Warsofsky promises change: Sharks fans will be 'proud of the team'

New San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky promised to bring changes to his struggling squad during his introductory press conference on Monday.

"Listen, there's been a lot of new coaches, and not one coach has got up and said, 'We want to play slow and we want to be passive,'" he said. "We want to be fast, we want to get on teams. ... I think fans will leave our building and say, 'Wow, that was a fun team to watch,' win or lose. The opponent will say, 'Man, that was a tough team to play against.' ...

"There'll be some changes structurally for sure, but I think you'll be proud of the team that we put on the ice."

Warsofsky didn't provide many specific details on what those changes would be, but he conceded "the numbers weren't great" last season. The Sharks finished last in the league with an abysmal 19-54-9 record and minus-150 goal differential.

"There has to be a system in place (where) our players know what's going on, they understand the system. ... There's some predictability with it," he said.

San Jose fired David Quinn in April and promoted Warsofsky to fill the vacancy after he spent two years as an assistant coach.

The 36-year-old pointed to his experience with the team as one of the main factors behind his decision to step in as head coach.

"I know the players that are here," he explained. "We just went through two really tough years. I know what they need. They're beat up a little bit. We need some new life, we need some energy, we need some positivity."

He added: "I think we're starting to see this light at the end of the tunnel, this hope and excitement (for) the future here, and I'm excited to be part of it."

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Warsofsky ticked all the boxes that the organization was looking for and singled out his communication style as one of the major draws.

"We're gonna have a young group here," the executive said. "Connecting and speaking with and bonding with these young players is gonna be super important; it's gonna be a big, big part of us taking the next step forward."

There is more excitement to come for the franchise, as San Jose holds the first overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft later in June.