As Sharks begin camp, questions loom for team
The San Jose Sharks have pitched this season as the start of new era.
In many ways, that is true; Mike Grier and David Quinn are the new general manager and head coach, respectively. The face of the franchise from the previous halfdecade, Brent Burns, was traded this offseason.
The Sharks have been a team in transition, missing the past three postseasons after being a yearly Stanley Cup contender. Grier has been candid, saying this season likely will be part of the rebuild effort.
The Sharks, though, have some direction that the past few seasons lacked as they head into training camp, which begins Thursday.
Goaltending: Who will emerge the No. 1?
The Sharks answered one of the biggest questions before training camp began: Who would — or wouldn’t — be in net?
They traded Adin Hill to Vegas in August, leaving San Jose with Kaapo Kahkonen and James Reimer. Nine goalies had spent time with the Sharks over the past two seasons as stability in the crease has evaded the organization.
Quinn had worked with three goalies before with Henrik Lundqvist, Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev on his New York Rangers team in 2019-20.
Reimer had a career high of 46 starts with a .911 save percentage last season. The Sharks added Kahkonen in March when Hill was out. Quinn and Grier have been vague about whether they plan on sticking with a No. 1 or have a straight split; playing two goalies regular minutes has become an NHL norm, so each getting 40 starts might be an ideal.
San Jose has two backto-backs to begin the season, first with a pair against Nashville in Prague, Oct. 7-8, and then a Friday-Saturday home set against Carolina and Chicago a week later.
“It is nice to have a No. 1 guy, but there’s nothing wrong with having two guys at the top of their game and having that type of competition,” Grier said last week. “I’m not 100% sold on one or the other.”
Defense: Finding the Burns minutes
Sans Burns, the Sharks’ defense looks different.
Erik Karlsson played just 50 games a season ago. His health will shape exactly how much more change the blue line undertakes.
With a new contract, Mario Ferraro should take on some of that load, too, and be a toppairing defender with Karlsson. Burns played over 26 minutes per game last season; multiple players will need to fill that void.
Markus Nutivaara comes from Columbus and Matt Benning from Nashville. Neither has averaged more than 17:41 per game in a season.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who dodged buyout rumors, has been on the third pair for a few seasons, but certainly could take on more minutes.
Jaycob Megna played for Quinn and Team USA in the IIHF World Championship in the spring and averaged 19 minutes a season ago. Radim Simek is also in the fold.
“We’re always going to look to get better, but I think we’re pretty happy with the guys that we’ve got that are here right now,” Grier said. “They’re all capable NHL defensemen . ... I think we’re happy with the competition.”
Nick Cicek, Ryan Merkley or Santeri Hatakka will compete for a spot. Hatakka, a left-side shot, has played the past two years on the right side, where the Sharks have an opening, so his versatility could give him the inside track.
Forwards: Top and bottom six minutes up for grabs
The Sharks suddenly have a lot of depth in their bottom six. Matt Nieto, Nico Sturm and Steven Lorentz, with Jonah Gadjovich and Evgeny Svechnikov, all will be fighting for fourth-line minutes.
Kevin Labanc could be moved if he doesn’t fit in somewhere; it might be tough for him to mold a role. He is in the third year of an $18.9 million contract and he is the sixth highest-paid player on the team. A shoulder injury derailed his season a year ago.
William Eklund should get a crack at the top six, which added Oskar Lindblom and Luke Kunin to the mix this offseason. Already rostered Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Alexander Barabanov, Logan Couture, Noah Gregor and Nick Bonino are looking for roles among the top six and the third line.
Both Thomas Bordeleau and Eklund thrived at rookie camp this week. If the Sharks are looking to bridge to a playoff spot, those two should get a chance to gain some experience, especially with top-six minutes up for grabs alongside Couture and Hertl on the second line.
Maybe that’s where Labanc could slot in with a strong camp, or maybe Gregor can show some touch on his chances. Either way, the Sharks need a spark who isn’t just Meier to kickstart a stagnant offense.
As with Hertl a year ago, Meier’s looming free agency hangs over the Sharks. Hertl signed an eight-year deal; surely San Jose would like to get a deal done soon to keep its most dynamic offensive player.