The 2026-27 San Jose Sharks Will Have More Bite After Adding Physical Players – The Hockey Writers – San Jose Sharks

A breakout 2025-26 season headlined by the emergence of Macklin Celebrini puts the San Jose Sharks in position to finally leave the abyss they’ve dwelled in for the last several years. San Jose was only four points shy of securing the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but ultimately their defense was too leaky, and the lack of physicality prevented them from punching their ticket. 

The Sharks lost a lot of games due to horrific defense or they were bullied into submission. Heading into 2026-27, San Jose’s identity has shifted. No longer will they relish one meaningless regular season win as long as it doesn’t offset a massive losing streak. The Sharks’ brand of hockey will be forged by their explosive offensive ability among their enviable blend of talented forwards and the ability to punch teams in the mouth. Here are three players whose nastier play styles will set the tone for the upcoming season. 

Kiefer Sherwood

On Jan. 19, 2026, Sharks general manager Mike Grier swung a trade with the Vancouver Canucks for the prickly winger Kiefer Sherwood, sending second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 and American Hockey League (AHL) defenseman Cole Clayton. 

Sherwood had the reputation in Vancouver of being a gritty player who could score once in a while, but when he introduced himself to his new club, he immediately showed he was someone who plays with snarl. He only played 28 games in teal, but he was sixth on the team in hits with 129. The top five included Ryan Reaves, who had 160 in 50 games; Barclay Goodrow, who had 141 in 82 games; Zack Ostapchuk, who had 140 in 59 games; Mario Ferraro with 137 in 82 games; and Ty Dellandrea, who recorded 130 in 46 games. Sherwood’s full-season pace would decimate that of Reaves. He was on track to have 377.8 hits compared to 262.4 over a full 82 games. 

Sherwood told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, “I was always trying to scratch and claw just to make it, but to have a coach instill a little belief and throw it out there like that, the idea that I shouldn’t just settle and keep pushing myself. I always remember taking that away.”

The 6-foot gadfly definitely now plays for a team that believes in him. On top of a career-high 23 goals, Sherwood signed a five-year, $28.75 million extension with San Jose. The winger who hits everything that moves is such a fun player to watch, not because of some otherworldly skill like his teammate Celebrini, but because his high motor powers his relentless effort to do anything necessary for a victory. 

Whether the versatile forward gets minutes on the first line, which did happen some in 2025-26, or he more likely stays on the second, third or fourth lines, there isn’t a doubt that Sherwood will wear teams down. 

Mason Marchment

When free agency opened on July 1, it was no secret the Sharks were hunting for defensemen. Only Sam Dickinson and Dmitry Orlov were signed through next season up until that point. The big surprise signing was winger Mason Marchment, whose homecoming deal was a five-year, $33.75 million contract in San Jose.

Marchment’s father Bryan played 926 games across 17 years in the NHL as a right-shot defenseman. His six years in San Jose was the longest stop in his career, and he later became a scout for the Sharks before his untimely death in 2022. 

“It’s pretty crazy for me, it’s just so full circle,” Marchment told Max Miller via NHL.com, “This is really where I remember my dad playing the most, is San Jose. There’s just so many good memories at the rink. It’s always special for me and my family, for sure.” 

Marchment can sometimes look like a bull in a China shop, which has a tendency to get in the heads of the opposition. The 6-foot-5 wing is best described as a menace. He picks his spots to annihilate other players like when he crushed his new teammate Darnell Nurse and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaffer, which elicited a nasty retaliatory slash from Mat Barzal. 

Offensively, Marchment is a pest that scores his goals by crashing the net and getting to the dirty areas. He has no problem inserting himself in a scrum at the crease if there’s a chance to score. His towering stature, physical game and willingness to go through a gauntlet of abuse for greasy goals give him the potential to be a great fit to fill either Celebrini’s or Michael Misa’s wing. 

Opposing players needing to keep their heads up when he is on the ice could be a beneficial distraction that allows the other skilled forwards around him some breathing room to create high-danger chances and play free knowing that Marchment will be there to fight if they get hit. 

Jacob Trouba

A long history of huge hits and sometimes dirty play, Jacob Trouba brings grime to the blue line to balance the Sharks’ toughness throughout the roster. He is the assassin, one who can let his wires get crossed and punish someone with reckless abandon if you get him worked up.

The 32-year-old defenseman has a colorful past that includes a laundry list of bone-crushing hits that has drawn ire from other fanbases and serving as captain of the New York Rangers team that lost in the Eastern Conference Final in 2024. 

Trouba’s entire reputation at this point in his career is in his ability to hit. San Jose hasn’t had a steamroller-type blue liner since Douglas Murray, whose similar hard-hitting proficiency and penalty-killing expertise endeared him to Sharks fans. Murray obviously gave his prime years to the Sharks, while Trouba is coming to San Jose at a point in his career where his best play is probably behind him. Despite that, Trouba’s killer tendencies, penalty killing and playoff experience are incredibly useful to a young roster lacking all of those things. San Jose hopes the sandpaper he plays with will rub off on the rest of the group, especially the younger players, come the playoff push.

Last season, the Sharks had a lot of skill in their forward group that hid several other blemishes, but now the defense’s facelift and pit bulls off-leash will make the fast-paced Sharks harder to play. No longer is San Jose the team that can get pushed around. They can continue to grow their offensive creativity with the security blanket of multiple guys who will flatten anyone who lays a finger on the young guys. 

The Shark Tank was consistently named as one of the hardest places to play when the team had their last playoff core, but now it’s not just the crowd fueling a heavy offensive surge to start games. Now, the crowd can feed into the offense with the added threat of a pummeling that will have teams feeling like they have to crawl out of a ditch from puck drop. If you can expect anything from San Jose this season, expect more scrums, more skirmishes and more fights.