead of it last season following Brent Burns' departure to the Carolina Hurricanes. Predictably, it struggled. San Jose allowed 321 goals over 82 regular-season games, third worst in the league. Karlsson ended the season with a staggering plus/minus of minus-26.

The defense will likely take another hit with Karlsson's departure almost certainly taking place before the end of July. Seasoned blueliners Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Radim Simek and Mario Ferraro had difficulty filling the void left by Burns, ending the season minus-14, minus-13 and minus-31, respectively.

Even with young talent coming up the pipeline, it looks like it could be another trying season in 2023-24 for the defense.

Stock unclear: Goaltending

San Jose headed into the 2022-23 season encouraged by its situation in net. Veteran James Reimer returned for another tour in teal, and Kaapo Kahkonen was primed for his first full season with the Sharks after a solid showing at the end of the last season following his acquisition from Minnesota.

But optimism faded fast as both netminders struggled to find a winning form. Reimer was the more consistent of the two but dealt with injuries. Meanwhile, Kahkonen's confidence was shaken early in the season. He finished with a 9-22 record and a 3.85 goals-against average. 

Sharks general manager Mike Grier fielded questions regarding why he hadn't kept Adin Hill between the pipes, especially after Hill rebounded from a rough season in San Jose to win a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

It isn't clear how the Sharks will look in net come October. Reimer is set to become a free agent. He told the media at the trade deadline that he was open to being dealt to a contender. Reimer could be moved in the offseason. 

Greer can choose from a long list of free-agent netminders, but finding someone consistent has proven  difficult. Free agency opens July 1.