Just hours after we looked at the problems of the San Jose Sharks last month, the organization fired its head coach. We went to a few games in person (watching the Sharks collapse late defensively both times to turn potential wins into losses), and while reminiscing about the team’s stellar decade recently, something else ugly went down for the Sharks.

Yeah, it’s been that kind of season for San Jose.

Last year, the St. Louis Blues had the worst record in the league right about this time, but they righted the ship and charged all the way to the organization’s first Stanley Cup title in June.

Is it too early to write the Sharks off then?

No. This team is done, as evidenced by its collapse against the Caps the other day. Technically, San Jose is just eight points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but it might as well be 20 points. The Sharks just aren’t playing well, and little help is in sight.

San Jose has just a 3.9-percent chance to make the playoffs right now, and that is generous. The way the team has been playing, the Sharks would need a complete about-face change of direction to get things going the right way.

That’s not happening any time soon, not with giving up the second-most goals in the league this season (still). Coughing up two goals in the final 47 seconds against Washington before losing on another goal in overtime is just the perfect anecdote for how bad this team has been on defense.

Even when the offense does score? The defense blows it. How does that make the goal scorers feel? Like they can never do enough, and that’s when you start to quit mentally on effort.

This is an aging roster, averaging 29.5 years per player, and the league average right now is 27.8 years old. Both goalies are 30 years old, and their play shows it. Generally, it’s lights-out time for the Sharks in 2020.

After more than two decades of winning a lot, it’s time for San Jose to bite the bullet, sell off some expensive parts, and go for a total rebuild. The fans may not like it, but it has to be done if the Sharks want to remain competitive for 2021 and beyond.