{"id":824919,"date":"2026-08-25T04:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T04:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/824919\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T04:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T04:08:09","slug":"nhl-power-rankings-where-sharks-stand-after-busy-offseason-nbc-sports-bay-area-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/824919\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Power Rankings: Where Sharks stand after busy offseason \u2013 NBC Sports Bay Area & California"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the offseason dust almost settled<\/a>, it’s time to evaluate where the Sharks stand among their NHL counterparts.<\/p>\n

This could be the first time since 2019 that the Sharks make the playoffs, but how do they stack up against the rest of the NHL?<\/p>\n

Here are San Jose Hockey Now’s offseason power rankings, as of Aug. 24.<\/p>\n

Three NHL scouts also looked over the rankings.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, there still are some stars who could be moved by opening night: Center Dylan Larkin and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck could be traded. Winger Cutter Gauthier is among the top RFA\u2019s still unsigned.<\/p>\n

Here’s where all 32 teams sit:<\/p>\n

32. Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n

The Canucks are where the Sharks were a few years ago, a franchise that needs to rebuild and is finally admitting it. Their quiet offseason is a reflection of this.<\/p>\n

31. Seattle Kraken<\/p>\n

The Kraken, as a franchise, are running in place. Frankly, there\u2019s a reason why star sniper Jason Robertson declined a trade to Seattle.<\/p>\n

30. Calgary Flames<\/p>\n

The NHL\u2019s most anemic offense didn\u2019t add much firepower in the offseason. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a fine foundation, but as a franchise, they need more game-changers.<\/p>\n

29. Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n

Patrick Kane and Bo Byram will help, but they\u2019ll need to survive the absence of injured Connor Bedard for likely a month or so this season.<\/p>\n

28. Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n

Dylan Larkin\u2019s trade request will hang over them: This is going to be a tough year in Motown.<\/p>\n

27. Toronto Maple Leafs<\/p>\n

Sergei Bobrovsky is a future Hall of Famer, but he\u2019s 37 and coming off possibly the worst season of his career. I think this gamble blows up in Toronto\u2019s face and diminishes an otherwise excellent off-season.<\/p>\n

26. Winnipeg Jets<\/p>\n

Where Hellebuyck goes, the Jets follow.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s out of town, Winnipeg\u2019s contending window closes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be getting a haul back\u201d for Hellebuyck, Scout No. 1 countered. That probably won\u2019t make the Jets better this season, though.<\/p>\n

25. New York Islanders<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve got teen superstar defenseman Matthew Schaefer, but most of their other best players are on the wrong side of 30. They don\u2019t appear to have much upside.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot sure what to make of Toronto yet and same with the Islanders,\u201d Scout No. 2 said.<\/p>\n

24. Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n

Big picture, it was probably wise for the Penguins to not follow up on their surprising playoff appearance last year with a splashy offseason. But they also seem to be running out the clock on all-time great Sidney Crosby\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

23. New York Rangers<\/p>\n

Pavel Dorofeyev should add lots of scoring, and along with a re-tooled defense and the continued presence of top goalie Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers should be better. They\u2019re a wild-card team, if it all works out.<\/p>\n

22. Nashville Predators<\/p>\n

Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton and Jack Drury are all solid additions up front, and the Predators have enough to eke into the playoffs, but do they have enough for a run? Stars Steven Stamkos, Ryan O\u2019Reilly, and Roman Josi are all on the wrong side of 35.<\/p>\n

21. St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n

The aging Blues defense, besides Phillip Broberg, might have seen their best days. St. Louis could be deep up front: Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael are young and talented buy-low acquisitions. But they seem to be a \u201cmushy middle\u201d team.<\/p>\n

20. Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n

This is a talented group, but how committed to Columbus is reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski? This is a squad that really needs a quick start this season to help put the Werenski trade rumors to bed.<\/p>\n

19. Anaheim Ducks<\/p>\n

Beyond young star Jackson LaCombe, there are lots of questions about the Ducks\u2019 defense. I do expect Leo Carlsson to take another step toward franchise center.<\/p>\n

18. New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n

Can Jack Hughes stay healthy? That could be the difference between the playoffs or not for the Devils. Jake Allen is a big question at the No. 1 goalie.<\/p>\n

17. Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n

They\u2019re good enough to make the playoffs, but that\u2019s about it. This is a first-round-and-out roster that\u2019s not getting better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d put Anaheim ahead of LA,\u201d Scout No. 1 said. \u201cThink there will be five Central teams and three Pacific teams in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

16. San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n

San Jose\u2019s defense has been arguably the NHL\u2019s worst for years: Will the expensive additions<\/a> of Darnell Nurse<\/a>, Jacob Trouba<\/a> and Michael Kesselring<\/a> change that<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Real defensive improvement will make life easier for talented but inconsistent Yaroslav Askarov.<\/p>\n

The Sharks could be among the league\u2019s best up front, headlined by Macklin Celebrini and a battalion of young guns who could take the next step; they just need the blueline to be competent.<\/p>\n

I think the Sharks snap their seven-year playoff drought this season, the first of many postseason appearances in the Celebrini era.<\/p>\n

15. Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n

The Flyers are a solid all-around group with some upside, but they need more star power to take the next step. They know it, too, hence their failed Carlsson offer sheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

14. Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n

The Senators are deep and talented, even without Brady Tkachuk, but they\u2019re stuck in the Atlantic, the deepest division in hockey. I\u2019m not sure they have enough to get out of it.<\/p>\n

13. Boston Bruins<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a complete team that got better with the addition of scoring winger JJ Peterka, but they aren\u2019t a Stanley Cup contender.<\/p>\n

12. Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n

Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee are solid adds to an already-imposing forward group. The Mammoth aren\u2019t a Cup contender, but they should make the post-season.<\/p>\n

11. Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n

The Oilers have been a du jour Cup pick this summer, but they didn\u2019t really add a lot to their roster. I don\u2019t think new head coach Mike Babcock makes that much of an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cBabcock will make a difference,\u201d Scout No. 3 countered. \u201cConnor McDavid is a man on a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

10. Washington Capitals<\/p>\n

How the Caps are treating the twilight of Alex Ovechkin\u2019s career is a fascinating contrast to how the Pens are approaching Crosby\u2019s. They\u2019re going all in with the expensive additions of wingers Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou (and ex-Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais). Their overall defense is a question mark, but they\u2019re loaded up front today, future be damned.<\/p>\n

A weaker Metropolitan division will help them, too.<\/p>\n

9. Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n

They\u2019re another popular offseason pick to take the next step, but I think this skilled group needs another game-changer to go from good to great.<\/p>\n

8. Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n

Tuch and Byram are gone, but they\u2019re a young and dangerous group; I expect they\u2019ll make up for those departures from within.<\/p>\n

7. Dallas Stars<\/p>\n

Can the uber-talented Stars finally put it together? On paper, they look like a Cup contender, but they went backward last year, losing in the first round after three consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances. I think the Robertson situation also will be a distraction.<\/p>\n

6. Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n

The Wild haven\u2019t been able to break out of a loaded Central for years … I think they have a long playoff run this season. They still need help up the middle though.<\/p>\n

5. Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n

Since their three consecutive Final appearances from 2020 to 2022, the Lightning have lost in the first round every year. They\u2019re too talented to let that continue, right?<\/p>\n

4. Vegas Golden Knights<\/p>\n

The defending Western Conference champs, up against the cap, were forced to deal Dorofeyev and didn\u2019t add much this summer, but they\u2019re still sound at every position. A weak Pacific should be theirs to lose once again.<\/p>\n

3. Florida Panthers<\/p>\n

The Panthers aren\u2019t just adding Brady Tkachuk; they\u2019ve got All-World center Aleksander Barkov healthy again. They\u2019re going to be back in the championship hunt. I think the Jacob Markstrom roll of the dice in net pays off.<\/p>\n

2. Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n

They\u2019re still armed with superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, and still have solid depth. This might be the year that they recapture the Cup.<\/p>\n

1. Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n

The defending Stanley Cup champions have to top the power rankings at least in the preseason, right? They still look locked and loaded, on paper, for another run. But will they have the hunger to go back-to-back?<\/p>\n

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the offseason dust almost settled, it’s time to evaluate where the Sharks stand among their NHL counterparts.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":824920,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[4272,385,325178,99],"class_list":["post-824919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-macklin-celebrini","tag-nhl","tag-nhl-offseason","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=824919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/824920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=824919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=824919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=824919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}