3 questions facing San Jose Sharks

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the San Jose Sharks.

1. How quickly will Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith develop?

Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and Smith, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, will each make his NHL debut this season, and much will be expected of the forwards.

Celebrini, who turned 18 in June, had 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games with Boston University last season and won the Hobey Baker, voted the top men's player in NCAA hockey. Smith, 19, had 71 points (25 goals, 46 assists) in 41 games with Boston College and led the NCAA in points.

Assistant general manager Ryane Clowe referred to the 2020 NHL Draft Class of the New York Rangers. For three seasons, he was senior adviser and hockey operations adviser to GM Chris Drury and last season, watched Alexis Lafreniere (No. 1), Braden Schneider (No. 19), Will Cuylle (No. 60) and Matt Rempe (No. 165) all make significant strides.

"You've got to have patience, trust and understanding from a development standpoint," Clowe said. "One thing I learned is development is an individual thing, whether it's Will Smith or Celebrini or any of the young guys around the League. This is what we need to dig in on and go from there."

2. Can they count on their goalies?

Vitek Vanecek was set to compete with Mackenzie Blackwood, his New Jersey Devils teammate in 2022-23, for time in net. Then the Sharks acquired goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Aug. 23.

Askarov, 22, signed a two-year, $4 million contract ($2 million average annual value) beginning with the 2025-26 season. Nashville's first-round pick (No. 11) in the 2020 NHL Draft is 1-1-0 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in three NHL games and was the top-rated European goalie in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for the 2020 draft. 

His arrival has created a scenario where the Sharks could break training camp with three goalies.

"I won't rule it out," general manager Mike Grier said. "I expect this to be a really competitive camp. … It's a good opportunity for everyone to push themselves and get better, and for Yaroslav I think it's also a good opportunity for him to watch and learn from some guys who've been successful and good goalies in 'Blackie' and Vitek."

Vanecek, 28, acquired in a trade with the Devils for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen on March 8, has yet to play for the Sharks because of a lower-body injury that sidelined him from Feb. 10 to the end of last season, when he was 17-9-3 with a 3.18 GAA and .890 save percentage in 32 games (29 starts).

Blackwood, 27, went 10-25-4 with a 3.45 GAA, .899 save percentage and two shutouts in 44 games (41 starts), also missing time with a groin and undisclosed injury.

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky was bullish on Vanecek and Blackwood nearly one month before the trade.

"I've read a couple things, and I try not to read this stuff knocking our goalies, and I think it's crazy to me," Warsofsky said. "I don't know where this talk is coming from. We have two really good goaltenders that we're going to lean on a lot, and I think they're going to surprise a lot of people."

3. What should be expected from first-year coach Warsofsky?

Warsofsky replaced David Quinn on June 17 to become the youngest coach in the NHL at age 36 after two seasons as an assistant and called for new life, energy and some positivity during his introductory press conference June 17.

The Sharks had NHL lows of 19 wins and 47 points in 2023-24, their fewest in a full season since going 11-71 with two ties (21 points) in 1992-93, and were 22-44-16 in 2022-23.

"I would say that (last season) was rock bottom, for sure, for everyone," Warsofsky said. "I think everyone is kind of probably counting us out, but that's all right. We don't get judged by what the media says. That is completely irrelevant in my book. It's us being focused as a group."