As the San Jose Sharks prepare for the 2025-26 NHL season, much of their roster is set, but they still have some decisions to make. As always, they’ll be figuring out who fills the final few roster spots, but when it comes to the more established players, the team still offers storylines to watch. Right now, their main unanswered questions relate to who will fill the team’s leadership void and how the coaching staff will divide the playing time in net. Both of these issues reflect the team’s promising future, and this season would be a good time to get a firmer grasp on where the franchise stands with them.
Sharks Looking For Next Leaders Amid Vacant Captaincy
Thanks to the retirement of Logan Couture, the Sharks appear ready to start a season without a captain for the first time in over 10 years. They will pay a lot of attention to who could be next to fill that position as the season progresses.
The Sharks seem to have two main options for their next captain. The first would be to use Tyler Toffoli as a bridge to their next era. At 33 years old, Toffoli likely won’t be a Shark for an exceptionally long amount of time, but he has a lot of qualities a team looks for in a captain. During his first season in San Jose in 2024-25, he led the team in goals while displaying critical veteran leadership after other veterans were traded away. He is under contract for three more years and will be a key voice on the team regardless of whether or not he wears the C. The Sharks could give him the captaincy, recognizing his stint with the title would be relatively short, before a younger player such as Macklin Celebrini is ready to assume the role on a long-term basis.
In this possibility, we see the Sharks’ other most likely choice — to simply go without a captain for a season or two before naming Celebrini captain. Even as an 18-year-old rookie, he showed professionalism and leadership far beyond his years. Now that he has a full season of NHL experience, he should be even more comfortable serving as a leader and perhaps San Jose’s most important player. At the same time, the Sharks are in a transitional period, and maybe they don’t need a captain at this time. They might not see the point in giving Toffoli a short captaincy when Celebrini feels like such an obvious pick for the longer future.
Sharks Need to Determine Split of Goalie Starts
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