The Sharks allowed 326 goals last season, the most since 1995-96. Their two-year total of 641 goals against is the most since the franchise’s first two seasons – years when they won a combined 28 games. Yeah, it was that bad. There’s no way to win when you allow nearly four goals and are outshot by nearly 10 per contest.

No. 1 overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini's first official practice with the San Jose Sharks provided a needed bit of optimism for a franchise that has had little success in recent years.

The San Jose Sharks are trying to return to the top of the Western Conference with the top prospects they’ve assembled before the 2024-25 training camp. The Sharks fell off since their days of finishing at the top of the league in the mid-2010s,

The San Jose Sharks opened training camp Thursday without four injured players, including goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, who is out with a lower-body injury, the team announced Thursday morning before taking the ice.

Here’s what to look for as the San Jose Sharks open training camp on Thursday. Let’s go from the front to the back. When Will the Franchise Be the Franchise? Make no mistake, that’s the pressure on first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini’s shoulders.

First-overall pick Macklin Celebrini had players talking after his first official training camp practice with the San Jose Sharks.

No. 1 overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini’s first official practice with the San Jose Sharks provided a needed bit of optimism for a franchise that has had little success in recent years