SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks billionaire owner Hasso Plattner offered a stinging critique of some decisions made by the team’s previous hockey operations department, particularly its drafting, but is confident the franchise is on an upward trajectory and wants to see it compete for a playoff spot as soon as the 2026-27 season.

Saying he suffered alongside the team’s fans as the Sharks floundered for six straight seasons and slid to the bottom of the NHL standings, Plattner indicated he wished the organization had started a complete rebuild two years earlier than it did in 2022. That year, Mike Grier was hired as the Sharks’ general manager and began a systematic teardown of the roster, from which the team is only now emerging.

“It’s hard to talk to you guys when the team is sinking slowly,

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