It’s been awhile since we last checked in for the Sharks Sterility Stare: there’s not been much to say, really, as the San Jose Sharks continue to sink in the NHL standings. The team has the worst record in the league, and with recent transactions in mind, the Sharks will remain at the bottom of the pile. There’s always the lottery chance the San Jose organization will have a second consecutive No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft.

San Jose current record for 2024-2025: 15-33-6 (.333)
Sharks projected record for 82 games this season: 24-52-6 (.329)
San Jose record last year (2023-2024): 19-54-9 (.287)
NHL record for worst season in 82-game history: 14-57-11 (.238)

The Sharks have played 54 games so far, which means they have about one third of the regular season left to go. They just traded away their top scorer (volume-wise) this season, age-32 center Mikael Granlund. It was the smart thing to do, of course, to get a first-round pick back in return. He was headed to free agency this summer, and Granlund would not have been in San Jose’s long-term plans. However, it is still weird.

Offensively, the team is just 25th in goals scored, and now that will suffer. This will put more pressure on the already dead-last defensive unit, in terms of goals allowed. Again, it doesn’t really matter, but there are painful days ahead for the Sharks, who have given up a lot of goals in recent weeks: eight times this calendar year, the team has given up at least four goals in a game, including seven of the last eight contests.

In fact, tossing out the rare gem on January 27 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, where San Jose won a 2-1 game, the Sharks have given up at least six goals in every game since January 20. It’s open season on the goaltenders in net for the franchise right now, and the front office also traded away defenseman Cody Ceci, one of the “better” blue liners on the roster. At age 31, though, again, he wasn’t going to be a part of the plan.

Still …

The franchise is last in attendance this year, among established teams not playing in a tiny arena never intended for NHL use. Sadly, it will just get worse with the team sinking and sports fandom as bandwagon as it is these days. Obviously, the San Jose front office is rebuilding the roster and aiming for “next year” with its moves, but it is always painful for a fan base to watch their team deteriorate for so long. It hurts.

This will be the sixth consecutive spring without playoffs for the Sharks. If there is a seventh, we may be looking at the next NHL franchise to relocate. What cities want an NHL team? Well, we know Phoenix is in the market, and wouldn’t that be odd to see the San Jose organization poached by the undeserving desert fan base down there? For sure, so the Sharks better their act together for 2025-2026. Time has come today.