“Good teams don’t lose more than two in a row,” San Jose Sharks forward Adam Gaudette learned while he was a member of the Ottawa Senators team that made the playoffs in 2025.
That maxim now hangs heavily over a Sharks squad that dropped five straight games and seven of eight heading into a Monday matchup against defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders. As the team approaches the end of the first quarter of the NHL schedule, San Jose sits at 7-11-1, lingering six points out of a postseason spot in the Western Conference.
The statistical picture underneath those struggles explains why time feels short in the Bay Area. The Sharks rank as the NHL’s worst team in surrendering high-danger scoring chances during 5-on-5 play, have managed a league-low 1.88 goals per game since Oct. 23, and have grown wildly inconsistent on special teams.
MoneyPuck puts the team’s playoff probability at a meager 4.3%, leaving them ahead of only the rebuilding Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks in the conference standings.
Tonight, Macklin Celebrini played 28:05 on the second night of back to backs. It’s the second most minutes that a Sharks forward has ever played on the second night of back to backs. First place all time in Sharks history? 28:54 by Owen Nolan on Feb. 9, 2000 at FLA.
Despite the slide, head coach Ryan Warsofsky insists his group is finding its footing. “I think we’re making strides these last two games,” Warsofsky said Saturday, pointing to a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars and a 4-1 defeat against the conference-leading Minnesota Wild. “Again, we’ve got to stick to the process and just continue to work and get better, and the result will come.”
Heavy Minutes for Celebrini as Roster Decisions Loom
Warsofsky leaned heavily on rookie Macklin Celebrini during the back-to-back set, double-shifting him alongside Filip Bystedt while other forwards saw limited ice. Celebrini logged 28:05 of ice time and picked up three assists against Dallas, marking the highest single-game ice time for a Sharks forward on the second night of a back-to-back since Owen Nolan played 28:54 on Feb. 9, 2000.
“He’s going. He’s making things happen,” Warsofsky said of Celebrini, who has collected five points over his last three appearances. “So you’ve got to play him.”
That heavy reliance shows a glaring lack of secondary scoring, placing mounting pressure on general manager Mike Grier. While Grier is not actively exploring a coaching change, attention has turned toward potential roster upgrades. The Sharks have maintained an ongoing interest in Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, with Grier having previously submitted a trade offer to Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff that was ultimately rebuffed.
Players Face Dec. 1 Deadline for Restricted Free Agency
The clock is ticking toward the Dec. 1 restricted free agent signing deadline, after which unsigned players become ineligible to play for the remainder of the season. Horcoff faces intense scrutiny in Detroit to secure adequate returns for Edvinsson and center Dylan Larkin, as observers wonder if the Red Wings' asking price will soften as the deadline approaches.
Whether Grier would be willing to package 19-year-old forward Michael Misa—who is tied for third on the team with 11 points through 19 games—is a central question for San Jose’s front office. Misa has shown strong chemistry on the top line alongside Celebrini and Will Smith.
Meanwhile, the Sharks could soon welcome back top shutdown center Alexander Wennberg during their upcoming homestand, which includes a Wednesday clash against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. With six of their next seven games scheduled at SAP Center and only three against last year’s playoff teams, Grier will soon find out if internal reinforcements can right the ship.
“I think the attention to detail, the will to work every single shift, I think it’s been there a lot these last two days,” said goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who turned away 26 of 30 shots against Dallas.
“I don’t think we can say that, honestly, about the couple of games before that. So it’s a different feeling of frustration. Obviously, it (stinks) losing. I’m not going to sugarcoat that.”
