San Jose Sharks: 3 Breakout Candidates for Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems that every NHL team has at least one player break out and become a crucial part of their roster. The 2024-25 season should offer more of the same, so we here at NHL Trade Rumors will be looking at a few breakout candidates from each NHL club heading into the new campaign.

In this latest edition of the series, we will be taking a look at the rebuilding San Jose Sharks.

Macklin Celebrini: Macklin Celebrini certainly has the potential to have a big season during his rookie year. The 2024 first-overall pick has all the tools to be a long-term star at the NHL level, and it will be fun to see what he can do as a rookie. In 38 games this past season with Boston University, he posted 32 goals and 64 points.

Will Smith: Will Smith is another Sharks rookie who has a real shot of being an impactful player for San Jose from the start. The 2023 fourth-overall pick was fantastic this past season with Boston College, as he recorded 25 goals to go along with 71 points in 41 games. He is clearly a very skilled offensive player, and that could translate over to the NHL pretty quickly.

Yaroslav Askarov: The Sharks found their long-term goalie of the future when they acquired Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators last week. He should now finally get the chance to be an NHL goaltender. When looking at how wonderfully he played in the AHL over these last few years, he could break out in a big way for the Sharks in 2024-25.