San Jose Sharks Finalize Roster, Ready to Start Season

With the 23-man roster set, the San Jose Sharks embark on another regular season with aspirations of a Stanley Cup.

Optimism remains on the current San Jose Sharks roster. Goal production will be the center of attention after the Sharks finished 19th in the NHL with 2.67 goals per game. A void has been left by Patrick Marleau, now with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Joe Thornton is now the longest tenure Shark with the departure of Marleau. After suffering a knee injury which required surgery in the offseason, Thornton will be relied on to provide offense early. Thornton played one preseason game and said his knee felt fine. Hope is the 38-year-old can improve his numbers after posting only 50 points in 79 games last season.

Thornton will not be the only player under the microscope as a few returning players need to show improvement after underwhelming seasons. Mikkel Boedker appears to have gotten the message after a decent preseason. Peter DeBoer often made Boedker a healthy scratch last season for not showing enough effort to provide offense.

San Jose Sharks /

San Jose Sharks

In the preseason, Boedker jumped into areas around the net which resulted in goals. Last season, Boedker would skate around near the faceoff circles looking for a pass to shoot on the net. His preseason success should indicate what Coach DeBoer expects from the former first-round pick.

As a result, Boedker will likely skate on the first or second line when the season begins. He will also get a crack at filling the 27-goal hole left by Marleau on the first or second power-play unit.

The power play is critical as the Sharks have struggled under DeBoer to produce any offense on special teams. San Jose has finished near the bottom in the power play category given the talent on the team. Change needs to happen.

Captain, Joe Pavelski, will hope Thornton’s knee holds up throughout the season. Pavelski was affected when Thornton went down as he had different linemates with little success. His production went down and will look to rebound.

Among the standouts in training camp, Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Carpenter, and Tim Heed earned spots on the opening night roster.

For Goodrow, he hopes this time he will stick with the Sharks throughout the season. He has seen NHL action after winning a spot in camp under former Sharks’ coach, Todd McLellan. Since his first stint, Goodrow has been with the San Jose Barracuda looking for consistency.

Goodrow has been one of the Barracuda’s best players the past two seasons, and his efforts paid off in training camp. He scored a goal in the final preseason game, solidifying his spot. His determination and high level of play drew praise from DeBoer and Goodrow will look to stay full-time in the NHL.

Carpenter led the Barracuda with 17 points during the 2017 Calder Cup Playoff run last season and made his case to earn a roster spot in camp. He saw time with the Sharks last season registering four points in 11 appearances. Expect the 26-year-old to skate on the third line with Tomas Hertl.

Heed will be the Sharks’ seventh defenseman as Dylan DeMelo won the sixth-spot. The young defenseman showed his offensive prowess although made mistakes which left him vulnerable during contests. He will likely be the healthy scratch in the season opener but will be in the next few games.

Although the three players earned spots in the lineup, job security is not safe. General manager, Doug Wilson, gave an opportunity for players from the Barracuda to grab open spots. The question is if Goodrow, Carpenter, and Heed can play at the NHL-level for all 82-games.

Players assigned to Barracuda like Marcus Sorensen, Daniel O’Regan, and Joakim Ryan could find their way up to the Sharks. All three made an impression of getting a second look with the Sharks at some point this season.

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But the prospects may not just be pushing the ones who made the initial roster. Players such as Kevin Labanc and veteran Joel Ward may see themselves scratched from the lineup. Ward had a disappointing 2016-17 campaign and got scratched by DeBoer.

Given his presence in the locker room and the value he brings on and off the ice, Ward will bounce back and stay on the ice.

Issues will likely remain on offense although the Sharks perhaps boast the best defensive unit in the NHL. Norris Trophy winner, Brent Burns, highlights the defensive unit with the ability to jump into the offensive attack and play sound defense. He will certainly play a role in providing goals consistently for the Sharks.

Alongside Burns is the shut-down defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who can play significant minutes against top lines of opponents. Vlasic signed an extension during the offseason to remain in San Jose long term.

Between the pipes is Martin Jones, who also signed a lengthy extension, making him the undisputed starter. For the Sharks to make another run in the playoffs, Jones will have to provide his reliable goaltending and steal a few games during the season.

San Jose currently has about $8 million in salary cap space. Perhaps a trade could happen at some point before the trade deadline passes. Wilson is allowing current players and prospects to make an impact to start the season. He will likely re-evaluate in a few months before making any decisions.

A new opponent joins the Pacific Division with the Las Vegas Golden Knights playing their inaugural season. Do not expect much of a threat from the expansion team. Edmonton, Calgary, and Anaheim will be the teams battling San Jose for playoff implications.

The season begins with a five-game homestand as the Philadelphia Flyers come to town for the season opener. A five-game road trip will take place after against teams from the Eastern Conference. Marleau makes his return to San Jose with the Maple Leafs at the end of October.

Analysts do not favor the Sharks with many picking the team to miss the playoffs. With a longer offseason to gear up for the season, San Jose will make the playoffs and likely open on the road. If all the pieces come together, a trip to the Stanley Cup Final can happen.

Next: San Jose Sharks Open Training Camp

Sharks’ hockey is back and is ready to begin their 27th season with the expectation of competing for a championship. The roster is official, and San Jose is going to take a bite out of their opponents.

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