The long wait is finally over. San Jose Sharks hockey is back—and with it comes their most anticipated season in a while. The expectation is no longer to simply be competitive, catch teams by surprise, or play spoiler; it’s to return to the postseason and be a constant threat all year long.
On Thursday, Oct. 1, the Sharks will embark on the 2026-27 campaign under a heightened media spotlight as they welcome the Florida Panthers to SAP Center.
The re-tooled Panthers, with both Tkatchuk brothers in tow, arrive on the West Coast after making a season-opening statement on Tuesday, downing the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes in overtime on Banner Night. With captain Aleksander Barkov healthy, Florida enters the year with the best odds at taking home the Cup next June.
For Team Teal, how San Jose comes out of the gate early should offer a glimpse of whether this squad has the chops to become playoff entrants in 2026-27.
Quite frankly, the Sharks have floundered in October in recent years, opening the last two regular seasons with eight- and six-game losing streaks, respectively.
Yep, that’s not a typo: the team holds just six wins during October over the last three years. Those extended stretches without two points have left San Jose behind the eight ball immediately and forced them to climb out of deep holes that have proven insurmountable.
Given their struggles historically this time of year and the Sharks’ lofty playoff aspirations, here are five things to watch as San Jose drops the puck on its season Thursday.
Celebrini’s First Game as Team Captain
Let’s start with Macklin Celebrini, because what else would you want to watch?
Suffice it to say, Celebrini had a busy offseason.
He played in the IIHF World Hockey Championships in Switzerland this May, captaining Team Canada instead of Sidney Crosby. Much like the Olympics, Celebrini was the best player for long stretches, putting up 14 points and posting a +13 rating in 10 games.
In July, he was announced as the EA Sports NHL 27 cover athlete, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. Just two weeks later, Celebrini reaffirmed his commitment to San Jose and earned a much-deserved raise, inking a five-year extension worth $94 million total and $18.8 million annually, the richest contract in league history at the time.
And last week, entering his third season at age 20, Celebrini became the youngest active captain in the NHL, the inevitable next step as he continues to assume the role as face of the franchise.
After amassing 115 points a season ago, it’s worth monitoring whether the added pressure of living up to a monster contract and managing a scrutinized leadership position at such a young age impacts his production this year.
But since it’s Celebrini, it’d be wise not to doubt him.
New Additions
Every team league-wide is curious to see how their offseason additions perform in their first official game with the new squad. But for the Sharks, one of their biggest priorities this season is effectively integrating the veterans they acquired this summer with their talented young core.
San Jose picked up defenseman Michael Kesselring in a June pre-draft trade, and the coaching staff is high on his upside, believing he can bounce back from an underwhelming tenure in Buffalo.
The acquisitions of Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba, blueliners both with sizable contracts and on the wrong side of 30, raised some eyebrows. After years of stockpiling assets and a hesitancy to hand out significant money, adding Nurse and Trouba was a clear departure from that plan. It was a declaration from general manager Mike Grier that he and his staff were sick of rebuilding and willing to take considerable salary cap risks on proven but declining players.
Half of San Jose’s blueline against the Panthers could be new additions, so their play will almost certainly affect Yaroslav Askarov or Alex Nedeljkovic‘s workload between the pipes.
Up front, after posting four 15-goal seasons over the last six years, the Sharks hope free-agent pickup Mason Marchment contributes offensively on the wing in a third-line role.
Stenberg’s Rookie Debut
However, the Sharks’ most exciting addition to the opening-night roster is a player who hasn’t skated one minute in “The Show.” But make no mistake — Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, the No. 2 overall pick in this past summer’s draft, already has the skill set tailor-made for the NHL.
Stenberg accomplished everything there is to achieve at the professional level in Sweden, and his unique combination of IQ, vision, playmaking, and ability to control the puck in every zone makes him primed for success right away, especially if paired with the other gifted forwards in San Jose.
So it came as no surprise when the Sharks announced Stenberg’s inclusion on the roster. He immediately showed why, posting five points in the preseason.
The only question remains: Who will head coach Ryan Warsofsky pair Stenberg with? It will be interesting to find out when he takes his rookie lap for his NHL debut.
Shortened Preseason
This year’s preseason felt different than in the past, and there’s a reason: The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, ratified last summer, condensed training camp and preseason.
Under the new CBA, training camp now begins about two weeks before opening night and has reduced preseason games from six to four. In addition, players with over 100 NHL games under their belt can play in a maximum of two, giving younger prospects and fringe-roster players more ice time.
The shortened ramp-up will test the Sharks’ chemistry, and whether they gel, have the requisite energy for 60 minutes, and are prepared for the intensity and physicality of a regular season game may be a concern. It may dictate how San Jose fares in its first game and week of action.
End-Of-Game Execution
Season openers always naturally bring the energy, and the Sharks have fed off that spark. The past two openers, San Jose led late in the third period, jumping on the St. Louis Blues and Las Vegas Golden Knights. For most of the night, they looked dangerous before heartbreakingly squandering the lead both times to kick off a brutal losing skid.
Perhaps against an experienced, hungry Panthers team, the Sharks can once again set the tone early, get the Tank rocking — but this time finish the game to grab two points on night one — and ignite a playoff-bound season.
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