- Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The Sharks are playing themselves out of the driver’s seat for the first overall 2024 NHL Draft pick.
Winners of four of their last five, including a 2-0 shutout of the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday at SAP Center, and with points in five of their last six, they currently have the second-best odds for the No. 1 pick.
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For a San Jose system that desperately needs to add elite talent, that’s not great.
And just looking at the box score, goals by veterans Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jan Rutta don’t really do much for their trade value or for the future of the Sharks.
Of course, there are other ways to look at a win like this.
San Jose Sharks
For one, it’s great to see veterans like Vlasic and Rutta, both whom have had outstanding careers, continue to play at a high level.