Grading Every San Jose Shark Player’s 2025-26 Season

June 3, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Finishing the 2025-26 NHL season with 86 points, the most since they last made the postseason seven years ago, the San Jose Sharks finished four points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot.

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While eliminated from playoff contention with two games to go, there is no way to characterize San Jose’s season as anything other than a resounding success.

Largely expected to finish near or at the bottom of the standings, where they’ve resided every year since 2019, the Sharks easily surpassed their projected preseason point total and exceeded all conceivable expectations from hockey experts and fans alike.

That San Jose was even alive in April is cause for excitement. For the last few years, the Sharks have been stuck in NHL irrelevance, so bad that they have never played big games and so boring that they have never received media attention. Games post-Christmas were more about draft positioning than stacking victories, climbing the standings or pondering the postseason.

This season gave San Jose a taste of meaningful hockey for the first time in over half a decade. The team was entertaining again, and most importantly, the fanbase was reenergized.

While teenage sensation and Hart Trophy finalist Macklin Celebrini carried the Sharks to victory on numerous occasions this season, he wasn’t the only player in Teal to elevate his play. The supporting cast, alongside Celebrini’s herculean sophomore season, was the reason San Jose made a 34-point jump this year, the biggest improvement in the league.

Now that it’s been over a month since the season ended, it’s time to hand out 2025-26 grades for every Sharks player. While most received impressive marks for their strong play this year, some will undoubtedly need to improve for next season if San Jose wants to remain ahead of schedule in its rebuild.

“WillMack” – A

Macklin Celebrini – A+

It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find ways to contextualize and describe what Celebrini accomplished this year. He became the franchise single-season points leader with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in all 82 games, passing legend Joe Thornton for the most all-time in a season. But his gaudy numbers are only part of his greatness.

Celebrini’s combination of generational skill, speed, creativity, intelligence and competitive drive kept the Sharks afloat with a below-average roster. Celebrini also developed into a capable and trusted leader, especially on a roster with no captain.

Perhaps what made his season so impressive was his impact on winning. There have been many players through NHL history, albeit none with as historic statistics, that have put up numbers but could never truly contribute to team success in a significant way.

Not Celebrini. The team went 37-18-5 when he had at least one point. Even more staggering: the Sharks only won two games this season when Celebrini didn’t factor in on the scoring—a clear testament to his value.

Will Smith– A-

Smith also made a big jump from Year 1, with 24 goals and 39 helpers in 69 games.

Smith was clearly San Jose’s second-best offensive threat and displayed his creativity, scoring touch and booming shot at even strength and on the power play. His chemistry with Celebrini provided the majority of the Sharks’ dangerous scoring chances.

Smith made tremendous strides on the forecheck that allowed him to handle the puck more and look to distribute as a passer instead of simply a scorer.

The Rookies — B

Michael Misa– B

Misa is a difficult player to grade after his rookie season. The 2025 second-overall pick didn’t play much early in the year, but like many rookies, he showed flashes of his elite potential.

In some ways, his play was underwhelming, especially compared to what top-pick Matthew Schaefer did for the Islanders in his first season, or how Porter Martone looked for the Flyers in the postseason with so little experience. Understandably, at 18 and lacking size by NHL standards, Misa looked extremely timid and cautious on the ice.

But after returning from a mid-season injury and the World Juniors, he played with more confidence and speed. He still deferred too much and passed up scoring opportunities, but he started finding success using his hockey IQ to make high-level plays. Given his knack for getting to the front of the net, Misa should take another leap next year as he adjusts to the NHL.

Sam Dickinson – B-

The 2024 first-round selection had a typical rookie defenseman season: some strong play, but also some infuriating mistakes. His puck management improved over the season, as did his on-ice communication. For Dickinson to continue his progression, he must work on using his body to get to pucks and win battles along the boards.

The Sharks will be patient with Dickinson, but it will be slightly concerning if he can’t start producing offensively after scoring 91 points in 55 games as the OHL Defenceman of the Year with the London Knights in 2024-25.

Igor Chernyshov – A-

Chernyshov exceeded all expectations in his first year. Following his recall from the San Jose Barracuda in December, Chernyshov immediately established his role as a capable scorer. He takes advantage of his size to hold onto pucks in the offensive zone and control possession. Despite playing in just 28 games, Chernyshov had 19 points while skating on multiple lines.

Once Chernyshov can stay healthy and solidify himself as a full-time NHLer, his production for San Jose will make him a draft-day steal.

The Youngsters – A-

William Eklund – B

Eklund, in his first season after signing a three-year extension, had 53 points (14 goals, 39 assists), less than the 58 he put up in 2024-25.

The Sharks benefit from Eklund’s smooth skating and puck-carrying abilities, but need more goal-scoring from him. He went on multiple extended goal droughts throughout the season, and while it’s not for lack of opportunity—he was second on the team in shots on goal —Eklund must improve his 8.5% shot percentage to become a consistent scorer.

Shakir Mukhamadullin – B-

The young Russian blueliner still doesn’t have the complete trust of head coach Ryan Warsofsky, as he was limited to 50 games and was often a healthy scratch. Mukhamadullin was extremely inconsistent, not only from game to game but oftentimes from shift to shift.

He showed tremendous promise at times, but needs to be less passive on the ice. When he plays with physicality and aggression, he shows he deserves a shot as a top-6 D-man.

Zack Ostapchuk – A-

When general manager Mike Grier acquired Ostapchuk from the Ottawa Senators in the Fabian Zetterlund trade last March, it raised a lot of eyebrows. But after watching Ostapchuk’s first full season in Teal, it’s clear Grier knew exactly what he was doing. Ostapchuk is fast, physical and gritty–exactly what the team needed, and at 23, an ideal fourth-line center for years to come.

