The San Jose Sharks have completed most of their business for the summer at this point, and we have a rough idea of what the roster should look like on opening night. With an abundance of players fighting for a limited number of spots, though, there will be hard decisions and we’ll likely see some veterans, or even some younger players, placed on waivers when preseason comes to a close.

A lot can change over the next two months; however, we’re far enough into the off-season to start spitballing about the opening night roster, what lines will look like, as well as who will make the cut, and who will be left out. 

With the forwards, for the most part, it’s pretty clear. William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini, and Tyler Toffoli should be reunited on the first line, and it’s safe to say they’re all guaranteed a spot on the roster. The Sharks have made it clear that they want Will Smith to play center moving forward, as a resul,t he’s an obvious option as the second-line center. Alongside him, I’d pencil in two newcomers, Jeff Skinner and Philipp Kurashev.

The third line is where things truly get interesting, as Michael Misa will shake things up quite a bi,t whether he’s ready for the NHL or not. Personally, I think it would be hard for him not to earn a spot in the opening night lineup; however, like Smith, it would be logical to start him as a winger in his rookie season. Alexander Wennberg would slot in as the third-line center, and veteran Adam Gaudette would be on the right wing. 

Ironically, the fourth line is what gave me the most trouble. Barclay Goodrow and Ty Dellandrea are safe bets to have a spot on the Sharks’ bottom line, but the right wing spot creates some questions. Carl Grundstrom or Ryan Reaves would be the obvious choices. Both require waivers to go to the American Hockey League, and it’s very clear what each of them brings to the table. Instead, though, I envision both of them being scratched on opening night.

After heavily considering Collin Graf as an option to take that spot, instead I think he’ll start the season with the San Jose Barracuda, and Ethan Cardwell will earn the final spot in the lineup. It would be a shock to many, that’s for sure, but he impressed at both the Rookie Faceoff and training camp last season. He brings more defensive responsibility, and whether it was with the Sharks or the Barracuda last season, he always brought a ton of energy to each shift. Graf could certainly earn the job in training camp with a strong showing, but as of now, I see Cardwell just edging him out. 

The first major question on the blue line is, what happens to Sam Dickinson? If any of the other defensemen in the hunt for a job were waiver-ineligible, Dickinson would almost be guaranteed to get a nine-game tryout in the NHL before Mike Grier needed to make a decision. However, now that Shakir Mukhamadullin and Jack Thompson would require waivers to go to the Barracuda, it makes things a bit more difficult, and as a result, Dickinson could head back to the London Knights.

While I don’t think the OHL is the best option for Dickinson's development at this point, it’s also hard to risk him starting in the NHL, waiving a player to make room, then realizing Dickinson isn’t ready after nine games. As a result, I reluctantly left him off the opening night roster, but that could easily change with a strong showing in the Rookie Faceoff and training camp. 

Mukhamadullin is very likely to have a spot on the Sharks’ opening night roster. Given his value to the organization, it seems highly unlikely he gets waived; as a result, he’s almost guaranteed a job in the NHL. Mario Ferraro and two of the new additions, Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg, also appear to be locks. Nick Leddy, on the other hand, could find himself in the lineup, in the press box, or even on waivers once again. Ultimately, in my eyes, it seems like Timothy Liljegren and Thompson get the final two spots in the lineup, while Nick Leddy is a healthy scratch. As a result, Vincent Desharnais would be on waivers and start the season with the Barracuda if he clears. 

In between the pipes, it seems clear that Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic will be the tandem to start the season. I discussed the potential of that partnership earlier this week, but overall, it can be either one of the Sharks’ greatest assets or biggest weaknesses.

Lineup Projection:

Eklund - Celebrini - Toffoli

Skinner - Smith - Kurashev

Misa - Wennberg - Gaudette

Goodrow - Dellandrea - Cardwell

Reaves, Grundstrom

Ferraro - Klingberg

Mukhamadullin - Liljegren

Orlov - Thompson

Leddy

Askarov

Nedeljkovic

Of course, there are some names I haven’t mentioned who will likely see some playing time with the Sharks this coming season. Players like Cam Lund, Egor Afanasyev, Quentin Musty, Zack Ostapchuk, and Luca Cagnoni are a few that come to mind as potential recall options once injuries strike or players are moved near the trade deadline. I also left Daniil Gushchin out of the lineup, which could lead to an interesting situation with him, as he could be a player who is due a change of scenery.

The Sharks have a multitude of options in every position, which is a blessing, but it can also be a curse when many of them are around the same skill level. It’ll be a tight race for many of these players hoping to make the opening night roster, which means it should be a very interesting preseason this September. 

Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images