Okay, so we made guesses way, way too early before free agency and we made guesses way too early, after the draft and free agency, but before camps started. Now that things have had time to settle down and a few rounds of cuts have been made, we can start thinking about what the opening night roster will look like for the San Jose Sharks. Some of the players have stood out in camp. For example, young Michael Misa has looked every bit like he belongs in the NHL. Meantime, Ty Dellandrea seems all too aware his job is on the line and he’s laying it all out there to stay in the lineup. And, like the Rancho Carne Toros, Ethan Cardwell knew he had to bring it this training camp and he most certainly did, potentially edging out some more veteran players.
Then there’s some of the revelations within camp, such as Macklin Celebrini’s illness that kept him off the ice and in a no contact jersey for the first couple of weeks. There’s also the early reveal that despite previous plans, Will Smith would be returning to the wing this season and there’s the late arrival of Oliver Wahlstrom on a PTO, bringing some more intense competition to training camp.
So, with all of that, here’s where we think things will shake out when the Sharks take the ice on Oct. 9 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
First line – Will Smith – Macklin Celebrini – Philipp Kurashev
Coming out of training camp, this feels like the line that the Sharks are going to work with at least to start. We’ll talk about why in a second. I know that Kurashev has played on the wing with Connor Bedard and had success, so the recipe could work, but I’m not banking on it. I hope the Sharks have a plan B that doesn’t disrupt the second line, which we’ll get to in a moment.
We’ll go the glass-half-full route for a moment and imagine that Kurashev can live up to the game that he displayed in Bedard’s rookie season with the Blackhawks. That’s when he put up 54 points in 75 games, including 35 at even-strength. I’m not positive that’s enough to keep up with the likes of Smith and Celebrini, but maybe Kurashev’s game has evolved. At the very least, he’ll start the season with the chance to prove he belongs in a top-six role, and he should have success early on in the season, though he may not have the sticking power.
Lucky for the Sharks, the team has some other players who might be able to move up and fill that space, happily, if Kurashev stumbles.
As for the other two-thirds of the line, those are a lock. It’s Celebrini and Smith for the foreseeable future. So much so that the Sharks scrapped a plan to move Smith back to center. This could be the Sharks’ top duo for a lot of years to come, get ready for it.
Second line – The New That 70’s Line – William Eklund – Michael Misa – Tyler Toffoli
Luckily for us, we don’t need to come up with a new name for the second line because Misa also conveniently chose a jersey number that started in the 70s. It looks as though the Sharks’ coaching staff is going to slot Misa in between Eklund and Toffoli and see if the trio can cook. It’s good for Misa, giving him a veteran in Toffoli and a semi-veteran in Eklund.
So far, Eklund and Misa have had some chemistry at practice and it will be fun to see what they can do when there are actual games on the line. We already know that Eklund and Toffoli work well together, so it seems as though this, as a second line is something that just might work.
Plus, it’s a second line that’s actually comparable to, dare I say it, other NHL playoff teams. We’re talking about a second line that could be competitive.
Third line – Jeff Skinner – Alex Wennberg – Ethan Cardwell
This one was a struggle for me. Jeff Skinner and Alex Wennberg were locks. It was making a decision on who would be the third man on this line. That’s because there have been several players this camp that have earned a right to be the third player on the third line. Collin Graf has been very good. Ethan Cardwell has been very good. Pavol Regenda did very well against the Vegas Golden Knights. In his case, there’s a bit of a veteran who earned another chance vibe there.
But the Sharks are very overloaded in the bottom six and are handcuffed with way too many contracts. I’m giving the spot to Cardwell because of the three, it feels like it’s his time. Cardwell has been building toward this. He’s done what’s asked of him with the Barracuda. He’s worked on his defensive game. He’s come into camp to fight for a job and capped things off with three goals and an assist against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. He’s a third liner who can kill penalties, is defensively responsible and can score, which is all the coaching staff has been looking for.
Right now, he’s earned this spot. The positive for Skinner is that if Kurashev stumbles, which is a possibility, it should be pretty simple to swap him and Kurashev without disrupting too much else in the Sharks’ lineup.
Fourth line – Barclay Goodrow – Adam Gaudette – Ty Dellandrea
To the fourth line, and this isn’t going to be the popular choice, but it’s the most likely. Whether you love it or hate it, Barclay Goodrow is locked into the fourth-line role. Goodrow is considered a leader on this team and might very well wear an “A” when the team suits up on opening night. He’s a lock.
As for who will be on the ice on the fourth line with Goodrow, we expect that Adam Guadette will be there. Gaudette wasn’t a standout during the camp, but he’s what you’re looking for from a veteran forward and we can’t skate out only rookies. There will be times when the team is going to need veterans to shoulder the stress of game situations and Gaudette can do that. Plus, he’s reliable in the faceoff circle, something the Sharks need more of.
And the third player on this line will be Ty Dellandrea, who did enough in camp to keep his spot in the lineup. Dellandrea played like a man who knew his job was on the line because it was. The 25-year-old felt the heat from the younger players on the ice and responded and so he will get the 12th spot on the opening night roster.
Alternate forward – Ryan Reaves
Surprisingly, Ryan Reaves’ play wasn’t as tragically horrible as I imagined after listening to Toronto Maple Leafs fans complain last season. He’s not massively impactful, but he lays big hits, understands his role and can play his ten minutes when he needs to. He’s the passable 13th forward with a good attitude you need at this stage in the rebuild.
With the Sharks trading Carl Grundstrom and Egor Afanasyev going on early in the season, the Sharks are going to start the season with 13 forwards because they need the roster spot for the defense, which we’ll get to in a later post. Yes, Graf deserves to be up with the team, but the defense needs the roster spot more right now.
First call ups
We’re going to call this the first call ups because these are the guys that did enough at training camp to earn first call up credit. These players did exactly what they needed to do in the camp, but there aren’t enough roster spots for them.
We’re taking about Graf, who’s likely to get the first look in the event of a long term injury or trade. Lund was also good in camp and should get a call up at some point in the season. Same goes for Regenda, especially if a veteran forward goes down.
All in all, the training camp was exactly what the Sharks were looking for. It was extremely competitive and players worked for jobs. What came out of it wasn’t just a list of players who earned their roles, but also a list of players ready to fill in when necessary.
