As the 2022-23 NHL season comes to an end, the San Jose Sharks are left with a 22-44-16 record and will miss out on playoffs for the fourth straight season. Despite the Shark’s lackluster season, there is still room for hope for the fans of the teal. 

The Sharks are loaded with top tier prospects, possessing four of the top 100 prospects (per thehockeywriters.com) which hope to brighten up the future at the Shark Tank. 

One of these talents is William Eklund who was rated the 7th best prospect in the NHL by thehockeywriters.com. Eklund had a brief stint with the teal in the 2022-23 season, posting 2 goals, 1 assist, and 3 total points in 8 games. 

The Sweden born lefty left-wing was drafted 7th overall in the 2021 NHL draft and at only 20 years old, is already making an impact with the teal. Known for his creativity and general hockey IQ on the ice, Eklund is an all around player and leader who can bring his team to the finish line on his back. 

Fans of the Sharks are more than excited to see Eklund in the Shark Tank. San Jose Barracuda and Sharks fan Maddie Montez believes that the “newness” Eklund brings to the ice will help his teammates, even the veteran players.

“He’s a really competitive and smart kid. He’s only 20 but you wouldn’t be able to tell from his game. I watched him play with the (Barracudas) and the Sharks and he’s one of those guys that is a joy to watch.”

She continued, “He’s really fast and handles the puck really well. With the Sharks having a majority older guy experience, (Eklund) really brings his newness to the team and his game to help even the older guys.”

The Sharks’ mediocre record in the season may actually be more of a benefit than it seems. The reason for this is #1 hockey prospect Connor Berdard. Berdard has made a name for himself as one of the top hockey prospects in the world and is considered one of the top prospects since Connor McDavid, who has been undoubtedly hockey’s best player for many years now. 

Despite only being 17 years old, Berdard is ranked the #1 prospect in hockey by many sources, but what does this mean for the Sharks? Connor Berdard is eligible to be draft in the upcoming 2023 NHL draft and will very likely be chosen as the #1 overall pick. The team that gets the first overall pick is determined by a lottery, between the bottom teams in the league, and the worse the record, the higher the chance you there is for the 1st overall pick.

The Sharks’ 22-44-16 slashline gives them the 4th highest chance of getting the 1st overall pick which is around 9.5 percent.

With this rebuilding Sharks team, Connor Berdard would not only shape the future, but also, shape the culture and talent of the Sharks in years to come.

 Sharks fan Apollo Adela ’25 thinks that Berdard would be of great help to the team, saying, “I think (Berdard) would bring a new element to the team. bring new ideas and raise the overall talent of the team.”