The San Jose Sharks sit in last place in the Pacific Division with a 13-23-6 record, with pretty much no hope for making the playoffs. Even so, the future of this team looks extremely bright, with young stars such as Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith continuing the develop. Will those two players bring San Jose back to their glory days, when Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton led the Sharks?
Celebrini is electric
I think there's a good chance for that with Celebrini. He hasn't been scoring at quite a point-per-game pace, scoring 28 points in 30 games. That's solid, but is it really the caliber of a first overall pick? Sorry, I forgot to mention he's 18 years old. A player has young as he is putting up numbers like that before even turning 20 is incredible. Some people see him as the next Trevor Zegras, a player with a ton of talent that doesn't have the discipline or defensive work to become a true superstar. In my opinion, it's too early to write him off, and I see more effort in his game than Zegras. The young stud is just getting started on his path to a very successful NHL career.
Partner in crime
Celebrini's partner in crime, Smith, hasn't had a start quite as good as Celebrini, but a start like his is difficult to replicate, even at 19 years old. Smith has tallied 14 points in 34 games, numbers that don't scream good production, much less elite. Even so, Smith has plenty of promise, and him and Celebrini have become good friends throughout the season. As their chemistry builds, I expect Smith to put up better stats, and he's in the same situationa s Celebrini. His career is just starting, and I find it hard to believe that he'll be scoring 14 points in 30 games his whole career. Playing alongside a player like Celebrini makes anyone more dangerous, and that is true for Smith.
The Sharks recently traded Mackenzie Blackwood to the Avalanche, a move that I think made sense for the Sharks then. Now however, Blackwood is reviving his career in Colorado, already signing a five-year extension. The Sharks got a good return from it, including goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who has had a solid NHL career, along with a few draft picks and some forward depth in rookie Nikolai Kovalenko, a 25-year old winger who scored a goal in the Sharks' win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Sharks have a long way to go, but the future is looking brighter than ever.