SAN JOSE >> David Quinn, at some point late last season, figured that his job with the Sharks was as much about trying to lift the spirits of his players as it was about X’s and O’s and development.

“It was really managing the morale when you’re in the situation we were in,” the ex-Sharks coach said last year after an NHL-worst 19-54-9 season. “You’ve got to coach the team you have, you’ve got to coach the situation you have. It was morale driven.”

One wonders if Quinn’s replacement, Ryan Warsofsky, will soon reach that same point.

The Sharks, again in last place in the NHL’s overall standings, are looking for ways to improve as another dreary season starts to wind down.

San Jose allowed a go-ahead goal to Joel Hanley at the 13:28 mark of the third period in a 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli both scored, and goalie Alexandar Georgiev finished with 33 saves, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Sharks’ 11th loss in their last 12 games.

Similar to recent years, the Sharks’ final 24 games will likely include plenty of roster upheaval and only a handful of victories. But even if the losses pile up, the Sharks front office will continue to evaluate who to roll with for next season and beyond.

Here are some burning questions.

WHO GETS TRADED? >> The Sharks (15-36-7) have five pending unrestricted free agents in forwards Nico Sturm and Luke Kunin, defenseman Jan Rutta, and goalies Vitek Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev. All will likely be moved to contending teams if general manager Mike Grier’s price tag is met.

It would be a huge surprise to see all five still in San Jose past the March 7 trade deadline, but Grier is keeping his options open regarding trading or re-signing those players. Of course, the least appealing option is letting them walk away for nothing.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the deadline will be whether Grier moves any of his players who have some term left on their contracts. Trading either Mario Ferraro or Jake Walman, both signed through the 2025-26 season, could bring the rebuilding Sharks a sizeable return, but it would also leave a significant hole on the roster.

WHERE DO THEY FINISH? >> The Sharks are on track to finish with the NHL’s worst record for a second straight year, which would again give them the best chance to win the draft lottery this spring. San Jose lost 10 of its last 11 games before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.