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San Jose Sharks

NHL – PACIFIC

San Jose Sharks

Arena: SAP Center 
Coach: Bob Boughner

2022-2023 TEAM LEADERS

San Jose Sharks

Team Summary

The San Jose Sharks are an NHL team playing in the Pacific Division based out of San Jose, California. The Sharks joined the league in 1991 and have been a largely successful franchise in terms of the regular season. However, the team has had notable issues in the postseason, making the playoffs 21 times since 1991 but making the finals only once in 2016.

San Jose is well known for two extremely prominent players drafted in the 1990s that were still active in the NHL up until recently in Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Marleau surpassed Gordie Howe for most games played in the NHL at 1768, while Joe Thornton continues to play with the Florida Panthers in an attempt to win his first cup. 

The Sharks are currently having a bit of a down year after going two consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance. The team has been largely inconsistent with putting together consecutive wins, though forward Timo Meier is enjoying an explosive season as the team leader in scoring.

San Jose Sharks Standings

The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The team competes in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the NHL. The Sharks have a passionate fan base but have not yet won a Stanley Cup championship in their history.

San Jose Sharks Betting Trends

 

Team History 

San Jose joined the league in 1991 as an expansion team after several years of trying to get a team in the bay area. The California Golden Seals were originally an NHL team in the Bay area during the 60s and 70s, but were a disaster both on and off the ice and were eventually moved to Cleveland in 1976 before ultimately being merged with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. After the construction of a new stadium in San Jose, the NHL agreed to bring hockey to northern California once again- luckily, and the team was much more successful this time around. 

San Jose made the playoffs in just their third season in the NHL, winning their first ever series in seven games against the Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks would end up making nine postseason appearances in their first 13 seasons before the 2004-2005 lockout, advancing to their first Western Conference Finals in 2002 before losing to the Calgary Flames 4-2. The Sharks would follow the lockout up with nine straight postseason appearances, winning four division titles in that span and a Presidents’ Trophy as the top-ranked team in 2009. 

The Sharks landed Erik Karlsson in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators in 2018, taking advantage of Ottawa’s implosion following their 2017 playoff run. Karlsson signed a massive eight-year x $11 million dollar deal, locking the defenseman in for what will likely be the rest of his career. The team has only made the playoffs once since Karlsson signed the deal in 2019, leaving San Jose somewhere in between contenders and needing a rebuild. 

2022 Key Stats 

San Jose has had a bit of a rollercoaster season this year, moving up and down the Pacific Division in a season that has proven to be quite competitive in the West. Unfortunately, the Sharks appear to be on a bit of a downswing at the moment with a record of 22-20-4, resting at 6th in the division and going 3-4-3 in their last 10. The team has suffered from a combination of injuries and underwhelming production, but there have been some clear, bright spots this year as well. 

To say that Timo Meier is having a good season seems like a gross misrepresentation. Meier leads the team in scoring with 21 goals, and 26 assists in 47 games played, well above a point per game and well on his way to shattering his previous career-high point total of 66. Tomas Hertl leads the team in goals scored at 22, with 38 total points in 46 games. Longtime defenseman Brent Burns has slowed down a bit after a strong push this season, with four goals and 26 assists in 46 games. San Jose’s other big-name defenseman, Erik Karlsson, has been in and out with injury throughout the entire season and currently has 26 points in 33 games played. 

Goaltending has been a bit iffy for the Sharks this year. Veteran James Reimer has played 26 games for the team so far, going 13-9-3 in that span with a record of .915. Aiden Hill has split the starts with Reimer fairly consistently with 21 total games played, currently with a record of 9-11-1 and an SV% of .901. 

Championships Won by the Team 

The San Jose Sharks have never won a Stanley Cup in franchise history despite being an overall successful franchise. The Sharks have struggled historically with making it out of the Western Conference Finals, making it to the third round four times but advancing to the cup only once in 2016. The 2016 Stanley Cup Finals remains the only time San Jose made it out of the Conference Finals, ultimately losing to the Penguins 4-2.

San Jose has only missed the playoffs eight times in franchise history, currently on a two-year drought. Considering how other 90s teams like the Florida Panthers or Arizona Coyotes have struggled immensely, the San Jose Sharks have historically been a very solid team that just can’t quite take that last step to win a championship. Their most recent playoff run saw them making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2019, losing to the St. Louis Blues 4-2. 

Important Team Events 

The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs saw one of the most incredible playoff comebacks in NHL history. After going down 3-0 in game seven against the Vegas Golden Knights, team captain Joe Pavelski was cross checked immediately after the faceoff by Vegas forward Cody Eakin. The check resulted in Pavelski hitting the ice extremely hard, causing him to bleed through his helmet on impact and requiring medical staff to assist him off of the ice. Eakin was assessed a five minute major penalty with just over 10 minutes left in the third period, giving the Sharks the opportunity to stay on the powerplay even if they scored.

San Jose took the opportunity and ran, scoring four goals in five minutes to take the lead 4-3. If that wasn’t crazy enough in and of itself, the Knights would find the game-tying goal after pulling the goaltender in the final minutes of the game, sending one of the craziest game sevens in the history of the NHL into overtime. 

San Jose completed the comeback after forward Barclay Goodrow torched two Vegas’ defenders and buried the puck on the breakaway, sending the Knights home with a 4-3 series win. If you haven’t seen the footage of San Jose’s amazing comeback, do yourself a favor and look it up right now!

Top Players 

There are two names that are unmistakably associated with the San Jose Sharks: Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Marleau was drafted by the Sharks in 1997, playing with the team for the majority of his career through 2017 before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a brief stint. Marleau would re-sign with the team during the 2020-2021 season, breaking Gordie Howe’s record for most games played in the league in the process. He currently holds the franchise record of games played at 1607, as well as goals scored at 522 and points at 1111. 

Joe Thornton is another name that is forever etched into San Jose Sharks’ history. Thornton was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1997, playing with the team through the 2005 season before being traded to the Sharks in a blockbuster move. The trade benefited Thronton and the Sharks as he become the face of the franchise, setting the record for assists along the way at 804. 

Top Coaches 

The Sharks have had 10 coaches in franchise history, with the current coach being Bob Boughner. Boughner took over for longtime San Jose coach Peter DeBoer, who led the team from 2015 through 2019. In 361 games, Deboer would go 198-129-34 and bring the team to its only Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2016. 

Darryl Sutter is another big name in coaching history for the Sharks, leading the team for 434 games between 1997 and 2002. Sutter was fairly solid in the regular season with a win percentage of .529, but would finish his time in San Jose with a postseason record of 18-24. 

Todd McLellan is the longest-tenured coach in the history of the Sharks, coaching for 540 games between 2008 and 2015. McLellan would win four straight division titles between 2007-2011, finishing with a regular-season record of 311-163-66. Unfortunately, the postseason was a bit more difficult for the coach as he finished with an all-time record of 30-32, unable to advance past the Conference Finals during his time with the team.

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San Jose Sharks Frequently Asked Questions

What year did the Sharks enter the league?

San Jose joined the league in 1991 as an expansion team.

Who is the best player in the history of the Sharks?

Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are easily the most recognizable names for San Jose.

How many times have the Sharks won the Stanley Cup?

San Jose has never won the cup, making the finals once in 2016 but losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

How many times have the Sharks made the playoffs?

San Jose has made the postseason 21 times since 1991 as of the time of publication.

Who are the Sharks’ biggest rivals?

While San Jose has strong rivalries with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, the team has recently started a very heated rivalry with the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams have managed to eliminate one another from the postseason already, despite Vegas only being in the league since the 2018 playoffs.

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