"Despite only one Stanley Cup Final appearance to show for it, the San Jose Sharks were one of the most dominant teams of the first two decades of the 21st century. The franchise only missed the playoffs three times between 1999-2000 and 2018-19, won the division six times, and frequently made deep postseason runs in that span. A couple of the catalysts of that dominance - most notably Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau -"
"But after another disappointing Western Conference Final loss seven years ago, things have unraveled for one of the most successful regular season teams of the century. The Sharks entered their rebuild right around the same time as the pandemic hit, and the club hasn't been back to the dance since. San Jose has gone six full campaigns without playoff hockey, the longest such streak in franchise history."
"Following back-to-back last place finishes, there's at least a little bit of optimism surrounding the team ahead of the new season. With multiple years to stock up the prospect cupboard, the Sharks boast a couple of terrific young players who are ready to take the next step in 2025-26. We all know about Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 overall selection in 2024 who ended up with 63 points in his first 70 NHL games."
San Jose built a dominant run from 1999-2000 through 2018-19, regularly winning divisions and making deep playoff runs while featuring stars like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. A disappointing Western Conference Final loss seven years ago preceded a rebuild that coincided with the pandemic, and the franchise has missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons. The last three seasons produced only 61 wins combined, including back-to-back last place finishes. Recent drafts and prospect accumulation have created renewed optimism, led by Macklin Celebrini’s strong rookie showing and several other young players expected to take significant developmental leaps in 2025-26.
Read at Yahoo Sports
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