New San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Worsofsky has a tough task ahead of him.
Last season, the Sharks were the second-worst team in the salary cap era with a goals-against percentage of .287. Their -150 goal differential was their worst since 2005-06.
They are probably the worst NHL team of the last 30 years.
This is a struggling group that Warsofsky must lead towards the light.
Worsofsky, who served as an assistant coach with the Sharks under head coach David Quinn the past two seasons, has no NHL head coaching experience, but the 36-year-old led the AHL's Chicago Wolves to the 2022 Calder Cup and the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays to the Kelly Cup final in 2017.
He's regarded around the league as a smart, promising coach — there's a reason why the San Jose Sharks interviewed him for their top spot before drafting Quinn in 2022 and the New Jersey Devils interviewed him for their head coaching position this summer.
In speaking with various sources about Worsofsky's hiring, including Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun, Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry and Timberwolves GM Wendell Young, three things stood out about Worsofsky.
The San Jose Sharks are hoping these three keys will help bring about a brighter future for a franchise that has been in the dark for five years.
