Sharks Bid Farewell to Head Coach David Quinn Amidst NHL’s Worst Season: What’s Next for the struggling team?

In a stunning move, the San Jose Sharks fired head coach David Quinn on Wednesday, ending his two-year tenure with the team. The Sharks finished the 2020-21 season with a record of 19-54-9, becoming the first NHL team in the salary cap era to fail to reach 20 wins during a full 82-game season. The struggles began from the start as they went 0-10-1 and ended up with a league-worst -150 goal differential.

With their poor performance, the Sharks will now have the best draft lottery odds and could potentially secure the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft for the first time in team history. If they select top prospect Macklin Celebrini, who won the Hobey Baker Award, a new coach will be guiding his first NHL season. Sharks general manager Mike Grier expressed gratitude for David Quinn’s hard work over the past two seasons, acknowledging the challenges faced by the team.

During his time with the Sharks, Quinn had a record of 41-98-25 in 164 games. The team has been in a rebuilding phase, parting ways with high-priced veterans like Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Duclair. Captain Logan Couture and Hertl both missed significant time due to injuries. Grier noted that the team’s roster wasn’t playoff-caliber, and a different voice was needed to lead them towards success. The Buffalo Sabres also recently fired their coach while seven coaches were let go during the regular season.