NHL Odds: Are the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks the worst team ever?
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The San Jose Sharks have embraced full rebuild mode and it shows. They’ve managed just one point in nine games and they remain the NHL’s lone winless team at 0-8-1.
Scheduling woes
In San Jose’s defence, they’ve been dealt a tough schedule early on. Their first two games were against the last two Stanley Cup champions, Vegas and Colorado, and they followed that up with games against Eastern Conference powerhouses Carolina and Boston. They got a bit of a break against Nashville, but then they faced Florida, Carolina and Tampa Bay on the road. That’s a tough schedule for any team, let alone a rebuilding one.
Stats don’t lie
The Sharks have just nine total goals through nine games, the worst goals per game average in the NHL. They also average the third-most goals-allowed per game (3.78). San Jose has been shut out in two of their last three games and they only have one multi-goal game this season, a 6-3 loss against the Hurricanes.
It will come as no surprise that the Sharks have one of the worst power plays in the league this season. They rank 25th on the man advantage with a 12.5 per cent success rate (3-for-24). The Sharks also rank dead last in both average shots per game (24.5) and average shots allowed per game (38.3).
The good, the bad and the ugly
For historical context, the worst individual season in NHL history is the 1974-75 inaugural Washington Capitals season. The Caps finished 8-67-5 and set a record for most goals allowed in a season (446). Their goal differential for the year was -265, which is 69 inferior to the next worst number on record, the 1993-94 Ottawa Senators at -196. Washington averaged 2.26 goals per game while giving up an astounding 5.54 goals per game.
At 0-8-1, it’s a disastrous start for the Sharks. They currently project to finish the year with nine points in the standings, which is obviously very unlikely. This team won’t go winless all year. Their current goal differential for the full season projects to be a total of -227 after 82 games.
Solid goaltending won’t be enough to get San Jose in the playoffs, but it could be the difference between a historically terrible season. Through nine games, the Sharks have produced a team save percentage of .907, which is actually better than the current NHL average of .906.
| Mackenzie Blackwood | Kaapo Kahkonen |
|---|---|
| 0-5-1 | 0-3-0 |
| 3.83 GAA | 3.16 GAA |
| .907 SV | .907 SV |
Upcoming schedule
So, when will the San Jose Sharks win their first game of the season? The smart money is sooner rather than later. The Sharks drop the puck on a four-game homestand on Thursday, Nov. 2 against Vancouver. They will also host Pittsburgh on Saturday, Nov. 4, Philadelphia on Tuesday, Nov. 7 and Edmonton on Thursday, Nov. 9.
The Canucks and Oilers will be the toughest tests on San Jose’s home stretch, but games against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are winnable. The Penguins sit dead last in the Eastern Conference with a 3-6-0 record and they will come in a little more battered in the middle of a tough Western Conference road trip. Before the season, the Flyers were projected to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this year and although they have surprised teams early with a 4-4-1 record, they’re starting to come back down to earth. A long flight across the country won’t help.
After the Sharks play Philadelphia, three of their next four games will be against Edmonton, Vegas and Florida, all tough opponents. We’re banking on San Jose winning before then, against either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.