We’re nearing the end of our Greatest San Jose Sharks by Sweater Number series. For the penultimate edition, we’ll take a look at numbers 71-80. As we’ve discussed, this list only evaluates players by their time in San Jose. This may leave some NHL legends off of the list. Also, there will be some numbers that have not been worn for the Sharks, so we’ll skip over those. With that out of the way, let’s look at the Greatest San Jose Sharks by Sweater Number: 71-80.
Best San Jose Sharks by Jersey Number 71 through 80
#71 – Nikolai Knyzhov
Knyzhov has played in 81 NHL games spread out over four years. He debuted for the Sharks in the 2019-20 campaign for three games. The next season, Knyzhov found the most time in the NHL. He played in 56 games and found consistent ice time. He averaged just under 17 minutes per game, collected 54 blocked shots and 84 hits and chipped in ten points. This consistency was short-lived, however, as Knyzhov missed the 2021-22 campaign with an injury. He spent the last two seasons between the NHL and AHL, before having his contract terminated by the club in June 2024. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.
#72 – William Eklund
Despite playing in less than 100 NHL games, Eklund is already the best #72 in franchise history. His first full campaign was in 2023-24 and he made the most of it. At age 21, Eklund netted 16 goals and 45 points in 80 games. Of his point total, 16 came on the power play, on a group that finished in the bottom half of the league. Eklund has a ton of untapped potential. GM Mike Grier acquired some young talent to complement players like Eklund. Don’t be surprised to see Eklund’s point totals skyrocket in 2024-25 and be a focal point of San Jose’s success.
#73 – Noah Gregor
Gregor is the only player in franchise history to wear number 73, but he has earned his stripes regardless. Gregor played a bottom-six role for the Sharks from 2019-20 to 2022-23. His average ice time never eclipsed 15 minutes per game, but he was a reliable defence-first forward. Gregor’s best season in teal came in 2021-22 when he played in 63 games. He had 23 points and 118 hits to go along with 49 blocked shots. Gregor had similar production the following year before signing a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gregor will play for the Ottawa Senators in 2024-25.
#74 – Dylan DeMelo
DeMelo started his over 500-game NHL career with the Sharks. He played limited games in 2015-16 and 2016-17, before playing more regular minutes in 2017-18. That year he played in 63 games and collected 20 points, all assists. During the 2017-18 season, DeMelo established the defensive prowess that he is known for. He had 70 blocked shots and 75 hits in just over 14 minutes per game. DeMelo was dealt to the Ottawa Senators as a key piece to the Erik Karlsson trade. Even though DeMelo showed flashes of being a great defenceman, most Sharks fans are happy with how the trade played out.
#75 – Daniil Gushchin
Gushchin has played six career games and totaled four points. Drafted in the third round of the 2020 draft, he has shown flashes of offensive brilliance. Across his last two AHL seasons, Gushchin has totalled 99 points in 123 games. Gushchin is still a very young player. With a strong preseason and start to the AHL campaign, he could find himself called up to the Sharks and given a bigger opportunity to showcase himself.
#76 – Jonathan Dahlen
Dahlen had a big opportunity with the Sharks in 2021-22. He appeared in 61 games and scored 12 goals and 22 points. Unfortunately, after this season, Dahlen signed with Timra IK in the SHL and has spent the last two seasons there. It’s unlikely that we see Dahlen in the NHL again, but he has been a solid point producer in Sweden.
#78 – Nico Sturm
No player has worn number 77, so we move to number 78. Sturm played the last two seasons in San Jose. In 2022-23, he had the best year of his career. He scored 14 goals and had 26 points, both career-highs. He also won faceoffs at a 55% rate with 100 hits. In 2023-24, his production dipped to just 13 points with lower blocked shot, hit, and takeaway numbers. Sturm is entering the final year of his contract and he will likely find himself in the Sharks’ bottom-six this season.
#80 – Matt Tennyson
The number 79 has never been worn before either, so we move to number 80. Tennyson has bounced around with five teams, but he started his career and played the most games with the Sharks. He played in 60 games over three years. He played a depth, bottom-pairing role on the Sharks and was strong at getting in lanes and blocking shots. Tennyson is the first player from the Junior Sharks program to play in the NHL, coincidentally with the Sharks. He has joined the Coachella Valley Firebirds broadcasting team, meaning that his playing career has likely come to a close.
Didn’t Make the Cut of Greatest Sharks by Sweater Number from 71 to 80
This section of jersey numbers doesn’t have a lot of players, so picking them was a simple process. That being said, there are still some players that were considered. Namely, Daniil Tarasov (71), Tim Heed and Brandon Mashinter (72) come to mind. This series was inspired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. You can check out their lists as well. We will finish this series with numbers 81-94.
Main Photo credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
