NHL Team Preview: San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks enter the 2021-22 season with some major questions and concerns, and those are noted in the NHL betting lines. San Jose was one of the worst teams in the league a season ago, but this franchise has had plenty of success over the past decade.

There won’t be many people picking San Jose to have much postseason success this season, and most won’t even have them in the playoff field at all. The Sharks have some exciting pieces on the roster, and they made some big changes to the roster this offseason.

San Jose is back in the Pacific Division this season, which could make things a bit easier on the Sharks. The West Division was loaded with great teams a season ago, and the Sharks could not keep up. 

Big Additions

Even though the Sharks made plenty of offseason changes to the roster, it’s hard to classify any moves as a big addition. Veteran center Nick Bonino comes to San Jose from Minnesota, and he will be able to play in many different situations with the team. 

James Reimer and Andrew Cogliano are two other important additions for the Sharks, and each player will add some important depth. San Jose didn’t add any superstars in the offseason, and the NHL betting lines reflect that.

Impactful Subtractions

Having one of the worst teams in the NHL a season ago makes it not like this roster was loaded with talent. San Jose did say goodbye to several players in the offseason, but it’s hard to say that any of those players were impactful subtractions. 

The biggest loss will likely be losing Ryan Donato after the team did not re-sign him. Donato scored just 20 points a season ago, but he was an important piece to the puzzle in San Jose in terms of depth. 

Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk have also moved on from San Jose, and those are other moves that could hurt the playoff chances for the Sharks as well. 

Key Players

The most important player on the San Jose Sharks roster is Evander Kane, but it’s unclear his role with the team. Kane led the Sharks with 22 goals and 27 assists a season ago, but he continues to be the subject of investigations from the league.

This roster still has some proven veterans available, but those players are all over 30 years old. Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson continue to be the franchise leaders, but it’s hard to count on them to provide as much production as they did when they were younger. 

Online Sports Betting: San Jose Sharks

The NHL betting lines for the San Jose Sharks are all over the place, but the odds don’t expect much from this team. These future NHL betting lines will change throughout the regular season, but don’t expect San Jose ever to be a top team to bet on in the league.

The over/under for regular-season points for San Jose is set at 81.5 points, putting them in the playoff conversation. San Jose would have to get closer to the 90 point range to be a true postseason threat, but this is a veteran squad.

The online sports betting lines for the Sharks to win the Pacific Division are set at +4100, which would make them a big longshot. There are only seven teams in the NHL with longer odds to win the Stanley Cup this season as the Sharks have odds set at +23000.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.