Yes, it’s only been three days of training camp. Yes, it’s too early to say anything with certainty. But when has that ever stopped us from making some guesses about the opening night roster? Never. Call this an educated guess if you will.
The Sharks have not made any cuts to training camp, which means just about everyone is available for the opening night roster. That makes things fun. But we’ll try to be a little realistic for this post.
San Jose Sharks forwards
The Sharks have sent the message that the forward group is deeper this season than it has been in seasons past. That’s true. It was much harder to come up with these line combinations than it was to come up with the combinations last season.
Anthony Duclair – ?? – Alexander Barabanov
Anthony Duclair and Alexander Barabanov are seeing some good chemistry through the first three days of camp. During day 3’s scrimmage, the ice looked tilted in their direction. Duclair and Barabanov are feeding off of each other. It’s fast hockey that’s fun to watch.
The third player on their line is what’s up in the air.
If Logan Couture is healthy, he’ll likely center the line. However, as of now, Couture is week to week so we’ll err on the side of caution and say that he doesn’t start opening night.
That leaves the third spot open. During camp, Ryan Carpenter and Thomas Bordeleau have both seen significant time centering the line. Carpenter is the veteran NHL forward of the two, while Bordeleau is the prospect with promise.
There are pluses and minuses to both. Carpenter will be a steadying presence that makes the right moves. He’s reliable, but he’s not dynamic. That might be what the Sharks want heading into a season where every team has a clean slate.
Bordeleau, meanwhile, brings the speed and creativity of youth with him but also the learning curve that comes with all prospects trying to make it in the NHL.
Of the two, Bordeleau has shown the most chemistry with Duclair and Barabanov but this is truly a coaching decision. Expect both guys to get a good look the longer Couture’s health is in question.
Mike Hoffman – Tomas Hertl – Filip Zadina
Another pairing that has seen fairly consistent ice time together is Tomas Hertl and Filip Zadina. They’re starting to form some chemistry. It’s the third player on the line that’s up in the air.
Likely, it will be Mike Hoffman since Hoffman joins the other two in Group B, but I have not seen the same chemistry as with the Hertl-Zadina combination.
If San Jose lets the young players steal the show, Adam Raska may have a shot. He has made a good showing so far.
Oskar Lindblom is also a part of Group B, but so far has done nothing to impress enough to beat out the new veterans added in the summer and the young prospects that are pushing for spots in the lineup.
William Eklund – Mikael Granlund – Fabian Zetterlund/Luke Kunin
Coaches are testing things out in training camp and it looks like the initial inclination is to place young William Eklund with Mikael Granlund.
During scrimmages, Eklund and Granlund have worked at times with Fabian Zetterlund and at times with Luke Kunin. Zetterlund adds a little grit to the line. He’s a heavier player that can go into the corner and grind it out. Kunin is a bit faster than Zetterlund, which may be a better addition to the line.
Fourth line up in the air
The fourth line honestly looks like a hodge podge of leftovers. The Sharks are working on forming those top three lines and then picking the best of the rest for the fourth line.
We haven’t slotted Nico Sturm, Kevin Labanc, Jacob Peterson, Danil Gushchin, Oskar Lindblom, Givani Smith, Tristen Robins or Adam Raska in just yet.
I’m just guessing here, but Peterson, Gushchin and Robins are all likely headed back to the AHL. Raska’s borderline, but there simply may not be a roster spot for him until someone gets hurt. Lindblom and Smith will likely watch from the press box most nights, though if there are roster issues when Couture is healthy and returns to the lineup, Lindblom may be first player sent down.
That leaves Sturm, Labanc and Kunin to make up the fourth line. That’s assuming that Zetterlund’s the first option to make it on the third line. When Couture gets back, Carpenter will likely return to the Barracuda if he’s not already there. The Sharks will have to make a decision on whether to keep Bordeleau up and play him on the fourth line while benching Labanc or send him back to the Barracuda.
