8. San Jose Sharks
Now we get to the basement of the division. The Sharks were not just the worst team in the division but the worst team in the league and I don't expect that to change this upcoming season.
The upside is they got to draft Macklin Celebrini, a player that's being touted as just short of a generational player. Will Smith, who was drafted the year prior, is also going to be key to the Sharks future. I hope they do at least some damage this season as I have both of them on my fantasy hockey team. :) That'll be a great 1-2 punch at center once they're both developed. William Eklund has also made his way up to the top, as has Fabian Zetterlund. They convinced Tyler Toffoli to sign there, which is a great veteran coup. Klim Kostin-Alex Wennberg-Luke Kunin is a pretty good third line albeit an expensive one as it's going to cost $10 million a season.
No defender is signed past the 2025-26 season, at least for the moment. Marc-Edourd Vlasic's contract is up mercifully after next season, while Cody Ceci will likely be a decent trade chip for them at the deadline. Matt Benning has been playing in the top four for awhile now, and Jan Rutta is veteran support for the bottom pairing. Mario Ferraro, Henry Thrun, and Jake Walman are all key to the future of the D for the Sharks.
The goaltending duo is slated to be two outcasts in Vitek Vanacek and Mackenzie Blackwood. Honestly, these two have underperformed for years so it's probably best for both of them to be in an NHL outpost where there's no pressure to win and no expectations. If one of them can resurrect their careers on this team, they'll be able to write their own ticket in terms of where they go next.
Keep rebuilding. Not much more to say.