Training camp information and five questions facing Sharks in 2016-17.
The Sharks open training camp Friday at Sharks Ice in San Jose with Group A starting at 9:30 a.m. and Group B at 11:45 a.m. Scrimmages between Group A and Group B will take place Sunday at approximately 11:50 a.m. on the South Rink. Seating inside the rink is limited to the first 250 guests. Most practice sessions are scheduled to be open to the public.
Here are five questions for the Sharks during training camp and the regular season: WHAT POSITION WILL HERTL PLAY?
Tomas Hertl is entering his fourth season with the Sharks and this could be the moment when he makes the jump to the center position full-time. Hertl was most effective last season as a winger on the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, as he finished with career highs in goals (21) and points (46). But he is a natural centerman and would present some match-up problems for other teams if he begins to flourish in the middle on the third line. The Sharks have options to replace Hertl on the top line. Mikkel Boedker would add a speedy dimension, and Timo Meier could very well be capable of playing big even-strength minutes in the NHL. Hertl has been skating at Sharks Ice in recent weeks, and expectations are that he will be ready to go starting Friday. A lot more will be known about the Sharks’ line combinations once the World Cup ends and Thornton, Boedker and Logan Couture return to San Jose. Still, with greater depth, the Sharks have some options as to how they want to move around their players.
HOWDOES MARLEAU FIT IN?
Patrick Marleau showed his versatility early last season after the injury to Logan Couture by spending more time at center. He finished with a respectable 25 goals and remained a key part of a power-play unit that was thirdbest in the league. Still, with Boedker on the team, Joonas Donskoi emerging as a top-six forward and even Meier and Nikolay Goldobin pushing for a spot, it will be interesting to see where Marleau is used. Second-line winger? Third-line winger? Back in the middle? In any case, even at 37, Marleau still feels he has plenty of good hockey left in him.
ARE THE SHARKS FAST ENOUGH?
The Sharks were able to handle the big, physical Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues in the playoffs, but had trouble with the Nashville Predators and couldn’t keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They took steps to address team speed with the additions of Boedker and defenseman David Schlemko. In the Pacific Division, the Sharks match up well with the Kings and equally physical Anaheim Ducks, but Edmonton, Arizona and Calgary have plenty of speed, led by Oilers center Connor McDavid, the Coyotes’Max Domi and Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau. The Sharks can keep up, but with Edmonton, Calgary and Arizona each improving, the Pacific should be a little tighter this season.
WHICH FORWARD PROSPECTS CAN CRACK ROSTER?
G.M. Doug Wilson and coach Pete DeBoer have talked in the past about the importance of a push for roster spots from below. Forward prospects like Meier, Goldobin, Marcus Sorensen, and perhaps Daniel O’Regan and Barclay Goodrow, might be on the cusp of NHL-readiness. If they have good camps, the Sharks’ brass will have to make some tough decisions. For now, Meier is the odds-on favorite to make the leap, considering his size and skill. Goldobin will have to prove he isn’t a defensive liability, and Sorensen must show he can make the transition to an NHL-sized surface. Depending on what they do with Hertl, the Sharks might need a fourth-line center like O’Regan or Ryan Carpenter.
WHO IS BACKUP GOALIE?
The Sharks have four goalies in camp besides No. 1 Martin Jones, but the job to be the No. 2 goalie should come down to Aaron Dell and Troy Grosenick. Both were with the Barracuda last season, but Dell had the better year and was counted on to get his team into the AHL playoffs. Grosenick, though, feels he is much more fundamentally sound right now after a busy summer and can have a bounce-back season. Both goalies are 27 and recognize the importance of capitalizing on this chance. If they can’t take advantage, Wilson will have to start looking outside the organization.