Two Teams, Two Directions: Why the Sharks Give Me Hope and the Blackhawks Don’t
This is just my opinion—I’m not a writer, just a hockey fan.
Over the past two years, I’ve watched a lot of Sharks hockey, and despite their struggles, I’ve found myself completely invested. Their games are entertaining, exciting, and unpredictable. Yes, their record has been awful, but I’ve been able to overlook that because I truly believe they’re moving in the right direction.
The 2023-2024 season was rough. The Sharks finished 19-54-9 with 47 points, dead last in the Pacific Division and 43 points below the league average. That’s a massive gap, but despite the overall results, they weren’t completely hopeless in every area. They were average or even above average in categories like power play goals, shooting percentage, save percentage, and power play efficiency. But in the stats that really matter? It was tough. They ranked 31st in the league in both goals for and goals against, making it clear that this was a team deep in a rebuild. Injuries didn’t help—Logan Couture missed a significant portion of the season—and this was their first full year without Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson.
And yet, I still found myself impressed. This season saw another year of positive growth and development from young players like Fabian Zetterlund, William Eklund, Henry Thrun, and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks also have a stacked prospect pool, headlined by Will Smith, the fourth-overall pick in 2023. In net, Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen showed resilience behind a struggling defense. Despite their save percentages, they had some incredible performances, keeping the Sharks in games they had no business being in. And even when they were down by four or more goals, they never rolled over—if they got one, you could feel the momentum shift.
The reward for all that suffering? Macklin Celebrini. Landing the first overall pick in 2024 gave the Sharks an elite, franchise-altering player. And so far, he’s been exactly what this team needed—defensively responsible, smart, skilled, and, most importantly, left alone. After being drafted, you’d expect nonstop media coverage, cameras in his face 24/7, but it hasn’t been nearly as overwhelming as it was for Connor Bedard. That breathing room has allowed him to settle into the NHL the way it should be. There’s no reason to put that kind of pressure on an 18-year-old kid.
The 2024-2025 Sharks have a solid mix of veteran leadership and young talent, creating a balanced environment for Celebrini and Smith to develop without being thrown into the fire. The locker room support has given them space to grow at their own pace, and it’s paying off. The Sharks are still rebuilding, but they’re playing competitive hockey. They’re defending better, taking fewer dumb penalties, scoring more, and showing real resilience. There’s a lot to look forward to in San Jose.
Then… there’s the Chicago Blackhawks. Oh boy. I just don’t see any real growth in their game. You know how the Capitals had a rough year, then made a few smart moves, picked up some outcast players, and are now having a fantastic season? The Blackhawks tried to do the same thing—but it just doesn’t work when you don’t consider how those players fit into the lineup.
They’re supposedly building around Connor Bedard, right? But there’s a big difference between building around him and building to protect him. I get the instinct to shelter him in his first year, but at some point, you have to realize—this is the NHL. You can’t protect him forever.
For the 2024-2025 season, they added Pat Maroon, Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ilya Mikheyev—all very different players. That can be a good thing, but only when those pieces actually fill the right gaps. I like the Teravainen pickup (partially because I’m a Canes fan, but also because he’s a solid two-way player who can score and make plays). But the other moves? Confusing. Bertuzzi and Mikheyev have struggled to find consistency even on teams with superstar talent, so why add them to an already struggling team? It just feels like they’re making random moves without a clear direction.
And then there’s Bedard. Fantastic player. Elite shot, vision, hockey sense. But… is he okay? The league gives this kid zero breathing room. It’s been almost two years since he was drafted, and they still won’t leave him alone. You cannot expect a 19-year-old to carry an Original Six franchise on his back. That’s not fair—to him, his teammates, the organization, or even the fans. The pressure is way too much, and instead of addressing it, the team and the league just keep piling it on.
At the end of the day, I feel hopeful about the Sharks. They’re in a rebuild, but they’re doing it right—developing young talent, making smart moves, and actually improving despite their record. The Blackhawks? Not so much. They’re making it impossible for their young star to thrive, and it’s painful to watch.