We chose to bench Labanc only because Sturm and Kunin are assets on the penalty kill.
San Jose Sharks defense
The defensive pairings are a little easier to figure out at the top end. The big question on defense will be how much or how soon will young players like Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk factor into the lineup.
Henry Thrun – Jan Rutta
A potential top pairing for the Sharks, Henry Thrun and Jan Rutta have received a steady diet of ice time together through three days of training camp. Rutta is a veteran presence who’s played alongside guys like Victor Hedman, Brian Dumoulin and Marcus Pettersson. So, he’s used to working alongside more offensively inclined defensemen.
I see no reason why Thrun won’t continue to play for the Sharks in the upcoming season. He did well to close out the 2022-23 season and with Rutta on the ice with him, he’ll have a reliable partner that will help him ease into his role as an NHL defenseman.
Mario Ferraro – Leon Gawanke
Another pairing getting a lot of ice time together is Mario Ferraro and Leon Gawanke. Of the new names on the Sharks roster at defense, Gawanke was thought to be the player most likely to get the first shot at a spot on the opening night roster.
While there has been nothing exceptional about the play of the two of them together, there’s also been nothing concerning either. They have been solid defensively without creating any explosive plays or rushes in either direction.
I think this is the second pairing for the Sharks on opening night. Gawanke has played four seasons in the AHL so he has more experience than the other options. He thinks he’s ready and he’ll have every chance to prove it over the next few weeks.
Plus, as Gawanke settles into an NHL role, the offense should follow. He’s shown the ability to score when the opportunity presents itself and has success at the lower levels adding offense to his defense.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Matt Benning
Sliding some familiar faces into the lineup on the third pairing. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is going to play. I know some fans will make a face at the idea, but he’s still an NHL-caliber defenseman, though not the top-pairing player he was in the past.
Matt Benning was perhaps the Sharks’ most reliable defenseman last season. At this point, there’s no reason to keep him out of the lineup. This will be a good shutdown pairing.
During the first three days of camp, Vlasic spent a lot of time with Shakir Mukhamadullin. As much as I want to imagine that the duo start the season together, I don’t think the Sharks are rushing Mukhamadullin into the NHL. Mukhamadullin has looked good. He’s comfortable with his game. But I think Sharks management wants to give him time to play in the AHL before he gets called up.
Other options on defense
Okay, so who are the odd guys out?
Radim Simek has fallen down the depth chart further, and there’s really not a place for him in the lineup this season unless there’s an injury to one of the six players listed above.
While Nikolai Knyzhov has looked good in training camp so far, there may simply be too many defensemen with more skill leapfrogging him. Knyzhov is good, but I think the organization wants to give Thrun and Gawanke a chance first. The team has been pairing Knyzhov with Simek through the first few days of camp.
Jacob MacDonald was a borderline option on defense even when the Sharks acquired him last season. That hasn’t changed.
Valtteri Pulli was on the ice for the first day of camp but has not been in the groupings since then. The top sought-after European free agent is another one of those players who could compete for a spot on the opening night roster, though the Sharks may prefer to have him play some games in the AHL before bringing him up. Unlike Gawanke, who has played several seasons in the AHL already, this will be Pulli’s first season playing on North American ice.
Kyle Burroughs was signed in the offseason and is likely a good option if there’s an injury. He could be the seventh defenseman option for the Sharks.
Nick Cicek, who played several games for the Sharks last season, isn’t moving up the list. He will likely return to the Barracuda.
Like Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk will be slowly rolled out for the Sharks. The only thing different with Okhotiuk is that the Sharks will need to be careful. He’s not waivers exempt. That means every time he’s sent down to the Barracuda, there’s a risk that someone will snatch the young defenseman off the waiver wire.
Goaltenders
There are no question marks in net. Kaapo Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood will be the 1A/1B options for the Sharks this season. Kahkonen and Blackwood have both had good moments and not so good ones in this training camp so far but it’s early. They both look like their heads are in the game, though there’s no clear frontrunner for the starting job.
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