San Jose Sharks 2024-25 Projected Lineup – Hockey Writers – San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks will have a few new faces on their opening night lineup this season. Some will be familiar faces returning to the SAP Center, while others will be new. Not much has been set in stone, but even for players who seem certain to make the team, their careers can change dramatically. Let's take a look at what the list could look like this October.

Forward

Locked Inside

There are a few players who have been confirmed to be in the Sharks' starting line-up for the season. Veterans like Mikael Granlund and Logan Couture will undoubtedly be on the roster if he is healthy. Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg signed big money contracts with the Sharks this offseason and they didn't do it to sit in the press box every night.

As for the small forwards who will be on the opening night roster, William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund have played very well in the 2023-24 season. It would take a poor performance in training camp and the preseason for them to be left out. Meanwhile, top prospects Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith didn't leave their NCAA teams for the American Hockey League, so I'd be surprised if they weren't told they'd likely start the season with the Sharks.

In the Bubble

Things get even more difficult to predict when you look at the bottom of the list. Newcomers Carl Grundstrom, Ty Dellandrea, and the returning Barclay Goodrow will all look like they could find a spot on the roster as the Sharks are out to get each of them this offseason. Still, based on the players ahead of them on the depth chart, it's hard to say there will be room for all of them. Players like Nico Sturm and Luke Kunin undoubtedly deserve a role in the bottom six, but a strong camp by one of the aforementioned three could push them out. Klim Kostin, Justin Bailey, Givani Smith, Collin Graf, and Thomas Bordeleau all spent time with the Sharks last season and will compete for roster spots, but they may be on the outside looking in.

He knocked on the door

Finally, we've reached the players who fly under the radar but surprise everyone and fight for a spot on opening night. The first is 19-year-old Quentin Musty, who will likely spend the 2024-25 season back in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sudbury Wolves. Ideally, he's the type of prospect who will benefit from time with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, but as a member of the Canadian Hockey League, that's not possible right now without a waiver. Given the rare waiver offer, there is virtually no chance of him playing in the AHL this season. He's on the verge of being NHL-ready, and the OHL won't benefit him much yet. He could be an NHL-caliber player in a few months, and a strong summer could accelerate that process. However, with that being said, there is a road ahead of him that will make it difficult for him to enter the list of players this season.

Daniil Gushchin is another player who has been on the verge of breaking into the NHL for a few years now. He has made occasional appearances for the Sharks and played well in terms of offensive production during his time in the NHL, but hasn't been able to stick so far. After a game point season in the AHL, the next logical step in his development would be to see how that would translate to North American hockey's highest level. He could follow a path similar to Bailey's last season, who started with the Barracuda but was called up mid-season and never looked back.

Finally, we have Filip Bystedt. Countryman David Edstrom could also fall into this category if he jumped over the Atlantic Ocean, but he remains in the Swedish Hockey League next season. Bystedt came to North America late in the season and started lighting up the AHL. As a former first round draft pick, the Sharks organization has spent a lot of time and resources on him and would like to see him in the NHL as soon as possible. He'll probably start in the AHL, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him slip past someone on the depth chart and sneak into the opening night lineup.

Starring: Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund, William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini, Alexander Wennberg, Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith, Logan Couture, Klim Kostin, Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Carl Grundstrom, Ty Dellandrea, Barclay Goodrow

The protectors

A few defenders seem guaranteed for the opening night schedule. Mario Ferraro, Jan Rutta, Matt Benning, and newly acquired Jake Walman will likely be starting the season in key roles on the Sharks blue line. Marc-Edouard Vlasic would be a safe bet to take one of the six spots, but he's a little less certain, given how much he's regressed over the past few seasons. He won't be dropped, that much seems clear, but there is a chance that he will start as the Sharks' seventh linebacker, although the chances are slim. Assuming Vlasic is on the opening night roster, that leaves one spot for any of Ty Emberson, Henry Thrun, and Shakir Mukhamadullin.

Mukhamadullin is ready for the NHL; he played very well when given the chance last season and was at a high level at the AHL level as well. Emberson and Thrun have often appeared on the roster late in the season, but neither has really done much to set themselves apart. Let's say the Sharks choose to start Mukhamadullin in the AHL with the Barracuda. If so, I'd like to see Emberson start in the opening night lineup with Thrun as the seventh defenseman.

Related: Sharks' Thomas Bordeleau Could Be Outside Looking In

Sam Dickinson, the 11th overall pick in this summer's NHL draft, could make the team out of training camp if all goes well, but it will be difficult for him to do so. I think Mukhamadullin is the way to start the season in the NHL, but Dickinson is worth a look as well.

Expected Defenders: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Mario Ferraro, Jake Walman, Matt Benning, Ty Emberson, Jan Rutta, Henry Thrun

Goals

The Sharks goal is one area that seems clear; Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek will be among the team's pipes for Teal this season. In case of injuries, that's when things can get interesting if Magnus Chrona or Georgi Romanov have a strong showing, but at least to start the season, it will be a reunion of the two New Jersey Devils in net.

The list for the Sharks will be difficult to make, as there are many possible outcomes. That said, the younger players have more opportunities to make an impact and earn an opening night spot.