What Will Tyler Toffoli’s Role Be on the 2026-27 Sharks?

Tyler Toffoli is entering his 15th season at 34-years-old and 31 games shy of 1000 for his career. Heading into a season that has loftier expectations than any other Sharks team since Joe Pavelski was still captain, Toffoli is an older player who will likely be playing a lesser role as the young core is blossoming in front of our eyes. 

Toffoli is coming off a 2025-26 season where his goal total dipped below 20 for the first time since 2018-19 with the Los Angeles Kings. He had a nice streak where he totaled 24, 28, 20, 34, 33, and 30 before finishing with just 19 this past year.

His Time on Ice (TOI) also declined, dipping below the 15 minute mark for the first time since his age 22 season in 2014-15. Toffoli has made a nice career out of playing tough and scoring timely goals in bunches, but a player who already wasn’t terribly fast is showing signs of slowing down, so what role is the veteran winger going to play? 

Alternate Captain

Despite his aging play, Toffoli still brings tremendous value in his leadership in the locker room. Barring any sort of random disaster, the veteran should wear the A on his chest for the third season in a row in San Jose. In 2024-25, he was only an alternate captain for home games, while in 2025-26, he was the lone player to wear a letter for every game. Expectations should be that Toffoli is an every game alternate captain again. 

Sharks fans are aware of Toffoli’s laid back energy and willingness to take players under his wing, including Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. He famously roomed with Celebrini and Smith after agreeing to a bet where the three of them would have a sleepover in their hotel room if they all scored in the same game. The prophecy was fulfilled in a game against the Buffalo Sabres, as all three of them scored in the same game. He also followed the example of franchise legends Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who housed Celebrini and Smith in their first two years, by letting rookie Michael Misa live with him last season. 

The egoless forward has been exactly what this next generation Sharks team needs. Wisdom for a young group charged up needing direction as they learn how to be pros in the NHL. Toffoli also doesn’t have a problem with the inevitability of the 20-year-old Celebrini being named captain over him following his 115 point record breaking regular season. “I don’t see why not,” he told San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng. Toffoli brings a maturity and understanding of what is best for the team that should translate into closing out big games that is invaluable to this iteration of the Sharks. 

Bottom Six

Slowing down a step isn’t the end of the world if you can shoot the puck, and Toffoli has proven over the course of his career that he can. His shooting percentage declined from 12.9% in his first year with the Sharks to 11% in 2025-26. Part of that has to do with head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s line juggling throughout the year.

The Sharks are a young team, so young players routinely had scheduled off days, scratches when too many mistakes were made and call ups and send downs shuffled starting lineups on a regular basis. Rookies Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov suffered injuries that shelved them for significant time. When the San Jose hit scoring lulls, Toffoli switched lines constantly by playing on either Misa or Alex Wennberg’s wing. Many times when he would switch between the two centers and a new wing would be opposite of him. It is understandable why he struggled to find his groove. 

In 2026-27, the top six should be more set in stone. Celebrini, Smith and Chernyshov are likely not leaving the top two lines, while Misa is projected to be the second line center at some point, sliding Wennberg to a third line role. The second-overall selection in the 2026 Draft, Ivar Stenberg, is believed to have the skill and IQ to play NHL minutes immediately. If that is true his talent and youthful motor indicates he is going to get an opportunity on the first or second lines. That doesn’t even include Mason Marchment, the new bruising wing that could play top six minutes if his physical style blends with Celebrini or Misa’s play. 

The first and second lines are crowded with talent, so Toffoli will likely find a home on the third line. Unfortunately for him, he also has competition with Kiefer Sherwood and Collin Graf, both of which bring physical and defensive elements that fit the bottom six better than Toffoli at this stage of his career, so he may even have draws on the fourth line in 2026-27. 

Power Play

The man advantage still needs an adult in the room, so Toffoli could find a bulk of his minutes on the first unit. Celebrini, Smith, Chernyshov and whatever defenseman takes the power play quarterback role will need someone experienced to help maintain pressure by making the correct reads and keeping the puck in the offensive zone. 

With William Eklund gone, Toffoli could slot down low to facilitate or Celebrini could, putting the superstar in position to set him up for tap ins after well timed crashes to the net. Toffoli is still good at scoring on rebounds and in dirty areas, so keeping him on the power play still makes sense. The only way he comes off the top unit is if a younger player, like maybe Stenberg or Misa, makes a significant leap and forces their way onto the top power play, or if Toffoli becomes a turnover machine. 

Toffoli has been immensely valuable to the Sharks rebuild slotting in as the veteran who helps teach the young players how to win as their IQ catches up with their skill. He has helped reshape the culture in San Jose that finds the joy in doing the little things right. He helped carry bad teams through the season, but he now has aged into a support player as the younger players are ascending into their golden years in the NHL. Expect Toffoli’s TOI to hover around 14 minutes again with a significant chunk on the power play.