A little more than three months after their season ended in a Stanley Cup Final defeat, the Sharks are set to open training camp on Friday. Let's get right to the questions at hand…
Where do you like [Tomas] Hertl, third line center or top line wing? (Steven Peter)
Hertl will almost certainly be at center when the players take the ice for the first time on Friday morning, if only because Joe Thornton and Logan Couture are still competing in the World Cup. Regardless, I would expect Hertl to see plenty of time in the middle during the preseason.
Whether the Sharks keep him there for opening night will be one of the developing stories over the next few weeks. Will someone else like Timo Meier be a viable option to play on the Thornton line, which was probably the best line in hockey in the second half of the season? Is Chris Tierney better suited than Hertl to play third line center after he played so well in that spot in the playoffs? Can Hertl remain confident in his play, even when he's not getting on the scoresheet – something he's struggled with in the past? All of that will likely factor in to Pete DeBoer's decision.
Supposing Marcus Sorenson makes the team, where do you think he fits? (Tristan Weiss)
Sorensen is listed as a left wing, so perhaps he could push for that spot that may be vacated by Hertl up top. More likely, though, he'll be aiming for a place on the fourth line.
San Jose Sharks
Speaking of Sorensen, who had 34 points in 47 games in the Swedish league last season, I asked Barracuda coach Roy Sommer about his first impressions of the 24-year-old during the team's rookie camp last week. Sommer seemed impressed.
"He's a clone of the Swedes like [Melker Karlsson]. He plays a lot like him – hard, hounds pucks. I was talking to him, and he played on a bigger rink over [in Sweden], but he likes the smaller rink because he's one of those guys that gets on pucks and pressures pucks. I think the game is going to be a lot easier for him in a smaller building."
The best bet right now is that Sorensen starts the year with Sommer in the AHL.
Who gets shipped to Vegas during the expansion draft? Which players are guaranteed protection? (Jessica Gaeta)
Right now I'm predicting that the Sharks will lose a defenseman to Las Vegas. Assuming they protect six forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, it would leave at least three NHL-caliber players from their blue line exposed. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns (if he signs a contract extension) are locks to be protected, and Justin Braun probably is, too.
That leaves Brenden Dillon, Paul Martin, David Schlemko and Mirco Mueller exposed. My best guess is that one of those four will be moving slightly east next summer.
Who do you see winning the backup goalie position, [Aaron] Dell or [Troy] Grosenick? And if they play poorly, how long do you give them to prove themselves before looking for a seasoned backup in a trade? (Mike Dwyer)
The job is undoubtedly Dell's to lose. He was the guy who had the better season last year in the AHL, was kept around as the third string goalie in the playoffs, and signed a two-year contract extension in the offseason. He would have to have a horrific training camp to not be in uniform on Oct. 12 as Martin Jones' backup.
The backup goalie will play a key role this season. The Sharks have 16 back-to-backs in what is a slightly condensed schedule, and we all saw how Jones benefited from the extra rest in the second half. Dell will have to prove he's a legitimate NHL goalie by Christmastime at the absolute latest, or Doug Wilson will have to look for other options, like he was forced to do last season.
Who's your pick for odd man out: Tommy Wingles, Matt Nieto, or Melker Karlsson? (Tony Martinico)
I still maintain that at least one if not two of these players, none of whom are signed past this season, will not be in the lineup against the Kings on opening night. Wingels and Nieto, especially, are on the cusp of losing their jobs to younger players. I think Karlsson is safe when you consider a preseason injury set him back last year, and he did some good things in the playoffs.
Another guy who simply has to be better than he was last season, though, is pending unrestricted free agent Patrick Marleau. He didn't do nearly enough at even strength over the second half of the year and in the playoffs, and with Meier, Sorensen and Nikolay Goldobin all listed as left wingers, he's going to have to show that at 37 years old he's still a better option than those hungry youngsters. Goldobin looked especially good in Tuesday's rookie scrimmage.
