Season Preview: San Jose Sharks
Conference: Western
Division: Pacific
Menu:
Offseason
Additions: Luke Kunin, Oskar Lindblom, Nico Sturm, Steven Lorentz, Matt Benning, Evgeny Svechnikov, Markus Nutivaara, Scott Harrington, Aaron Dell
Subtractions: Brent Burns, Rudolfs Balcers, Jonathan Dahlen, Sasha Chmelevski, Nicolas Meloche, John Leonard, Adin Hill
A lot of big-minute subtractions from last season's Sharks roster leaves a ton of question marks as to who will step into bigger roles on the squad. Newcomers Kunin, Lindblom, and Benning are likely candidates, as well as highly-touted rookie William Eklund.
Injury Report
Probable For Opener: -None-
Questionable For Opener: -None-
Out To Begin Season: Alex Barabonov (Lower Body), Markus Nutivaara (Lower Body), Nikolai Knyzhov (Achilles)
Out For Season: -None-
Barabonov and Nutivaara will miss about two weeks to begin the season, and Knyzhov will miss the majority of the season with a torn achilles. The bulk of the San Jose Sharks roster however is healthy and ready to go come the start of the season.
Projected Lineup
(league ranks in parentheses)
Forwards (31st)
William Eklund - Tomas Hertl - Timo Meier
Oskar Lindblom - Logan Couture - Kevin Labanc
Noah Gregor - Nick Bonino - Luke Kunin
Steven Lorentz - Nico Sturm - Matt Nieto
Defense (31st)
Mario Ferraro - Erik Karlsson
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Matt Benning
Radim Simek - Scott Harrington
Goalies (25th)
Kaapo Kahkonen
James Reimer
While Barbonov should slot back in on the top line with Hertl and Meier when healthy and create a more complete lineup, the Sharks still boast bottom-tier forward and defensive groups.
Reimer is coming off a strong season, but Kahkonen is expected to garner the majority of the starts due to age and optimism. It should be noted, however, that Kahkonen has yet to show any real promise at the NHL level.
Dynamic Players
Snipers: -None-
Playmakers: -None-
Volume Shooters: Timo Meier
Play-Drivers: -None-
Shutdown Defenders: Kevin Labanc | Steven Lorentz
Shot Blockers: Erik Karlsson | Mario Ferraro | Radim Simek | Marc-Edouard Vlasic | Scott Harrington
Hitters: Luke Kunin | Radim Simek
Enforcers: Luke Kunin
Penalty Drawers: Timo Meier
PP Specialists: -None-
PK Specialists: -None-
Faceoff Specialists: Tomas Hertl | Nick Bonino | Nico Sturm
Fantasy Impact
Studs: Timo Meier
Duds: Kaapo Kahkonen
Sleepers: Erik Karlsson
Other Roster Worthy: Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture
Timo Meier's scoring and physical game makes him an elite fantasy hockey winger, and Hertl is a solid late-round center because of the ice-time and correlation. Couture still has value as a second-line center and special teamer, and Karlsson now assumes all of the powerplay time he previously split with Brent Burns.
If you're desperate for a goalie you may be thinking about drafted Kahkonen, but he may actually end up doing more harm than good to your fantasy lineup. Our advice is to stay away.
2022-2023 PuckLuck Projections | | | | | | | | |
PLAYER | POS | G | A | PTS | W | GA | SV | SO |
Timo Meier | F | 33 | 40 | 73 | | | | |
Tomas Hertl | F | 30 | 41 | 71 | | | | |
Erik Karlsson | D | 13 | 42 | 55 | | | | |
Logan Couture | F | 26 | 29 | 55 | | | | |
Alex Barabonov | F | 15 | 30 | 45 | | | | |
James Reimer | G | | | | 15 | 115 | 1011 | 3 |
Kaapo Kahkonen | G | | | | 15 | 116 | 1009 | 3 |
Betting Impact
PuckLuck Projection: 66 points
Floor: 58 points Ceiling: 86 points
Projection Data Confidence: 67%
(League Average: 70%)
PuckLuck Odds:
Stanley Cup: +2500000
President's Trophy: +200000
Conference: +30000
Division: +25000
DraftKings Sportsbook Lines:
Stanley Cup: +18000
President's Trophy: +50000
Conference: +8000
Division: +15000
The Sharks are simply a team to avoided on any futures bets, unless you find one for last place. They will most likely be a lottery team.
The daily betting value will be likely on the +1.5 goal pucklines against lower scoring teams, as long as they prove not to be a complete disaster defensively and in net. They pack enough of a scoring punch to keep games close.
Season Outlook
Division Projection: 8th
Conference Projection: 15th
League Projection: 30th
Playoffs? No chance
It's going to be an awkward transition year for the Sharks, as the team still has a boatload of veterans but a new coaching staff, management, and a bottom of the league projection. There should be a focus on unloading salary and developing youth, while the team aims to pick towards the top of the draft next season.
Will the San Jose Sharks make the playoffs?
- Yes
- No