Now that the San Jose Sharks‘ preseason is underway, the team’s new-look roster is more tangible than ever before. An exciting mix of veterans and young players who should either be part of the opening-night roster or reach the NHL soon will make them a very interesting team. But before reaching that point, the preseason will still offer several interesting narratives up and down the roster to help determine how the Sharks will look at the start of the regular season, and possibly further as well. Here is one topic to watch for each position group as the Sharks continue their exhibition games.
Forwards: Which Veterans Pair With Which Young Players?
The San Jose forward group consists of an intriguing blend of established players and highly-scrutinized prospects. Skaters such as the newly-acquired Tyler Toffoli and reigning Sharks points leader Mikael Granlund provide a necessary balance to previous top draft picks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. With so many forwards likely making their NHL debuts or receiving their first extended NHL runs this season, the coaching staff should give careful consideration to which veterans serve as their linemates, and the work to decide the specifics has already begun.
For the rest of the preseason, the Sharks will likely mix and match a wide variety of veterans and youngsters on various lines. This experimentation got off to a good start in their preseason-opening loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, in which Celebrini scored a goal and assisted Toffoli on another.
The top lines may contain their top prospects, but there are veteran and young forwards throughout the lineup, so all four lines will be worth tracking. The young players will obviously benefit from good starts to their careers, and teaming up with the right linemates can play a huge role in that. If Celebrini, Smith and others play up to their expectations this season, we could look back on their work with the team’s more experienced players during the preseason as a starting point.
Defensemen: Do Any Prospects Force Their Way Onto the Roster?
The blue line is the most nebulous group for the Sharks and gives the most opportunity for an unexpected turn of events. This would most likely manifest itself by way of a young defenseman having such a good preseason that he gives management no choice but to put him in the NHL for opening night.
The San Jose defense still isn’t fully mapped out for the start of the season. A few guys will be regular parts of the rotation, but the last couple of spots feel open. There’s room for a young prospect to join the bottom pair, or at least become the seventh defenseman. The Sharks experienced a similar phenomenon last season in their forward group when William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau turned in excellent preseasons and forced the hand of the coaching staff and front office. The forward group is likely too crowded for that to happen to them again this season, but it could shift to the blue line instead.
A few defensemen stand out as possible choices for a surprise roster spot. Shakir Mukhamadullin would be the leading candidate if he can get healthy, given his brief NHL stint last season and his status as a top prospect. Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni are less likely due to their youth and the fact that neither has even played in the American Hockey League (AHL), but they both deserve at least a glance. All of their performances will go a long way to determining their places within the Sharks organization, and one of them could go even higher than anticipated.
Goalies: When Does Yaroslav Askarov Make the Leap?
Despite being San Jose’s biggest offseason trade acquisition, Yaroslav Askarov starts the season as the team’s number-three goaltender. Veterans Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek take precedence, and since one of the two will likely be on the team after this season, they deserve a chance to prove themselves worthy of a new contract. Askarov will likely open the campaign in the AHL, but he’ll get an NHL look at some point this season, and the preseason could help decide how quickly that moment arrives.
If Askarov shakes off the lower-body injury that has left him day-to-day and plays well in the exhibition contests, he can demonstrate his NHL readiness and potentially accelerate his timeline. Depending on whether Blackwood and Vanecek excel or struggle, they could delay or expedite Askarov’s move to the NHL, or increase the likelihood of a trade to open up a spot for the 22-year-old.
The Sharks have spent several seasons looking for their goalie of the future, and Askarov is the closest they’ve had to that title. The upcoming games before the regular season will be the first indicator of just when that future might begin.
Sharks Preseason Games Hold Meaning
Preseason games are often seen as insignificant or not worth watching. That’s not true for the Sharks this season. With their large number of young players, new acquisitions and a new head coach, they can use the preseason to start what could be a difficult season on the right note. They have a lot about their team still to be determined, and those questions exist throughout their lineup. The games may not count in the standings, but that might be the perfect opportunity to try a lot of different combinations and put all the players in the best positions possible to succeed.