Collin Graf – A+

Graf might be Grier’s masterpiece. Despite going undrafted, Graf became one of the Sharks’ most important players this season. He has proven to be a Swiss Army Knife for San Jose: killing penalties, getting significant power-play minutes, and playing on all four lines in 81 games.

But Graf’s offensive production was a pleasant surprise, amassing 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) alongside his other responsibilities. Put simply, Graf’s hockey smarts, while unappreciated by the average viewer, make him a winning player.

Goaltending – C

Yaroslav Askarov – C-

Askarov’s second season in San Jose was disappointing, especially considering the expectations placed on him as the franchise’s goalie of the future. In November, Askarov looked as good as any netminder in the league, going 8-2 while boasting a .947 save percentage and a 1.88 goals-against average.

However, he struggled mightily for the remainder of the season and never recaptured that early success, ending the year with an .884 save percentage and a 3.63 goals-against average. Askarov looked less confident and comfortable between the pipes, and his leaky goaltending likely cost the Sharks a few wins that could have been enough to grab the final wild card spot.

Luckily for San Jose, Askarov is still young, talented and extremely inexperienced, with only 53 starts under his belt over four seasons. The hope is that he continues to become more consistent over the course of a full season.

Alex Nedeljkovic – B+

The Sharks got the full Nedeljkovic experience. The newcomer had some incredible games, along with some embarrassing outings. All in all, though, Nedeljkovic was the better and more reliable of the two goaltenders this season, with a 2.87 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage.

Given that Team Teal owned an 18-4-4 record in Ned’s starts last season, he should continue to be a high-quality 1B to Askarov.

The Veterans – A-

Mario Ferraro – B+

Ferraro, always the center of trade chatter around the deadline, once again showed his value to the team this season. He played in all 82 games, willingly blocked shots, logged big minutes and boxed out forwards in front of the net. Ferraro will never be a top-pair defenseman, but he does all the little things defensively that are needed to field a winning team.

Tyler Toffoli – C

Toffoli’s role on the Sharks is clear: score goals and be a veteran leader. While he has done the latter in ways no one could have anticipated when San Jose acquired him two offseasons ago, the former not so much.

19 goals won’t cut it. It’s the first time Toffoli has failed to reach the 20-goal plateau since 2019. Toffoli isn’t asked to do much else for the Sharks, and this season, he was more of a defensive liability than usual. The effort and focus appeared lackadaisical at times.

His flaws are much easier for San Jose to overcome if he can return to his 30-goal 2024-25 form.

Alex Wennberg – A

Wennberg has his shortcomings as a player, no doubt, but he excelled in many ways for the Sharks this season. He played over 20 minutes a night and was third on the team in points with 55 (18 goals, 37 assists).

Wennberg’s ability to hold onto pucks and evade pressure was huge for San Jose offensively. He was the team’s go-to faceoff man and played on both special teams units. While likely a third-line center on a championship team, Wennberg was a key part of the Sharks’ resurgence into the playoff race.

Barclay Goodrow, Ty Dellandrea – B+

Both Goodrow and Dellandrea were underwhelming a season ago and subject to fan scrutiny. But both turned things around this year and were much more effective in their bottom-six roles. Dellandrea was having an especially improved season until he went down with a lower-body injury and didn’t look the same once he returned.

Vincent Desharnais – A-

The big defenseman played fairly well this season. Often paired with Dickinson, Desharnais was a calming presence and a good fit with the rookie on the blueline.

Offseason Acquisitions – B

John Klingberg – B-

Klingberg had an up-and-down year. There were vintage moments, but also times when he looked slow and outmatched. He quarterbacked the top power-play unit as the team’s primary puck-moving defenseman, but couldn’t bring the group much success. Overall, he added some veteran competency and experience to a team that has lacked an adept defenseman for years.

Dmitry Orlov – A-

Similar to Klingberg, Orlov brought a sense of calmness and control to the blue line. He’s not the shutdown defenseman he once was, but he helped the San Jose Sharks become a respectable group in front of their net. Orlov packed an offensive punch for the Sharks as well, with a career-high 34 assists.

Adam Gaudette – A-

Gaudette is a fourth-line-style player with the ability to be a potent scoring threat, and he was just that in his first season in San Jose, totaling 17 goals despite limited ice time.

If Gaudette can continue to hover around the 20-goal mark on the fourth line playing with offensively limited teammates such as Goodrow or Ostapchuk, the Sharks will have more balanced scoring up and down their lineup.

Phillip Kurashev – C

Kurashev’s tenure in San Jose got off to a great start, and it seemed like the unsatisfactory end to his Blackhawks career was behind him. He had 10 points in his first 13 games, fitting in seamlessly with Celebrini and Smith on the top line. But Kurashev cooled off and was essentially invisible the rest of the way.

Ryan Reaves – A+

Reavo gets a perfect grade, and unsurprisingly, it’s all for what he did off the ice. The trade for the former rival last summer was unpopular at the time, but the partnership has been a flawless fit. The energy, leadership and confidence he gave everyone on the ice cannot be quantified in any statistic.

Nick Leddy – D+

San Jose acquired Leddy to bolster the depth of their young blue line and reach the salary cap floor. While he wasn’t expected to be a significant contributor, the hope was that he could make some positive impact, but Leddy was brutal in every metric. He was scratched on numerous occasions for his atrocious play.

Kiefer Sherwood – B

The mid-season trade for Sherwood was the Sharks’ big swing at the deadline. It’s too early to evaluate the trade itself, but Sherwood didn’t make as substantial an impact as the team was hoping for. Sherwood’s physicality and competitive edge were a welcome sight, but after just 13 points in 28 contests post-trade, they will need more scoring from him next year.

The post Grading Every San Jose Shark Player’s 2025-26 Season appeared first on The Lead.

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