It\u2019s not just Macklin Celebrini that other teams are taking notice of.<\/p>\n
The San Jose Sharks are defining an identity, which Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice and defenseman Jeff Petry spoke on at morning skate on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re right well into their structure,\u201d Maurice said. \u201cI think that you could expect a certain style of game out of San Jose every night, and that\u2019s the structure part of it, very, very fast, very quick. They forecheck with aggressiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petry compared the Sharks to recent opponent Anaheim Ducks: \u201cThey have skill up front, and they play a fast game. There\u2019s other teams, they have that skill and speed, but they play a heavier game. Anaheim and San Jose tonight, they want to play that speed and skilled-style game.\u201d<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just in the offensive zone either.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven in the neutral zone or the defensive zone, it\u2019s no longer a passive team. There\u2019s not a lot of switch-offs. There\u2019s not confusion about who\u2019s got whom,\u201d Maurice said. \u201cSo the structure is right in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
A structured San Jose Sharks team? In this economy?<\/p>\n
But of course, it is NHL-leading scorer Celebrini driving the bus. That\u2019s not hyperbole, the simple fact is that Sharks, 6-2-1 in their last nine, are playing a game that emulates their 19-year-old superstar.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s speed and skill, but with a defensive conscience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that they\u2019re quite a bit ahead of where they might be [because] you have a different style of player in Celebrini,\u201d Maurice said. \u201cHe\u2019s just the things that we talked about, his willingness to be good. There\u2019s a bit of a [Aleksander] Barkov in that, too. He doesn\u2019t cheat the game to put up numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
We\u2019re just 15 games into the 2025-26 season, but Maurice can see the future of the San Jose Sharks, and just maybe, it might be like the future of the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champs.<\/p>\n
\u201cProcess of a rebuild, you acquire as much talent as you can, and then a structure has to come into that,\u201d Maurice said. \u201cSo it\u2019s talent, structure, and then at some point, you bring in the great veteran people just to fill your roster, which is what\u2019s happened to the Florida Panthers over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Jose Sharks (6-6-3)<\/p>\n
Yaroslav Askarov should start.<\/p>\n
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky will share more line-up details at about 4:30 PM PT.<\/p>\n
Florida Panthers (7-6-1)<\/p>\n
Daniil Tarasov will start for Panthers.<\/p>\n
Former #SJSharks<\/a> update: Gadjovich is out 3 months after upper-body surgery suffered 10\/25.<\/p>\n Gregor will play, Kunin will not.<\/p>\n \u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n #FlaPanthers<\/a> morning skate lines in San Jose:<\/p>\n Luostarinen \u2013 Lundell \u2013 Marchand Forsling \u2013 Ekblad \u2014 Rob Darragh (@darraghfla) November 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Where To Watch<\/p>\n Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers is at 7 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Verhaeghe \u2013 Rodrigues \u2013 Reinhart
Boqvist \u2013 Bennett \u2013 Samoskevich
Greer \u2013 Schwindt \u2013 Gregor<\/p>\n
Mikkola \u2013 Jones
Sebrango \u2013 Petry<\/p>\n