Quinn: Sharks' losing ways 'may not stop this year, but it will stop soon'

David Quinn is determined to turn the San Jose Sharks around.

Following Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks - San Jose's eighth defeat in a row - Quinn predicted that the Sharks will eventually put their losing ways behind them under his watch.

"It's going to stop; I'll tell you that right now," he said, per NBCS. "It may not stop this year, but it will stop soon."

In Quinn's first year on the job, the Sharks are on pace for their worst season - via points percentage - since 1995-96 and fourth-worst since the franchise began play in 1991-92.

The 19-38-15 Sharks sit last in the Western Conference and 31st overall in the NHL standings, with only the Columbus Blue Jackets bettering them in ineptitude.

Additionally, San Jose ranked 17th in The Athletic's midseason prospect pool rankings, and it ranks 17th in average age. The club is also locked into several long-term contracts for aging players, including captain Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Norris Trophy favorite Erik Karlsson, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Between salary retainment in the Brent Burns trade and Martin Jones' buyout, the Sharks have nearly $6 million tied up in dead money next season.

When new general manager Mike Grier was hired this past offseason, he said the team wasn't looking to rebuild. But bottoming out this year, winning the lottery, and drafting Connor Bedard first overall would certainly go a long way in making this the quick turnaround Quinn and Grier are aiming for.

Quinn, however, has yet to find NHL success, as he failed to win a postseason game during his three-year stint with the New York Rangers prior to joining the Sharks. He's a decorated coach at the college level, though, as he was an assistant on Boston University's national championship-winning team in 2009 and the head coach of the Terriers in 2018 when they were Hockey East champions.