Ranking The NHL Rebuilds: Sharks (4th)

Sharks Overall Rebuild Grade: B+
Core: A
Overall Roster: C+
Prospect Pool: A+
Head Coach & General Manager: B

Sharks Rebuild is Starting to Take Shape & It’s Exciting

The San Jose Sharks might be a year away from making significant progress in the standings. Otherwise, they have one of the best rebuilds, certainly, one that has the highest upside. It was a long process, and it took a few seasons until they started the teardown but they are starting to put together a young and promising group that can take the league by storm in a few years. 

They have the elite player to build around in Macklin Celebrini, who already looks like a forward who can game the game on any given shift. The Sharks are surrounding him with young talent as well, notably Will Smith and Michael Misa, whom they selected second overall in the 2025 Entry Draft. Additionally, they are one of the few teams that have a young goaltender to build around with Yaroslav Askarov in net. 

The good thing is that, along with the young core starting to make its mark at the NHL level, the Sharks never rushed the rebuild. They’ve brought in a few veterans but aren’t overpaying them, signing them to long-term deals, or asking them to be key parts of the roster. Instead, players like Tyler Toffoli, Nick Leddy, and Dmitry Orlov are only around to help the young players develop, which is what you want as a rebuilding team. 

The rebuild speaks volumes to the job that GM Mike Grier has done. There are few GMs that want to do the tear-down and rebuild after a team has failed to rebuild (which the Sharks, a team that last made the playoffs in 2019, did). Grier moved on from the aging veterans and built the Sharks from the ground up. Now, they are starting to see the progress.  They’ve balanced youth with veteran additions in a way what will pay off in years to come.

Outsider’s Perspective

Among all the teams in the rebuild rankings, the Sharks were given the best remarks from the outsiders. They are the first team many think of as having a great rebuild. Here are some of the many quotes from the writers who contributed to this edition of the rebuild rankings. 

“Love what Mike Grier has been able to do. From drafting to trades to even signing players into the fold, I think he’s done a tremendous job, and I’d argue the Sharks’ rebuild is going better than the Blackhawks. They have a really nice young core of Celebrini, Smith, Misa, and Askarov. Along with Eklund and Dickinson. Truly a nice rebuild and I’m excited for that group.”

“They have some incredible talent, have made some calculated moves, accrued amazing assets to keep their talent pool fresh, and surrounded that talent with good veterans to keep them competitive enough to learn.”

“I truly believe the San Jose Sharks have knocked it out of the park with their rebuild so far. Their top six is lethal, and now adding a Michael Misa to that is even scarier. Also, trading for Askarov was a great decision. Also, having Sam Dickinson on the blue line, who I’d assume will be ready for the NHL come the 2026-2027 season, is a great young skater.”

“I think the San Jose Sharks are definitely moving in the right direction. They have a strong, young group in place with players like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, so I think they are doing all the right things.”

What’s not to like about what the Sharks have done? They’ve been the league’s punching bag for years and, finally, are starting to turn things around, led by multiple top picks. Misa still has yet to prove he’s ready for the NHL but otherwise, expect the forward unit to make significant strides this season with Celebrini leading the way. 

The Bottom Line: Sharks are gaining on the league

The question many will ask is why they aren’t ranked higher on the list. If they are taking all the right steps, making all the right moves, and are projected to have the best roster in a few years, why aren’t they the best rebuild? There are two explanations. 

The first is that they are still in the early phases of a rebuild, the drafting and developing stage. Grier nailed this element but the next steps are what will separate this rebuild, and those steps will only come after this season and possibly next season. 

The other thing to consider is the core, or where the star power is on the Sharks. They have the elite forwards and two centers to build around, plus a reliable goaltender but don’t have a clear-cut number one defenseman. Sam Dickinson is a promising blue liner but likely won’t make an impact until next season. It’s the position the Sharks will probably target in the upcoming draft as they’ll hope to round out the core. Then, they’ll take the league by storm!