It’s been seven years since the last time that the San Jose Sharks weren’t obvious Trade Deadline sellers.
That was 2019, and a loaded Sharks squad, led by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns, all in their primes, were eyeing a run to the Stanley Cup.
The Sharks aren’t back like that, just yet.
Heading into Thursday, San Jose’s first post-Olympic break game against the Calgary Flames, the Sharks are five points out of the Western Conference’s last wild card spot.
It will be, honestly, an uphill climb for the Sharks to make the post-season: Beyond newly-minted “generational” superstar Macklin Celebrini, the roster is seriously flawed.
That said, the talent is there, besides Celebrini, for a surprise playoff berth. So what’s got to go right for the San Jose Sharks to make the post-season for the first time since 2019?
Celebrini Must Stay Healthy
There’s arguably no player in the NHL more important to his team than Celebrini.
Celebrini has 81 points, 28 goals and 53 assists, meaning that he’s been involved in 47.9 percent of the San Jose Sharks’ 169 goals. Only Connor McDavid and his 98 points, directly part of 48.3 percent of the Edmonton Oilers’ offense, has had a greater impact on his team than Celebrini.
