Digging into the Sharks mailbag, with some major decisions looming before opening night next Wednesday...
I've only seen a couple preseason games, so who do you take to make the roster: Goldobin or Donskoi, or both? (Dom @nerdybeard)
Considering he remains on the Thornton-Pavelski line in practice, I think Joonas Donskoi is already on the team while Nikolay Goldobin will start the season with the Barracuda.
That being said, I would bet Goldobin plays in at least a few Sharks games this season, but only after he has at least a month under his belt playing 18-20 minutes a night on the Barracuda’s top line, skating in every situation. Having Goldobin, who turns 20 next week, start the season on the Sharks in a fourth line role or in the press box makes no sense, and Pete DeBoer has already expressed how important he believes it is for a young player to get minor league experience.
Torres and Brown on the same line, what impact will it have for the other team? (Tran Nguyen)
If you remember back to the playoff series against the Kings in 2014 (I know, it’s not pleasant), the Sharks’ fourth line played a huge role in staking the Sharks a 3-0 series lead. Mike Brown got in Jonathan Quick’s head by crashing the crease, Raffi Torres was being his typical agitating self, and they even contributed three goals in the first two games.
It appears that Torres will be an option for opening night, and Brown is now healthy again after playing in just 12 games last season. Combined, they could give the Sharks some energy and tenacity on the fourth line. That’s something the team was desperately missing on many nights last season.
That said DeBoer wants to play a more skilled fourth line. Torres’ effectiveness as an everyday player still has yet to be determined, and Brown won’t ever be confused with Steven Stamkos. It’s still difficult at this stage in camp to predict who dress on opening night, but regardless, those two should be welcomed back even if they’re not playing every night.
Pavelski is the odds-on choice to be named captain. But what if the nod goes to [Thornton] again? That may be what the team needs to get really motivated this year. Say what you might, but he's a natural captain and leader. What do you think? (Tom Lyons)
I think Pavelski is the no-brainer choice for captain for a few reasons. First and foremost, he wants it and deserves it. He was the team’s best player last season, he’s still in the prime of his career, no one works harder on his game than the former seventh round draft pick, and he is signed through 2018-19.
Or, let's put it this way. Jonathan Toews is viewed by most of the hockey community as the NHL's best current captain. Who most reminds you of Toews on the Sharks' roster?
Furthermore, there’s really no other logical choice. Among the other players apparently being considered for a leadership role – Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Tommy Wingels, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brent Burns and Logan Couture have also served as alternates in camp – Pavelski stands out above that group. Thornton and Marleau had their turns, Couture and Wingels are still developing as players and leaders, Vlasic was ambivalent about having letter when he spoke with the media on the first day of camp, and Burns is probably a little too free-spirited.
[KURZ: Sharks' Nieto looking to put it all together in third year]
As for Thornton specifically, I would be surprised if he’s not in the leadership group as an alternate. He’s still arguably the most important player on the team and he has seemingly moved on from last season’s unpleasantness. The Sharks will need him to avoid any decline in order to make the postseason.
But, I just don’t see DeBoer stitching a ‘C’ back on the 36-year-old's sweater. Keep in mind DeBoer and Larry Robinson have a previous relationship in New Jersey, and before Doug Wilson made his “lashing out” comments about Thornton last March, it was Robinson who was critical of Thornton’s locker room persona. Not to mention, I’m surprised at how many seem to quickly forget the poor playoff results of years past, including the single biggest series collapse in NHL history. That’s not all Thornton’s fault, of course, but it’s time to try someone else.
One thing I can say with certainty is that everyone in the organization will be glad to move on when DeBoer finally names his captain early next week.
What has Dylan DeMelo done to emerge as the front-runner for the #6 defense spot that Tennyson and Mueller haven't? (Ross Townsend)
He’s just been the steadiest of the three, and I don’t think it’s all that close. Mirco Mueller is still young and needs time in the AHL, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the plan for him from the first day of training camp. Matt Tennyson hasn’t been bad, but DeMelo has been better.
My best guess continues to be that DeMelo partners with Brenden Dillon for the season opener. After that, I would be worried a little bit about the Sharks’ depth on defense. If they lose any of their blueliners for an extended period of time, they could be forced to make a move.
Martin Jones has looked good in the preseason this year. Would 30-40 wins be a reasonable expectation this year for a young starting goalie? That's what the Sharks are going to need from him if they're going to make the playoffs again. (Steven Watt)
I expect Jones will get the bulk of the work in net this season, so, yes, he’ll need to win somewhere in that range. Is that reasonable? It’s impossible to say, since Jones still has just 34 games of NHL experience, but his preseason performance is a source of optimism.
It’s worth pointing out, too, that Alex Stalock has also had a good camp, and in his one game he stopped 25 of 26 shots. The 28-year-old should get one more preseason start over the weekend. The Sharks will need him to bounce back and ease some of the pressure off of Jones, because there is no shortage of it on the former Kings backup.
