The San Jose Sharks are not one of four teams in the final that will begin Tuesday, but they will be able to cheer on many of their former teammates. Each of the remaining four teams has at least one former Sharks, and three teams have at least one player playing in San Jose at some point this season. These players represent different eras, including the shortcomings of Sharks as a franchise recently and the direction they want to develop in the future.
The former Sharks have a huge impact on the playoffs
Despite the lack of playoffs, some former Sharks have made a huge impact in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Even though he turned 40 earlier this season, Brent Burns remained a key defender for the Carolina Hurricanes. He will face former Sharks Nico Sturm, Jonah Gadjovich, Vitek Vanecek and the rest of the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals. While Vanecek did not play in the playoffs, Sturm and Gadjovich were the next six forwards.
Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci were crucial to the success of the Dallas Stars, scoring a total of 10 points in 13 playoff games. They will accept the Edmonton Oilers and their former teammate Jake Walman, who scored incredible plus 13 ratings in 11 games in his first career playoffs.
Even the semi-finalists did not have a deal with San Jose, which had an impact on this playoffs. The Oilers were one of Mackenzie Blackwood’s main teams when he traded the block early this season, but the Sharks handed him over to the Colorado Avalanche. Now Edmonton has the most shaky goalkeepers of the rest of the teams, and they have to wonder if the chances on the network with Blackwood would be better.
All of these former sharks represent different stages of the team’s trajectory. Burns represents the era when they were Cup contenders, and the deal marks the beginning of their demolition. When management couldn’t fully commit to rebuilding, Gadjovich never found his place in two seasons in San Jose. Others are one of the most difficult parts of franchise history. Sturm, Vanecek, Granlund, Ceci and Walman went out of their way to serve as senior leaders and keep Sharks respected, but because the front desk focused on building a young core, they proved to be more valuable as a trade asset.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Center
This is hardly the first time the playoffs have forced the Sharks to face their shortcomings. But it’s the depth of the playoffs, where a former Shark can win the Stanley Cup, probably the one who plays for them this season.
Sharks hope to return to the playoffs
Not long ago, the Sharks were a regular contender, playing 19 playoff games from 1997 to 2019. Since then, they have not been in the playoffs, parting ways with many players, many of whom are still competing for the championship this season as they try to rebuild.
As they continue to chase their first Stanley Cup, the Sharks formed one of the most exciting young players in the NHL, but they can’t be the playoff team for the young. They will need veterans to round up the roster, and although they bring some rosters, they have to get rid of more. Many of these players are demonstrating the experience value of the postseason team, and soon the Sharks will have to replicate that.
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