Over the summer, the San Jose Sharks addressed their blue line and improved significantly in that regard, despite some criticism concerning the moves they opted to make.
The Sharks now have quite a few veterans who are guaranteed to be on the opening night roster, some young players looking to find a spot for themselves, and some potential breakout candidates as well. Let's take a look at where each player falls.
Locks: Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, Michael Kesselring, Dmitry Orlov
To put it simply, if the Sharks weren't planning to play Nurse, Trouba, and Kesselring on their opening night roster, they wouldn't have acquired them. All three are guaranteed to have a spot on the team this September, unless something goes terribly wrong.
As for Orlov, it's hard to say whether or not he'll stay with the Sharks for the entirety of the 2026-27 season as he enters the final year of his contract, but he'll undoubtedly be a big part of their blue line to start the season, at the very least. If they're in the playoff hunt, as they hope to be, then he'll likely stick in the top-four for the majority of the season.
On the Bubble - Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, Nolan Allan, Eric Pohlkamp, Libor Hajek
I'd say it's fair to say that there's roughly a 95% chance that Sam Dickinson is on the Sharks' opening night roster. With that being said, now that he's eligible to play in the American Hockey League due to a change in the AHL's agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, if he underperforms at training camp, there's a possibility that he gets a short time with the Barracuda to start the season, similar to what the Blackhawks previously did with Kevin Korchinski.
That's a very unlikely outcome though, and as a result, the remaining four bubble players will be battling it out for two possible roster spots. Luca Cagnoni seems like a favorite to make the roster due to his ability on the powerplay and his play at the end of the 2025-26 season when given a chance in the NHL, but he's far from guaranteed to get a roster spot.
Nolan Allan and Libor Hajek are both on two-way contracts, so the Sharks won't be stuck with their full salary if they're sent to the AHL, but they do have the issue of waivers. Unlike Cagnoni, Allan and Hajek are both waiver-eligible. As a result, the Sharks may opt to side with keeping one, or both of them, in the NHL in order to retain them as assets. Of course, that only truly matters if Mike Grier feels that another team may try to claim them.
As for Eric Pohlkamp, he has the benefits of potential and handedness on his side. Pohlkamp likely has the highest ceiling of any of the bubble players and he's the only right-shot amongst them. With Nurse, Orlov, and Dickinson all being left-handed players, Pohlkamp would be a logical fit on the third-pairing if the Sharks wanted to keep an even number of lefties and righties. It may not boost Pohlkamp's chances of making the team much, but it's a factor that'll at least be discussed if it's a close call between two players.
Longshots: Mattias Havelid, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Phillip Sinn
Unless one of them has a tremendous showing at training camp, Mattias Havelid, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, and Phillip Sinn all seem to be bound for the Barracuda this coming season. While it wouldn't be unheard of for a player to overcome the odds and surpass multiple players on the depth chart, it doesn't seem likely in this case. At some point in the near future, we may see one of them make a case for an NHL role, but it probably won't be now.
