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Will the San Jose Sharks go outside the box for their next head coach?

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Sam Nestler | Last updated 5/23/24

The San Jose Sharks are a long ways away from competing in the NHL.

After finishing 32nd last season with a 19-54-9 record and 29th the prior year with a 22-44-16 record, San Jose fired head coach David Quinn after only two years. The decision was met with a lot of scrutiny, with the main question being: What else was he supposed to accomplish with that team?

Sure, Quinn maybe could’ve done more to avoid two separate double-digit game losing streaks. But aside from that, he was dressing a bunch of American Hockey League players, what else did the organization expect?

With the recent firing in mind, and the likely long rebuild ahead, does it make sense for San Jose to think outside the box with their next head coach? Does drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall and likely having Will Smith on the roster lead to that decision?

Frank Seravalli: What about the San Jose Sharks? You know a guy that they have interviewed, Marco Sturm has gotten permission from the Los Angeles Kings… Obviously not the most desirable job in the NHL because there’s a lot of work to be done with this Sharks team that’s not going to have a chance to compete probably while you are on your contract… You can understand and imagine why they are trying to think outside the box and go with a new name that we haven’t seen or heard before.

Colby Cohen: Marco Sturm kind of reminds me of what Kyle Davidson did with Luke Richardson. A guy who has been an assistant coach, he’s paid his dues, he’s well-respected, he’s well-liked. He’s not an old guy, he’s on the younger side of things, so he can communicate with the young players. I think that’s something that has to be thought about. You’re probably going to sign Celebrini, Will Smith most likely makes the jump… The question would be: Is anyone going to want to take a risk on that, knowing that David Quinn was brought there and fired after two years where the team was the worst roster I have ever seen?

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